2014 Wrap-Up and 2015 Plans

Looking back at my blog, I had a busy 2014 gaming-wise. The game I played the most turned out to be Pandemic, mostly because Jessica really likes it and other folks (wife, Jessica's friends, guests) can all be roped into playing a cooperative game. After much mulling, I'm going to buy On the Brink to expand the game. I like Pandemic but could stand some new challenges and On the Brink seems to provide the most bang for our buck. 

The Borg games (including Commands & Colors Ancients, CCN, Battlelore and Memoir) came second in terms of gaming time. These got a fair bit of play at the club and I just picked up the second and third CCA expansion. I'm hoping to play through all of the scenarios starting against Bruce on Tuesday. I've spent a fair bit of time miniaturizing the game with 1/72-scale figures but I find that the blocks are much easier to manage.

A game that has really redeemed World War 2 and modern wargaming for me is the World at War series. Bruce has hosted maybe 10 battles and I have found each one engaging (and frustrating). I find it operates at about the same level of abstract as DBA but the hex grid takes gimmicky geometry out of the equation. I don't have any hankering to buy armies or the rules but they have made many a winter night pretty enjoyable.

A game I wish I played more of this year is A Few Acres of Snow. This is a card game about the French and English race to conquer the new world. What I like about it is the asymmetry and the fact that each player is basically playing against his own hand. There is some interaction, but it is not much of a "war" game. I may break down and buy this one. I have also kickstarted Worthington Games' Wilderness Empire which is the same genre.

A game that got a lot of play is Academy Games's 1775: Rebellion. This is a four-player game that uses similar mechanics to 1812: Invasion but to much better effect. I've had this out at the club several times and have never lacked for players. I like that you can play with 2, 3 or 4 and that the mechanics allow for the asymmetries of the actual conflict.

A game I hope to play more of in the New ear is 1776: New York. This is an under-represented campaign in gaming and have a sense of chasing about it, with hidden units and time pressure on the British. I also hope to do some 54mm AWI gaming in the New Year, either using All the King's Men or perhaps Hold the Line. And most of my spring painting is aimed at completing enough troops to game with. I also have a Memoir '40 project in 1/72-scale that had stalled (but will come back) and perhaps a 28mm superhero project that I will get moving again.