2019 in review and thinking about 2020

It is that time of year again, when bloggers everywhere take stock of their achievements (or lack thereof), and start casting eyes towards the next 12 months. I love doing these posts, because by May my plans have usually gone right out the window and I've embarked on something totally unforeseen.

2019:
Games played - 26 - one a fortnight on average, which is pretty good for me. As always, there were periods of several games in a row, usually coinciding with the school holidays, followed by quite long hiatuses.

One of the Marlburian games in progress

Figures painted - 450 28mm figures, into which I've thrown war machines and cavalry counting as one figure.
210 15mm figures, which shows my decreasing interest in painting figures in this scale at the moment.
53 54mm infantry and five 54mm cavalry, a new venture this year which is high on the radar for 2020.
A lot of this output has ended up in Craig's cabinets.

A close up of Craig's Seleucids

Staying on track in January I wrote that my 2019 plans were 
"1. 28mm Roman Civil War using the Clash of Empires rules.
2. 28mm War of Spanish Succession using Black Powder.
3. 28mm Vikings and Anglo-Danes for SAGA
4. 28mm Greeks for Mortal Gods
5. 28mm Chaos Marines for 40K Killteam
6. 28mm Napoleonics for Song of Drums and Shakos (skirmish)"

Aside from number 3, I've done pretty well. A few more WSS units were finished this year, and a couple of Roman units, all the Mortal Gods figures were finished plus extras, Chaos Marines were painted, and I have enough Napoleonics for small skirmish gaming - not that I've played any yet. The SAGA stuff is all going elsewhere.

Skirmish figures for Napoleonics 

From out of nowhere - A few of these this year. Aussie Bushrangers for Legends of the Old West - not only purchased but painted and terrain completed! There was also Robin Hood and Eureka's Romeo and Juliet set, which I couldn't ignore. Robin's project will be painted when I've purchased some decent opposition. As soon as the Baron's Wars figures appear in the Footsore store...

Bush rangers and police. A potential campaign to play out this year.

Maybe one day - Rebels and Patriots spurred me to buy enough British and French Napoleonics to build 24 point forces for each side, but that project is in hiatus at the moment. There is also a Battalia box of Pike and Shotte waiting to be made up for Pikeman's Lament, but again that seems quite a distant prospect. Fleeting impulses...

Other stuff - Although this is a hobby blog, Some personal reflections wouldn't go amiss. I think I can say that it has been an up and down year, but by the end I was feeling very good. I've taken on extra roles in different areas for next year, one of which is a promotion and the others are basically paid professional development. My delve into stoicism as a personal philosophy has been rewarding, and with finding the right level of anxiety medication has seen me cope with some fairly trying moments. I have to say that mentally I feel the best I ever have at the moment. Just need to straighten out the body now...

On the negative side, the year started with Dad in hospital (he's recovered quite a bit now) and my cat ending his days. I said goodbye to my 14 year long companion two weeks ago. As the only other male in my house, he and I had a very tight bond. I'm going to miss you Oscar.

My poor old friend just before the end

2020:

Right, enough of that, what are my goals for this year?

Painting - I have figures to paint for Craig this year, but less than this year, and I am going to do my best not to paint for others outside of this. I really want to get my own projects completed. These are:

1. 54mm WWI and NorthWest Frontier figures. I want to get these glossy toy soldiers complete dthis year.

2. Star Wars Legion. Having painted loads of Craig's stuff, it is time to get into some of my own.

3. Roman Civil War. It was on the list for last year, and it is back again. I would like to rip into it in the first quarter of the year.

4. WSS in Spain. I'd love to get this finished this year, but I'm going to aim for being 2/3 of the way through by the end of the year.

5. Mortal Gods Persians - I have an army, just unpainted, and not including the cards yet, so I'd like to rectify both of those things fairly early on in the year

Expect more of this - but I'll be painting them for my own collection!

Gaming - These are my periods that I'm going to try and play games for this year, some of them may have to wait for a bit more painting.

1. Mortal Gods - Greeks, Persians, and maybe some undead Mythic guys.

2. Clobberin' Time - continuing to develop the NDC Universe, which is a bit stalled at the moment.

3. War and Conquest Roman Civil War - after a few trial games I decided that these were the best successors to WAB, and I'd like to play them a bit more and get to know them a bit better.

4. Great War 54 - self explanatory really

5. The Men Who Would Be Kings with the 54mm North West Frontier collections.

6. SPQR - I've bought the starter and would like to see how it plays for Gallic Wars.

7. My Featherstone style Marlburian rules - their last outing proved quite successful.

8. Burrows and Badgers - I've purchased another warband and want to try and play it solo, although my daughter might be up for a couple of games.

Expect to see these guys in action in 2020

Purchasing - I'm going to try and have a quiet year minis buying wise (famous last words). I need some more 54mm World War I stuff, and a bit of Star Wars Legion stuff, but otherwise my purchasing should really hinge around terrain and paints. At some stage I need to pick up some items from Footsore Minis - the Persian cards, Mythic (when it is released) and some Baron's Wars figures for the Robin Hood project.

Other - my Xmas presents this year (alongside another Burrows and Badgers warband) was a subscription to Marvel Unlimited and a new tablet to read it on. I've already devoured the Eternity Saga by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, and I'm catching up on the new Fantastic Four and X-Men at the moment. Then I plan to delve into the new Star Wars run. So with Disney putting out great shows like the Mandalorian, I'm planning to devote a little more time to my other two hobbies of Star Wars and Comics in 2020.

So a pretty successful hobby year, with a definite plan of action ahead. We'll see where we are in 12 months time.

Nate