Top Ten Wargaming Goals for 2014

   It is that time of year when everyone looks forward to the new year, all bright and shiny and full of promise. We all commit ourselves to buckling down and finally tackling some big project or problem or whatever "for sure this year." I'm no different, I suppose. So here are my Top Ten Wargaming Goals for 2014 (and in no particular order).

10. Win a game of Ogre.

   I know this sounds petty and miniscule, but I have yet to win a single game of my new 6E Kickstarter Massive 27 Pound Box of Wonder Designer's Edition Ogre. Partly this has been a result of my truly wondrously abysmal dice rolling skills. Never say "anything but a One." I should know this by now.

9. Paint 100 25/28mm miniatures.

   This is how many minis in that scale that I painted in 2013. I would like to match that. I do count cavalry as two figures, because I hate painting horses (and most other mounts as well). Artillery pieces only count as a single mini in my estimation. Vehicles in the bigger scales

8. Paint 100 15/18mm miniatures.

   I have started on this goal already, though nothing is finished yet. It ties into another of my goals, somewhere below...

7. Play at least 10 VSF games.

   This has been my favored genre for the past decade or so, and I am not tiring of it yet. I finally got my second IHMN company painted up, so I am ready to host that. Except for terrain. Looks like a meeting in Regent's Park - I have trees and walkways, even a few benches and lampposts.

6. Paint more minis than I purchase this year.

   Also known as The Pledge. I have set this goal many, many times. I've never achieved it. Even taking minis I received as a gift out of the equation. Not planning on any major convention this year may help somewhat, as it will reduce the purchases, theoretically.

5. Spend less, play more.

   This goal will be, in one respect, much easier than last year, because I am not going to Historicon. That was  a pretty good chunk of my gaming expenditures last year, between airfare, car rental, hotels, and the dealers room and flea market. In another respect, it will be more difficult, because I usually get at least six games out of the convention. I will have to make it up at home somewhere.

4. 'Finish' at least one of my 25/28mm VSF factions.

   I am about 17 or so minis from finishing my 25mm Automatons, so I definitely want to finish them off this year. I would also like to finish either the British or the Germans as well. Neither is as close as the Automatons, unfortunately.

3. Finish my Flames of War 8th Army (Indian) Company

   This army is about 18 months old, and the guys that I play with have moved on from desert war, but I think I can still get some use out of them. I just primed two of my 25-pdrs., and finished the Staff HQ set in December.

2. Publish another issue of The Aethergraph

   For those of you who don't know, I put out a small e-zine called The Aethergraph. I published 3 issues so far, but haven't done a new issue in almost two years. I would like to publish at least one issue this year. If anyone wants to help with some artwork, battle reports, background or rules pieces... I'd be glad to have some article contributions.

1. Enjoy Gaming.

   The whole point of this hobby is to have fun. I want to concentrate on that when I spend precious time on hobby activities.