2014 Goals - January Update

I decided to update my project status each month. Just like I do in my work life each day or week.

1. NAPOLEONICS 6mm - My #1 Project

2014
Last year saw a little progress in this project. I did in fact get a number of orders through to the painter and back to me and based up. Not as many as I wanted being every 1 or 2 months but at least 3 separate orders throughout the year. This result was mostly my fault in that I took ages to sort out the OOB for my Dutch Belgians and then the painter took a bit longer than expected to complete his side of the order. The other orders throughout the year were for English and Hanoverian infantry and I look forward to basing all of these up in their divisions.

The year also saw a change in my basing for this project, dropping the thin card and magnet to a thicker mounting board and magnet. If you check previous posts on this, it was the result of some testing of moving troops around the wargaming table. The thinner card resulted in a little too much movement of the figures on their bases and the chance they may break off or separate. The thicker base also felt more solid while moving bases around a tabletop. See one of the posts here

2014 will see my aim to complete more divisions of French, English and Prussian infantry and maybe a division of each in cavalry as well in order to get some game testing done before the end of the year. Currently I have a full division of French infantry almost complete. Another around 50% complete. English Guard division complete. Another English infantry division around 50% complete and a Prussian infantry brigade (division) around 50% complete although it does need rebasing. These divisions include attached artillery, limber teams and hopefully will soon include supply wagons and skirmish stands. So they should all be 100% done and ready for tabletop gameplay by the end of 2014.

For painting orders this year I will focus on cavalry although in reality I have quite a lot of unpainted cav so this may not be the best approach for the wallet. We'll see. I may end up throwing the unpainted lots onto ebay.

As to the theatre, well Waterloo and 100 Days is still the #1 focus but Russia 1812 and 1809 Austria is still on the cards for the longer term.

NEXT STEPS
1. complete my 1st full French Division. It is almost done with 3 out of the 4 regiments complete and all the figures assembled and based for the 4th regiment, mounted commanders and the artillery battery. 
A) I need to complete the 4th regiment
B) then the artillery 
C) add in the artillery limbers 
D) a supply wagon or 2

2. MODERNS 6mm and 20mm

2014
Not much transpired on this project in 2013. An order from GHQ and H&R did fill out my collections with some awesome figures and vehicles and I really look forward to getting these up and on the table. I will begin by building some ADF 6mm and 20mm forces along with taliban bad guys. In the bad of my mind I am really keen on Falluja and various Iraq and Afghan compaigns with various ISF and NATO forces so who knows where this project will get to in the long run. It could be one that goes on forever.

I was able to build a modern US fireteam with SAW and Javelin in 6mm with a bit of cutting and gluing. Not bad to do considering the price of the figures to get what I want but still not 100% sure it is worth the time and effort for 6mm as yet. See that post here.

This year I also purchased a new set of rules - Skirmish Sangin. My understanding is it is more like an intro RPG man on man set of rules moreso than Ambush Alley and Force on Force. My plan is to use FoF for 6mm and 20mm large contacts and then Skirmish Sangin for small unit SF type actions. Or I may just add some SS stuff into FoF and have 1 set in play.

NEXT STEPS
1. complete a section of 20mm ADF and 2 x Bushmasters and get some FoF playtesting with 20mm Taliban figures to get more familiar with the rules. Then maybe do some SS playtesting as well.
A) ADF Infantry Sections
B) 2 x Bushmasters
C) FoF playtest game

3. ACW 6mm

2014
Ok last year was a no go for this project. That is actually okay because I am still not sold on this project at all to tell the truth. In the long term it may be replaced with something from later on in this post. Let's check this again at this time next year.

NEXT STEPS
1. Base and paint a full division of Federals
2. Base and paint a full division of Confederates
3. Playtest FandF Regimental game.

4. NAPOLEONICS 2mm

2014
Interesting year for this project. I still love the footprint these figures have on a tabletop for formations and massed look but with my massive 6mm project it just seems a lot of duplicity in this project. Especially since I moved my 6mm from 1:60 ratios to 1:15 ratios.

I saw an advert this year on TMP for someone looking for 2mm Naps and I emailed him that I had a large collection I was willing to sell off. But when I got them all out for photographing I once again fell in love with them and the deal fell through.

I need to sell these off in 2014. There is no need for them.

NEXT STEPS
1. Set up figs and take sales pics.
2. Post sale on TMP and here.

5. CRUSADES 10mm

2014
Nothing happened in this project this year. 2014 should see some units based, undercoated and painted up.

NEXT STEPS
1. Base and undercoat black all existing figures purchased
2. Paint a 12 base unit of crusader foot
3. Paint a 12 base unit of muslim foot
4. Playtest Tactica hand to hand fight

6. SCI FI FLEETS AND LAND BATTLES 6mm

2014
Again another project with little movement this year. I did get some inspiration in some of the model spaceships now available and will probably purchase a number of them some time soon. 2014? Maybe?

NEXT STEPS
1. decide on background to the campaign and write it up
2. compile small fleet of 6 ships to begin the narrative with
3. decide and purchase fighter craft for the fleet

7. EMPIRE TACTICAL AND CAMPAIGN AI

2014
With little achieved in the armies and terrain projects, nothing further was done on this project in 2013 either. 2014? Let's see how the other projects fare.

NEXT STEPS
1. Focus on battlefield strategy and tactics putting Prussian infantry Brigade against French infantry Division and document all options and test the outcomes

8. TERRAIN

2014
Interesting year for terrain. I number of posts on this one resulting in my current project of painting cork tiles with 3 colours and then adding cut tiles for contours. See the posts for the Waterloo terrain here.

I have recently had a thought. I would continue with my cork tiles and contours project as generic terrain. I mean generic because the edges of these contour pieces are squared off to 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 measurements so they can be used for multiple battlefields with no particular field in mind. Scouring the net recently saw a resurgence of my idea to use realistic contours for Waterloo and later for Borodino and Austria. I concluded to use corrigated cardboard like that used in storage boxes. Its crude but its cheap and will give me a realistic battlefield quick and easily with a little paste and paint. I can then add in random sized fields, farms, wood etc used in both terrain projects - mounted on card. See further posts on this soon in 2014.

NEXT STEPS
1. complete painting of the main 4x2 boards being used as table top base board. These are close with brown already done, green already done and just awaiting yellow highlights
2. complete prototype set of contours totalling 4 feet long
3. complete prototype hills
4. complete prototype woods

OTHER PROJECTS AND IDEAS THE CREPT IN IN 2013

I have a rule to only purchase books on subjects that compliment these few projects above. Over the years I have had interests in other areas such as Ancient Rome, AWI, African Bush Wars, WWI and a few others. Well this year I purchased a newly released journal from an Australian Lighthorseman who served in the Boer War and then in WW1 in the middle east. It has really captured my imagination and led me to purchase some 6mm and 10mm Boer Wars figures - eventually deciding to keep the 10mm. So this needs to be added to the project list.

NEXT STEPS
1. base and undercoat black all 10mm Boer Wars figures collected to date.
2. Paint a unit of Brits
3. Paint a unit of Boers
4. Playtest FoF