Overview of 2025 Hobby Activites and Projects for 2026

 

2025 was a year of rapid increase and then rapid decrease in hobby collections and spending.

The good news! I got more games in, mainly in Challenges and Games and Comics

Warhammer 40000: Mostly multiplayer games and two-player games in the 750-1000 point level.  I also organized a small Combat Patrol four player tournament.

From my most recent 40k game. 750 points and a victory for my Death Guard over the Great Devourer! 

Battlefleet Gothic: Finished my two fleets (Imperial Navy and Death Guard), helped four other people start BFG, and played four of five games.

Historicals: Played Bloody Big Battles (two games), War and Conquest (one game), and Bolt Action (two games).

Photos from my latest BA game. A Greek victory over EW Germans at the Metaxa Line

Misc. Tried Trench Crusade, Kill Team, and One Page Rules Grimdark Future

Hobby Groups and Store Support

I was able to get going a monthly meeting for BattleTech, and for Historicals for Challenges Comics and Games. While attendance is not as good as I would like (we have to do it Thursday evening), it has become regular, and that is the most important thing.

I was able to support Challenges at a higher level than my first year, mostly by buying stuff with others and sharing. I started a 40k Store Army for the store, and I am glad to say we are close to getting  it to 1000 points.

 The 40k Store Army. All is painted by me, and significant protion donated by me. 

I helped prepare some Bolt Action demo forces for the store.

I gifted my terrain set to the store, as I do not expect to play at home.

Projects

Here were the mixed news. I started and then I had to give up on many projects in order to raise money fast for family issues (I am thankful to NobleKnight games for always willing to buy stuff from me).

I sold my 28mm Late Medieval Army,  the Imperial Guard stuff I collected and half painted (all Wargames Atlantic Death Fields or Iron Core stuff), my Clan Battletech Stuff, the War and Conquest rule book, the DBA rulebook, and my Escher and Alternative Armies stuff.

I essentially limited my hobby collection to two projected 1000 point armies (Death Guard, Imperial Agents), BattleTech (Inner Sphere), my Bolt Action 28mm Greeks, and the 10mm Bloody Big Battles collections.

That  said in the name of supporting the store, and in also scratching my rank and file and fantasy itch, I did half-buy a Warcry intro box with the goal of slowly building it into a 1000 point army for Para Bellum Conquest, which we are enthusiastic for in the store.

Failures

I had promised a Goito 1848 LJdPB scenario for BBB and I failed to do that.

So what are the 2026 plans?

Projects

A) I aim to complete my two 1000 Warhammer 40k forces (Death Guard, and Imperial Agents) in the most affordable and store-supporting way possible. I envision about 150 USD spent for this (Death Guard will be completed using half of the Kill Team starter box, and Imperial Agents via a box of Armigers)

B) I aim to get one more squad for my Bolt Action 28mm Greeks so that I can have a complete Platoon). I expect to pay about 30-50 USD for this

C) I probably will seek to get one more War-Cry box and slowly work on building a Conquest Army. Again the goal is to support my local store. (I expect this to be 100-150 USD)

Gaming

I am trying to get a monthly Skirmish Gaming event at Challenges started from 2026. I will probably play Kill Team and War-Cry there.

Will probably start a 1000 point Warhammer 40000 league in the store. Might combine it with my Illustris Campaign stuff.

Bloody Big Battles, will hopefully see a transition to ACW if my mother-in-law brings me my ACW 10mm collection. It will need rebasing.

Bolt Action will be on the rotation.

We are still hankering for a rank-and-file game. Some of us, including me, are ongoing the new 10mm Wargames Atlantic Hundred Years War stuff. But we also have a huge want to play Conquest. We will see.

So my expectation for Hobby stuff in 2026 are

• ·         Warhammer 40000 limited at 1000 points, plus Kill Team
• ·         Bolt Action, Bloody Big Battles
• ·         BattleTech
• ·         Battlefleet Gothic
• ·         Some fantasy gaming, probably initially War-Cry with the aim of going to Conquest
• ·         Something else in Historicals?