2020 Review Part One: Gaming

2020 was a strange  and unexpected year with the Covid pandemic taking away freedoms I’ve always taken for granted and wiped out the last couple of months for me which is why this review is being written in March!

None the less I did manage to get quite a few games in considering the restrictions in place:

ADLG: 12 games all with different armies other than 3 with the newly painted HYW English Army. My ADLG games followed the familiar path of not really playing enough to get better but enjoyable none the less. The club in general is excited about the upcoming release of a new version of ADLG and revised lists. Doubtless I’ll buy a copy and play some more games when we can meet again.

Vietnam “The Men of Company B”: A new period for me with 7 games, all solo. I’ve really enjoyed playing TMOCB, the rules are interesting and the missions rather more realistic than just line them up and fight! I will try to get some other members of the club interested in playing and will certainly play more solo games.

Chain of Command: 6 games, 3 with Germans, 2 with BEF and one with Americans. CoC remains a favourite and I’m hoping to play a lot more games this year, we will hopefully start a PSC set in a fictional Operation Sealion invasion when the club reopens.

Rommel: 5 games, all against Andy. 3 with Russians, 1 each with Germans and Americans. As ever close games that really made us think. We are hoping to replay more D-Day scenarios this year and Rommel is another rule set I’m keen to play.

Blucher: A rather disappointing 3 games, 2 with French and 1 with Prussians. Again I’m hoping to play more though we may also try the new LaSalle rules and see how they play.

Black Seas: Having constructed numerous ships I managed to play 2 games which visually were great. I’ll probably not play that many games of Back Seas but will try to get the ships on the table a few times!

ADLG-R: 1 game. As with ADLG I’m not likely to play that many games but might do the odd one.

Men Who Would Be Kings: 1 game using the Austrian force I painted last year. Again I anticipate playing a few more games.

So around 37 games in total which isn’t bad in the circumstances! No games of FoG-R as I couldn’t go to the Oxford competitions and no one at the club wants to play or of Fire and Fury, I will be trying to play some F&F this year. Sharp Practice also failed to make a single game but will probably come back into favour at some point.

I also played a few games over the net while we were under lockdown using Zoom, TTS and Vassal which were fun but not as engaging as playing with figures for me.

Hoping that soon my armies will be able to march to the sound of the guns again later in the year!