Does a New Year, Really Mean a New Army?
Well Tabletop Warfighters, we are a few weeks into 2024, and, as hobbyists, we all know what that means! It’s time to forget about last year’s unfinished projects and start on our New Year New Army project…or is it? For some of us, probably many of us, when the year comes to a close, the list of unfinished projects tends to be much much longer than our list of completed projects – what we sometimes call “the shelf of shame.” But, then comes those game companies with new games, new models, new armies, and if you’re like me you want it all. I get it. But here’s the thing, your unfinished projects, even if called the “shelf of shame”, are still new, unbuilt, and unplayed. And, I think we can all satisfy that urge to want all the new hotness by taking the time to dig into those unfinished projects. Heck, you may even find some treasures you even forgot you had. So let put a pause on keeping up with what James Workshop has to offer and see what we already have to offer ourselves! Let’s set some new goals and achieve them together.
First, we need to get organized. I always seem to be the one that keeps tabs open in my head as to what I have on my “to do” list, and there always seem to be just a few projects on my list. However, once I write my list out, I am sure to learn that my list is longer than I imagined. But, once I write it out, I will get to know what I really have on my list that needs to get done -- and that is always a great starting point.
Ok, now that we have our list, we need to prioritize what projects need to get done first or what is most important to you to get done. This is simply your personal preference. Maybe there is some league play coming up and you want to finish one of your project armies for it. Or maybe your friends have finally decided to get into the game you’ve been dying to play, or maybe you’re close to finishing up an army and you can knock it out to feel that satisfying sense of accomplishment… “Yes, I did it!” And now that we have our list, we get to work. We will look at tracking and organizing these projects in more depth in the near future. The goal for now is to go through those unfinished projects, find all those hidden gems, get that list organized and start to knock out each project one by one – and I will be right there with you.
Let’s be real, we all know we are going to get some new stuff – we love the hobby and it’s too hard not to. You’re probably saying, “wait Sergeant, you just said we shouldn’t buy new stuff and focus on what we have.” True, I did say that. I’m just trying to say that instead of going crazy and buying every army for every game being played at my friendly local game store, if I am to get into a new game, it will only be one army and the aim is to have enough to play an average game. THEN, once the backlog is more manageable, adding a few things here and there for existing games isn’t a problem. The key is getting to a point where our plate isn’t too full. So, let’s get some stuff done and get it to the table and play!!
Some of you might be saying, “but Sergeant, I want to collect everything that comes out!” Yeah, me too, believe me, I want it all. For example, when Marvel Crisis Protocol came out, I bought everything! I mean everything! Every new pack of heroes that came out I was buying and I loved it. So, can you buy everything? Sure! Should you? That depends on how much you want to add to your laundry list of unfinished projects. If you are trying to stop the cycle, only get a few things that you know you want to play and then if you want to complete the collection only add the extras when you find the time to complete them. When it comes to games that have a set release schedule or are more character favored, I try to only get the box of models that I have some attachment to or feel that I would have the most fun playing. If you’re a completist like me then that can be a tough challenge to stop the impulse buying – but it can be done!!
For example, when Star Wars Shatterpoint was announced, I told myself I was not going to get into it – I already had a bunch of different games and models to attend to. But, I did a demo game and found it fun and interesting. Now, did I go “all in”? No. I collected a few of the expansions that I thought were cool and be fun to play and I was committed to only getting boxes that I knew I would be building AND playing – no extras, no “all in”. It made things much more manageable. And that’s the goal!! So, fear not, it is possible to stop the binge buying cycle so you can get your projects to a more manageable level. So, let’s knock out some of these projects in the pipeline and make things more manageable and less overwhelming – let’s not flood our hobby time and make it more stressful. Let’s get some projects done and enjoy that other part of the hobby…PLAYING!!
The overall idea for this year, and really every other year, is that you can be just as happy, as a PFC buying his first car on an 18% interest loan, with the projects that you already have planned to do. You don’t have to keep up with every single game or released miniature, or keep up with the James Workshop across the gaming table from you. Let’s clear out the backlog and enjoy what we have!! And here’s another bonus, we get to keep some money in our pockets instead of giving it away all year to gaming companies.
Stay motivated Tabletop Warfighter!
Take charge of your gray, carry on with your projects today!
