Expenses:
Goal:I will keep the allowance to $2000, and hope to come in well below that. If Historicon does not take place, I should end the year well under budget.
Result: Over budget by almost 50%; since I didn't share a room, that added to the Historicon bite for 2021. Guess what? It was well worth it! .
Painting:
Goal: I doubt I will be able to match 2020's production of over 3,700 points, but I'd like to paint at least 2000 points worth.
Result: A handful over the totals for 2020! Biggest driver was probably spending all but a few days worth of my vacation time at home due to COVID effects.
Goal 1) Add to my French and Austrian Napoleonic armies (already my largest, mind you). I have lead on hand for a LOT of Austrians and quite a few French as well. No purchases needed here!
Result: A great many Austrians painted, and quite a few French as well!
Goal 2) Some additional ECW reinforcements (Cavalry and Artillery - Old Glory, already ordered)
Result: Painted all of the Cavalry, none of the Artillery... then ordered a slew of Scots!
Goal 3) Paint newly acquired/to be acquired Chariot era additions - Peleset, Libyans, a few Egyptians, etc.
Result: All painted!
Goal 4) Add to my Mauryan Indian Army for To the Strongest! Lead already ordered. I still have some remaining lead for the Macedonian/Thracian forces.
Result: Barely squeaked a few Indians under the wire in 2021.
Goal 5) Paint the Murawski Polish Horse Artillery and Krakus. It looks like Murawski is now planning to do the Baden Hussars, which will be a Must Buy, even if they don't get painted this year!
No progress, and no Murawski Baden Hussars in production yet either... but did I tell you about those Piano Games Wurttemburgers?
Goal 6) Maybe start on my Darkest Africa project- I have a fair amount of lead on hand for that now.
Well, I painted those 2 African Huts for my Historicon game, which is a bit of a start!
Games:
Goal: Try to exceed 20 games run/assisted with/played in this year.
Result: 26 games, pretty much one every 2 weeks. Until I retire, I think that's about the practical limits of time and marital harmony!
Goal: Historicon is the big question mark. It looks at least an even chance that it WILL happen this July, although it is likely to be restricted (see the plans for Cold Wars) . That makes it very difficult to plan any games. There is certainly no way I could see doing a Campaign in a Day event there in 2021, but 2022 is a distinct possibility.
Result: Well, of course Historicon was indeed cancelled in July, but morphed into November in Valley Forge, and I ran 5 games and played in one there.
Goal: For the same reason, I don't think 2021 will be the year to run a Siege game using Vauban's Wars at Historicon... but we'll see. 2022 would be much more likely.
Result: Spot on. I don't see 2022 as being the year either, maybe 2023?
Goal: One or two games with Field of Battle 3rd edition are likely to be on the roster (? Albuera 1811), as well as one or more games with To the Strongest/For King and Parliament. One possibility would be doing the Battle of Qadesh.
A game with the 15mm Renaissance Galleys (Galleys and Galleons rules) on Sunday AM is a definite possibility.
Result: Did Fuentes with FoB3, Kadesh and 2 more TTS! games, no FK&P at Hostoricon this year, and did the Galley game Sunday AM.
Goal: If Covid looks better by early Summer, it might be possible to consider doing a Campaign in a Day event in Connecticut in late September/early October.
Bingo! The Many Roads to Mantua Campaign in a Daywas a deliberately trimmed down affair, but a great success.
Blogging:
Goal: Maintain about the same number of Blog posts - circa 100 per year.
Result: 116 posts; highest ever!
What is more, it is now 11 year since I started Blunders on the Danube in January of 2011, and the last post of 2021 was exactly post #1,000! hence the image accompanying this first post of 2022!
Rules:
Goal: I still have a lot of sets that I want to try out!
There at least 4 different Napoleonic rules sets in the sights - Blogger sets Eagles Cheaper than Brain Cells and 123! Napoleonics, plus General d' Armee and a Napoleonic variant(s) for Bloody Big Battles (Jared has been using this last with his students).
Several Napoleonic Age of Sail rule sets to try as well - Grand Fleet Actions in the Age of Sail and Form Line of Battle.
Also for my large collection of Superior Starfleet Wars/Galactic Knights ships, play at least one game with those rules, as well as Starmada and Ascension of the Galaxy (from a Kickstarter).
The Magic Wash still worked to advantage on these fellows.
