2025 gaming Ovelist

Last year was the first time that I’d tried the Ovelist approach from The Hobby Support Group.  I found it really helped to focus and keep me from disappearing down too many rabbit holes, so I’m doing it again.  Once again I've split it into gaming and doing (here).

You’ll notice that I've gone for periods rather than specific rules.  I agree with the Too Fat Lardies maxim of “playing the period not the rules”.  I also have so many rule sets that I don’t know what I may use 😄  All those listed are ready to play and as with last year it's about getting those unused collections onto the table.  Here’s a few notes behind each choice:

Fantasy Skirmish - I love Sword Weirdos and it's an easy game to set up and play in a short time,  As I don't have a dedicated gaming space that's an important factor for me.  It also lets me get those figures out that I don't use with their "parent" system anymore like Warmachine/Hordes and Celtos and the handful of other fantasy types.  Of course it also works just as well with historical figures.  

Fantasy Battle -  I had my first game of Warmaster Revolution last year which was enjoyable so I want to have another crack.  I also have the option of using Warlords of Eherwon and Midgard. 

Verrotwood - I'll be continuing The Awakening Campaign I started last year. 

Sci-Fi/Post-Apoc - As with Sword Weirdos this lets me use those odd figures, anything with guns really.  I have a neo-Sov post-apocalypse collection that I started collecting with Zona Alfa in mind and I really want to start using that.  I also have the Last Days zombie rules that I've never played.  

Rome’s Wars - I have collections for the Punic Wars, Early Imperial Rome and late-Rome.  I want to play with all three and Midgard with be the rule set of choice here.

Norse Age - I played Ravenfeast in 2023 and really enjoyed it, which prompted me to start collecting Victrix miniatures to upgrade my old Gripping Beast ones.  Once I finish off the dozen or so Rus I may have enough for a game.  I also have the Ragnarok rules which have never been used to look at.

16th Century - I really like my 15mm late 16th Century/Elizabethan collection, alas it's barely been used.  I never really bought it with much planning so it's just sat in limbo.  I intend to give it some love and get it on the table this year.  Many of the figures can be used for the French Wars of Religion too.

18th Century - I've got a good sized 6mm Seven Years War collection which I've not used anywhere near enough so that needs putting right.  I also have very small French-Indian War and Pirates forces and I can't remember the last time that I played with them.  They're perfect for a small Sword Weirdos game so I must get them out. 

19th Century - I have brigade sized forces for the First Anglo- Sikh Wars and Franco-Prussian War .  The former had their first run out last year using Black Powder.  The latter are the first collection I put together when I came back to the hobby 28 odd years ago.  I have the marvellous conflict specific They Died for Glory rules for these.  I rebased them the other year but I can't remember the last time they saw action.  There's a recurring theme here isn't there.

Old West - My 28mm Old West collection is quite large with all sorts of figures.  I got hold of What a Cowboy last year and that looks like a good way to get back into it.  I also have Verrotwood the Old West to look at.

Second World War - My default period.  I've got platoon and small company sized forces across 15, 20 and 28mm for the Western Desert, Mediterranean, early and late Eastern Front (both Summer and Winter),  winter Northwest Europe, the Pacific and the Far-East.  I started using Battlegroup last year and until Chain of Command V2 comes out I'll continue with that.  I also picked up I Ain't Been Shot Mum which looks good.  I doubt I'll touch Bolt Action again though and can’t see myself looking at V3.

Wars of French Decolonisation - The First Indo-China War and Algerian War are two of my favourite periods and I wrote a long couple of pieces about them (here and here).  I last looked at them properly in 2023 and I really want to get back to it.  I've used Ambush Alley/Force on Force and also Bolt Action in the past.  I think that Chain of Command would work well but that will wait until V2 is out.

So there we go, that's more than enough to get on with.  I've deliberately left a lot of wriggle room as sometimes the mood strikes and you want to go off on a tangent (I wasn't called The Tangent Man at one work place for no reason)!  Whatever I play I know I want to put more time into gaming this year.



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