Friday, January 2, 2015

Thinking on 2014


Looking back at the year with the rather 
fancy bust of Wellington that Mrs. Kinch got me. 

Memoir '36 - MISSION COMPLETED

I have all the figures I'm likely to need for this project. The vast majority of them are painted. I've written and played one campaign, though the final battle remains to be completed, in this setting.  I don't think I'll be adding anything much to this collection.  I have sufficient to play the games that I want to play.  One of the advantages of the setting I suppose is that as you are making up the scenarios yourself, you just use what you have. 

Verdict - Multiple games played, one campaign (almost) complete. Collection finished. 


Memoir '44 in 1/72 - MISSION COMPLETED
This has probably been in a very quiet way 2014s success story. There are some figures that I would like to pick up to play the very occasional scenario here and there, but for the most part the back is broken on this one. We've played two one day campaign games, one set in Normandy and the other at Kursk, both of which were well received. 

Mid-Late War British - Complete, barring some specialised armour and a couple of dozen paratroopers. 
Mid-Late War Americans - Complete, barring a couple of dozen paratroopers.
Mid-Late War Germans - Complete. 
Mid-Late War Soviets - Complete. 
Partisans & French Resistance - Complete. 

I may add a few bits and pieces here and there, but I can play a lot of Memoir '44 games with the assembled toys here.  No doubt, I will experience a rush of blood to the head and decide that I can't live without a Blitzkrieg era force of Frenchmen. Capability Savage of Arabia is no doubt getting measured for one of those special scarves for swanning around the Western Desert in, but for the moment I'm happy with the state of affairs here. 

Verdict - Multiple games played, two campaigns played. Collection (mostly) finished.


Command & Colours: Napoleonic - The Rajah of Kalaah-Akaata - MISSION STALLED

This has definitely fallen foul of lack of time. Haven't played any games. Scratched some ideas in notebooks. That's about it. 

Verdict - No games played. 


Command & Colours: Napoleonics - Dollying up - MISSION STALLED AND PROBABLY ABORTED

Curiously enough - this mission has been pretty much comprehensively trashed by the simple fact that I made a lot more progress with the rest of the Napoleonic armies than I expected.  That and as I don't really anticipate putting on games at conventions anymore, there's less motivation to put together talking points. 


Command & Colours: Napoleonics - The Russians - MISSION NEARLY COMPLETE

Another success story. We played our one day Borodino campaign and it was rather successful. With the exception of two units of Guard Light infantry, a couple of horse artillery batteries and a second unit of Guard Grenadiers, there's not a lot that needs to be done here. We've played a couple of games and I'd like to play some more, but there's plenty of time for that. 

Verdict - Probably half a dozen games played, one campaign day played (which was a great success).


Son of Bride of Command & Colours: Napoleonics - The Russians - The Crimea - MISSION COMMENCED

This was the surprise of 2014. Not something that I contemplated really making a go of and it just sort of sneaked up on me. We've played two games, but I think there's a lot to be said for a campaign that re-uses so much of the Napoleonic collection.

Verdict: Eh - doing well I think. Du Gourmand and I are still tinkering with the rules of course. 


Command & Colours: Napoleonics - The Austrians - MISSION PARTIALLY COMPLETE

The Line infantry is completely done and there's a start on the Grenadiers and the Grenzers. The artillery are completely covered, barring horse artillery. Cavalry are the stumbling block here. 

Verdict: No games played. 


Command & Colours: Napoleonics - The Prussians - MISSION COMMENCED

A great deal of groundwork done here.  More painting to be done, but I pretty much have all the figures required. 

Verdict: No games played. 


The Sword and the Flame - MISSION STALLED

I had sort of expected that this would be the big deal of 2014. I was totally wrong on that one. John Cunningham gave this a shot in the arm with the sale of some Colonials in December. It won't be going anywhere for a while though. 

Verdict: Still struggling toward Khartoum. 


Cold War Project - MISSION STALLED (LONG TERM HIATUS)
Not dead, but sleeping. 

So out of ten projects. 
Three are complete or so near to being so as makes no odds. (Memoir '36, Memoir '44 and C&C Russians)
One is over two thirds there. (C&C Austrians)
Two are aborted or on long term hiatus. (C&C Dollying up and Cold War)
Two are stalled (C&C Kala Akaata & The Sword and the Flame)
The other two are ongoing. (C&C Prussians & C&C Crimea) 

Not a bad year for wargaming all told.  Better for acquisition than play, but one follows from the other. 



10 comments:

  1. I'm looking forwards to your Crimea stuff. Happy new year!

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    1. Happy new year barks - we'll get there. I reckon we might get another Crimean game or two in before too long.

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  2. That's a great photograph. Would that be a Churchwarden pipe?

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    1. Yes it is. Kapp & Peterson - accept no substitute.

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  3. I like the bust of Old Nosey. Can you ask Mrs. Kinch where another might be found?

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  4. Nap Austrian cavalry a stumbling block ? !!! not for long as very shortly i'll be casting up Uhlans & Dragoons and possibly other types inc Hussars, trial runs progressing nicely, let me know how many you want
    cheers Old John (aka The Evil Influence)

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  5. I'd count that as a successful year! Just being able to tick off even one project as 'mission complete' is good - and you've managed a lot more than that. Sound fellow.

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    1. Thank you very much. I've noticed that the projects where I do the painting tend to be the slowest :)

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