2025 Projects, Plans and Musings

What does one do having relocated 5,000 miles accompanied by <1% of your hobby stuff? 

Redefine what your hobby looks like I guess, and examine some of those 'one day maybe' project aspirations. Usually I have a bunch of projects to pursue with my mates as I float between Sydney and Canberra but thats not the case this time.

So as I turn my mind to What Next & So What, these are a rambling collection of notes & ideas as they stand a month after arrival. More for me to look back on later and laugh at the many completely unrelated twists and turns I will inevitably take :-)

This Blog will continue but probably with some style adjustment depending on how the below ideas pan out. Also feeling like the while thing is due for a full design refresh. Will see - looking for some inspiration to ignite that.

Gaming

Good news is that I have found a group that play at the FLGS- its all 40k, AoS and Battletech, which I played back in the 80s when it was a FASA game with all the "Unseen" Mechs. They also do a bit of the bigger size "Alpha Strike" games which does interest me, but I'll keep looking for some historical gaming chaps. Hopefully I can find a Bowl Bowl league (I brought my Nurgle team with me, just in case!)

Boardgames - I adore solo narrative style games, probably from falling in love with AH's B17: Queen of the Skies as a teenager. The sort of game where you can go RPGlite, name the crew, earn medals etc.  Zeppelin Raider,  B-17 Leader, Thunderbolt-Apache Leader, Toe-to-Toe Nu'klr Combat with the Rooskies! There are others I want to get now too (now that I'm paying domestic US postage rate) like Nightfighter Interceptor (Compass games)

Zeppelin Raider was recently reprinted as a 2nd Edition!

Modelling

I know I need to grip a brush as part of my mental health plan so this might be the time to revisit some long procrastinated project plans

I've been wanting to build some Hoplite forces for Mortal Gods for a couple of years now. I really like the system, its speed and nuances of player decisions. I have a lovely Melian force that Alan painted for me (https://tasmancave.blogspot.com/2019/08/august-hobby-update.html) and need to have some others to play when I'm not in Sydney.  

Its only usually 40 or so figs per army but I just didnt get around to it with our other club projects and if do some extras I'll have options for other game systems like Men of Bronze (IMHO Mortal Gods has been deprioritised by Footsore Miniatures due to the success of their Baron's War and Gangs of Rome lines. Understandable but frustrating, especially when they keep promising more MG focus but don't get to it.  Maybe this year. Rant complete.)

Mortal Gods: potential for another KS next year for an updated version

My "Project Troy" - a long held goal to build some Bronze era forces for the Trojan War. In fact, a Trojan era Mortal Gods expansion would work really well, given the focus on heroes. 

Moongrunt (GZG 15mm) has long held my interest but not made my table (painting or playing) due to an absence of clearly applicable rules. I discussed this with GZG Jon at Warfare in late 2023 and it would be an interesting thing to revisit. Maybe even be the first to take his models to a Mars setting (and beat Elon Musk there!)

Images from "Space: Above & Beyond" (1995 TV series)

Minor Projects: small figure count skirmish games will be perfect for my circumstances (and even better if I could find local players)

Silver Bayonet - Keen to build myself a Bavarian crew in their characteristic corn flower blue uniforms. Not yet sure if I should use the French or German lists for them!

Devilry Afoot / Witchfinder - a fun looking Solomon Kane era game of purifying the local counryside of Satan's influence and minions!

MiG Alley (Blood Red Skies or other) - Comrade James and Pete from the Canberra club joy the Korean expansion for BRS and Ive always found this dawn of the jet era rather fascinating (as well as Korean War generically). The idea of putting together some Russian Communist MiG-15s, USN F9 Panthers (Bridges of Toki-Ri style), and F89 Sabres really appeals to me.

I've also had a hankering to make a couple of small HYW skirmish forces for chevauchée style raiding. Some interesting existing  and upcoming rules to think about, and with small figure counts the heraldry wont be overwhelming (I hope!)

SciFi RPG: I've been toying with getting back into some RPGs which I loved back in the day. Most likely not to play but just for immersion/reading, or maybe some project writing as the background for some skirmish gaming. My favourites back in the day were Traveller2300 and Blue Planet, but I also really enjoyed Star Frontiers and the behemoth that is Traveller. I also like the look of some the grittier SF gaming of recent years like Under Pressure, HOSTILE and Mothership.

Game Development?

I will like to do some co-development/assistance with my game designing friend Gregory Smith. Likely starting with some ideas I have for an expansion to our Zeppelin Raider and other games he has in the chute. Greg is a lovely guy and I love being part of the creative process.

Thats enough wool-gathering for now. Will be interesting to revisit this in 6 months and see what happens.

In the meantime I better get focused on starting my Minion duties for AHPC!

2024 in Review

I've done 15 of these posts before, but this one feels different. This year we've lost 3 wargaming friends to the big tabletop in the sky (vale Rolfe, Mike & Stephen; you will be missed fellahs). Two mates recently survived heart attacks (one just this week) and two others have started cancer treatments. Made me reflective and appreciative; you'll see that I now post more pics of the people I am playing with, not just focusing on the tabletop.

AHPC 14 Wrap-Up with Reilly!

This year work has taken me far afield once again- from the High North of Norway and sailing in the Arctic Ocean, to looking across the Han River into North Korea, and deployments into the SW Pacific. My extended period in this Command role has now completed and it was an amazing experience.

Revisiting the awesome D-Day situation room at Ike's HQ, Southwick House (formerly HMS Dryad), Hampshire UK

On the gaming front, one of my key highlights was Alan and I getting our Roman Civil War project onto the table after years of planning, thanks to AHPC pushing me I might say. 

We used the quick playing, To The Strongest to get lots of troops on the table while still getting a solid outcome in less than 3 hours. While initially I thought I wouldn't like either the gridded system or the cards, both work very well indeed.

The day that Alan's Legion's Eagle was lost - literally!

I'm really chuffed to have finally gotten this army to the table after years of start-stop and disruption. No army is ever really 'complete' of course and some half painted units went into storage with disappointed looks on their little metal and plastic faces...

https://tasmancave.blogspot.com/2024/07/a-civil-war-4-years-in-making.html

Pompey got the odd Ally in his cause too! :-)

Consul Marty was loyal to Ceasar's cause though!

The (re)release of The Old World early in the year had us every excited and dragging out our old Warhammer Fantasy armies!

The 4 rank "Doombull Deathbus" with Shaman proved brutally effective

Reilly has not 1 but 3 of these Arachno-terrors in his army!

My Beastmen went from a 3rd tier army in WHFB 8th to quite competitive in The Old World

This year also saw Reilly (aka 'The Lad') move out of home - flying the coop some 2,000 kms north. We packed a number of hobby items into his car and had ourselves a great Boys' roadtrip. I love his frequent calls giving me the play by plays of his Blood Bowl games up there (some of them get posted here also)

His farewell game was an epic 10 player Battle Royale set in the Trojan wars, ending in he & I having a classic Hector vs Achilles duel! One for the ages :-) Check it out here: https://tasmancave.blogspot.com/2024/03/achilles-rampant-farewell-to-lad.html

Separately, there was some great gladiator action with Frank and his Blood on the Sand rules - look to 2025 for the Kickstarter!

During my travels this year in London, I got to catch up with long time friend David Crook of "A Wargaming Odyssey" (https://awargamingodyssey.blogspot.com/) for a pint or 3 and a great chat. 

Then I caught up with the effervescent Ashley from "Paint it Pink" (https://panther6actual.blogspot.com/) and the fabulous Susan. Together we went to the Roman Life exhibition at the British Museum which was really excellent  https://tasmancave.blogspot.com/2024/03/legion-life-in-roman-army.html

Photo with the only surviving scutum shield!

Conventions wise, together Slowpainter John and I attended CANCON (with Reilly also), BrisCon, ShireCon and MOAB - probably a record for me. 

CANCON Shenanigans!

A a rare sighting of Matt aka Blue Willow in the Canberra wilderness!

And a surprise visit from my Melbourne mate Rob - it had been over 20 years since we'd seen eachother!

Along the way I did my usual Annual Reading Challenge through Goodreads, for my 12th consecutive year. Helped considerably by Audible while painting and driving it must be admitted (unabridged versions only of course!)

And then we finished the year with the minor matter of moving to Hawaii for our next adventure.  Before I left, we enjoyed a big Space 1889 game with clubmate Gavin https://pauljamesog.blogspot.com/2024/11/battle-for-trading-outpost-part-2.html

....and a fun, tropical themed game of Silver Bayonet with the gang: a wonderful sendoff! 

https://tasmancave.blogspot.com/2024/12/quest-for-golden-pineapple.html

The Quest for the Golden Pineapple! Blessed to have such good gaming mates

As a natural outcome of the big move, I've forgone participating in AHPC this year. I'm helping Curt out by being a Minion which will be fun, but I'm really missing the therapeutic brush time.

Mrs Man Cave and I are very excited about the opportunities to live in the US again and enjoy life on a tropical island too, but I've had to leave most of my hobby materials behind. Only a couple of boardgames, a few rules sets and some brushes came with me. I'm now looking around to see what the local wargaming scene might look like.

Roadtrippin' with Slowpainter John! Many bakeries were raided...

Hobby wise 2025 and the few years beyond, is rather tough to chart out or even guess at. I'm looking at a few low figure count skirmish games with RPG lite elements (including 5 Parsecs from Home, Devilry Afoot, Deth Wizards and Silver Bayonet) and SAGA: Age of Chivalry interests me, but it depends on what I can find being played locally (also just found an alt medieval history game called 1490Doom that looks fun and only uses 3 models per side!)  

Comrade James and I catching up in Perth mid-year for games!

It's likely that my hobby will be focused away from tabletop miniatures for awhile. I've brought a few boardgames with me and had had my eye on others for awhile. I definitely want to get to Historicon too. I'm also considering doing some design work for some new games and expansions, which I've enjoyed doing in the past - we'll see what comes of that.

May your 2025 bring good hobby and great times with your mates!

Mele Kalikimaka!

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas from Hawaii! 

Don't be on Thulsa Doom's naughty list!

I wish you all the best for the festive season, and hope Santa was good to you :-)

The Man Cave crosses Mare Pacificum

Yes, its time once again for one of those periodic major Man Cave relocations!

After much sorting and shifting (and the odd rehoming), the hobby boxes are packed and in the truck

And the Hobby room is not even a shadow of its former morale building self

And the destination? Across the dateline, in another hemisphere some 8,000kms away 

(or 5,000 miles - I'll have to get used to non-metric measurement again!

Home for the next few years!

Naturally, only a fraction of the hobby collection could come, and none of my paints. So I'm sadly forgoing participation in the Annual Hobbies Painting Competition this year, though will assist by being a Minion. Here is a sneak peak of projects I plan to progress though, as well as boardgames

 See you there!