Noshers Wargaming Review 2014

[Nosher]

Purely a personal perspective as last year but here are my highlights and lowlights from 2014

Rules of the Year
Still Chain of Command for me. Nothing new this year has really got me excited and the free stuff from TFL just keeps coming

Wargames Range of the Year
It's been a very frugal year this year and my spend has been pitiful, however the Pendraken 1809 Austrians are delightful

Mini of the Year
Again I haven't added much to my lead pile this year and I haven't invested anything in any new ranges which has helped me to focus very limited time and enthusiasm on a few projects.

My favourite Mini has been another Warlord Games Tank, the Churchill

Army of the Year
No brainer as its one of two armies I have been able to find time for this year Pendraken 1809 Austrians

Retailer of the Year (other than Pendraken/Minibits which goes without saying!
Northstar - still quick, still cheap and cant think of a single example of them not having stuff in stock thats on their website

Let down of the year
By Fire and Sword - £40 down the drain

Most looked forward to of next year
Blucher by Sam Mustafa

NEW CATEGORY!!!! Disappointment of the Year
It's now TEN YEARS since I made it to a wargaming show anywhere.....

[paulr]

A great idea Nosher, my take...

Rules of the Year
If the Lord Spares Us, also from Too Fat Lardies. A great little set of rules, that has made marking the centennial of World War I, not only possible, but fun.

Wargames Range of the Year
Has to be Pendraken AWI with the new WWI a very close second

Mini of the Year
This is a tough one. If I have to pick one... ME16 Male tank 6pdr's simply for presence [note the apostrophe is from the website]

Army of the Year
Another difficult one... Peter's WWI British

Retailer of the Year (other than Pendraken/Minibits which goes without saying!)
There are others? The only other retailer I have used this year, apart from local stationery/gift shop and art supply shop, is Spirit Games in Burton on Trent. Have had great service from them over the years

Let down of the year
I've been fortunate, none so far

Most looked forward to of next year
Finishing my AWI and 1917 projects, Tumbling Dice 1/4,800 "Napoleonic" Naval

NEW CATEGORY!!!! Disappointment of the Year
I've been fortunate, none so far

[Steve J]

Interesting read so far. I've been keeping a list of purchases, games played this year etc ofr an end of year review. Still plenty of time for things to change, so will have to wait until Janaury for an honest overview of the year.

[Nosher]

Paul, is ITLSU a stand alone or do you need TTM&B??

[paulr]

Paul, is ITLSU a stand alone or do you need TTM&B??

Stand alone, it was released in 2005, which I think was before TTM&B.

It is at a higher level than TTM&B with each stand representing "platoons" and units firing by companies. A typical game has a brigade / regiment on each side. It is written for the Middle East but also plays very well for the mobile period on the western front in 1914. And others have used it successfully for East Africa.

A report on one of our games is here http://www.pendrakenforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,10436.0.html. There are a few others in that topic as well.

[fsn]

Rules of the Year
Refuse to buy 'em.

Wargames Range of the Year
I love the new Pendraken ACW stuff

Mini of the Year
Pendraken Centurion (again)

Retailer of the Year (other than Pendraken/Minibits which goes without saying!)
I do not blaspheme

Let down of the year
Tamiya paints

Most looked forward to of next year
The Waterloo bi-centenary (Corny I know, but there you go.)

Disappointment of the Year
My painting

[Shecky]

My responses are based on what I played, bought or painted this year and not necessarily what was new to market this year.

Rules of the Year
Altar of Freedom. ACW Army level rules that let you fight the big battles in a reasonable amount of time on a manageable size table. Working on using the mechanics for SYW and/or FPW.

Wargames Range of the Year
Pendraken ACW followed closely by Pendraken SYW

Mini of the Year
Got to be the Pendraken SYW infantry officers - the portly ones.

Army of the Year
Got to be WWI early war Germans I completed

Retailer of the Year (other than Pendraken/Minibits which goes without saying!)
TFL.  

Let down of the year
By Fire and Sword, as well. I so much want to like the rules and minis and even got in on the Deluge kickstarter. The figures are a disappointment as they are extremely brittle and I've had a problem with some miscasts. Pretty rule book but the rules should have been condensed.

Most looked forward to of next year
Blücher. It might be the one rules which get me into Napoleonics. But then I say that about every Napoleonic rules I buy.

Disappointment of the Year
Not playing enough.