2013 Reflections

One or two Weissbier may have been enjoyed before this pic

Spending nine months away from home including six months deployed overseas, 2013 was always going to be a little light on for Hobby achievements.  Nonetheless, there are many silver linings for the year to reflect on.

The most memorable and important ones are of course about people.  In addition to my usual and most enjoyable associations with fellow Man Caver Comrade James, Alan (aka Dux Hormunculorum) and I got together several times throughout the year in Sydney for gaming, the odd ale and a good feed.  I've really enjoyed your company this year mate and thanks for helping keep me sane during a domestically tough year.

With Alan we also met up a few times with Ian of War and Peace games (http://www.warandpeacegames.com.au/).  He ran a Bolt Action demo for us (in which I enjoyed my first ever Victory over the Dux!), and later on we visited his Aladdin's cave of a shed to play some Battlegroup Kursk (where Ian and I as crafty Jerries managed to double my win count against the Dux!).  Ian is a wonderful and very interesting guy  who incidentally shares my passion for Space Hulk!

Well dressed Man Cavers off to the Australian Blood Bowl Championships

Right Stuff and I both attended CanCon in January, where we played in the national tourney before he continued to play his Norse team Odinn's Champions in the local Blood Bowl League.

Otherwise my biggest gaming event is the 4th Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge which I am finding to be wonderful in getting my first painting done since January, and in which Alan, James and I are enjoying a bit of friendly rivalry.

Major hobby purchases this year were In Her Majesty's Name, Bolt Action and Battlegroup Kursk rules, and figs for these as well which I am attempting to complete as part of the painting challenge.  There were only some modest Kickstarter projects (the new Space 1889 and Achtung Cthulhu!, all in pdf) so perhaps going away for the year was good for my wallet.  SWMBO certainly thought so and gave me a generous stipend to splurge on gaming goodness to finish off the year- awesome!

The other thing of note this year has been my regular "Gamer Dad" column in the magazine The Campaigner (http://thecampaignermagazine.com/).  That has been a bit of fun and something I could do Hobbywise while away.  More of those to come in the future.

Predictions for 2014?  My long time gaming buddies Ken and Peter (with whom we did lots of Dark Ages campaigning a few years back when I lived in Melbourne) are coming up for CanCon in late Jan and I am hoping to twist the Dux's arm into making the drive too, so that will be an awesome time.  In February the next Blood Bowl league season will begin and Right Stuff and I will both be starting new teams in the Rookie Division - a bit exciting as its the first time I will have played my own team.

Project wise I am only going to put 28mm WW2 (Bolt Action or perhaps Chain of Command, which I'd like to try) and slowly building my Battlegroup armies in 15mm on the agenda.  I have to leave some space for whatever new shiny/hotness appears after all!

Sincere thanks to everyone for their support and well wishes throughout the year, which saw this humble blog get to 470 followers!  I'll have to do something special when we get to 500, hopefully in the coming year.

The Man Cave Gamers wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2014 to you all!