Taking Stock of 2013

As I did last year, it is time now to assess my 2013 wargaming performance in 2013. And the first conclusion: plans are good... for NOTHING. Reading again the post where I revealed my resolutions for the current year now I realised from minute one that I was bound to accomplish little or nothing of what I was looking to do: neither I consolidated IABSM as a main playing set, nor I played a single (!) game of Through the Mud & the Blood along this year. Worse thing of all, my very modest objective of starting just  ONE new project (Dux Britanniarium) was not even initiated!!

But on the other hand, I cannot really complain of this year as a wargamer considering the complexity I faced in my working life (started and consolidated my own new company after losing my job) and my family life (with my father in-law suffering a long and serious illness, still unrecovered, bringing increasing stress to my wife and her mother).

So why the satisfaction?



Firstly, I had a great time this year being asked by Richard Clarke to play-test the blockbuster hit of the year: Chain of Command;  I'm deeply engaged with this set of rules and the more I play, the more I like it. The recent new expansion to the Spanish Civil War widens the options to undertake new periods and campaigns over the next months, no to mention our first communal project "Afrika CoC" received with high enthusiasm by my gaming mates. Also and without really planning it, I'm becoming a sort of a point of reference for CoC in Spain through a very active participation in a popular local wargaming forum.

On the other hand, I have also participated in two  workshops  to improve my painting level and efficiency in undertaking new painting projects;  specially the first workshop was an incredible experience for me, learning a few but highly useful tips (like the wet palette) during a morning that had changed completely the way I paint after almost 40 years of practice!

Finally, I consolidated my presence in the hobby-related social networks by launching a Twitter account, a page in google+ and of course continued developing and improving this blog, reaching now 221 followers and close to 200,000 hits.  In this regards, I also wrote and published my first-ever wargaming article in Breaking War, a magazine well known and appreciated by the local Spanish gamers community, which constitutes a a significant personal landmark in the hobby.

Overall little achieved in term of the planned objectives, but 2013 being nothing but an excellent and fun year of wargaming. As for my 2014 plans (more plans?) you'll have to wait for another post in a few days time.

So this was 2013 for Anibal Invcitus, but  what about you?
As always your participation and comments are highly appreciated