Projects for 2014

2014 is here and I'm back from my holiday at the beach (water was warm and I had a lot of sunny days to splash around in it with the kids). So it is time to look forward to what this year will bring, and reflect on what was achieved in 2013.
2013 was the year of Flames of War and painting for others. I painted a Fallshirmjager army and a French army, repainted my Arab Israeli stuff, played a lot of games and saw the release of the Arab-Israeli rules, Fate of a Nation which I have played quite a bit, even if I didn't take pictures and blog them. I also painted John's Soviets and British paras for Bolt Action and some 15mm Napoleonics (which I sold). For myself, I painted up an Anglo-Danish Warband for SAGA and started the Normans.

Not even mentioned in this post is the Star Wars project. I'm hoping for many more games of this in 2014.

So one of my resolutions for 2014 is not to paint any new armies for Flames of War. I might do the odd thing for John, Chris and Terry, but this year is for other projects. Such as what, you ask?

1. SAGA - Anglo-Danish, Norman and Viking Warbands of 6 points each, along with the scenery, some civilians and livestock.I've just finished reading Marc Morris' book on the Norman Conquest over the holidays, and I am keyed up for this period. I've also reappraised my view of this era of history. Not quite yay for the Normans, but certainly good riddance to the Godwinesons.

Normans are the good guys?

2. In Her Majesty's Name - just before Christmas I finally managed to pick up the rules and some figures for this. I have Lord Curr's company, the Society of Thule, a French Foreign Legion faction using Artizan figures (not the same as the one in the rulebook), an Egyptian faction using more mummies than the 'Servants of Ra' and a Russian group based on Rasputin and some Zombies. More on this anon.

Probably not going to be one of the good guys...

3. The Trojan War - using the Of Gods and Mortals rules from Osprey I've got a Trojan force led by Ares and an Achaean force led by Athena. I've calculated two 1,000 point forces and my heroes are Odysseus, Diomedes, Aeneas and Hektor, supported by two units of Spearmen, a unit of javelins and a small unit of archers for each side. All Black Tree Designs figures aside from two of the heroes and the gods which I bought from a Ukrainian guy selling tin soldiers. I have heaps of figures left over, so it is a project that could expand somewhat.

Athena and Ares prepare to face off by letting some mortals do the hard yards.

4. The Gallic War - I have an idea for a narrative campaign using Warhammer Ancient Battles which sees a Roman garrison in the centre of a Gallic uprising. I've calculated 1,500 point forces for the Romans and Gauls, and put together a campaign map to use. I've still got some Wargames Factory Romans and Gallic cavalry, and I'm looking to the Black Tree Designs 50% off sale at the moment to complete the rest.

'Tell you what, lets call it a draw...'

Ainsty Castings do a wicked Wicker Man and I'm just burning to have one on the tabletop.

5. The Zulu War - A few months back I bought Boers and British from Black Tree Designs during a sale, thinking I might do a skirmish game based around the Majuba Hill campaign. Then last week after finishing the Norman Conquest, I read 'Forgotten battles of the Zulu War' by Adrian Greaves. Scenarios started forming in my head straight away. And Black Tree are having a 50% off sale right now... all I need is some money!

'Tell you what, let's call it a draw...'

6. Monte Cassino - I have 2000 point New Zealand and Fallshirmjager forces for Bolt Action undercoated and ready to go, but I'm holding off on this for a bit because the project as I conceive it requires a lot of scenery, so much more involved than a simple skirmish. I might try and get them painted just to get a few games in, but what I find is that my enthusiasm for terrain building is usually directly related to the figures that I'm painting and anticipating playing with.

'Umm... I dropped a dollar around here somewhere...' 

7. The English Civil War - Dan gave me his 28mm Foundry Parliamentarian army earlier this year, and I have been adding a few bits over that time to create two armies for use with Clarence Harrison's Victory without Quarter rules. I just need a few more cavalry and some Dragoons. Oh, yes, and to paint them. I don't know if I'll get this far in 2014, but it is there, and don't be surprised if a painted unit doesn't just pop up on this blog just because I feel like painting something different.

The English Civil War was so civilised. Just soldiers standing around watching their dogs growl and bite at each other. No-one tell PETA.

Happy New Year everyone.
Nate