Planning 2015

As usual in this season, we wargamers enter into a frenzy state to plan the year ahead although most of the times it ends in frustration while not in tears. I'm not different to the average aficionado in this sense and like also to make plans.

Looking at this same post in December last year, I can rate my performance with 7 (may be 8) over 10,  not bad if your trail the long track record performance. 

First, a recap of 2014 and achievements:

- North African Desert Project (coded as "Afrika CoC"): accomplished 100%; painted Italian platoon with supports and I have almost finished a DAK platoon (not considered in the planned pipeline). And I did not only paint my toys but also did actually play a lot thanks to the campaign during the first half of the year.

- Spanish Civil War: another major achievement (or almost!) with a full Republican Army platoon and supports painted, but the vehicles still needing a hand of paint...

- Participating in a major wargaming event: failed! Financial constraints and a new professional project kept me away from accomplishing it (no money and, frankly, no time!)

- Collaborating in a wargaming publication, accomplished!! I must admit mostly thanks to my friend and wargaming mate Alfredo, the designer and (tough!) umpire of our Bloody November 1936, Spanish Civil War campaign for Chain of Command, finally printed in the recent Christmas Special issue of TooFatLardies.




And what's in store for 2015?
Looking into the New Year, we basically plan to extract additional value and to squeeze the investments made in 2014.

- Expect another year of intense Chain of Command activity: a second Spanish Civil War campaign is now in blueprint as I write this post, around the Jarama Battles (February 1937) and specifically the fight for Cerro Pingarrón; an extension (or a new campaign?) can be easy prepared on the area where the British Bon saw activity. later in the year, another North Desert campaign is also likely and in discussion and planning stage, a foray to the Eastern Front (Operation Winterfront?)

- The recent article on CoC WWI in the Christmas Special also has attracted our attention. Again, no investment effort for me: I have plenty of minis and vehicles painted.

- And no  new project? Yes, this time medieval around X-XI centuries in the Iberian Penninsula... do you recognise the character riding the horse?

 Probably if you are not Spanish or have not visited Burgos, this will be a more familiar face...

Yes, good guess: El Cid

Luckily, I committed the investment for this project many-many moons ago and own a lot of Gruipping beast Christians and Moors models... I only now need to dig deep enough in my lead mountain and find the bloody figures 
 
My gaming group is considering different wargaming rules options for the period but as we speak, The Crescent & The Cross is high in the list... I think we are totally abducted by dice-driven, skirmished-sized games after Chain of Command, and cannot stand the IGYG-based systems anymore...

And two final projects:

- Crisis 2015 in Antwerp. The 2014 show as reviewed in the blogosphere and by the TooFatLardies team looked really attractive. So instead of repeating Salute (done in 2012), we are planning a 4-5 days trip to this Continental gathering, complemented with a visit to the Waterloo Battlefield (coinciding with the 200th Anniversay), dirve Hell's Highway and finish in Arnhem.

- One or two contributions to wargaming magazines

In summary, if 2014 was Chain of Command year and campaign vs one-of games, 2015 is more than likely to be a continuation ...with the only addition of El Cid as a novelty.

And what about you? I'd love to hear about your plans