New Year, Projects

Well as 2012 draws shuddering to a close I inevitably start to look to the new year with a view to which wargames projects I should attempt. 2012 as a year was unfocused for me and I don't want to fall into the same pattern next year. I am the first to admit that as a wargamer I get easily side-tracked by new films, novels, rules, and nice shinies! So realistically I know that I will struggle to complete these ideas. It is important for me, at least in my own head (it echos in here BTW), to try to bring the following ideas to life in the next 12 months. OK let's all be realistic I won't manage them all, but here's what I am thinking!

Circus!

OK the picture gives it away. "Circus" of course refers to the Roman Circus. This will be a very short and quick project. For one thing there will be minimal figures and the terrain is pretty straight forward. I want this project completely finished by the end of February. My main concerns at the moment are figure scale and the rules of course. But I have ideas for both of them and I am not panicking just yet.

Monshonga Station

Monshonga Station is the name I have given the WW1 East Africa Game. The name may well change but as this needs to be finished by 1st week of June for the Broadside '13 show you know this will be my early focus for the year. To be honest there's not too much to do. I have one side painted (German Askaris) so only terrain and the other force to do. As I painted all the Askaris in 6 days I realise that painting the figures for the game will not take up too much time. The Terrain will also be an easy fix as this year I will be making all the scenery free standing. So with no terrain boards to make this could all be done quite quickly.

No Peace Without Spain.

For a couple of years I have been thinking that I would like to do a large battle game with ranked figures and in a horse and musket era. My first thoughts were Napoleonic. However as soon as you mention that era at the club you get bombarded by comments about 15mm armies Shako rules and how massively huge their armies are. So Napoleonic battles are passe in the club setting and if I was doing it in any scale OTHER then 15mm my choice of scale would be questions and there would be an implied criticism. If I choose another set of rules other than SHAKO that would also be frowned upon. I would be told that I can do what I want, of course, and Informed that they already have all the armies and literally thousands of figure. I want it to be my project and not a joint one with the club. Therefore I think I would like to do the War of Spanish Succession (WSS). I know that I will need to make all the terrain and build at least two armies, so this will be a year long project. I plan to use the "Beneath the Lily Banners" rules but all in 1/300th scale. Needless to say the units will have more than 18 figures in a them, as I want to keep the base sises the same (or similar). As yet I have not settled on which armies to select as there are so many options. British, French, Dutch and Bavarian all hold appeal I will just have to wait and see.

Zone.

My real introduction to wargaming came in the 80's (that makes me feel old) when me and 2 Friends played modern era micro tanks. So my final game that I want to do is some 1980's era cold war wargaming. This year gone I have been collecting rules and trying to determine not only which set, but also which scale. As I already have two armies in 1/300th (6mm) it makes most sense for me to use that as a starting place. If I was clever (I am not) I would use the terrain from WSS and 1980's and make them compatible. I must admit I will try as it will make my life easier but the "modern" battlefield is different from the 18th Century one, Roads are different, buildings are different, field sizes and agriculture are different. But perhaps from a game point of view mayhap we can get round that.


Here are a few game ideas that did not make the list: 28mm Super-Heroes. King Kong, Aeroball, Gangsters, Samurai. 20mm Mad Max, 15mm Bloody Barons (although this might when Peter Pig re-releases the rules next year), Franco Prussian War. Boxer Rebellion. 10mm Zulus, meta horde Zombies,

Thanks for reading. Let's hope I can finish these project in the next 12 months. One thing is for sure I will get sidetracked but at least I have a plan for next year written down now.

As always comments are very welcome. I shall try to post again on Monday before the year ends If I can't manage it have fun and take care, All the best Clint.