New Year, Who Dis?

 Happy New Year!

As this is my favorite time of year for reading everyone's posts reviewing the previous year and making plans for the coming year (realistic or not), it would be poor form if I did not offer up my own similar post.

2023 A Quick Overview of Gaming Stuff

Somehow, I managed to paint most everything I said I wanted to, and plenty of extra (oddly, I didn't do any of the Southern Front things I thought I would, but I did paint additional infantry). I'm most happy about finishing three Blitz Bowl teams and bringing my Tanitians and Lizards up in strength.

I played quite a few games, many of which were not documented - I rediscovered the joys of playing without feeling the need to record the proceedings. One Hour Wargames, rules-as-written (Ancients) as well as modified (Machine Age), saw the bulk of the action. 

I would have never expected that a year ago.

Not OHW but my own grid-based amalgamation of Crossfire, Advanced Squad Leader Starter Kit and The Portable Wargame. It was immensely satisfying to get my PTO figures re-based and back on the table.

 There were a lot of rules tried, however. And that leads nicely into:

2023 Top 3 Posts 

I don't normally look at my posts to see which ones have the most views - that's not why I write. But I was curious, after seeing what some others have posted, to see if there was anything to learn from the exercise.

So, what were they?

1. WWI Rules Review Sort Of 
2. The Next Day Somewhere in Europe (One Hour Skirmish Wargames)
   
3. Contemptible Little Armies and the Late Arrivals

I'm not at all surprised by the top spot - it's a review, sort of, and so it potentially has value to a wider audience than my usual ramblings. Indeed, it was shared on The Miniatures Page which led to most of the views.

Setup for The Next Day Somewhere in Europe

 The other two however, I can't explain. Perhaps it's that the post tile for each mentions a specific rule system? If you're actively trying to increase the views per post, that may be something to keep in mind.

2024 Plans

And now the part where unbridled enthusiasm seizes its opportunity.

Well maybe a little bridled.

As I've mentioned previously on this blog, 2024 will be the year of Grimdark.

For Christmas, as shown in that linked post, I gifted myself 48 Games Workshop figures representing four factions : Space Marines, Death Guard/Plague Marines, Tyranids, and Necrons. This is my primary goal/plan for 2024: paint all of them.

Space Marine Intercessors from the Fireteam game assembled. They'll be painted up as Blood Ravens, at my son's request.

It's more than feasible at just 4 figures per month but I do hope that I can paint them a little faster than that.

My second goal/plan is NO NEW FIGURES that aren't purchased with gift money (I mean, I can't help that people give me money because they don't know what to get me).

Lot's of us will make a similar vow for the coming year. Fortunately, in my case,  I did this for pretty much the last six or seven moths of 2023, so I've had some practice exercising restraint in this matter. It turns out it is surprisingly easy - or it was, once I realized I didn't need to buy figures every time an idea popped into my head.

This ties in somewhat with my efforts to reduce the size of my overall collection - painted and unpainted. Mostly though, I am trying to avoid accumulating for "someday" because 1)there isn't much space for that kind of thing in my apartment and 2)I'll probably have to move it at some point in the next few years and the less I have to pack the better.

I have all sorts of ideas about games I think would be fun to play, but at the same time, I hesitate to suggest that there's any kind of commitment in mind when I think of them. Instead, as I play games, I will make an effort to track them - even when not taking photos for the blog - so that I can see which collections are getting used and to what extent. 

That said, a mini-campaign or two are high on my list of possible undertakings.

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I hope 2024 brings you whatever you want out of your gaming hobby and that your dice always roll high (except when you want them to roll low)!