Hello 2025 and I am Hoping it will be a Good Year - Social Media New Years Reduction Resolution (Working so far) and Enjoying Sharp Practice

The first thing to say is that a New Year's resolution to cut back on Social Media (aka senseless nattering and mindless scrolling) seems to be working. I am off "Twitter", aka "X", and feel none the worse without its "wear and tear" of the soul. With some hesitation, nay trepidation, I took down "Facebook" but again, the bark was much worse than the bite of its passing. I may listen to the news on the radio slightly more, but I find "filtered" news far better than the "chasing the unvalidated story" elsewhere - it takes less time too out of my day. "WhatsApp" and "Messenger" are survivors though only because of the personal connection to people on the groups and the ability to arrange wargaming play dates. Blogging has taken a back seat too! I have rediscovered 28mm Napoleonics (see below, my [borrowed] French troops v Renko's Austrians, my fine Voltigeurs fending off the Austrian formation in the act of deploying): 

So in getting out and about slightly more in January/February I have picked up this Sharp Practice itch. It is very contagious. I am playing with other people's toys at the moment, but I have unpainted Perry's and Victrix 28mm French (1812) and British to field two infantry sides, with small attachments of cavalry and artillery. I do like the combat system, but am less interested in winning the Two Fat Lardies "game within a game" than seeing if the basic mechanism of "shock-killed-morale" plays fair with the period (see below, the weight of fire delivered by the Austrians is simply too much): 

So much so the French decided to go home early. I think it played the period very well. I have to say it was also the friendliest Napoleonics game I have ever had, because from past experience, Napoleonics brings out "the worst in the rules [national characteristics]" and "players interpretations of the rules [ways in which the national characteristics have to be used to win]". Played two games so far as 1812 French, lost them both, but had a great time, which is a good sign IMHO. 

New Year Wargaming Targets:

Rather than make a host of rash New Years Resolutions I have eased myself into 2018 and decided some First Quarter Goals (as in American Football it is always good to put some points on the board early on in the first quarter of the game):

• Simulating War, Fire and Movement Game: 1/200 Scale
• Play a "Skype" Game with a Distant Friend (tbc)
• Portable Wargame: Replay the WWII Scenario from the Book with my 20mm WWII Kit
• Paint a Platoon of Stalingrad Soviet Infantry Figures (28mm) for WWII Chain of Command
• Paint a Platoon of Stalingrad Soviet Infantry Figures (20mm) for WWII Chain of Command
• Play a Game of Star Gruntz (15mm Sci-Fi)
• Play a Game of Modern Chain of Command (28mm: Other People's Figures)

Note: Line through means "Done" before deadline (see below)
All of the above by the end of March (31st March 2018)

Meme for 2017: Blue Sky "Anything is Possible"

Anything is possible but not necessarily probable (see below, Edinburgh skies on the 2nd of January):

Will try things out (probably those long forgotten projects in the loft) "just to see what happens". If they are any good keep, otherwise get rid :)

Hobby Review: State of Play (End of February)

New Year's Resolution#1: "To play 20 Games(*1) in 2015"

1.       Computer Game: Age of Empires Castle Siege (and enjoying it, Level 6)

2.       Candy Crush (Started since Xmas, Level 103)

3.       [Future] Planned Blood Bowl (Purchased online from HuddleBubble, but waiting for a new PC before I start playing)

4.       [Future] Planned Space Crusade Retro-Gaming Night (March)

Notes: These include: Tabletop Wargame (multi-player or solo), PBM or Computer Moderated, Multi-Player OnLine Game(s), Board Game (multi-player or solo). Difficulty [Predicted Hard but I think I am cracking it]

New Year's Resolution#2: "To finish 24 Modelling Projects  in 2015"

1.       Airfix Matilda II #7 (Project Type [a]) Complete

2.       Airfix Matilda II #8 (Project Type [a]) Complete

3.       AWI 28mm Painting Prototype Figure (Project Type [d]) Complete

4.       AWI 28mm Regular Infantry Unit (14 Figures) (Project Type [c]) WIP (1 of 14)

5.       Airfix Matilda II #9 (Project Type [a]) Complete

6.       StarGruntz GZG 15mm Infantry Platoon (10 Figures) (Project Type [c]) WIP (8 of 40)

7.       Airfix Fairey Battle (Project Type [a]/[b]) WIP

8.       Games Workshop Space Marines (Blood Angels) WIP

9.       Games Workshop Space Marines (Imperial Fists) WIP

Project Types: (a) making a larger scale model from kit in box to assembled [1/76+ vehicle or plane, 1/1200+ ship], (b) painting a larger scale an assembled model [see (a)], (c) painting a tactical squad of troops or small scale wargaming OoB element [1/200 or 1/300 micro-tanks or aircraft. 1/3000 scale ships], (d) Painting Prototype(s) for (c) if an in-depth mini project.

Notes: Difficulty [Medium, though it is looking easy given the unexpected backlog/supply of Airfix "tanks" I have recently found in the loft I would say more easy, so I upped the target tally to 24]

New Year's Resolution#3: "To read 5 Wargaming Related Book in 2015"

·         None! (As yet, though there is plenty of latent reading matter lying around the house, as my wife constantly reminds me)

Notes:  This includes, new Rule Books, Historical Reference Books, Historical Novels, Campaign Histories, Books on Modelling Techniques excludes magazines. Difficulty [Easy, er well I seem to have struck out in January/February, much to my surprise (again).

New Year's Resolution#4: "To experiment with Digital Resources for my Hobbies"

1. ·         Geordie’s Big Battles Blog
2. ·         Wargames Soldiers and Strategy Online YouTubePainting Tutorial Guide:  AWI British Infantryman
3. ·         YouTube Battleground Videos 
4. ·         Age of Empires Castle Siege
5. ·         Space Marines: Blood Angels Painting Guide(s)
6. ·         Space Marines: Imperial Fists Painting Guides(s)

Note: This includes "Getting a Kindle" (at some point), playing On-Line Games (which probably means getting a new computer) ... this could mean goodbye to some books, or at least not so many new ones! Difficulty [Medium, still medium]

Cor, this is quite a serious looking post (again), 2015 mapped out!

Almost One Month .. How 2015 is Shaping Up? (New Year's Resolutions)

New Year's Resolution#1: "To play 20 Games(*1) in 2015"

1. Computer Game: Age of Empires Castle Siege (and enjoying it)

(*1) These include: Tabletop Wargame (multi-player or solo), PBM or Computer Moderated, Multi-Player OnLine Game(s), Board Game (multi-player or solo) 

Note: Difficulty [Predicted Hard and still looks that way] :(

New Year's Resolution#2: "To finish 12 Modelling Projects(*2) in 2015"

1. Airfix Matilda II (Project Type [a]) Complete
2. Airfix Matilda II (Project Type [a]) Complete
3. AWI 28mm Painting Prototype Figure (Project Type [d])
4. AWI 28mm Regular Infantry Unit (14 Figures) (Project Type [c]) WIP (1 of 14)
5. Airfix Matilda II (Project Type [a]) WIP
6. StarGruntz GZG 15mm Infantry Platoon (10 Figures) (Project Type [c]) WIP (8 of 40)

(*2) Project Types: (a) making a larger scale model from kit in box to assembled [1/76+ vehicle or plane, 1/1200+ ship], (b) painting a larger scale an assembled model [see (a)], (c) painting a tactical squad of troops or small scale wargaming OoB element [1/200 or 1/300 micro-tanks or aircraft. 1/3000 scale ships], (d) Painting Prototype(s) for (c) if in-depth.

Note: Difficulty [Medium, though it is looking easy given the unexpected backlog/supply of Airfix "tanks" I have recently found in the loft I would say more easy]

New Year's Resolution#3: "To read 5 Wargaming Related Books(*3) in 2015"

• None! (As yet, though there is plenty of latent reading matter lying around the house, as my wife constantly reminds me) :(

(*3) This includes, new Rule Books, Historical Reference Books, Historical Novels, Campaign Histories, Books on Modelling Techniques excludes magazines

Note: Difficulty [Easy, er well I seem to have struck out in January, much to my surprise. My reading material seems to be my sons bedtime fiction, work (computing/busines books) and some general science]

New Year's Resolution#4: "To experiment with Digital Resources(*4) for my Hobbies"

1. Wargames Soldiers and Strategy Online YouTube Painting Tutorial Guides
2. YouTube Battleground Videos 
3. Age of Empires Castle Siege 

(*4) This includes "Getting a Kindle" (at some point), playing On-Line Games (which probably means getting a new computer) ... this could mean goodbye to some books, or at least not so many new ones!

Note: Difficulty [Medium, still medium]

Cor, this is quite a serious looking post, 2015 mapped out!

Happy New Year

Let the season of wargaming begin ...

New Year's Resolution#1 "To play 20 Games(*1) in 2015"

(*1) These include: Tabletop Wargame (multi-player or solo), PBM or Computer Moderated, Multi-Player OnLine Game(s), Board Game (multi-player or solo)

Note: Difficulty [Hard]

New Year's Resolution#2 "To finish 12 Modelling Projects(*2) in 2015"

(*2) This includes making a model from kit in box to assembled, painting an assembled model, painting a tactical squad (battlefield element)

Note: Difficulty [Medium]

New Year's Resolution#3 "To read 5 Wargaming Related Books(*3) in 2015"

(*3) This includes, new Rule Books, Historical Reference Books, Historical Novels, Campaign Histories, Books on Modelling Techniques excludes magazines

Note: Difficulty [Easy]

New Year's Resolution#4 "To experiment with Digital Resources(*4) for my Hobbies"

(*4) This includes Getting a Kindle (at some point), playing On-Line Games (which probably means getting a new computer) ... this could mean goodbye to some books, or at least not so many new ones!

Note: Difficulty [Medium]

Cor, this is quite a serious looking post, 2015 mapped out!

2013 Reflections and 2014 Resolutions and Predictions

2013 Reflections

Last year seemed to be a WW2 themed "project year", aka 'Battalion Attack' (from  Phil Sabin's, Simulating War) and finally painting my platoon of Platoon 20 late war British Infantry - which tied in nicely with the "Chain of Command" rule set I picked up from the Two Fat Lardies. One frustration of 2013 was too few quality wargames taking place during the 52 weeks and how long it took to learn 'Battalion Attack' and in turn spread the knowledge out to half a dozen fellow wargamers (we never got past the learning scenario in the book) and then get on to road test it with randomly generated scenarios (still a WIP continuing for 2014).

Even more remiss was the opportunity to do a comparative study against other miniature rule sets (Command Decision, Spearhead, WWII BattleFront and BGC).However the project has built up its own momentum that should be able to do this in 2014.

2014 Resolution and Predictions

Having said all the above I seemed to have acquired in 'dribs-and-drabs' during the year a fair amount of miscellaneous wargaming material in the process had a rather 'naughty' (guilty secret feeling) as my eye falling on three boxes of 20mm WWII and Modern models bulging out my loft space when I was digging out the Xmas decorations. So I need to make or discard, so my first resolution is to .. make (not necessarily paint) all those AFV kits still boxed this year or discard then to a better home (shock horror eBay). 

What follows naturally enough on from this is my first prediction that 2014 will become the year of the spray can (undercoating at least all the above and perhaps going as far as to lay down a base shade too), perhaps going as far as mastering the Army Painter painting technique

My second resolution is to assemble the few 28mm plastic Ancients (Impetus), Dark Ages (Saga) and Renaissance (Impetus) figure kits I have

My third resolution (on a roll now) is to stage The Fist Battle of Mantinea (418 BC) in 15mm using BBDBA rules, then convert my Ancient wargaming games to Phil Sabin's "Lost Battles/Strategos 2" for a more historical/realistic or sophisticated game. Related Note: An interesting solitaire board game I have is The Peloponnessian War from Victory Games which I hope to semi-automate the game process with my computing skills.

My forth resolution is to also return to a WWI (North Sea BCF Battles) and WW2 (Pacific/Med cruiser battles or a "Sink the Bismarck" hide and seek) naval theme and play with my little ships :)

Naturally my second prediction is that anything past the first New Year's resolution should be viewed as a complete and unexpected bonus ;)

Thirty Day Challenges #4, #5, #6 and #7: No Caffeine or Sugar but always a Good Breakfast and Early to Bed (2014)

In the post-Xmas haze of 'bloated happiness' my January jump-start (commencing as of 6th Jan) is to go cold turkey with respect to caffeine and sweetie treats (sugar) for thirty days

To balance this out I have promised myself also to dine well in the morning (no more snatched breakfasts) with a "hot" breakfast. In order to do this I need to go to bed no later than 10:30!

Day #1 of hell (and breakfast heaven) is over, so only another twenty nine days to go ;)

Happy New Year

Happy New Year everybody

New Years Resolutions? Er "No", more of a project painting list ;)

For 2012 (fifty two weeks of painting fun:

• (Current) WWII: Early War Clanky Tanks (20mm)
• WWII: Early War Clanky Tanks (1/200)
• WWII: Late War Germans (1/300) 
• (Current) WWII: Sink the Bismarck and the like (aka Revell) Big Ships (1/1200)
• WWII "small" naval Pacific, North Atlantic, Arctic and Mediterranean (1/3000)
• Dabble in painting some "bigger" toys, Napoleonic, ECW or even Games Workshop (28mm)

Spot my first deviation, spread bets been taken, will I manage to get through January before I stray into something totally new/strange?

• Also, try and play at least wargame a month :)

Happy New Year :)

Wishing one and all a Happy New Year in 2011
I hope it brings you health, wealth and happiness
(and a bit of quality hobby time)

New Years Resolution:

Not to buy any more Games Workshop Paints this year
50/50% chance I reckon ;)