Looking Ahead to 2015

Time for my obligatory attempt to state what I'm going to work on this year. I think it's pretty safe to say I'm probably going to get involved with some project I've not even thought of yet. Well, that won't stop me from setting out a few thoughts.

This year I'm going easy on myself. The last few years have seen me involved with a lot of different projects, not all of them actually leading anywhere. I wasn't always like that, and this year I need to get back to my happy place of only working on what I intend to play regularly. Having a table filled with unpainted models and a room full of painted but unplayed miniatures and games bums me out. I don't enjoy the feeling of having wasted money, but more importantly having wasted time.

So, I'm scaling back projects this year. I don't want to undertake new things until I've completed what I've got already, or decided that I'm not following through on these other projects. This really applies to miniature games more than anything. I'm at a point where I don't want to paint hundreds of models (and I refuse to play with unpainted models), find a way to store them, then buy and assemble specialized terrain and store that as well. It's a huge time and cost sink. So while I do have plans for miniatures this year, I'm not entertaining any other ideas.

Well, having gotten that bit of grumpiness out of the way. What do I see for 2015?


Pathfinder Adventure Card Game: This is the game I've been waiting for all my life! It's a bit of a storage and set-up hassle, but otherwise it's a magnificent game that is inexpensive, endlessly re-playable, and most importantly fun. It's great solo and with a group, and I play it in both formats. I plan to finish Skull & Shackles this year with my regular group as well as the next adventure path. This game will likely be my mainstay game for the year. 

Memoir 44: I got the base set and a few expansions for Christmas this year. I've already played a half dozen or so games and I love it. In a nutshell, I've basically got every expansion for this game on order, and will have the complete experience soon. This game scratches my itch for a simple yet challenging WW2 game with minimal setup hassles. Best of all my son enjoyed the game and might play it with me. I know others will as well, and there are solid solo variants that will at least give me a taste of the game when no one is available.
  

 Warfighter:  Here's another recent discovery for me. This is a 1-6 player game of modern tactical combat. While it is all card based it honestly plays like a miniatures game. You select your squad, gear them up, and send them on missions. I've got all the expansions and have done the Kickstarter to add additional nationalities and gear. I'm almost done with the first campaign (drug cartel for those who know the game). This game is hot and with the KS coming mid year I expect it to remain hot for me most of the year.



 The above three games are probably pretty safe bets for the year. By no means is this everything I plan on focusing on. Here's the rest of the list.

X-Wing: Goes without saying this awesome game will stay in my top games of the year. I can't imagine dropping it. I've got some catching up to do with the releases, but I'll get to them.

Kings of War: I did the Kickstarter and signed up for a new army. This is going to be a challenge, as my storage space is already at a premium. But 28mm fantasy at that KS price was too hard to pass up. Not sure how much it will be played, but I want to get my Kickstarter army painted at least.

Tiger Leader & Hornet Leader: These DVG "Leader" games are awesome. I'm hoping the "Warfighter" franchise takes off like these. I did the Kickstarter for Tiger Leader and got a copy of Hornet Leader with it. I expect to play at least one campaign for each, and would love it if I could do more this year.

CAV: I did the Kickstarter along with several friends. I'm already pissed that the models don't fit on the bases provided. So strike one against this game. I did it more for the value of the models than the actual game anyway. Not sure if I will like it, but with many of my friends similarly invested I'm sure this will get some table time this year. At the very least I plan to paint what I have.

Dungeons & Dragons 5th Ed: The first ever appearance of an RPG on this blog! While I can't say how much this is going to be a focus in 2015, I hope it will pan out. D&D is what started it all for me and my first love in gaming. This is no wishful thinking either. Three other guys are going to give this a whirl with me as we work through the premade adventures that released alongside the game.

Here are a few projects I'm considering scrapping or delaying.

15mm Hail Caesar: I know I've not even updated my blog with what I've already done. But even in 15mm this is a shit-ton of models to paint. They're not even interesting to paint, being four color paint jobs and a wash. And once again, I'm not going to play with naked lead. That just looks stupid on a 3D table. So while I'll probably press on, my enthusiasm is waning. Not a good sign.

20mm WW2: Fun sized models and my favorite period for miniature gaming. The terrain needs suck, along with its corresponding storage problems. Not to mention I'm burned out on miniatures in general and WW2 miniatures specifically. I may pick it up again, but not very high on my priority list for 2015.

There you have it. There are dozens of other cool games I'm sure I'll play and enjoy. But the above games represent my projects and focus areas as they stand right now. You can see I don't have as many miniatures planned. Not sure what that means for this blog, but I plan to continue updating and sharing whatever is on the painting table at the moment. I've got enough unpainted models to last quite a while, so I'll be back soon with new things to show you.

Wishing you all a happy 2015!