2017 a year in review ...

...and targets for 2018.

I do enjoy a review of the year; a spot of self indulgent retrospection never hurt anyone!  Mine, however, is going to start with an apology.  It would appear that I have rather fallen off the grid again, due to no more sinister reason than demands on my time.  These demands, and my involvement in the hobby juggernaut that is the 'VIII Annual Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge', have led me to the decision to 'mothball' 28mm Victorian Warfare for a couple of months.  The social interaction of Blogging has proved such an important part of my hobby, but I feel that this should be a reciprocal arrangement.  Posting my own progress without spending the time to see what is going on elsewhere, just feels rude.  I appreciate that this is a personal viewpoint, but not being able to comment. with any degree of regularity, on the much esteemed weblogs that I follow, has frustrated me and so I have decided to withdraw from our cozy corner of the Blogosphere until the balance of life is more favourably aligned.

Now don't think for one minute that this is due to a lack of interest; nothing could be further from the truth.  I have had a wonderful year, hobby wise, playing more games than ever before.  I have been fortunate to be supported in my endeavours by a good number of you, my gentle readers, and I thank you all!  I have been introduced to Bushido, which saw a dedicated table top gaming club set up at school.  Zombicide: Black Plague continued to bring excitement and hilarity, especially when played as Monty Python's Grail Knights.  I was indulged in my efforts to put on a game of Congo and guided, with exceptional kindness, through the possibilities of playing Imperial Assault as a solo venture.  Add to the mix the now firm favourites of Forgotten Heroes, Zomtober and Dinovember and it is easy to see how much fun I am having with the hobby at the moment.

The lure of the crowd funding platform that is Kickstarter continues to relieve me of my pocket money and as we start the year, I can looking forward to getting my hands on a veritable mountain of plastic that make up Zombicide: Green Horde, Smog and Resident Evil.  Whilst falling short of a bonafide addiction, I do get quite a buzz out of the process and enjoy being part of something from the start.  I doubt that I will every paint all that I have in my collection, but these types of games have introduced me to the delights of regular gaming as opposed to simple hoarding.  

So on to the review of last year's targets:

1 Play more games! Target Met! - Just as in previous years my gaming exploits were predominately board games, although 2017 did see the introduction of some new rules in the shape of Congo and Imperial Assault.  

2 Maintain a credible level of posts throughout the course of the year. I do not want to be prescriptive on this but will certainly look to maintain the interest in '28mm Victorian Warfare' by looking to post between 5 – 10 posts per month (a minimum of 60 posts for the year).   Target met! Only just though!  60 posts made in 2017 and a couple of those were fillers!  I think this downturn in posting reflects the increased demands on my time at work, but more positively the nature in which I am approaching the hobby.  I feel more engaged in what I am doing rather than just churning out an assortment of miniatures over the year.

3 Attend at least one convention/exhibition/expo this year. Target met! Salute 2017 and the newly titled Euro Miniature Expo continue to prove wonderful opportunities to inspire and delight. 

4 I would like to try to curb the additional expenditure on miniatures this year, or at least try to bring it into line with output. A simple tally score will suffice, hopefully something that will 'shame' me into being a little more restraint when it comes to all things hobby related. Target Met! Painted 174 - 157 Bought = +17 in credit! This seems on par with more recent years and I remain pleased with the level of consistency in my painting at present.   

According to my tally counter the numbers are as follows*:

Painted/constructed: 174

Bought: 157

Balance: +17

Detailed breakdown:

Foot: 85

Mounted: 1

Artillery: 3

Vehicles: 2

Buildings/Terrain pieces: 58

Livestock: 25

*All miniatures are 28mm scale unless otherwise stated

So what has 2018 in store for '28mm Victorian Warfare'? Well if I can match 2017 in terms of fun and achievements then I will be a very happy chap.  The actual targets will remain the same, one of my personal highlights was hosting a game and I would like to do something similar this year, perhaps taking the action to 17th Century England and the 'Witchfinder' world.  Imperial Assault will also be revisited, for no other reason than it makes me happy and I dare say that the arrival of a large box of zombie goblins and orks will see a call to arms to see off the Green Horde!  

There is a germ of an idea that might see a move into the realms of 'Survival Horror' and I look forward to seeing if Resident Evil will help with this.  Once again, my interest in Victorian Warfare seems to be woefully overlooked and I am acutely aware that this needs to be redressed. Rest assured, gentle reader, that there are no plans to rename the blog and that this will always remain a period that I will continue to return to.  

I would also like to keep my Instagram account a little more up to date, perhaps something I can continue to tinker with, whilst not blogging?

Just because I am not posting doesn't mean that I am not beavering away behind the scenes and if you feel that I can be of any help then do not hesitate to get in touch.  I wish you all well and hope to be removing the dust sheets sometime in the middle of March in time for 28mm Victorian Warfare's seventh Blogday!  There is just time enough to reset that 'Tally Counter' and present, in a roughly chronological order of creation, my efforts from 2017!