Preview for 2016

I thought that I would blog my ideas for the coming year as I can refer back to this during 2016 and may be get a reaction form you guys to push an idea further up the schedule or you might want to contribute to one of the ideas.

The theme for me this year is no new projects or armies but the completion, extension or re-use of existing armies - basically use what I already have to put on new games.

First off we need to decide on the game for JoS.  Front runner for me is Pavia 1525.  We already have all the troops but its whether Russ is up for doing the terrain.  Otherwise we need to pick a game we have already played and polish it.

Secondly is to continue the Italian Wars campaign.  I have thoroughly enjoyed this and have been heartened at how everyone has thrown themselves into it and played it in their own style.  I am not precious as to playing it to a conclusion but I think we will all know when we have got a result that we agree with; let the greatest (or most devious) prince win!

The fact that we got a good result from the Malaya campaign and that the Italian campaign has rolled so well has encouraged me to plan Operation Nostalgia; a WW2 amphibious campaign in the Aegean.  The Christmas game went well and I will put on a couple of taster games over the next few weeks before I get everyone's view on whether this elaborate combination of VAS and Spearhead will work.  I will also need some more amphibious craft from Mark and a few more aircraft and ships from Phil, Russ and Marks British and American units, and Jon's Royal Navy.

I need to make more terrain like this for the Nostalgia Campaign

Russ' spearhead tester map gave us weeks of different games in several rule sets.  I will put on a series of Principles of War scenarios for Thursdays spanning late medieval, renaissance, ECW and 18th Century to see whether the same scenario can illustrate the development of weapons, troop types and tactics over a three hundred year period.

I intend to rebase (or recoat) my WW2 desert troops.  This will spur me on to put on a series of linked battles for Alamein.  I already have the troops and I have never played this iconic struggle between Montgomery and Rommel.  This also gives me the potential to look at a Tunisia campaign next year if Nostalgia is successful.

I would like to put on Swordfish at company level, perhaps covering the first two days to allow for 21st panzers counter attack; this would put a different decision making context for both sides.  We have the troops and this would spur me on to complete more seashore terrain.

I need to finish the 18th Century Dutch that Russ sold me.  This would allow me to put on the gargantuan battle of Fontenoy.  I also want to progress the Indian theatre of war as I have a campaign I would like to put on in the future.  This will also need some fleets for naval actions and I will need to decide on which scale; keep it small and make it happen or upgrade to 1/1200 and use the langton models?  An expansion of my 18th century Indians will also give me a Renaissance Indian Army so that I get an extra army for the same effort.  However, I see this stretching into next year!

I have the forces and (almost) the terrain for an 18th Century amphibious attack by the British against the French in the Caribbean.  This could be fought on a Saturday or over two Thursdays.

I also have the fortifications, troops and siege lines to put on an 18th Century siege game.  I just need to develop the rules and I have another easy play campaign.

I need to rebase my 19th Century armies for Prussia, France and Austria.  I have enough troops to put on some big battles for the Franco-Prussian, Austro- Prussian and Italian War of 1859.

I would like to put on some 1916 WW1 scenarios; the Somme, Verdun and even a Brusilov offensive once Mark has completed the Russians.

I can also do a Rowton Moor 1645 ECW battle, the battle that finished Charles I hopes of victory and is as local as you can get.  A tour of the sites and siege of ECW Chester in the morning and a wargame in the afternoon.  I think this would be a good one for the spring.

I have plenty of other battles and projects that may rear their head during the year, such as Ottomans for WW1, Tuetonic Knights, Hong Kong 1941, Guadalcanal etc. but I think the above will be enough to keep me busy.  However, I could be talked into a trip to Salute, to Paris to see the fabulous French Army museum and a tour of Normandy and the low countries!