Game Plan 2020 - Q1 Plans

Originally I was planning to post a Look Back at 2019, and then follow it with THIS POST - my game plan for 2020-Q1. But I won't be posting the look back until the 31st - or possibly the morning of the 1 January2020 (so I an include all the last minute games played on New Year's Eve in the master list of "What I Got Up To" for this past year). But this is DONE, and it isn't going to change at all, so I thought I might as well post it now!

For the last decade or so, I've been making PLANS for each year. I've found I get more done if I have a plan - and, y'know, actually stick to it! But more and more I'm finding it harder and harder to plan a full year in advance... things just change too much... But I do still like having a PLAN of some sort!

Last fall I decided to go in a new direction and, more or less, scrap what I'd initially planned for the year - as I'd gone WAAAAAAAAAY off course... and just try to set down some guidelines for the next three months - that was the 2019 - Q4 Plans... It worked out... not badly... still could be improved on...

GAME PLAN 2020 - FIRST QUARTER
(January - March 2020)

When I sat down to think about it and start planning, I realized - DAMN, there is a LOT going on in this first quarter of the year!!!

5x5 (Quarterly) Challenge

This is just for me. Not trying to get my family to agree to playing in any number of games - Oh, I do hope they will play SOME of these games with me... but I'm not trying to plan or assume we will do  anything "all together" anymore... The kids are both teenagers now (HOW DID THAT HAPPEN!?) and got their own interests and stuff. I do also hope they'll come up with some games of their own that THEY'D like to play and maybe even invite me to play in a few! I know Finnegan's planning a lot of D&D - with three different groups!

Also TRYING to pick games that I will realistically be able to play and not put any (or too many) SHOULD games on there - games I feel like I SHOULD play and feel like shoehorning them into a challenge will FORCE me to get on with them!

So, five games I want to play five times in the next three months:

Necromunda
Wrath & Glory
Hellboy
Blackstone Fortress

and... the last one...?

Maybe one game each of: GMT/COIN, a game by Phil Eklund, a game by Martin Wallace, a game by Dan Mercy (and/or Michel Lack), and a game of Warhammer 40,000: Apocalypse (using EITHER 28mm OR "epic" scale minis!!

OR

If I do end up volunteering to do a Learn to Play boardgame for ToonCon (likely one of the above options - GMT/Eklund/Wallace).... I'll play THAT five times - four times BEFORE ToonCon - to make sure I got the rules down solid, and once more AT ToonCon!


I started trying to run regular "Skirmish Sundays" in November of last year - mostly playing Necromunda - I SHOULD be able to keep that going into the new year and easily get the Necromunda games done. Perhaps I'll work a little Blackstone Fortress into the mix - once I get enough toys painted. Maybe I'll add in some Kill Team at some point as well! I could probably even pass Hellboy off as a "skirmish game".

I'm hoping Saturdays will be Family RPG Night - at least on alternating Saturdays - and I'll get the Wrath & Glory game going on then.

In addition to the games of the "Challenge" we've been pretty good at keeping Friday evenings open for Board Game Night - except when we're going out to something (which doesn't happen all that often) and I'd really like to keep that going. I doubt any of the board games listed will be played on Fridays (well, I could probably get folks to play a Martin Wallace game and MAAAAYBE a Phil Eklund game...?)


February Game Weekend?

Traditionally I've hosted a board game weekend in February - the last few years it's fallen on the Family Day weekend in mid-February. I haven't done MUCH planning for this yet... at least, not as much as I would have done by this point in previous years. Probably feeling a little down after the fall weekend was a flop... If I am going to do one this year, I should probably get on this! Maybe a Necromunda weekend like I was planning for the fall...? Four sessions: Friday Evening, two on Saturday (one in the morning Early afternoon - a late lunch - and then a second game in the late afternoon/early evening followed by supper out somewhere?), and Sunday late morning/early afternoon. Instead of suggesting people have to commit to the whole weekend - they could just sign up for as many sessions as they like - preference being given to those travelling from out of town and planning to play the whole weekend...?


Wargaming Birthday Bash?

Originally there was the Wargaming Birthday Bash - it was an evening (or afternoon, if it fell on a weekend) for my birthday. After a couple of years, it expanded to an entire weekend of gaming at the end of February. Then it kind of migrated to the Family Day weekend in mid-February as it was easier for people travelling to get to... I'd kind of like to get back to hosting ONE BIG ONE-OFF game ON my Birthday - either in addition, or instead of, the aforementioned Game Weekend. That's February 25th... a Tuesday, this year... Of course Keira has THREE dance classes on Tuesday evenings... maybe I could get Amanda to come home early and take her out to those... Otherwise, I'd probably have to do it on the 23rd or maybe the 29th...!?

Hmmmm... Maybe this is where I'll get the GMT/COIN game in! The big one-off games have ALWAYS been large miniature games in the past... but there's no reason it couldn't be a board game!?


TOONCON

ToonCon is back on this year and will be taking place the weekend of 6-8 March 2020! I will be there. Some of the family may or may not tag along. I DO plan to run games. Probably three or four of them. Currently the working plan is to run: Hellboy, Blackstone Fortress, and Necromunda... and maybe another Learn To Play game...

I chose Necromunda because I just LOVE it and I have enough stuff I could run any number of scenarios with minimal preparation. Hellboy - also have enough done now that I could easily run a few scenarios from the core box without having to paint another miniature if I didn't want to - though I might get a few more done... Finally, Blackstone Fortress... well... I've painted exactly four miniatures (well, and the Ambull Hulk)... I'm thinking of including that one as INCENTIVE to get off my ass and FINISH THEM UP!!!

This might be another opportunity to play some of the other games on my 5x5 challenge - at least the Wallace/Eklund/COIN games - especially if I volunteered to run THOSE as well!? Realistically, though, I'd want to play any game I'm running through a FEW times BEFORE the convention - to make sure I have it DOWN (Especially a COIN or EKLUND game!!) - so maybe I DO need to settle on just ONE of those to play five times in the next three months...?


40K Events

Last year, Battle of the Abyss Apocalypse event and Battleforce Recon Tournament took place in early March and mid April, respectively. If they happen again at the same time, that would put one in Q1 and the second at the beginning of Q2, so should probably be taken into consideration if I plan to go to either and plan to do anything NEW for either... which, of course I do... on both accounts... for both... sort of...

There has been talk of not bothering with the Battle of the Abyss for 2020 as some (including the organizer) are really into the NEW Apocalypse rules, and others haven't even tried it... The organizer was saying he might hold off until 2021, to give the new rules a chance to get incorporated, others pointed out that waiting might not actually make them any more palatable to those that hadn't adopted them... so I think it's in the air. Last year, by this time, there were sign up sheets and online registration all set up... But there's been nothing done like that so far this year... so maybe it won't happen? Or maybe it will happen later in the year? To be honest, I'm really only interested in participating IF they're using the new rules - it just makes games SO MUCH FASTER!

Last year there were a LOT of Imperial forces at the Battle of the Abyss. I determined that for the next one I'd take a non-imperial force. I'd probably roll out with an Aeldari force. It's the largest non-imperial faction I have. Also, as it's a team event, I could team up with either Amanda's Drukhari or Keira' Harlequins and craft world Eldar. I DO have a PILE of superheavy units for the Eldar - three Scorpion/Tempest tanks and three Eldar TITANS - (one Phantom, two Revenant - which all still need to be painted). I'd have to make some decisions about what to take, as that all adds up WAY MORE than what was allowed last year (I think it was 300 Power Level... The three tank superheavy detachment is 96PL, the Phantom, on it's own, is 140PL, and each of the Revenants are 60PL... and then there's all the smaller stuff we have...)

For Battleforce Recon... I have no shortage of forces I could plop down without painting a single figure Eldar like I did last year or Tallarn like I did the year before, also I have the Guaiacan Commandoes/Jungle Fighters... Part of me feels like I should bring some DAEMONS OF THE WARP to Battleforce Recon! Again, there were a LOT of imperial forces last year - including TWO Grey Knights - so Daemons would seem apropos! But... 1000 points of Daemons by spring... and I only have about 200 point painted... (one Fiend of Slaanesh and one older Keeper of Secrets I'd use as a Daemon Prince of Slaanesh). It's not like they're really HARD to paint, though... It could happen.


PAINTING

There are just SO MANY THINGS I want to do!? All RIGHT NOW!!!!

The things I MOST want to get painting are:

Necromunda - though I have loads, I still have piles more!

Hellboy - though I have enough to play (at least the all the scenarios in the core set) - I have FOUR expansions that came with the Kickstarter that I've barely touched! I'd definitely like to get all of those done this year!

Blackstone Fortress - sat on this for over a year - even picked up most of the expansions as they came out - without even having played the base game!? I'm going to run it at ToonCon so I need to get painting and playing

DAEMONS OF CHAOS!! - The new army is always the shiniest! It was probably daft asking for Wrath & Rapture for Xmas... and even more ridiculous still to pick up MORE Daemons on Boxing Day... but I did... and now I have an entire army to paint up and I want to get on that!!! Even if it's just Kill-Team-level forces, or stuff I could use in Wrath & Glory and slowly work it all into (or maybe I will PAINT IT ALL to use at Battleforce Recon!!)

Other considerations...

There are SO MANY other miniature I have in the basement to paint and MANY that are constantly calling out to me for paint and causing no end of distraction (which is why sitting down and rationally thinking about what I can realistically get DONE in a given amount of time and figure out what really is most important to get done, given the games I'm actually planning to play)

Topping the list of "Other Stuff":

All the other 40K armies - though I have totally playable Guaiacan and Tallarn Imperial Guard armies - I still have LOADS of Tallarn to paint up AND an entire force of Valhallans, which I'd love to see painted. Still have a PILE of Assuryani (Craftworld Eldar) - including THREE TITANS (One Phantom and two Revenant), which I'd hoped to get done in case there is a Battle of the Abyss Apocalypse event again this year (really wanted to take a NON-IMPERIAL force this year - as there are SO MANY OTHER IMPERIAL PLAYERS and playing 2/3 Blue-on-Blue games and trying to weave narratives for WHY there are so many to-the-death "friendly fire" engagements is a bit lame...). AND I have a few Grey Knights and inquisitorial types I'd love to finish up as a small allied contingent... scores of others marines, Orks, MORE Imperial Guard that could be put together for Kill Teams. Oh, and THREE KNIGHTS to finish off - two of which are MOSLTY finished, and a third that's all still on the sprue...

Stuff for Rebels and Redcoats - I think about this constantly and would LOVE to finally get around to trying it out - maybe even playing a campaign. Unfortunately I just don't have enough of any force painted to really play it yet. I do have LOADS of Seven Years War miniatures some are painted - not enough - and the rest are on bases and primed and organized into units... but I just need to find the time to paint them. I'd also love to use this for War of 1812. I have my own Generic Regular and Militiamen I could cast by the dozens and paint up into units... but... y'know... TIME!?

More stuff for Pikeman's Lament - I have piles and piles of additional things I could add to my assorted English forces of the mid-17th century... I'd love to put together enough that I could run a campaign weekend and have enough for six factions and be able to have all of them fighting at the same time - either in large 4+ player battles - or have three or four tables going at once - playing out all the actions that take place campaign turn... Future dreams...

EPIC 40K - to play with Warhammer 40,000: Apoalypse! Though I have forces of Marines and Eldar I could play with right now, I still have PILES more I could paint for each - including TITANS - and then there are the Imperial Guard and Squats and Chaos and Orks... Oh, so many...

and the list goes on...

So... what's THE PLAN!? What AM I going to paint...

Well it is about six and a half weeks to the February game weekend, eight weeks to my birthday and Nine and a half to ToonCon!!!

I guess there are FOUR major interests (Necromunda, Hellboy, Blackstone Fortress and DAEMONS!) and 12 weeks. Split evenly that would be able three weeks each. It'd be nice to say I'll do X for three weeks and then do Y for the next three weeks, but that's a little unrealistic. I can say, of those four, I have enough to play a lot of different games of Necromunda as is... I could probably leave that until the end of March. Blackstone Fortress feels like it SHOULD be the priority - If I'm running that for ToonCon, I feel like I SHOULD get those done soonest, so I can get play testing! But Realistically - NEWEST IS SHINIEST! So I should probably endeavour to concurrently or alternately work on Blackstone fortress minis and Daemons for January. Early February, any Necromunda minis I need for a game weekend - if that's even happening...


SECOND QUARTER (April - June 2020)

I don't really want to set down much in the way of plans for the rest of the year... but... There are some things to keep a weather-eye on... The aforementioned Battleforce Recon and Battle of the Abyss could take place in Q2. Also, last year, the Strange Bedfellows Team Tournament was at the end of June (at the end of Q2), so... Q2 might be getting stuff ready for that...? (Or I could just use forces I already have?!)


THIRD QUARTER (July - September 2020)

Getting further away and harder to consider what I might be doing or interested in at that point...


FOURTH QUARTER (October - December 2020) 

Even FURHTER away and nigh impossible to consider what I might be doing or interested in at that point...


Anybody care to guess what I'll be doing in the Fourth Quarter of 2020? Your guess is as good as mine, at this point! Come on, leave a comment, let's here the wildest predictions you can think of!


Coming Soon to Tim's Miniature Wargaming Blog:

Hellboy Game Reports, Part Two of December Games, and a Look Back at 2019.