Looking back, 2014 has been another challenging year for my hobby.
I love my job, but the very nature of the work has meant trying to balance time with the family and hobbies has been hard. Of my hobbies, Wargaming has been hit the hardest.
As we hit 2014, one of my key aims for the year (having hit 15st...) was to lose weight. In September this year( a month early) I hit my target weight of 13st 7lbs and now in December I've only 2lbs to lose to hit 13st. Trips to the gym to do cardiac work and cutting down my alcohol intake has left me fitter than I've been for some time, so much so that over the Summer I got back to playing Cricket for the first time in nearly four years.
So although Wargames has taken the brunt of the hobby void hit, in the bigger scheme of things I think that the weight loss and diversion of playing a sport I love with a passion has made a big difference in re-discovering the wargaming Mojo which I was beginning to lose this time last year.
Work wise, I start a Line shift pattern soon which allows me to plan my time outside of work far better and I've also been successful in gaining entry to the Student Paramedic Pathway starting in March 2015. Yes I will have my head in books in 2015, and I will be away from home on work based training and on Uni studies throughout the next three years, but at least another ambition will be ticked off.
So what did I actually achieve Wargames wise in 2014??
The Lead Pile remains dauntingly excessive. That said I have only added a sprinkling of figures to the pile this year in the form of 10mm Napoleonic Austrians and French.
My 28mm Pile consists of:
My 15mm Pile consists of:
I want to crack on with the Spanish Civil War figs but the lack of scenery I have (particularly buildings and the investment I will have to put in) keeps putting me off
My 6mm Pile consists of:
Games in 2014
Most of my gaming has been solo. Time has been an issue with no dedicated space and frankly too few of my favourite rule sets being easily adaptable for Solo Play...
I've managed three non-solo games this year. A BIG CoC (Ooohhh Matron!!) at a friends house which I won, A Classic Impetvs Romans V Gauls game which I won at mine, and my personal favourite - an eight player Hail Caesar Vikings V Saxons game on a 24ft table at the club which was an absolute blast. I also managed to win - not only with my individual force of Saxons but as a team. What made that particular victory even more splendid was smashing my opponents force into submission despite facing 2-3 odds.
One could say that as the remainder of my games were solo I have a 100% victory ratio in 2014...
other than those games listed I've played a plethora of rules this year including Warmaster Medieval, Battlegroup Kursk, FOG Naploleonics and Renaissance, By Fire and Sword and In her Majestys Name.
Chain of Command, Bolt Action and FOG Napleonics have been my staple
By Fire and Sword and In Her Majestys Name have both been real let downs, but I put a lot of this down to playing them solo which neither are intended for.
Looking Forward
In 2015 I am planning to keep my expenditure to Napoleonics; reinforcing my French and Austrians and possibly investing in some British and Allies to do 1815.
Rules wise I am looking forward to both Blucher and Battlegroup Blitzkrieg
Games Wise, i would love to do more Impetvs but other than medievals I dont have any ancient forces so may have to rely on club nights to play these rules.
I'm hoping to get more nights at the club, but with being away from home a lot this year and another busy Cricket Season looming I think this might still be a bit of a pipe dream.
I love my job, but the very nature of the work has meant trying to balance time with the family and hobbies has been hard. Of my hobbies, Wargaming has been hit the hardest.
As we hit 2014, one of my key aims for the year (having hit 15st...) was to lose weight. In September this year( a month early) I hit my target weight of 13st 7lbs and now in December I've only 2lbs to lose to hit 13st. Trips to the gym to do cardiac work and cutting down my alcohol intake has left me fitter than I've been for some time, so much so that over the Summer I got back to playing Cricket for the first time in nearly four years.
So although Wargames has taken the brunt of the hobby void hit, in the bigger scheme of things I think that the weight loss and diversion of playing a sport I love with a passion has made a big difference in re-discovering the wargaming Mojo which I was beginning to lose this time last year.
Work wise, I start a Line shift pattern soon which allows me to plan my time outside of work far better and I've also been successful in gaining entry to the Student Paramedic Pathway starting in March 2015. Yes I will have my head in books in 2015, and I will be away from home on work based training and on Uni studies throughout the next three years, but at least another ambition will be ticked off.
So what did I actually achieve Wargames wise in 2014??
The Lead Pile remains dauntingly excessive. That said I have only added a sprinkling of figures to the pile this year in the form of 10mm Napoleonic Austrians and French.
My 28mm Pile consists of:
- SAGA Irish and Scottish Warbands (untouched)
- IHMN - Lord Currs Company and Scotland Yard (untouched)
- Dead Mans Hand - Outlaws and Gunmen (untouched)
- CoC/Bolt Action - US Forces
My 15mm Pile consists of:
- AWI Figures (I have had lots of these for years and keep forgetting about them!)
- French and Austrian Napoleonics which I have made lots of progress with this year and am still working on at the moment
- ECW/TYW for FOG R
- SCW
- Medievals including a castle and buildings (unfinished project)
- Vikings
- Post Romano British
I want to crack on with the Spanish Civil War figs but the lack of scenery I have (particularly buildings and the investment I will have to put in) keeps putting me off
My 6mm Pile consists of:
- Zulu Wars for Principles of War
- ACW for Longstreet
- Landing Craft for WW2
Games in 2014
Most of my gaming has been solo. Time has been an issue with no dedicated space and frankly too few of my favourite rule sets being easily adaptable for Solo Play...
I've managed three non-solo games this year. A BIG CoC (Ooohhh Matron!!) at a friends house which I won, A Classic Impetvs Romans V Gauls game which I won at mine, and my personal favourite - an eight player Hail Caesar Vikings V Saxons game on a 24ft table at the club which was an absolute blast. I also managed to win - not only with my individual force of Saxons but as a team. What made that particular victory even more splendid was smashing my opponents force into submission despite facing 2-3 odds.
One could say that as the remainder of my games were solo I have a 100% victory ratio in 2014...
other than those games listed I've played a plethora of rules this year including Warmaster Medieval, Battlegroup Kursk, FOG Naploleonics and Renaissance, By Fire and Sword and In her Majestys Name.
Chain of Command, Bolt Action and FOG Napleonics have been my staple
By Fire and Sword and In Her Majestys Name have both been real let downs, but I put a lot of this down to playing them solo which neither are intended for.
Looking Forward
In 2015 I am planning to keep my expenditure to Napoleonics; reinforcing my French and Austrians and possibly investing in some British and Allies to do 1815.
Rules wise I am looking forward to both Blucher and Battlegroup Blitzkrieg
Games Wise, i would love to do more Impetvs but other than medievals I dont have any ancient forces so may have to rely on club nights to play these rules.
I'm hoping to get more nights at the club, but with being away from home a lot this year and another busy Cricket Season looming I think this might still be a bit of a pipe dream.
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