Happy New Year 2015

Having spent the end of 2014 feeling really quite dreadful, I have arisen this morn new born, or at least not feeling quite as sick any more.

So time for the annual introspection, review and outlook.

2014 was I think a better year than the one before. I think I got a bit more painted than in 2013 and I'm pretty sure I got in at least one game a month! The Medievals got some play and the Colonials got plenty of action with TWO Gen. P.G. Wooster stories. Although once again I don't think the SYW armies got any action.... sigh.

The big shockers for me were breaking the No New Periods! No New Scales! rule in spades and delving into both Samurai and Modern Afghanistan (only a few scant months after I had written the period off too). I don't keep tidy sums of figures bought vs. figures painted like the Mad Padre does, but I'm worried that my lead pile didn't go down very much, if at all.

Looking ahead I hope that 2015 will shape up in these ways:

• Samurai- finish what I've got, plus build them an in house opposition (I'm thinking bandits/Ikko-Ikki), considering we haven't played a 100 pt skirmish yet, building up to army levels can wait until next year? or not, depends on finances and how I feel painting wise. Army level games might be easier, since they can accommodate multiple players.
• Modern Afghanistan- really hoping Elheim rounds out the Modern Canadians so I can field a complete platoon and building some terrain for them to fight in. This will be less money but more labour than the Samurai me thinks.
• WW2- get my Churchills painted. Get my FJ platoon for CoC painted. Play some more CoC. Get those dug in troops and my platoon of Rams painted up too. More 4Ground terrain is always good too! But really, unless I branch into a whole new theater I've got NW Europe and Italy pretty well covered. So unless PSC brings out something shiny that grabs me I shouldn't be adding anymore to that collection.
• Colonials- I've got loads, but actually getting my Imperial casualty figures painted might be fun, so I can dispense with the casualty caps. Perhaps branch into the Boer War (I've had 30 more Commandos and artillery primed for years, so enough for SP skirmishes). Just more games would be good. Maybe we can find out how the General won his VC.
• SYW, Medieval, Ancients- as the mood strikes I guess.

So two big projects to continue on with and then some minor bits for other armies/periods when I need a break.

The store is ticking along nicely. I doubt it will ever be enough to quit my day job, but sales were still pretty respectable with fewer promotions this past year. In 2013 I ran very aggressive promotion schemes and doubled my sales, but ended up in roughly the same financial position so it wasn't really worth it except to increase visibility.

So as long as my real life job holds steady, and things are looking good there (it's always a good sign when they are buying new machines), I have high hopes for this year on the gaming front. I just need my energy and enthusiasm to hold out.