Project Plans 2016

Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future - Niels Bohr

Looking back...
Quite a lot of figures crossed the painting desk in 2015.  From 2015 Painting Analysis, 1,145 figures crossed over from The Lead Pile to the Painted Ledger.  The distribution of figure counts even exhibits an improvement in focus over 2014 which surprises me.  Comparing the charts from 2014 to 2015, I managed to reduce the number of distinct periods worked on from 12 to 8.  That shows a bit more focus, yes? 

Revisiting and summarizing my goals for 2015, I laid out the following top project guidelines for tackling The Lead Pile back in January 2015: 

1. Second Italian War of Independence in 15mm
2. 1799 Napoleonics in Italy and Switzerland in 18mm
3. Peninsular War Napoleonics in 28mm
4. Great Italian Wars in 28mm
5. Minden SYW Prussians in 1/56 

How did I do with these Top 5 goals for 2015?

• 15mm 1859 Risorgimento Project - 234 infantry, 36 cavalry, and 3 limber teams made it across the painting desk.  Finally got an earnest start on fielding French.  
• 18mm 1799 Suvorov in Italy and Switzerland Project - managed only a dozen cavalry during the entire year.  I had such high hopes too.
• 28mm Napoleonic Peninsular War Project - Great progress on this goal.  159 infantry, 41 cavalry, and two guns and crew were fielded.  I was able to reduce The Lead Pile for this project from two large boxes down to one.
• 28mm Great Italian Wars Project - limited work on this new project.  Only 16 infantry, 18 cavalry, and one gun with crew passed over the painting desk.
• 1/56 SYW Minden Prussian Project - I managed to push out one 32 figure battalion of Prussian musketeers.  I made my goal of one battalion, but just.

What unplanned work was completed?  Well, I began a 25mm 19th Century Great Game project on a whim.  That whim resulted in fielding 146 infantry, 20 cavalry, and two guns with crew.  No small feat in itself and a surprising result.  The 28mm WWII project was reignited with our introduction to Chain of Command.  The 28mm Spanish-American War project also saw unplanned additions of 60 foot and two Gatling guns.  Of course, quite a few other figures passed across the painting desk too.  The number of figures painted and painting points exceeded goals.  Surpassing the painting point goal was helped, in part, by concentrating on 25/28mm figures.  On balance, a pretty good year before the mast.

Looking forward...

For 2016, I will shuffle the deck chairs of 2015 around a bit.  With good work on reducing the unpainted 28mm Napoleonics lead during 2015, that project will drop out of the top goals for 2016.  A large box of unpainted Napoleonic lead remains and a few more figures are incoming.  I will try to keep the unpainted lead contained to only one box.

Having been seemingly focused on producing 25/28mm painted figures in 2015, painting focus will shift to the 15/18mm side of the project ledger in 2016.  With that in mind, both the 1799 and 1859 projects should remain high on the objective list.  Keeping with 15/18mm projects, add in work on the SYW and Samurai Battles projects.  With painting determination and buying restraint, much of the unpainted SYW and 17th Century Japanese inventory could be reduced significantly.  I would like to see a few new units added to both the 25/28mm Great Italian Wars and Reconquista projects.  Add to that more work in the 25mm 19th Century Great Game and 28mm Peninsular War projects.  One new project awaits in the wings but 2016 may not quite be the year to begin. 

For gaming, one goal is to host/attend twelve group games in 2016.  I know, not always feasible but I will make the effort.  Focusing on fielding units for the 1799 project should finally allow a first game in 2016.  Getting the 1859 project back onto the gaming table would be welcome too.  More gaming in Impetvs for Great Italian Wars, Reconquista, and Ancients.  For the Great Italian Wars project, commit to adding one pike block plus accompanying supports to the painted ledger.  Field two cavalry stands.  More gaming with Commands & Colors including Samurai Battles.  Having gotten the 15mm Napoleonics and 30mm ECW collections out onto the gaming table in 2015 for the first time in ages, commit to getting another old stalwart, the 10mm ACW collection, into a game.  A number of boardgames lay in wait too.  I would enjoy seeing a few of these out on the table.

Having become inundated with boxes of painted figures and unused collections, thoughts have turned towards culling one or possibly two projects.  These projects are yet to be named but they know who they are.  

Given the thoughts and criteria above, my Top 5 goals for 2016 are,

1. Reduce The Lead Pile for Second Italian War of Independence project in 15mm
2. Reduce The Lead Pile for 1799 Napoleonics in Italy and Switzerland project in 18mm
3. Add to Great Italian Wars project in 28mm
4. More gaming including first game using the 1799 collection
5. Reduce The Lead Pile for 18mm SYW and 15mm Samurai Battles projects (100 figures each)

For painting counts, I will set the 2016 target figure count at 1,000 figures.  The 2016 Top 5 Goals are dominated by 15/18mm projects.  Still, expect to see a variety of projects crossing the painting desk including many of the 25/28mm projects.  

As I re-read the above, my 2016 goals still produce a scatter gun approach with a little of everything on the slate.  That should be plenty to keep the painting desk and gaming table busy in 2016.  Sometimes, focus is a hard master.