2016 Overview and Looking Ahead to 2017

What's neat about the new year is being able to actually go back and see what I wrote a year ago for goals in 2016 - here they are

Goals for 2016

For the love of God, paint some ACW figures!
Get Pulp Alley on the table
2 blog posts a month
Paint British/Zulu figures - just one regiment of each would be great! 
Paint British/Americans from my AWI box - again, just one regiment of each
Run a Dead Man's Hand game at Historicon 2016
6 AAR's - Bolt Action, DMH, X-Wing
Paint a French partisan army for Bolt Action
Sell all my Old Glory Wild West buildings, as well as other unwanted miniatures
Stretch goal is to "borrow" the new video camera (bought to record the horses at shows) and try to do a video AAR :) We'll see...


It's always interesting to see where I did really well and where I just absolutely failed!

ACW figures painted - 0 . It's pretty clear that this is something that is going to have to be commissioned out if it's ever going to happen. I am absolutely fascinated by the American Civil War, and actually have about 200 figures painted and based now, so it's definitely something I want to do (and with guys like Jay White putting on games like this http://jayswargamingmadness.blogspot.com/2016/12/acw-picketts-charge-aar.html  how can you not be inspired to try and get your own stuff on the table!) but the amount I have unpainted in bags is absolutely staggering.

Pulp Alley - hey, achievement unlocked! PA was a great way to start the year. We actually played more games than I reported on, as well as getting to play PA at Historicon. And I'm still doing little things here and there to get going on it again (Jonny Quest) as well as picking up a lot of the new supplements for it to help with solo games and campaigns going forward. Unfortunately the release of The Chicago Way right after we got going on PA took away from more happening this past year.

The blog - while November only did have one post, there were internet issues at the farm almost the entire month and big picture I did have 29 total posts for the year, so I'm calling another achievement unlocked!

British/Zulu Wars - 0 . Just like the ACW, this is something that I can only see getting completed through a commission; at least in regards to the British. Again, a really fantastic period in history to game and I really want to see it on one of my tables!

AWI figures - 0 . Huh, three periods that I have a ton of figures for that all have either minimal to zero work done on them. Perhaps I'm buying too much? Nah. Commission work again.

Historicon game - it ended up not being Dead Man's Hand, but instead The Chicago Way, and it went absolutely brilliantly. Couldn't have been happier with the table, the games I ran, the fantastic players I had, the great feedback I got regarding the table, and of course actually getting a full page spread of the game in Wargames Illustrated. Major achievement unlocked!!

AAR's - this wasn't as good as it could have been. I think I only 'officially' posted 3, though we did have enough games played to have gotten the goal in - especially with Bolt Action. I'm always just so focused on running the games that I totally forget to take pictures.

French Partisans - while not quite 100% yet, we're at probably 70% complete currently. With a total of close to 30 figures.

Sell through the Old Glory buildings - achievement unlocked! It was good to get all of those on their way to new homes. There was a lot too! I also sold through miscellaneous OG figures and accessories I knew I'd never use as well.

And the stretch goal didn't happen. But, really overall, I'm pretty pleased with what I did accomplish. I definitely strayed from the initial goals (as the ACW, AWI, and Zulu Wars showed) but went in different directions with Bolt Action and also Pulp era games where I feel I accomplished a lot.

So 2017... what's the goals, what's the focus? The biggest thing that will take at least half of the year will be the Historicon table and game. Making it into Wargames Illustrated last year really upped the ante for this year's Historicon. I think a lot of the year will also just be finishing up army's and figures that are not quite 100% complete, as there are quite a lot.

Historicon WWII game and table
Finish the Denison smocks on my British Airborne
Finish my French Partisan army
Finish my Pulp Era figures
Finish my Hollywood DAK - for pulp games
Complete Jonny Quest Pulp Alley leagues and run 2 games
Complete the last of the 4Ground large building kits that need built - 9 kits
2 Blog posts a month
Design a logo for Studio 13/Saturday Mornings

I do have two big goals for 2017 not on the list. The first will be to NOT buy into Firelock Games new Blood and Plunder game (28mm pirate skirmish with ships!!!). Honestly, I don't see how this isn't going to happen, may as well start designing the 'fail' meme now - I totally missed out on the Kickstarter, had my eye on it from the launch, but at that point had never backed a miniatures Kickstarter (I did back both the MST3k and Rifftrax Kickstarters though!) and was much too worried about the possibility of losing money I didn't have at the time. They have pre-orders available currently at discounted pricing and it's taking every ounce of restraint to not max the credit card out!

Also, there is a new Harry Potter miniatures game releasing some time this year by Knight Models - this is another one that scares me because I'm a huge Potter fan. This one could be easily more restrained though simply because Knight Models figures are so ridiculously priced, very GW like. We'll see I guess when the release actually happens.

I'd also like to make a decision about all the 15mm Flames of War models I have. And I have a ton. I haven't touched or thought about FOW in probably 5 or 6 years and the stuff is just sitting in a box. I think it's time for it to go, much like the Old Glory stuff I parted ways with last year.

I'd like to give a huge shout out to all the blogs I follow - each one of you bring something different to the table that helps both inspire and give me ideas for my own games. Thanks so much! I wish you were all closer and that someday I can actually roll some dice with you! And most importantly, I'd also like to thank anyone who actually follows this nonsense or has read anything I've posted. Thank you so much!! It's crazy to me to think I actually have people "following" me!? Madness really.

As always, thanks for looking!
Ivor