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Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Game Plan 2026 - Q1

New Year, New Plans... 

(that look startlingly similar to the Previous Plans!?) 

With these Quarterly Plans I usually take a look back at the previous three months and how that matched (or didn't match) what was outlined in the previous quarterly plans, and then make some plans (albiet vague and/or half-baked) about what I might get up to over the next three. 

As I just took a look back at the ENTIRE YEAR with the PREVIOUS POST, the look back at past quarter shall be brief. 

2025 - Q4 In Review

GAMES

 I planed to play some games...

According to Board Game Geek, I played: 

  • Warhammer Age Of Sigmar (Fourth Edition): Core Rules x19
  • Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Champions Trading Card Game x12
  • Warhammer Quest: Cursed City x9
  • Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Soulbound x4
  • Pergola x2
  • Bolt Action: Third Edition x1
  • Warhammer 40,000 (Tenth Edition) x1
  • Warhammer Quest: Darkwater x1

Forty-Nine Games!


Warhammer Quest

The plan was to keep playing Warhammer Quest: Cursed City and finish up the Night Wars campaign. We played nine more games of the Night Wars and will probably be done in 3 more sessions.

Beyond that, there was some guessing as to whether we'd continue with playing Warhammer Quest... Would I go back and finish up the miniatures for Silver Tower and play that...? Would we endeavour to finish up all the Blackstone Fortress expansions...? Would there be a NEW Warhammer Quest...!?

A new Warhammer Quest WAS announced only one week into the Fourth Quarter... but there was no date attached to it. I DESPERATELY hoped it would be released in the following month or so, so I would have a chance to paint up all the miniatures BEFORE we even finished the Cursed City Night Wars campaign! 

In the end, Warhammer Quest: Darkwater was released in early December and I have gotten a fair few of the miniatures painted (and even played a test game) and will be fully ready to play through a full campaign by the time we're done Cursed City


Age of Sigmar

Generally the plan was to continue playing Age of Sigmar: Spearhead, as I'd started doing again through Q3. I wanted to keep with playing Spearhead (even though it isn't my favourite format of play) mostly to get all the basic rules for Age of Sigmar solid in my head, and to keep motivation up to PAINT all of the Spearhead forces I'd acquired, AND to try out as many of the different armies as I could enough times to get a sense of what I really wanted to focus on building up to a larger army to play Path to Glory with... 

I ended up playing only five more games of Spearhead, then just started playing regular Age of Sigmar 

I started a small campaign with Amanda (Methervale Campaign) initially using the Ascension Path to Glory rules from the Core Rulebook, but then later adopting most of the rules from Path to Glory: Blighted Wilds after it was released. We've played three games of that, so far... and I've been thoroughly enjoying it and hope we continue on into the new year. 

Just after getting the campaign started with Amanda, a few of the members of the AoS-YXE Discord I ran got excited about running a Ravaged Cost Path to Glory campaign, so I joined in that as well! I've played eleven games of that and wrapped up the campaign with a four-player mega battle! 


Role-Playing Games 

I had hoped to continue with What We Do in the Realm of Shadows campaign and possibly wrap that up... Though we were now only able to play once every three weeks, as Orions job took her out of town the other two weeks... We did play four "episodes" this quarter, and seems like it's going to keep on going into the new year! 

I'd also wondered at starting a campaign using Soulbound: Champions of Chaos if we DID happen to finish up What We Do in the Realm of Shadows! But... - also the physical copy of the  Soulbound: Champions of Chaos book apparently won't be released until Q2 of 2026, so... probably won't happen until then... 


Other Warhammer Games ? 

I did acknowledge the possibility of returning to some OTHER Warhammer games; Warhammer Underworlds and/or Warhammer 40,000

Warhammer Underworlds - There was a new core box announced at the Big Summer Preview in July, which looked really fun... but I hadn't played at all this year and was feeling very out-of-the-loop and behind on card decks... so... it was going to be hard to justify that to myself... 

Warhammer 40,000 - If we'd finished up Night Wars and there WASN'T a new Warhammer Quest game set in the Mortal Realms, it was entirely possible that we could have ended up returning to Blackstone Fortress... and if that had been the case, it probably would have precipitated a return to playing Warhammer 40,000 (and/or Necromunda and/or Kill Team)... I did play ONE game of Warhammer 40,000 - the Tanksgiving Mega-Battle. 

Kill Team - This wasn't really part of the plan, but a new box was announced with some very cool-looking Space Wolves in them and Orion declared that we'd have to start playing Kill Team again... we did not get to doing that... 

CHAMPIONS TCG!? - This was NOT part of the Fourth Quarter Game Plan... but... Ages ago I'd picked up a booster box of the Warahmmer Age of Sigmar Champions Trading Card Game, but never really did anything with it, as I wasn't sure I could even put together two decks to try it out with the cards I had... Recently, however, I found a place selling a Starter Display - containing EIGHT Starter/Campaign decks (two of each of Order, Death, Destruction, and Chaos decks) and decided to pick that up... and a few more boxes of booster packs... and started playing that with Amanda - it's a fun little game that, once you know how to play can be set up and played through in about 30 minutes. So, handy to have for when you want to play something, but don't have a LOT of time... 


Other Miniature Wargames?

Also I noted there was always the possibility of returning to OTHER Miniatures Wargames... Bolt Action, any of the Ganesha Games, games by Dan Mercy (new edition of Dragon Rampant this Quarter!), One Hour Wargames, etc... 

Bolt Action - I did get in ONE MORE game of Bolt Action this quarter, bringing the total for the year to TEN!!


Solo Miniature Games 

This always seems to get slid into the plan as a just-in-case... I would like to, at some point continue any or all of the solo game campaigns I've started... (Paras in Normandy, Pulp Adventure. Five Parsecs from Home. Devilry Afoote Campaign), but that didn't happen this Quarter. 


Board Games/Card Games 

I like the idea of playing board games again (other than Warhammer Quest - or the other Warhammer board games).... I'd played ONE game in the first three quarters of the year, so I acknowledged that it might not happen... though, at the Dragon's Den Games anniversary sale at the beginning of October, I took a really hard long look at Finspan and discussed it with Amanda and we seriously considered getting it... so... we hadn't totally given up on board games... (in the end we didn't get it, as we still like playing the games we HAVE and didn't imagine it would be really different enough from wingspan to justify it at that point) - oh, and we'd also looked at a few board games at Imperial Hobbies at the end of September when we were there on vacation and seriously considered getting the travel edition of one of the Azul games, just to play THAT NIGHT... but in the end, didn't... 

In the end, we did play two games with Barb and Brent just after Xmas... but that was about it. (Amanda actually played a few more with other friends on her own!) 


MINIATURES

What were the predictions, hopes, dreams, and aspirations for painting in the fourth quarter of 2025...? what did I actually get done?

Age of Sigmar - (Including Warhammer Quest, Warhammer Underworlds, etc)

I was fairly certain that Age of Sigmar would be the primary focus of the quarter. The main focus of those efforts were to be the Spearhead Armies. I had suggested that if I could get FOUR (or maybe FIVE!?) of them finished up by the end of the year, I'd be pretty happy. The Nighthaunt were very close to being done (just needed to get my hands on some Dreadscythe Harridans!) and I was already halfway done the Soulblight Gravelords... The Helsmiths of Hashut and Maggotkin of Nurgle were new and shiny and I figures the most likely other ones I'd finish up... 

I finished TWO Spearhead Armies this Quarter... 

Maggotkin of Nurgle - Bleak Host


Nighthaunt - Cursed Shacklehorde

In some ways,  that was a bit of a disappointment.. but I was not idle! I didn't get more Spearhead armies done, because I stopped playing Spearhead and played MOSTLY Path to Glory games - and, consequently,  ended up painting a lot of stuff for THOSE armies! 

Here's what I got done: 

28mm Foot


28mm Mounted and Smaller Beasties


28mm Vehicles and Larger Beasties


28mm Terrain and Endless Spells


I wasn't really PLANNING to buy anything... but in Q4 there was both BLACK FRIDAY and Boxing Day sales... AND Dragon's Den Games Anniversary sale before those.... AND the Battleforce boxes were announced and the Sylvaneth one looked really good... AND I realized Dragon's Den Games still had the Nurgle Battleforce box from last year.... AND the new Warhammer Quest was released... so....

So I did end up acquiring a few new things... 

foot


cav monster


tank big'uns..

Terrain and Endless Spells



Other Miniatures




GAME PLAN 2026 - Q1

And here is the plan (or rather "guidelines"... or maybe "intentions" based on best guesses... or... hopes...?) 


GAMES

Assuming I'm still alive... I plan to play some games...


Warhammer Quest

We have thoroughly enjoyed playing through Shadows Over Hammerhal and two campaigns set in the Cursed City of Ulfenkarn... (and we still have a bit to do to finish up the Cursed City: Night Wars campaign....?)

After that... 

(Image ©2025 Games Workshop, used here entirely without their permission for the purposes of review)

There is the new Warhammer Quest out now, so I imagine we'll be playing a LOT of that this Quarter! 

It looks like it will not take NEARLY so much time to play through the campaign as Cursed City. In the initial preview back at the beginning of Novemeber, they stated scenarios will take 30 minutes to play and the entire campaign about 10-14 hours... I guess if we only played one or two scenarios a week at about an hour each, that could take most of the first quarter to play through...? 

Not sure what we'll do after that...? If the initial campaign is so brief, will they be cranking out loads of expansions for this one, like they did with Blackstone Fortress...? I guess we'll have to wait and see! 


Age of Sigmar

I'm fairly certain there will be a lot of Warhammer Age of Sigmar played this Quarter. 

With the NEW Path to Glory campaign book being released a few weeks back, I have a feeling we'll be campaigning a lot in Ghyran!  This looks SUPER fun and it's like it was written just for US (Amanda and myself, that is!) - Sylvaneth versus Maggotkin in Ghyran!? Yes, Please! 



Role-Playing Games 

Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Soulbound 

We will likely carry on with some more Age of Sigmar: Soulbound

First with our Champions of Death campaign featuring exactly zero Soulbound characters... 

And... MAYBE we'll get started on Champions of Chaos with even LESS Soulbound Characters... 

(or... maybe that will be later in the year... after Champions of Death has wrapped up and/or the physical release of Champions of Chaos happens...) 


Warhammer 40,000 Wrath & Glory!?

Orion was very excited about the new Space Wolves Kill Team and had been talking about playing Kill Team... I'd kind of rather just run a Wrath and Glory role-playing campaign - with the new Sons of Russ book from Cubicle 7 - for playing SPACE WOLVES!? 

Will this happen in the first quarter of 2026... unclear.. I'm not going to hold my breath. Probably this year, though...


Other Warhammer Games ? 

Warhammer 40,000 - I will get back to playing this at some point... will it happen this Quarter...? Who can say. The Aeldari, Emperor's Children and Astra Military all have lots of stuff to finish painting up. I think there might be a NEW edition later this year... so... maybe I'll wait for that. 

Kill Team - As previously mentioned, Orion was talking about playing this again... but... I don't know... The Ratling Scout/Sniper detachment looks SUPER FUN... but it's less exciting if my main opponent is going to be running Space Wolves! 



Other Miniature Wargames?

Bolt Action - Had a lot of plans and ideas earlier in 2025... Could it happen again? I don't know... Maybe if Orion suddenly finished painting all her Hungarians! 

Other Games - I occasionally wonder about other games - any of the Ganesha Games, games by Den Mercy (new edition of Dragon Rampant this Quarter!), One Hour Wargames, etc... 


Solo Miniature Games 

It would be fun to continue any or all of the solo game campaigns I've started... (Paras in Normandy, Pulp Adventure. Five Parsecs from Home. Devilry Afoote Campaign). But that doesn't seem to be a thing I'm doing at the moment, so I'll just continue to keep those in my back pocket for now, in case any of the current active in-person campaigns Im actually playing with others fizzle... 


Board Games 

I mean... I like the idea of playing board games again (other than Warhammer Quest - or the other Warhammer board games). Given the last few quarters, though... I don't know... During a couple of the sales at our FLGS, I seriously considered picking up Finspan... so... obviously, I haven't ENTIRELY given up on the ideas of games! 


GAME WEEKEND!?

It has been a while since I hosted a proper Wargaming Birthday Bash/Winter Wargaming Weekend in February... As it has been suggested that the campaign in the new Warhammer Quest: Darkwater can be played though entirely in about 10-15 hours, I am considering the possibility of hosting a game weekend this February.


MINIATURES

What will I get up to PAINTING the next few months...? It will be likely dictated by the games I end up playing. As outlined above That'll probably be Warhammer Quest, Warhammer Age of Sigmar, and Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Soulbound... (and maybe a bit of Bolt Action, from time to time...?) 


Age of Sigmar 

(Including Warhammer Quest, Soulbound, etc)

If I could wave a magic wand and magically make myself stay focused on ONE THING and get it DONE, I would like to spend the entire year finishing painting ALL of the Age of Sigmar stuff I have. I could probably get it all done in a year... If I stayed focused and productive... 


Warhammer Quest

I still have a lot of stuff to paint for the new Warhammer Quest: Darkwater game... That will likely be the FIRST PRIORITY, so I have them done for when we're finished Cursed City and want to start Warhammer Quest: Darkwater!


Age of Sigmar

After that the next focus will be finishing up the Sylvaneth and Nurgle forces for the Blighted Wilds campaign. I still have a fair bit from the Maggot kin of Nurgle Shudderblight Cyst and Sylvaneth Outcast Spitegrove Battleforce Boxes to finish up!! 

If I managed to finish all that up, I still have things I could finish up for a few other forces (for one-off battles? Loaner armies? for future Path to Glory campaigns?) - the first three have only a few units each to finish up, some are very nearly done... the others have significantly MORE to paint... 

Nighthaunt (a Scriptor Mortis, five Craventhrone Guard, and three Banshees... all so close to being finished) 

Blades of Khorne (ten Blood Warriors and thirty Bloodreavers, maybe a few others) 

Soulblight Gravelords (five Blood Knights, Three Varghiests, a few Vampires, and ten Dire Wovlves...?)

Stormcast Eternals (there are a LOT to do...) 

Hedonites of Slaanesh (SO... MANY... DAEMONS...) 

Disciples of Tzeentch (So many Acolytes and Tzangors...) 

Slaves to Darkness (So many Chaos Knights and Darkoath Fellriders!) 

Daughters of Khaine? Helsmiths of Hashut? Lumineth Realmlords!? 


Spearhead

Though I am less enthralled with Spearhead these days, I DO still have a bunch of those to finish up... I'm not going to get to them all in the First Quarter... but maybe if I finished one... or two... (finishing the above stuff will finish up a bunch of Spearhead armies...) 

Spearhead Armies Still to Do:

Soulblight Gravelords - Bloodcrave Hunt 5x (Blood Knights, 3x Vargheists)

Daughters of Khaine - Heartflayer Troupe (10x Witch Aelves, 5x Blood Stalkers, 5x Doomfire Warlocks)

Slaves to Darkness - Darkoath Raiders (1x Darkoath Warqueen, 5x Darkoath Fellriders, 10x Darkoath Savagers, 10x Darkoath Marauders)

Lumineth Realmlords - Glittering Phalanx (1x Scinari Cathallar, 5x Vanari Bladelords, 10x Vanari Auralan Wardens, 10x Vanari Auralan Sentinels)

Disciples of Tzeentch - Fluxblade Coven  (1x Magister on Disc of Tzeentch, 3x Flamers of Tzeentch, 10x Tzaangors, 10x Kairic Acolytes)

Helsmith's of Hashut - Hellforge Host (10x Infernal Cohort with Hashutite Spears - and a hobgrot gong carrier, 1x Dominator Engine, 1x Tormentor Bombard and crew) 

Skaven - Gnawfeast Pack (1x Clawlord on Gnaw-beast, 1x Grey Seer, 1x Warlock Engineer, 20x Clanrats, and 3x Rat Ogors)


Other Miniatures...?

There's a chance I might get to painting some World War Two stuff for Bolt Action. Though most of the games planned involved the Easter Front and I think ALL of my Russians are painted... maybe there are some partisans, though... 

Could get to some 40K stuff if we did get around to playing Wrath & Glory...?


IN OTHER NEWS... 

Not games or hobby related, per se... but definitely will affect the time I have to do hobby and game things... 

I am going back to school starting in January... 

Maybe... 

probably... 


What do YOU have planned for 2026!? 

What games would you like to play? 

Are there new ones you want to try out?

Or old ones you just want to play more of?

What are your big hobby projects for the year?
Or the first quarter!?

LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS!!


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