Four month plan +

There's a lot I want to do this year, since I'm trying everything that catches my fancy for twelve months.  I've called it the year of rules but I'm also dabbling in scales, mediums and genres.  The only real rule I have is that all of my gaming activities have to be games.

This year I'm deliberately being a gaming magpie.

Up to now I've been a 28mm gamer.  This year I've taken the plunge into 15mm and I'm looking at some 10mm, 20mm and maybe even larger than 28mm.  It's insanity.  The 15mm has all been sci/fi.  I could see, perhaps, delving into historicals in 15mm.  I'll definitely not be doing fantasy in that size though; I have a ton of 28mm stuff from my GW days.

This is just model hotness.

 The 10mm I'm tempted by is Drop Zone Commander.  These are some sweet little models, though I don't really care for the infantry.  The prices are not bad.  The aesthetic is awesome and the background is compelling enough.  The only piece I'm missing is the rules.  If they work for me then I'll probably be picking up a couple of armies for this game.

This might be fun.

In 20mm, I'm looking at moderns.  I'd be playing this as an imagination type deal, since I have zero interest in gaming Afghanistan or Iraq.  20mm seems to be the choice here because of the availability of model kits to outfit your armies.  There are some nice models and I look forward to trying out the Force on Force rules with the Cold War gone Hot expansion.  I know I could get some games in, so that is a plus.

I'm having to exert an uncommon amount of self control to avoid buying this.

"Larger than 28mm, what could that be"?  I hear you ask.  Well, Dust Warfare, that's what.  This game has great looking models set in a very interesting world.  I've always liked the artwork and the mechs.  I wasn't really interested in Dust Tactics, the board game version, but now that the table top version is out I'm seriously tempted.  I'm waiting to see how people like it once they have played a bit.  I'll be providing both armies for this game as I don't know anyone who plays.

So that's figure scales/sizes down.   That's not even counting Dystopian Wars, Firestorm Armada and Uncharted Seas.

On the rules front I've already picked up Hail Caesar, Saga and Gruntz.  I also just read through the Kings of War rules and like what I see.  I have not played any games of the first three.  I'm still collecting, assembling and painting two armies for HC.  I haven't bought a single mini for Saga.  I've got enough 15mm for Gruntz either on site or in the mail, but I've only done some solo stuff to try out the rules.

Image from Here

 After this month I'll not be buying anything large for Gruntz for a few months.  I supported their Indigogo campaign for the army builder, Barracks.  It ended today, having made the first goal and one stretch goal.  Sadly the stretch goals, all three of them, were things that should have been included all along.  Having said that, it would not surprise me if Robin funds those improvements himself, over time.  His dedication to this game is fairly inspiring, really.

My early imperial Romans are coming along.  I need to pick up a couple of leaders, some missile troops and some casualties and I have enough to play.  Sadly I also need to pick up a bunch of Celts, since my potential opponent has gone pike and shot for the near future.  So before I get any games in of HC I have to buy, build and paint two armies.  I'm pretty sure that's not going to happen in 2012, so that is a long term goal.  I will be picking up the army list book, to help me guide my collecting.

Image from here.

The next game I picked up was Saga.  I'm still very interested in this game.  Since the warbands are so small it will not take a huge investment to get going.  In July I'm going to pick up some Vikings and get started.  A couple of people have expressed interest in trying these rules out, so that is a definite plus.

Image from Roundwood's World

For the rest of the year I'm looking at picking up Drop Zone Commander, Pike and Shotte, Dux Britanniarum and Bolt Action.  I may also get Dust Warfare, though I'm still on the fence about that one.  That covers four of the six months until the end of the year, (or five if I get Dust Warfare).  I have no idea what the other two sets are likely to be.

Up to now my gaming has all been fantasy.  It was either Warhammer or LotR.  This year I'm buying a lot of Sci/Fi as well as historicals.  That's opening up a lot of gaming possibilities as well as a huge number of manufacturers.  It's very exciting and the only real problem is deciding what to look at next.


I'm not leaving fantasy behind altogether though.  I'll still be playing LotR.  I've been keeping an eye on Kings of War from Mantic.  KoW is close to earlier versions of Warhammer.  It is a simple and common sense rule set that looks like it will do what I want it to.  It still maintains the igo/ugo mechanic that results in you sitting around for fifteen minutes while your opponent does stuff.  It even takes out some of the stuff that the inactive player gets to do in Warhammer.  I find this to be disappointing, but not in a hugely negative way.  I'll be buying the new rulebook when it is released.  I'm very close to deciding to back Mantic's Kickstarter campaign.  It really comes down to how much grief I'm willing to take from SWMBO since I have already plunked $100 dollars down on Sedition Wars and I'm looking at another $40 before it ends.  The huge advantage of KoW is that I already have the armies and don't have to buy a thing, though I will; oh yes, I'll be buying some Mantic minis.

The next area I've been investing in is boardgames.  I've always loved them.  I've rarely played them.  This year I've bought quite a few.  Now that Rhys is old enough to get beyond candy land, we've been playing together as well.  At this point I'm only looking at one game for sure and one possibility.

The sure thing is Sedition Wars: The Battle for Alabaster.  I've backed this thing on Kickstarter for $100; which gets me all kinds of extra stuff.  We're at 28 free, extra miniatures as I write this.  These aren't normal game fodder either.  Much like the Terminators in the latest version of SpaceHulk, these are top of the line table top miniatures, put out by one of the best small companies in the business.  If you forget about the game altogether it is a solid Sci/Fi skirmish army.

Image from Sedition Wars Kickstarter Page.

The game play looks fun, innovative and fast.   The components looked good at the start of the campaign and just keep getting better.  This looks to be a fun game with top of the line components, and I'm really looking forward to getting my copy.

Image from battleloremaster.com

The other game I've been thinking about is Battles of Westeros by Fantasy Flight Games.  I like FFG's games.  Every one that I've played is fun with good mechanics and great production values.  Battles of Westeros is a tabletop wargame as a boardgame.  It has a bunch of expansions to bring in other forces from the books.  I've enjoyed Martin's novels and I'm interested in gaming a part of the books, without buying whole armies.

So, wow.  Even I'm lost at this point.  What are my plans again?

Rules:  I'll be buying Kings of War, Drop Zone Commander, Dux Britanniarum, Bolt Action, Pike & Shotte and likely Force on Force.  That will do for most of the rest of the year.

Minis:  I'll be starting a Viking war band next month as well as picking up more models for HC.  Through to September I'll be getting some Bolt Action minis as well as, rules pending, buying some DZC models from Hawk Wargames.  I may also add a few vehicles to my 15mm stuff.

Boardgames:  I'm getting Sedition Wars.  By the fall I may be ready to pick up another boardgame but I've slowed down on that front and I'm not really feeling the need for anything.

It looks like I'll be spending a lot of time reading rules and absorbing them.  I hope to get some games in.  I can proxy models for games like Saga.  I still have LotR and the Traveller is interested in trying Gruntz.  I can probably suck him into other games, as long as I provide the minis.

Longer term I'm looking at Black Powder and a good American Civil War ruleset, so if you have any favorites I'd love to hear what they are and why you like them.  Or better yet, point me to your blog, where you talk about them and I'll link to it from here.

I have to say, it's liberating to have a year where the plan is to be un-focused.  I'm feeling no pressure to finish anything in particular and when I flit from one thing to another, it means I'm on target and doing what I planned.  I couldn't continue with this forever but for one year, it's a nice feeling.