2025 In Brief

2025 was a great game for wargaming. The wargames club and other events have mostly dictated my painting plans for the year:

That’s been great as it has focused my painting. I’ve completed a Warriors of Chaos army, added to my Necromunda Palanites, painted a Blood Angels Legions Imperialis force (and a couple of Legio Astorum Warhounds to accompany them), and a smattering of Orks. I’ve also gotten back into Burrows & Badgers, with the promise of a campaign in 2026.

There was a Christmas painting in the club in December and I won a Trench Crusade warband, so that’s something else to paint early in the new year.

2025 plans?

So, what did I plan to do in 2025? Let’s see what the prediction was at the end of 2024 (with some commentary):

  • Kriegspiel: The Spanish Ulcer
    • Phil and Steve are fighting over Galicia in 1808. I’m acting as GM for this. I’m not sure it’ll lead me to paint more models, but it should be fun.
    • Commentary: Nope, this never really got off the ground. It worked well, but relying on the guys to get together to play games as part of the Kriegspiel robs it of momentum. We’re also all busy, so this slipped by the wayside.
  • Warhammer 40,000 Slow Grow
    • I’m hoping to run a 500pts – 750pts – 1000pts slow grow for 40k in the club. I’ll use my Orks. I have some on the desk ready to paint.
    • Commentary: The Crusade took over. I still painted my Orks, enve some I bought when I was about 14-15 years old, but I used by Blood Angels in the Crusade. I want to grow my Orks, but it’s a project I want to take slowly. 11th Ed might change that up this year!
  • Decimation of Beta-Garmon II
    • I think I have most of the models needed for this LI/AT weekend. I want to finish off my terrain and work on some Blood Angels. Not for the weekend, more to make a start on a companion force. I’ll probably paint a titan to go with them.
    • Commentary: Yeah, this worked out perfectly!
  • ShatterPoint
    • Ciarán got ShatterPoint for Christmas, so I’ll support him in getting those done.
    • Commentary: Nope – Ciarán hasn’t really gotten into this. To be fair 40k has taken over and his friends are getting into it too. Like me, he’s (appropriately) steered by where the opportunity to play is.
  • The rest?
    • Who knows… I still have the epic scale ACW models that need some attention, but I need the headspace for those.
    • Commentary: I haven’t touched those models. I need a target for them. Without that, there’s always something else that is more demanding and has a better chance of finding its way to the tabletop.

2026 Plans

I predicted last year that I might see my plans steered as much by the interests of others as anything else. This is good. Wargaming is a social hobby.

I can make some safe predictions for 2026 (as I write this on the 1st February 2026):

  • I’m going to paint some Trench Crusade models. The hope is that there’ll be a campaign in the club later in the year.
  • I’m going to paint all of my outstanding Orks… in anticipation of them being in the 11th Ed release box.
  • I’m going to play through a Burrows & Badgers campaign.
  • I’d like to add to my loyalist Adeptus Titanicus Legio Astorum force. I have a Reaver and Warlord to paint for it.
  • The plan for Geekend 2026 is to play some Pillage. I should have everything I need for that. I’m just finishing some small terrain bits for it.
  • For THE BIG GAME 2026 we’ll be playing Horus Heresy 2nd Ed. I have a Custodes force, so I should be fine for that.
  • I’m hoping 2026 is a year of consolidating: I have a few units for WoC and Bretonnians I could finish. I’d hope to, but the demands of active gaming will take priority.

Roleplaying has become a big feature of my gaming. I’ve been running WFRP and CoC. In 2026, the hopes are that that can continue.

Anyway, that’s how 2025 went and some wild (probably inaccurate) plans for 2026.

Happy gaming!

Owen