In Strife and Conflict- Battle of Kadesh Project Launch!

 

Faithful readers, you recall that my big project for 2023 was to create the forces for a Battle of Kadesh scenario with my post-production rules; In Strife and Conflict.  Of course, it took me a while to get this project started as I needed to first decide on a project!  

Once decided, I quickly went to work and ordered a Hittite and an Egyptian force from Baccus 6mm and some 60mm x 60mm bases to put them on.  I have to admit, ordering from across the pond and getting through the Brexit blockades took a bit longer than I expected.  However, the models all made it through and looked great.  To give you an idea of the size of this order below is a picture of the Egyptian army all bagged up! 

Of course, the Hittite side is just as large!  This armies are going to look the part once they hit the table.  The Egyptian force was estimated to be about 16K infantry and 2K chariots!  The Hittites had even more chariots at the battle, with ranges from 2.5K to 10K chariots!  Then there was another 16-25K infantry too.  For an ancient battle, those are some large armies! 

Now, In Strife and Conflict is naturally a scale and model agnostic game.  It is unit-vs-unit, so the basing doesn't matter too much.  I really like the look of 60mm x 60mm bases in these Unit-vs-unit games as the units look great and are easy to move all on 1 base.  However, the rules themselves don't care.  A unit, is a unit, is a unit.  Therefore, I began to sort my Egyptians into their respective units and bases prior to painting. I wanted to get a feel for the size of the army once it was complete.

That, is a lot of units! Plus, each base could have between 30-56 minis on it.  That means we are looking at around 884 minis!  Thankfully, painting a 6mm mini is very different than a 28mm mini.  

This give the Egyptians the following force org:

1. 3 Light Chariots
2. 1 Elite Sherden Guard
3. 2 Spearmen units 
4. 4 Mixed spearmen/archer units
5. 2 Axemen units
6. 2 Mixed Axeman/Archer support
7. 4 Bow armed skirmish units
8. 6 Archers  

Greek Successor Armies in 6mm

As mentioned, painting 6mm troops is very different than 28mm troops.  The details are far less important.  If you put some flesh where there should not be flesh on 1 of the 884 miniatures no one will really notice.  However, you do need 6mm troops to really stick-out and look good as a block of troops.  Therefore, good, strong contrasting colors and good use of the primary colors is important.  Basing is also very important as more of the base will be seen than in 28mm models.  Really, painting 6mm models is like batch painting x100 as you are painting large groups of models essentially the same way.      

So, I sat down and got started!  I started with the Axemen/Bow mixed units.  Why?  No idea!  However, the process was very simple.  I actually glue all the strips to popsicle sticks with Elmer's White Glue so I can manage them easier.  Then, I undercoat with a watered down Pavement from my cheap acrylic paint sets.  

From there, is a simple, Tanned Flesh with the occasional Monster Brown on a random model for flesh tones.  Then, basic white on the clothing, skeleton bone on "leather" items, and bronze on axe heads.  Lastly, there was a Blue or Yellow emblem on shields and their banners.  Finally, I paint the base of their strips Territorial Brown.  I used a mix of cheap acrylics and Armypainter.  No Speedpaints on these guys.   

To me, the hardest part of 6mm models and armies is the basing.  I like to use the 60 x 60mm bases as it makes the army look like big units.  Basing is critical to get the right effect.  As you can see, 6mm are up on strips.  I need something to help absorb those bases and look more flush to the ground.  

I have found a good, locally sourced solution is using Spackle as my basing material.  It can be found at the local hardware store.  I also use a type that starts out pink, and then slowly changes color as it dries.  This makes it much easier to work with.  Spread it on the base, and stick the models in it.  

Once dry, I just paint it territorial brown, drybrush some Khaki brown, and maybe a few washes of green and brown to help it out. The hardest part is getting into the thin spaces that inevitably appear between the models.  You need a brush with a long, thin reach to pull it off.  

The first two units of the Egyptian army are done.  These represent a Levy unit with Bows in the rules.  Only 20 more units to go in the Egyptian army and probably an equal number or more in the Hittite army!  I haven't even tackled sorting them out yet.  However, not a bad start to my Battle of Kadesh project.  

Egyptian troops on the march to Kadesh!

 

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Battle Report- Men of Bronze: Battle of Pedasus

 

This is the continuing recreation of the Ionian Revolt.  The Ionian Revolt was a revolt against the Persian Empire by the Ionian Greeks and their allies prior to the Greco-Persian War.  It took place from 499 to 493 BCE.  It was a land and sea affair, so I am using a combination of Poseidon's Warriors and Men of Bronze to re-create the campaign.  Both are from the Osprey Wargaming Series.  In addition, Men of Bronze has a specific supplement for the conflict called The Ionian Revolt. 

Herodotus gives us details of three battles between the Persians and the Carians . The Persians won

the first two engagements, despite a strong challenge by the Carians . These twin defeats had the

Carians on the ropes and desperate. They resolved to fight the Persians one more time, but this time

launch an ambush on the road near Pedasus.

As the Persians approached near night, the Carians attacked. The ambush was a great success and

the Persian general Daurises and his commanders were killed. This forced the Persians to fall back

to regroup, and saved Caria from a siege.

For today's battle, we decided to skip over the 2 defeats of the Carians by the Persians.  We know very little about them but they seem to be relatively straight forward battles.  The first was the Persians forcing a river crossing.  The Carians were then reinforced by the Milisian army and fought again at a sacred grove.  The Persians won again.  

That was the lead up to the ambush at Pedasus.  A last roll of the dice by the Carians versus the Persian war machine.   

Forces:

Despite the various losses to the Carian army, we are going to assume they still had a relatively standard Greek army at this point.  That means, we will go with: 

Carian Army

Drilled Hoplite - General

2 Militia Hoplites

Peltasts

Psiloi

The Persians will be using a more standard campaign field army. 

Persian Field Army

Cavalry - General

2 Archers

2 Drilled Infantry

Set-up: 

This game has a unique set-up, but uses the normal 72MU by 48MU board.  However, this game will be played length-wise instead of long-edge to long-edge. You can find the details of the set-up in The Ionian Revolt supplement.  

The Persian column sees Carian Drilled Hoplites emerge from Pedasus

The Persians vanguard was the Drilled Infantry, followed by the cavalry, archers, and more drilled infantry as the rearguard.  The Carians are in a crescent to ensnare the head of the Persian column with peltasts and psiloi on the edges, then militia hoplites, being anchored by the drilled hoplites in Pedasus. 

Mission:

The game will use the rules for Men of Bronze based on the Ambush scenario.  This game will also have the Dusk Approaches complication.    

A bird's eye view of the deployment

For this battle, I will not be following every detail.  I have found this method really hampers and slows down the game play!  Instead, I will be covering the action in three main phases; the Maneuver phase, the Battle phase, and the End Game.  The Maneuver phase is where the armies are mostly closing the gap and set-up their attack plans and is typically turns 1-3.  The Battle Phase is typically where most of the fighting occurs and normally falls in turn 4-6, and the End Game is the final moves to determine the ultimate victor and often are turns 7-8.  

The Maneuver Phase: 

The Greeks begin to close the net on the Persian column.  Meanwhile, the Persians begin to shake out into a batteline.  The Greek light troops are leery of getting too close to the Persian archers, who can easily wreck the Greek light troops in a barrage of arrows.  The Persian cavalry goes out wide to threaten the peltasts on the Greek flank.  The Greek drilled infantry form phalanx and easily block the road. 

Battle Phase

The Battle begins with the Peltasts trying to move up and throw javelins at the Persian Archers, but they fall just short.  No pre-measuring can do that!  The Persians then interrupt with an Arete Point, and return fire.  The Peltasts are hit hard.  This barrage is followed up by a Cavalry charge that sends the Peltasts packing in short order.  First blood to the Persians!

The Persians re-shuffle their lines and let the Greeks take-over again.  The Drilled Hoplites on the road charge into the Persian Drilled Infantry opposite them, who counter-charge.  A bloody melee breaks out, but neither side has the upper hand.  

On the opposite flank, the Persian archers try to eliminate the Psiloi, but fail.  Their nearby Drilled Infantry then charge the Militia Hoplites, who counter-charge them back.  The injured Psiloi jump in to support their fellow Carians. The Militia Hoplites win and push the Persians back into their Archers.  

On the road, the Persians face stiff resistance from the drilled Greeks and are quickly pushed back.  The Persian back is broken when the other Militia Hoplite unit joins the fray! However, as the Greeks turn to butchery on the road, the Persian General slams into the rear of the melee with his Cavalry, reducing the Greeks to near breaking!  

On the Persian right, more catastrophe as the Militia Hoplites and Psiloi break the Drilled Infantry and Archers there.  This leads to the last Archer unit to also turn tail and flee.  They failed a collapse test.  The Persian army is in tough shape.

End Phase:

The entire Persian army has collapsed with the exception of the General and his Cavalry bodyguard.  The Greeks are injured but in no real danger of losing at this point.  They use heir Arete Point advantage to make sure they go first.  

The Greeks on the left reposition themselves to finish off any Persian survivors from the center melee.  They then decide to see what happens there.  The rear attack by the Persians cause the Greek General and his Drilled Hoplites and Militia allies to flee. However, they take heavy casualties in return and are also routed.  

Seeing their comrades flee, the other militia Hoplite units collapses! This leaves only the Psiloi left!  The Greeks barely hold the field of battle! 

Conclusion:

The first win for the Greeks during the Ionian Revolt and another historical outcome. I thought this was going to be a much more decisive loss than it turned out to be.  It actually went down to the last dice roll again.  If the Psiloi collapsed we would have had a draw. 

I think my plan to turn the flank and get my cavalry behind the Greeks worked well.  However, their line engaged my about a turn to early.  Then, the Greek Hoplites decisively beat their Persian opponents across the entire front.  Only my rear cavalry charge kept me in this game. 

The next battle will be a sea battle using Poseidon's Warriors.   See you next time in the Ionian Revolt.  

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Wargame Design: N/G/S- Narrative, Gamist, Simulationist

 

A frequent, and hot topic in game design is something called N/G/S.  This roughly breaks down into what aspects a game wishes to "lean" into.  These are Narrative, Gamist, Simulation.  This discussion comes up with Wargames, Board Games, Card Games, and Role-playing Games.  Today, I wanted to spend a bit of time talking about these different aspects and how they may relate to your game design.  

• Narrative

Such games are primarily designed to "tell a story" and have a strong sense of plot, character arcs, and setting.  They lean heavily into these aspects in the game play.  A common trope, but not a universal one; is the ability to incorporate RPG-Lite elements to the rules. 

• Gamist

These lean heavily into the "game" side of things.  The goal is to win the game, and the mechanics and manipulation of the mechanics is the process used to win.  The game leans heavily into creating a space where knowledge and use of the games rules and applying them is imperative. 

• Simulationist

These games are trying to re-create something, often the "real world" in their game experience.  For example, what it is like to be a submarine commander during the Cold War.  The mechanics and order of operations is designed to recreate what the game is trying to simulate, which in itself could be fantastical. 

     

With these, three categories in mind, let's dive into these dangerous waters! 

The Designer's Triangle

I am sure we have all heard the old analogy that you can have something Cheap, Fast, or Good; pick two.  The same applies to Simulationist, Gamist, and Narrativist. 

When you set-out to design, these three types of games are at different points of the triangle.  As you move closer to one of these points in your design, you naturally move away from the other points of the triangle.  So, as your game incorporates more simulationist aspects to it, that moves the game further away from being gamist or narrative in focus.  If you add gamist elements, it moves the game away from narrativist and simulationist.   

You don't need to pick two of the three, so that makes it easier!  However, the more you lean into one, the more it moves away from the others.  Therefore, no game will be able to balance between all three points of the triangle.  At best it will be able to emphasize two of the three. 

Where Do You Want to Be? 

This is the crux of the dilemma as a designer.  Where do you want your game to fit on the Designer's Triangle?  You need to be sure you understand what you want your game to be when you put together your design goals.  These design goals will help you decide where you want to lean in towards one of the points on the Triangle, and help you decide if you are going to try lean in across the board, or try to off-set in certain areas and defer towards a different point.  

Castles in the Sky and the Designer's Triangle

In the five year development window for Castles in the Sky I had to use the Designer's Triangle many times to help me solve various challenges in the design.  I had my design goals written out.  

Castles in the Sky had the following design goals: 

1. Scale and Model agnostic
2. 3D battlespace
3. Meaningful choices to be made
4. Ships that can take a pounding, until they can't
5. Battleship > Cruiser > Escort > Battleship
6. Maneuver matters
7. Some relationship to naval warfare of the period..... but flying

You can see that these goals were a mix of all three points of the Designer's Triangle.  

Gamist: 

- Maneuver Matters

- Meaningful Choices

- Scale and Model Agnostic

Narrative: 

- Ships that can take a pounding, until they can't

- Battleship > Cruiser > Escort > Battleship

Simulationist: 

- Some relationship to naval Warfare

- 3D Battlespace

You can see that these goals were all over the Designer's Triangle.  Some were closer aligned to other points more than others.  In theory, the game is relatively balanced between the three points, but individual choices are not.  

For example, I decided early that I wanted Maneuver to Matter and be a big part of the game.  This is contrary to Some Relationship to Naval Warfare.  If you really study WWI era naval combat, the idea was to create two battle lines that than steamed along at range and pounded on each other until one side folded.  Jutland is the classic example of these tactics in action.

I have seen and played my share of Naval games.  I have even played WWI games using these tactics.  To be honest, I found such tactics to be effective in the games, historically accurate, and just an exercise in dice rolling.  That was not the experience I wanted.  

Therefore, I had to make a choice.  Mirroring Naval Warfare of the period (only in the sky) was one of my Simulationist goals.  However, I decided that choices and maneuver were more important even though they are Gamist options.  Therefore, I focused on the Gamist side of the triangle when I decided that instead of long lines of ships shooting at each other, I wanted to incentivize getting closer using the Power Rating and Firepower mechanic.  I made a decision that moved the game closer to the Gamist side of the Designer's Triangle.  

Final Thoughts: 

Many gamer's like to talk about if a game is a simulation, a narrative, or a game that focuses on the game itself.  However, the truth is that no game is all of one type and none of the others.  They are a combination.  They have elements of all three games hidden inside of them.  

The key decision a game designer needs to make is how and when to lean into the appropriate corner of the Designer's Triangle to create the experience they are looking for.  Often times, their own goals can be contradictory, so deciding which goal and design choice to lean into will make a difference in the outcome of the game.  Be sure to guide the game to the outcome you want, and make the choice for yourself.  Do not let it happen be accident.   

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On The Painting Desk: Back to the 80's!

Well, this year has been a bit of a disappointment on the painting front.  Not much progress, but there has not been much purchasing progress either.  This lack of progress has been driven by me completing my "Pile of Shame" a few years ago, and not deciding what project I want to finish for this year.  This process has been made a bit more complicated as my local gaming group has been on a bender playing Games Workshops' Kill Team.  

I stopped playing Warhammer 40K at the tail end of 6th edition or so.  I think 5th was my personal Peak edition, and I mostly kept up with GW via Specialist Games.  In the Kirby years, when they decided to focus only on their core games I completely lost interest in them.  They lured me back in for a few teams and the core game with Blood Bowl when they decided to turn back to creating games at Games Workshop.  However, they had not managed to lure me in with other games or take more of my money.  I was still, semi-interested in their lore and being able to create land, sea, and air campaigns within that lore but was content with my own head canon and using the rules I wanted to play in that world. 

Last year, I spent a decent amount of time trying to put together a local game group.  I was actually fairly successful, with Castles in the Sky being the go to game.  However, that plateaued and the group wanted to attract new members.  From there, Kill Team was determined to be the way forward and for the most part it has worked to grow the group and stabilize attendance.  To support that effort, I purchased a Corsair Kill Team and have learned the basic rules and have been playing and doing part to draw in more players ever since. 

However, I am personally not keen on chasing the GW dragon so am pretty happy to use my old GW models in new ways.  I have used Orks, Eldar Craftworld, Imperial Guard, and Space Marine Kill Teams with my old models.  Kill Team is probably my most played game in 2023 so far.  However, I wanted to try something a bit different and new.  Plus, I really wanted something to paint! 

Then, one day when I was organizing my game room I came across an ancient discovery.  All the way back from 1988, I found the old Eldar Harlequins.  I had probably picked up and painted this set in late 1989, and it showed!  Here are some samples of the original paint jobs.  

That back  banner though....

I figured in 2023 I could maybe do a bit better.  Therefore, I set about getting them ready for a new coat of paint.  I waited for the first nice day of spring, and got to work with some Grey Seer primer. 

You can see the old Solitaire, Shadow Seer, Warlock, and Death Jester in that batch.  I had no idea what was actually in a Kill Team, but I figured ten dudes would be enough.  I later found out 8 was enough and that their rules are.... complex.... to say the least.  

Then, I applied a watered down wash of a darker Grey paint using cheap Big Box store acrylics.  Once that dried, I then gave them a white drybrush and they were ready for painting!

Since I only needed 8, I decided to ditch the two that were dual wielding pistols.  They would serve the cause as test models for various looks and paints. Thanks to their efforts, we were able to get to the end stage with these guys.  

I went to work base coating using a wide variety of primary colors to get them started.  I had no real scheme in mind, beyond that their lowest layers would be red.  This would help tie them in with my Corsair and existing Craftworld models. After all, they were all Space Elves! 

Not a bad way to get started but I was unsure how I wanted to proceed.  I finally figured out some weapon colors and kept going.  I decided to give all of them the light purple waist tabards and turquoise armor to help unify them, as each one was somewhat unique.  

I finished the base coats and was happy with the overall look and feel of the models.  They all looked unique.  I decided the guy with the Webber from back in the old Compilation days would now be wielding the Fusion Pistol.  The old Shadow Seer had a las-pistol and power gloves, so he was no longer WYSIWYG but I fething love that faceless model so there was no way he was going to leave this Kill Team. 

Next, I decided to use a wash to fill in any gaps.  I hemmed and hawed about whether to use a dark wash, strong tone, light , or soft.  After several tests on the test models I decided on the Strong Tone.  It was still a brown base wash, and I hoped enough to show the detail and not darken the colors too much.  The test model seemed promising, so I washed them and waited to see how they turned out the next day.

I think the Strong Tone ended up being a big mistake as it washed out and darkened a lot of the colors.  At arm's reach, they just looked dark.  That was NOT the look I wanted with these guys.  I wanted them much brighter.  My first major mist-step with these guys.  Oh well.  Hopefully nothing some drybrushing and highlights can't solve!  I especially wanted their brightly colored hair to really POP on the battlefield.  These guys were not popping.... yet.  

I went back and tried to lighten them up.  I was not 100% satisfied that I had been successful but I also was not willing to go back and strip and repaint them either.  I also did a bit of spot painting with regular Armypainter paints for a few details.  I went on to paint the bases with Sand Golem speed paint and hit the edges with black paint.  I have found that this simple step really helps make the models stand-out on the table and look finished.  

COBRA!  

After the bases dried, it was still a nice spring day.  I took them back outside and completed the circle of painting.  I gave them a coat of matte finish on the same cinder block their journey had begun on in the priming stage.  

I am pretty happy with how these turned out.  Now, to try to figure out the byzantine rules for Harlequins in Kill Team.  I have no idea what I will be doing on that front, but I am pretty happy to have 3 different Eldar factions now for the game.  The mysterious Faceless One and his Troupe are ready to rumble.  

Maybe now I can figure out what I actually want to paint for 2023 now? 

 

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Random: Mid-Year through 2023

 

Well, would you look at the calendar!  Half-way through 2023 all ready!  What do I have to show for it?  We'll see. 

You may recall my incredibly motivating and thorough Goals and Objectives for 2023.  These were to set the guidelines for what I was going to get done and focus on.  As always, they are not hard and fast rules, but more to keep me on the straight and narrow and not get distracted and spend my precious time and budget on side projects and things that I would not get finished.  However, I am a wargamer so side projects pop up and things take my fancy all the time.  

As usual, I will divide this recap into five key areas: 

• Purchases
• Painting and Modelling
• Gaming
• Rules Writing  
• Miscellaneous Stuff

Purchases

Of course, I can not start off this section without giving YOU my loyal customers a big shout out.  Every time you purchase one of my games from Osprey, Wargames Vault, follow me on Patreon or support me in other ways you help make this all possible.  It is your support that allows me to buy the minis, paints, artwork, web domains, and other supplies needed to keep Blood and Spectacles Publishing operational.  Therefore, I try to keep all the money earned in these endeavors going back into the business of Wargaming. Thank you!  

So, going into this year, I had not even settled on a "Big Project" for 2023.  I had a number of open projects that I could have chosen to complete, but I narrowed it down to two for 2023 and the purchases I would need to support it. This was a tough decision.  Ultimately, I decided that my "big project" for 2023 was going to be..... drumroll please......

Yup, I decided I was going to update and complete my Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age set of rules focusing around Chariot Warfare featuring the Assyrians and their Foes.  Thankfully, Assyrian power rose and fell a few times over the course of the Bronze Age and eventually hit its zenith in the early Iron Age with the Neo-Assyrian Empire.  That means I was able to cover a wide swathe of history, fighting styles, and foes.  

This game will be using the Men of Bronze system as its base, but also incorporates some updates earned from feedback, FAQs, and errata from previous Men of Bronze related systems.  This one has been marinating around for the past 4-5 years or so and I think of 2023's version as version 3.0.  

One of the key Historical Scenarios in this book is the Battle of Kadesh, which is probably one of the most famous battles in history.  It features the forces of the Egyptians vs. the Hittites.  Not an Assyrian in sight!  However, it is an iconic battle from the period and needs to be addressed.  I also decided to make this the focus of my big 2023 project!  

I purchased the forces for both sides of the Battle of Kadesh from Baccus miniatures in 6mm.  I plan on using 60mm by 60mm bases for the units, to match my Heirs of Empire armies.  However, the rules for In Strife and Conflict are scale and model agnostic (as always), but I like the look of the units in this scale as well as the price. My goal is to paint the armies up, host a Launch Party/Game Event centered around the Battle of Kadesh, and use the images from this project and battle to complete the Post-Production on In Strife and Conflict.       

This was a tough decision, as the new Victrix Late Roman forces almost had me prioritize my Barbarians at the Gate Late Roman game instead.  However, I had spent much of 2022 painting up Victrix Persians.  I was looking for something a bit different for this year. 

Painting and Modelling

This segment has been hampered for 2023 by two main concerns: 

1. I painted my Pile of Shame in 2022, I had nothing left. 
2. I had not decided on my big 2023 project yet
3. My 3D printer needed some stuff, so that slowed down progress there

With that being said, I think I have had a respectable result in this department!  First, I finished off my generic adversary minis that I had from the Hellboy Board Game that my friend had given me.  

I also painted some Samurai that I found while re-arranging my miniatures.  I had forgot that I even had these old Foundry sculpts.  However, they have come in handy for a Legend of the 5 Rings campaign I am running for my RPG group.  They are my first historical models painted with Speed Paints. 

Next, I was able to print up some 6mm models for an Imperial force as part of Operation: Hemlock.  I even managed to get them painted up.

Finally, I 3D printed some Objective markers for various games and painted them up.  This included 6 cows that I can use for Fury of the Northman markers, especially the Cattle Raid scenario.     

I also made some generic "Huts" that I could use to give the impression of a village for various games at 28mm too. 

So, despite some "limitations" going into the start of 2023, I managed to get a lot painted and modelled in the first half of 2023. 

Some 3D printed Nemo Subs for various purposes

Gaming

Here is where I have been surprisingly productive.  Last year I spent a good deal of time playing Castles in the Sky and after its launch. I needed a bit of a break from it.  Instead, my local gaming group transitioned into playing a lot of Kill Team!  Thankfully, I had plenty of old 40K models so I could easily play along as well.  That has been the game I have played the most this year, using a variety of teams.  

In addition to that, My Skumgrod (Ork for favored opponent) and I have managed to play a few games for Operation: Hemlock and get started on playing the Ionian Revolt campaign for Men of Bronze.

On Land and Sea.....

.... and some Operation: Hemlock games in the air! 

Rules Writing

Well, I all ready shared what I was working on for the Big Project in 2023.  However, I have released two other works in 2023 all ready.  The first was.....

Homer's Heroes: Bronze Age Bad Boys is a model-vs-model skirmish game, and my attempt to solve the problem of Melee Yahtzee with a Homeric veneer.  It has a campaign play mode and solo/co-op options.  You can find this one on the Blood and Spectacles Wargame Vault page.   

The second publication is something a bit different and it can be found on the Blood and Spectacles page on Drive Thru RPG: 

This one is a rule-lite horror Role-playing game.  It includes the rules, character sheets, a quick reference guide, and a starting Tale of Terror to get you playing.  It is a bit of departure for me as I start to explore the world of RPG design as well as Wargame Design.  

A productive year all ready, so I hope I can get something else out into the wild before 2024.  My goal is to eventually get to 50 publications and right now I am at 24!  About half way there! I have a few RPG and Wargame projects close to completion.  

Miscellaneous Stuff

This is assorted stuff I wanted to do, but that did not fit into these nice categories.  

• Update Trackers on the blog for painting and playing?  Check
• Get a game group going and expanding?  Check
• Quarterly Wargaming events?  Ahhhh....... at least the group has been getting together bi-weekly.
• Weekly RPG Campaign?  Mostly check! 
• Charity Game?  Ahhhh....... 
• Game Design content monthly on the blog?  Check
• Patreon updates on a regular basis?  Check

A good start here, but I just need to keep the momentum up! 

Final Thoughts

Well, for a rather slow and unfocused start to the year things are starting to come together.  I have my "Big Project" determined for 2023 and the minis ordered and rules I need for it all finished up. I have also been gaming regularly, posting regularly to my various platforms, got my Orange30 3D printer humming, and I am seeing more Blood and Spectacles related content on the wider web.  Overall, that makes me smile. 

Hopefully, I can end the year even stronger than I have started the year!  Let me know if you have any comments, thoughts, ideas, or feelings in the comments, the message board, or on the various Blood and Spectacles related platforms. 

 

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