Planning 2013

With the look back of my successes and failures hobby-wise done and a review of how things fared, I am now planning my year ahead. I don't expect the plan to survive intact after contact with the enemy once again, but it pays to have a 'plan' in any event.

I've decided to try and put a bit more structure around my planning this year and put some definite targets to work to, as I felt my plan for the last year was a bit amorphous and therefore was to easy to let slip.

On that basis I've decided at an optimistic general painting target of 8 figures a week (excluding holiday break) so a target of 400 figures for the year (cavalry figures counting as 2). I know this is a fairly low a number compared to many out there who have a pretty prolific output, but it's definitely a big stretch target for me and allows for a week or two's in-activity which can be caught up on the following week.

It's difficult for me to be proscriptive in what I do hobby-wise as I have eclectic interests at the best of times but there's no point in planning lot's of things that just wont get done so I'm deliberately keeping my list a bit more achievable (I hope).

Terrain Projects

• Abbey Project - This is one I'm enjoying so far, but it has dragged out a bit, so I'm going to concentrate on getting this one pushed along. The plan for the whole project incorporates 20 or so pieces and with the first four complete, I am aiming to get this to the half way stage by the end of the year. This will include two of the larger pieces in the set and so I don't intend to expand terrain project wise beyond the the Abbey (excepting the Future Wars below). The planned pieces for this year will be the Gatehouse, the walls for the walled garden/orchard, Ruined Colonnade West, Ruined Colonnade East, the Bell Tower, and the South Cloister.

Army Projects

• El Cid Berber Army - My Almohad army did get some attention over the last year but by no means enough and so is going to be my main thrust to getting some paint on figures. With 150ish figures targetted this makes up about a third of my target. I plan to do these over the year to spread the interest. The units planned will include some minor modelling so should keep the interest levels high but slow down the out put.

• Italian Wars - Still very much high on my interest levels and all the figures are bought that I need for the planned forces (though that probably wont stop me getting more). Targeted around 120 figures here, with the first off the list being the Garde Ecossaise unit which just needs a bit of a kick to get finished off. Then followed by Italian Pike and then by various French Cavalry units and some artillery.

• Hungarian Black Army - Didn't see any activity over the last year really and plan to rectify this over the coming months with again around 80 figures targeted including the languishing Clipeati, and a multitude of cavalry plus a rather nice battery of bombards.

Skirmish Projects

• Future Wars Project - The one I did get some movement on over the last year so I plan to get everything finished off in the painting front here. All the figures and vehicles are assembled and primed and ready to rock so a hopefully easy 50 figures worth to finish off over the year with the aim being to get these done for Easter (my aim last year, but I have added quite a bit to this list since then :-) ). The project now includes for the First Platoon, First Company, Third Scots Mechanised Infantry and now incorporates the The Enemy with suitable mechanised support. I've also started some terrain pieces for this project to give the planned games a bit of 3 dimensional playing but these are at the early stages but keeping the terrain simple to make the building fairly painless and hopefully quick to do.

• Mordheim - With another club campaign planned for this year coming, I've started up another warband this time Kislevites and so another modelling challenge. 15 figures planned out and about half already under way, this little mini-project should be a fairly quick and enjoyable painting and modelling excursion with the kick off early in the year I'll be getting this one moving first.

I know the odd other figure will creep in to the painting planned, the odd fantasy, medieval or renaissance skirmish figure that takes my fancy over the year which will make a break from what ever I happen to be doing at the time, or even the occasional small unit for my Empire forces but hopefully this will be in addition to the planned focus.

With various rule sets purchased and played or not played over the last year, I would like to stick to a fairly select group of rules. I've decided that Impetus doesn't suit my tastes for the Italian Wars so going to go with the Pike & Shotte rules to see how they pan out there. For my Berbers, it will still be Impetus no doubt (being a favourite at the club) but would like to try War & Conquest with that army and to re-visit the Crusader Rules which I have enjoyed in the past with my Berbers.

I'm planning a mini campaign for later in the year for my Berbers as per a previous post on the Conquest of Majorca, and that will give me something to aim for as far as my painting progress is concerned, and I will likely use either W&C or Crusader rules for that, deciding where to go once I've had a couple of games of each.

There will also be the occasional pick up game at the club where there is an abundance of variety there which is always excellent, so I wont be wearying for a game or a change of pace.

That's the basis of the plan for the year gaming-wise for me and I'm already reading others plans for the year and getting idea's for other stuff so better get going before I get distracted before I start.