How did those goals work out?

My last annual update was the ill-named 2024 Goals - Part I  (There would be no Part II) , I published in January of 2024. In that update I pledged a moratorium on new figures until I got some stuff done.  So how did I do as we approach the 2-year mark?

1. Finish the Epic Thirty Years War Project.: This became the center of all of my efforts in 2024 as you can see from the updates that followed. I managed to complete all of my planned pike blocks, cavalry and command. I have a few odds an ends for units leftover from the decision to change the scope to single basing, but the lion's share of the project is complete. I admit that my primary drive trailed off as I kept trying to find a set of rules that reflected what I wanted. Basically, I want to maintain the mass of the Tercio balanced against the fire-power of the Swedish Brigade system. The result is essentially a feeling of analysis-paralysis as most rules appear to skip the issue and go back to ECW style Pike & Shotte regiments without looking back.

2. Complete a 28mm Landsknecht Pike Block: These guys have been done for the better part of 6 months now along with the accompanying a pair of supporting harquebusiers stands, and some Zwei-handers for the skirmish line. They are still awaiting the final mounting of the last pikes as well as the standards. Why? Because this project actually exploded somewhat as it inspired me to finally complete updating my old WHFB Empire Army and most of the unpainted lead/plastic still in my collection.

This has proved to be both a bane and a boon. My acquisition of a small 3D printer last year meant I could finally print up movement stands for my old collection. This further has me thinking about changing the basing for the existing pike blocks as I like both the modularity as well as the ability to substitute some for skirmish gaming as well. If ever I get back to regular updates this is work a whole slate of pages on its own, as I also reassess how I want to use the collection going forward. Suffice to say that I have seen GWs updated rules and it simply reminded me why I quit Warhammer systems. I enjoy narrative wargaming as a matter of course and recoil with abject disgust from any system that has any form of meta based on rules synergies or point systems.

 

3. 28mm Cold War Americans and Soviets: Another orphan project are the remaining 80's era Soviet and American soldiers in MOPP gear. I have two remaining Soviet models left for the existing pile. I also have destroyed BTR-80 model 3d printed as a terrain piece and need to print up a Bradley to bring my US Platoon up to the mid -80s. That said, nothing remains that I feel compelled to buy unless someone comes up with a good Dragon ATGM model or 80's era Bundeswehr jaegers.

 4. 28mm Old West Skirmishers: All done and up on the shelf. I played around with the rule set "What a Cowboy" with some solo play and quite enjoy the mechanics. I would like to try this game against human opponents at some point. It also inspired a re-watch of some of my favorite old Westerns, including Lonesome Dove which is a masterpiece of TV mini-series.

 

5. 28mm Fantasy/SciFi Skirmish:Tbis is definitely a project that spiraled out of control. I will break it down into both parts

 

28mm SciFi: Mason going off to college combined with my rapid decline of planned free weekends.  (I received both a promotion and accompanying command assignment in my non-teaching career field in rapid short-order) resulted in a greater emphasis on Solo wargaming.  I picked up both Five Leagues from the Borderlands and Five Parsecs from Home while in Germany, and was inspired by the ability to create narrative play for both Solo and cooperative games.  I participated in the group Campaign hosted by the Hobby-Homies, but my interest sputtered and stalled out when their campaign did the same thing.  

I have a several sets from the Fallout Miniature Game to complete, but we migrated over to Modiphius' board game version to get that fix last summer, so interest has significantly dried up.  Similarly the war in Ukraine has sapped most of my interest in things like Zona Alfa for the time being, so that collection has also mover to the 'tomorrow shelf.'

28mm Fantasy: As mentioned above, a renewed interest in the Renaissance period along with my 3d printer inspired an effort to clean up and update my old 3rd/4th edition WHFB Empire Army.  Similarly, that got me to dust off some old 6th edition boxed sets I have been sitting on to round out my Beastmen army as well.  I always liked the Perry Brother's Landsknecht inspired sculpts for the Empire back in 4th edition, and thought the Chaos Beastmen work as an excellent foil with their connection to Germanic myths and folklore.  GW's "The Old World" release has provided me the opportunity to pick up some miniatures to fill in the gaps in my collection, and a number of my Warlord figures serve to do double duty in both the Empire and the Wars of Religion.  Currently I am trying to finish off some long neglected Polish Winged Hussars (Yes I have them in 4 different scales now) and Streltsi Infantry that started as Kislevites, but will now form the core of a Polish-Lithuanian force. 

The challenge with the fantasy models is very similar to the Thirty Years War collection.  I have not found the right ruleset to appeal to me.  I find WHFB to be to unwieldy and focused on competitive play (that and the rules seem openly antagonistic towards infantry formations).  I recently picked up Midgard  which shows some promise.  I have also been doing more 28mm skirmish, and even use painted figures for the Skyrim miniatures game when we play with family during the holidays. 

28mm Imjin war era Chinese Reinforcements: Some headway here. I have the last of my Perry Korean Infantry Painted, but found that I am out of Halberds and Spears to leave them properly armed. The others have essentially lain fallow as my interest in the period has subsided. I suppose if I spend more time in the Indo-Pacific I might get some inspiration as my year in Germany seems to have caused a resurgence in my Pike and Shotte painting.

Thanks for looking.