Happy New Year - Let's Hope This One is Better!

Happy New Year everyone! With 2020 now finally receding into the rear-view mirror I can truly say I'm looking forward to the new year. To say that 2020 did not go to plan and did not live up to my hopes and expectations is an understatement of epic proportions. This has truly been a trying year for everyone. The pandemic has impacted us in ways both large and small. Very little good has come out of it with pain, difficulty, tragedy, and heartbreak being far more common. Above and beyond the pandemic, the United States especially is also suffering from an intense partisan divide which shows no signs of abating any time soon. My greatest hope is that we're able to begin to regain a sense of normalcy as the vaccines roll out and people can begin to resume their normal lives, but we have a long way to go.

Normally at this time of year I go through a "year in review" and thoughts about what I'd like to accomplish over the next 12 months. Looking back at last year's goals, I truly overachieved on my Genestealer Cult units. I got all of the terrain and what I thought was a fairly epic Armies on Parade board together with full LED lighting (pity GW didn't seem to agree). I did not, however get the "opposting force" Imperials together for the Armies on Parade board - not that I really had room for them though. I also made literally zero progress on anything Flames of War or Team Yankee. Unfortunately the store I used to play those systems at, Guardian Games, is under new management and has divested itself of both of those product lines. The local gaming scene has also moved away from it a lot as well, so that's dampened my enthusiasm a bit.

If you remember back in July I mentioned I was picking up the new Indomitus boxed set for 9th edition. I figured eventually I could make most of the Space Marines work with either my Space Wolves or even Death Watch. However, the big thing I wanted out of this set was the Necrons. I really like the new paint schemes and miniatures. They look so much better than the old gimicky green plastic rod and monolith with a green ring pop on the top. So one of my goals for the year is to start building that army. Never fear, the Cult isn't going away and I still have a lot of Cult miniatures to finish up. They'll just be alternating with Necron and maybe even a few other units as well.

So without further ado:

• Warhammer 40K
• Necrons - Start with Indomitus and work out from there!
• Genestealer Cult
• More Leman Russ
• Some vintage vehicles now in the "legends" category
• Medusa/Basilisk 
• Finish up my heavy mortar battery
• Kelermorph
• Clamavus
• More hybrids
• More Atalan Jackals
• ... more I've forgotten
• Maybe some Orks... I have "an idea"
• Flames of War / Team Yankee
• With the announcement of the update to the rest of the Warsaw Pact nations for 2nd Edition Team Yankee, it's likely time to finish up my East Germans.
• Past that, I can't say - maybe I'll finish up my 761st Tank Battalion force
• Other systems
• This is a big "TBD" at this point - I do have a Roman-era skirmish game I'd like to paint up for my son and I to play
• I'm also thinking about getting some of the Lord of the Rings figures painted up.

So there you have my way too ambitious goals for 2021. I'm sure I'll make good progress on at least the necrons and additional genestealer cult. Somewhere in there I'm working on a new gaming table as well, which will take some time, but will give me a wonderful 4'x6' surface for all of my miniatures wargames.

Here's wishing you a safe, prosperous, productive, joyful, and hopefully more normal 2021!