2019 Reflections

This is the tenth time I've done this little bit of self indulgence looking back on my hobby year. 
I always enjoy it, even if its just for me.

2019 saw me back at sea for my day job and also away on some travel holidays too. Between the two I have had the opportunity to visit Hawaii, Japan, Norway, New Zealand, Greece and Italy.  It was wonderful to see so many places and my friends there, and I am very fortunate to have had the opportunities.  My hobby output was commensurately curtailed, but you cant have everything.  What I did though, I thoroughly enjoyed - and thats the most important bit!

My AHPC IX tally - a new PB!

AHPC IX saw me post a new PB, get 2 runners up in the bonus rounds, and amongst my entries I finished a bunch of projects including 15mm DAK, my Orci Invicti fantasy army and my Dark Ages Irish for SAGA.  I had a ball with the great AHPC community and was pleased to help out the SnowLord as the Duels Wallah.  AHPC X is now in full swing and I have again foolishly volunteered for Minion duties -good luck to all the participants!

Some other non AHPC highlights from this year's painting bench:

FIW/SYW Grenadiers

My Templar warband and Desert Hut (The Saracens are Alan's)

Camel Caravan - my opening salvo for AHPC X

Veggie patch - useful for anything

Cornfield

Appeal to the gods!

Home made battle mat

Every family has its black sheep...

What games were new this year? Mostly Mortal Gods and Kill Team which Reilly has really taken to so we have unearthed and rediscovered a bunch of 40k figs that were way in the back of the garage.  I also enjoyed discovering Crusade gaming with Outremer and can see more of that in the future also. Otherwise I have been buying up some more FIW figs to expand my British force.

Some of my fav gaming moments from the year:

French attack column advances in Sharpe's Practice

The Illiad - in almost 1:1 scale!

8 player Dragon Rampant: The Slaughter at Clapgate Common

Reilly and I rediscover an old Favourite: Blood Bowl!

Convention wise we got to both CanCon and MOAB which was fun and many bring and buy treasures were procured.  The Race for Africa participation game at MOAB  run by Frank and Sven was a huge hit and Comrade James, Reilly and I really had a great day at it.


On a related note, I also completed another Goodreads challenge to make it 7 in a row with 49 books completed this year (some 13,000 pages in total) - mostly Historical Fiction.

What does 2020 hold in store? Well, I'm looking forward to the release of Mortal Gods Mythic and the 2nd editions of both Muskets & Tomahawks and Frostgrave. But my big change will be working interstate during the week.  Challenging, but an opportunity to hang out with a new gaming group in Canberra, with old friends and new, and that will be fun too.  With new game systems to explore and invest in too, inevitably!

I hope your 2019 Hobby year was great and may 2020 bring you more smiles than ever.