Update on Hobby Plans and Budget for 2024-2025

"Edited post as I learned both my hobby stores have rechargable gift cards" 

 Our move to Atlanta, cost us lot of money, and despite having now two incomes we will be a bit under pressure for two years (after care costs for Zoe, a car for Ceren, double rents in September, health costs etc).  This requires a realistic re-assessment of the budget for 2024-2025. First of all I sold a couple of things

1)      Sold my Tau Combat Patrol. While it gave me good games at Elko, I felt I had played it enough. The money from the selling were used to buy paint supplies and the BattleTech Clan Invasion Boxed Set

2)      Sold the still in box Space Marine Scout Team and Sentinel. Used the funds to buy BattleTech A Game of Armored Battles boxed set.

Second, I closed all my Patreons, Crunchyroll, and even my support for the Wargames Website. While this hurts me, I need to prioritize the hobby.

I essentially have three gaming opportunities. Once a month BattleTech (ongoing campaign), once a month Warhammer 40k (Incursion level games), more infrequently historical gaming. Considering this I decided to just focus on each of these three areas.

For 2024-2025 my projected budget and plans are

1)      Warhammer 40k, Death Guard. Add a Rhino for my Incursion level lists (65 USD). My existing collection is now fully painted. I have more than enough for the Incursion level games I will be playing.

2)      BattleTech. BattleTech Universe Book (50 USD), paint my remaining miniatures from the existing two box sets. These are more than enough for games of Classica Battle Tech and Alpha Strike.

3)      Historical.  Finish my 28mm 15^th Century Western European Generic force. This will require buying movement trays (20-30 USD). No action on the rest. If my mother in law brings me my 10mm ACW I will need to decide whether I sale them for hobby funds, or rebase for Altar of Freedom. If I rebase I might still sale as a Altar of Freedom complete package (rules, scenarios, armies). We will see. I do have my Battle of Gribomvo 1897 set up and miniatures. I do need to get mats for To the Strongest (60 USD) and want to buy War and Conquest (50 USD)

4)      Other hobby matters: Money to spend at the stores when I got to game (5-10 USD, twice a month 120-240 USD a year minus the stuff I buyt from them). This will cover hobby supplies.

5)      As much as I want to go to a convention, and Atlanta and the area are rich with them, I will have to decide on the fly. I probably would go to Siege of Augusta (so assume another 150 USD for a same day visit)

Total: 385 to 535

A Call to Arms: The Atlanta Eastside Light Irregulars

 After surveying the historical wargaming scene in my area I decided that perhaps it is worth organizing a new group. There are strong communities at Marietta (centered at Gigabites Cafe-25-28 minutes from me through interstates, which really does a great job fostering a community), and meeting a local houses, but it does feel most of the action is in the west-side of the Metropolitan area of Atlanta. 

Since I have to drive to work 50 minutes to one hour, I would rather not drive too much to hobby stuff. I also want to patronize the local gaming stores (Challenge Games and Comics, and LevelUP-Duluth).

So let me put out a call for arms for people interested to join me in the Atlanta Eastside Light Irregulars. 

Atlanta since we are interested in serving the Atlanta historical wargaming community. 

Eastside since we aim to patronage mainly Challenge Games and Comics and LevelUP-Duluth which are on the east-side of the metropolitan region. 

Light since the aim is to provide a space for those who do not have a lot of game time and focus on historical wargames (both miniature and boardgames) that provide a quality game experience in a short amount of time (1 to 3 hours)

Irregulars since we aim to provide gaming opportunities for those that really cannot make even monthly sessions. The aim at this point is one event per quarter , for a total of four events per year. 

I also would like to organize battlefield visits for participants. One a year. I have a chevy traverse and thus can accommodate 6 to 8 people and our region is replete with national and state battlefield parks within comfortable travel distance. 

So that is the idea, four sessions a year, 1-3 hours each, perhaps multiple games running at the same time, and one battlefield visit a year. 

If interested please email at atleastlightirregulars@aol.com . Depending on the interest, I will make a Discord Server for us. 

More information below 

Last game at Elko, NV

 I have now finished my move to Atlanta. It took four days of driving, and then a week of getting settled. In that time I did not have a chance to do much with my laptop. Finally today, I could sit down and do some work. I wanted to post photos from my last game day in Elko.  I first played and lost a Combat Patrol with Darren, who used the Dark Angels combat patrol I had painted for the store, against my Tau. Then me Vern, and Darren played Mario Kart (Gaslands). It was bittersweet moment I a bade adieu to Vern and Darren who gave me such a rich academic year of gaming ( About 18 games between January and July 2024, which is almost two games a month)  and to Nicolle our lovely hostess at XP. 

I will update on my Atlanta escapades in later blog. Here are some picture of my last Elko gaming. 

here is Darren's final setup for Mario Kart, at the 2nd Elko Popcon.

 

New Year Post: Review of Shenandonah Summer by Scott C. Patchan

 Happy New Year to you all! I hope 2024 brings you all peace, love, health and prosperity. 

I was able to finish most of what had in progress for 2023 before the turn of the year. This makes me happy. Among those was finally finishing Shenandoah Summer: The 1864 Valley Campaign by Scott C. Patchan. This is a great book on a less well known campaign of the US Civil War. It covers the Jubal Early's Shenandoah campaign between his evacuation from the skirmishers at Fort Stevens , and the arrival of Phillip Sheridan. The epicenter is the 2nd Battle of Kernstown, a nasty Union defeat, were Early out-generaled George Crook (more well known for his involvement in the wars with Native Americans, and then his advocacy on behalf of their rights).

My interest for this campaign is that there is an Altar of Freedom scenario for this battle, and that it fits a 36x36 inch table. 

Patchan is a an excellent writer with a good knack to know how to balance the big pictures with tiny details. His writing is brisk and he brings to life a campaign that is dotted with many interesting brigade and division level actions (though once must keep in mind, that in many cases US Civil War brigades were the size of European battalions, and divisions the size of European regiments and brigades).

You have the Battle of Cool Springs, July 18, 1864, a Confederate victory, but also an excellent example of how even the tiniest terrain detail, a wall in this case, can make the difference between destruction and salvation. A dogged Union defense along a stone wall with their backs on a river, avoided the kind of catastrophe that happened in Ball's Bluff. 

Then you have the Battle of Rutherford Farm's, July 20, 1864, were once more terrain determines victory and defeat. In this case a subtle terrain feature divides Ramsuer's veteran division as it is attacking a inferior in numbers and experience Union force under Averell, who then proceeds to beat the Confederates. One of those battles that show that veteran status does not always determine the worth of soldiers. 

The Confederates get their blood back at 2nd Kernstown, were simply put Crook drops the ball. They inflict a stingy defeat on the Union side, which leads to a route by the support elements, though Crook did show grit in helping arrange a retreat that saved his army. 

Then we get the Chambersburg Raid, and Averell's revenge for it in the "Battle" of Moorfield where the numerically inferior Union cavalry surprised the unprepared Confederates and routed them without mercy (this one would be a very one sided scenario).

Thus a very rich campaign especially for players seeking  tough but interesting scenarios at the command level of brigade and division. Patchan spends time conducting a proper analysis of the reasons for victory and defeat for each action, and then makes a good argument about the limitations of Early when it came to grasping what exactly his task was. I would say he is fair to both sides. He does focus a bit on Colonel James A. Mulligan who died at 2nd Kernstown. 

A very good book that got my excited for my build for 2nd Kernstown. 

Taking Stock: What I played, what I wrote, and what I read November 2022-December 2023 for the Hobby

In another post I took stock of my expenses vs. my budgetary plans for January 2023. Now let us see what I gamed over this period:

Two remote online games of Bloody Big Battles using my LJdPB Oeversee 1864 scenarios. With Vincent Tso of the The Corlears Hook Fencibles (one with Onur)

A minigame of Neil Thomas Wargaming 19th Century Europe with Vern at XP Gaming & Cafe

A 400 point WH40k game with Darren at XP Gaming & Cafe

A 1000 point four player game of WH 40k with Darren, Vern, Garret at XP Gaming & Cafe

Two games of Kill Team  with Robert at XP Gaming & Cafe

A game of Brave Little Belgium with Darren at XP Gaming & Cafe

A game of Lassale 2 with Nacho at his Istanbul home.

Several games of Age of Sigmar: Underworlds with Darren at XP Gaming & Cafe

Two remote online 14 point learning games for Xenos Rampant with my Greek friends

A 24 point learning game of Xenos Rampant with Darren  and Vern at XP Gaming & Cafe.

Thus in general five historical games, five sci-fi games, and three to five (I can't remember) fantasy games. Not a bad haul gaming wise for about a year. I am very lucky and blessed to have good groups of friends and gaming buddies all over the world. 

What I read. Hobbywise I focused on the ACW. I of course also read rules, and of course for work.

1)  Walter A. McDougall, Throes of Democracy: The American Civil War era 1829-1877

2) Peter Cozzens: The Shipwreck of their Hopes:  The battles for Chattanooga 

3) Reading right now: Scott C. Patchan, Shenandoah Summer: The 1864 Valley Campaign 

What I contributed to the hobby (See material page)

Mayhem Glorantha Army Lists 

Seven Le Journal de Pettite Battailes format Bloody Big Battles draft scenarios.

Unit cards for Ottoman and Greeks 1897 for Neil Thomas Wargaming 19th Century Europe 

Taking stock: September 2022-December 2023

 Having finished my current crop of painting projects, I decided to take stock of the state of my collection. I moved back to the US in August 2022 after nine years in Turkey (which were good wargaming years thanks to Onur, Nacho, Doruk and all the people that are in the hobby there). 

In January 2023 I prepared a budget  that would cover my plans for the next five years. Using that as a benchmark, let us see where we are. 

Let us see what I got, what I will need to budget for until 2028, and what changes I am making.

Sometimes, thin gruel is fine: Neil Thomas Wargaming 19th Century Europe

 I finally got the chance to play a face to face historical game since my last one in Istanbul/Constantinople in January 2023. Vern, our resident GW master (he has many collections from various GW games), was willing to accommodate me. We played a minigame scenario with the Neil Thoma's  Wargaming 19th Century Europe rules, using my 10mm 1897 Greek and Ottoman collections.

Now Neil Thomas rules got me into 19th century wargaming, but quite quickly after I used them, I got Bloody Big Battles , and it won me over. I am not disparaging the NT19TH rules. They are great for what they are aimed at (an introductory set) but I also will not delude myself. They are thin gruel compared to BBB. But BBB does require dedicated terrain, and until I get a board for Grimbovo 1897 made, I cannot really do them justice. When rich broth is not available one must enjoy the thin gruel. And enjoy we did.

I kept the force similar, three infantry units, one skirmisher unit, and one artillery unit per side. I more or less set up the table as close to the sample scenario map in the rulebook. I commanded the Padishah's askerlik, while Vern commanded my countrymen. 

The game went fast, after a bit of explanation of rules, and ended in a draw. We both ended up focusing on one of the two objectives (the village), which changed hands twice. It was quite bloody with the Greeks losing one infantry unit and their artillery, and the Ottomans losing their skirmishers and two infantry units.

Unfortunately I did not take good photos. But here are the best of the bunch

Other hobby news

1) Started painting the Tau.

2) Finished reading Xenos Rampant. I am very excited to try it. 

3) Rebased the Greek and Ottoman cavalry. 

4) Order some movement trays for my 25mm stuff and model trees. 

Update for Post-Thanksgiving Week

 I was able to get some things done this week

1) I ordered and got Xenos Rampant

2) I glued the Tau Breacher team I had gotten to support the local store. They were destined for Kill Team, but will also be used for Xenos Rampant

3) I glued the 10 Poxwalkers I had gotten to support the local store and complete a 500 point 40K Death Guard force. They will be used for Xenos Rampant.

4) Rebased  all my 10mm Greek and Ottoman 1897 infantry from 20x20mm to 40x20mm bases.  I still need to a) rebase the calvary on 40x20mm bases and get dismounted models (with one exception during the First Battle of Velestino, Greek and Ottoman cavalry fought dismounted. While Greeks can be covered by ACW Union in kepi calvary, Ottomans in 1877 or 1897 version are not served by any existing range b) extend the artillery 25x25mm bases to 40x25 bases (maybe adding cassions).,c ) limbers for all my guns. 

Then is the need to extend the collections so that I can fight Domokos (I have enough for the LJdPB Grimbovo and 2nd Velestino Scenarios)

Pictures below of my revamped infantry

Thanksgiving 2023 Update!

I wish a happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate. Here is an update on hobby activity since the last update.

1) Another game of Age of Sigmar Underworlds: Arena Mortis at XP Games.  Another fast and furious game, though I once more game 3rd and last in the game. My orc was pathetic as despite many weapons I only got one kill in in nine rounds! I failed Gork and Mork. 

2) Finished the Barony of Araswell contingent for my Artesia Known World Inspired Late Midieval 28mm Force. They show up in Mark Smylie's "Black Heart" novel. 

3) Progress in gluing my Tau and Poxwalkers. I really hate the multi-part Tau.

4) Finished Peter Cozzen's "The Shipwreck of their Hopes" on the Battles of Chattanooga. I very much enjoyed it. I did fell that if there is one civil war battle that fits the supposed european description of the Civil War as a "scrum between two armed mobs" it is the Battle of Chattanooga. I was surprised by the levels of incompetence exhibited by most senior officers above division and brigade level in both armies. A battle won by the soldiers and the lower level officers, no doubt about it.

Updates: Brave Little Belgium, Rebasing, Book printing.

 Here is an update of what I am doing

1) Printed and played Brave Little Belgium 

This Hollandspiele game is a fast playing introductory board-wargaming concerning the German invasion of Belgium in 1914. I very much like it, and worked on printing my Print and Play version (though I think it is worth just getting a physical copy). We played at XP Games with Darren, who enjoyed it. One of my ambitions has been to create a small collection of fast play wargames (both for my use and class use). This is a start. 

2) Rebasing! When in lack of action or money, a wargamer can always keep themselves active with rebasing. (Or perhaps it is the curse of the idle minds). Since I decided to focus on smaller table scenarios and actions, I wanted to rebase my Greek and Ottoman 1897 forces from there 20x20 mm square bases to 40x20mm bases, as the second are more accommodating to spectacle. I have rebased most of my Greek infantry and need to do the Ottomans. I will need to purchase some more figures to bring the armies to a look I want (including 1) limbers or mule trains for guns 2) dismounted cavalry 3) more irregular infantry).

Comparison of new (left) vs. old (right) basing.

All the Greek units needed for LJdPB Gribomvo 1897

3) Altar of Freedom book collection complete. Finally got printed all of the pdf books I had purchased for Altar of Freedom. This includes the rule book, and the two scenario volumes in one book. I also have printed Gibraltar of the West. My 10mm ACW forces were based in my usual 20mmx20mm schema and are located with Nacho in Turkey. At first chance I will bring them back and re-base them to 60x30mm. That should permit me to enjoy some of the smaller scenarios, plus the campaign system. 

4) Reading and Writing: I have not been able to do much work on the scenarios. Gilikson 1847 has maps, and oobs done, but I have not had the chance to re-read on the battle to set up description, special rules etc. I am reading Peter Cozzen's book on Chatanooga. I did read this useful summary of the events o the Turkish Great Offensive of 1922. (In Greek).

That is the news. 

Update: Slowly Healing

 My bad move is done. The new place is much better, if much more expensive. Most of the unpacking is done. So I am slowly getting better. This Tuesday I even had the energy to go and play at XP Games. We played a three player Arena Mortis, a mode for Age of Sigmar, Underworlds, which is something like a computer game free for all. Quite fun, light on rules but not gameplay, and played in two hours. 

I also treated myself to theater, for the first time after four years. The play was Macbeth, but a one hour version organized and directed by one of my colleagues. It was quite good. 

Let us see, I might even get the energy to paint something. Would that not be grand!

Update: What is up with me

 Just wanted to make an update on my situation. I am still not well, with my mood being rather bad. As a result I have little energy for hobby stuff, focusing on my family and work. I am getting some reading done. Finished a Greek book on the last days of the High Commission of Greece in Asia Minor, and the High Commissioner Aristeidis Stergiadis by Konstantinos D. Vlassis, where the most interesting piece of information is learning where the demand for the removal of Chatzanestes came ( I will do a bigger review at some point on my work site). I am reading Shenadoah Summer by Scott C. Patchan on the battles Jubal Early fought between his evacuation from Fort Stevens and the arrival of Sheridan. Some interesting scenarios. ACW enthusiasts might want to look at the Battle of Cool Springs for a small sized battle with interesting elements. I am alaos reading at the library, whenever I take Zoe there, Cozzens "The Shipwreck of their Hopes" on Chattanooga.

Hobby wise I have done nothing. I am in the middle of a nasty move within town that has sapped my finances and energy. My dear wife brought me my 10mm Greek and Ottoman 1897 forces, but I had not chance to sit down and do anything with them. I have stopped going to 40k games, and have not touched a painters brush for three months. In general I feel exhausted, and slowly working to get into a better shape (including therapy). I also had not chance to work on any scenarios. I do expect things to get better once we complete the move, but this will be a hard year anyway as we are seeking to leave Elko, NV for a bigger city. All in all I just thing I burned out this year, and it will take some time to get my self back to a better place. 

Sale!!! Sale !! Sale!!

I am selling my Kelestia Publications self-printed books on ebay (This has been sold now)

I will probably sell a number of the Plastic Perry Miniatures 28mm War of the Roses Foot Knights, but might still paint them first (contact me via the comment section if you want them, we are talking 32 to 35 miniatures) . Once I paint them I will put them on ebay.

Two Months in: The State of the Plan (Amended)

(Post Amended after further thought)

Two months have passed since I made my hobby budgetary plans In January 2023 (https://newleadheadphd.blogspot.com/2023/01/new-plans-budget.html). Time to take stock and make changes (too make a boring post more fun, I am interjecting pictures from my last Warhammer: Underworld game).

What was done:

New Plans Budget

 After the initial post on potential plans, the trip to Turkey and taking stock of what I have, and the review of rules, it has now come to budgeting. Based on the table below I will need to budget about 1600 USD over the next 5 year period (2023-2024-2025-2026-2027-2028) for my hobby, or about 320 USD per year. Not sure I can do it all, but hopefully having a plan and budget will mean I will get to enjoy a good number of these projects. What is your view? Too ambitious? Or doable? Are the costs I assign realistic or not?

Item	Budget in USD
40” Foldable Table	70
Miniature Cases and Storage	100
28mm Terrain	100
10mm-15mm   Terrain	30
General Terrain	50
Bases	100
Hobby Tools	37 (Bought)
Hobby Paints	80
Altar of Freedom Hard Copy	12 (Bought)
Two 10mm ACW Forces	80
Bloody Big Battles Hard Copy	25
Extra 1897 Greeks and Ottomans	20
Two 10mm Greek-Turkish 1919-1922 Forces	80
To the Strongest Hard Copy	30
15mm Sicilian Norman and Comnean Byzantine Forces	150
15mm Artesian Expeditionary and Thessid Invasion of Middle Kingdoms Forces	150
16 Figures 28mm for Western Aurian Warriors (WOTR)	20
6 Mounted Figures 28mm for Western Aurian Hearthguard (WOTR)	20
4 28MM Hearthguard for Manon Mole (100YW)	15
6 Mounted Figures 28mm for Manon Mole Hearthguard (100YW)	15
8 28mm Warriors for Manon Mole (100YW)	20
12 28mm Levies for Manon Mole (100 YW)	30
Hard Copy Liber Militum Tercios and Kingdoms Book	40
15mm New Model Army and Montrose Forces	100
10 Poxwlakers	30
Hard Copy Kill Team Rulebook	15
Total for five year period	1600

New Plans and Review of the Rule-sets I have

 After my unexpected trip to Istanbul/Constantinople I had the chance to take a fuller stock of my collection. I also was able to save some future money by bringing some stuff over to Elko. A green cloth for a gaming surface, dice, my printed Battlefinder cards (a nifty little Perfect Captain tool for generating campaign maps and random terrain), my Liber Militum Tercios Cards for my New Model Army. 

On the other hand I also made big decisions. I put up some stuff for sale (6mm French and Prussian Napoleonics, already sold, my Grand Tactical 1859-1866 rules) and left my 28mm New Model Army with Nacho for him to attempt to find a seller. Pretty much the only thing left from my old collection are my 10mm Greek and Ottomans for 1897, which once more I was not able to bring over (had to leave at my mother's in law) for a next trip.

But I did gain a new addition to my collection, which is a small Death Guard force for Kill Team/40k, a present from my good friend Onur. There is an active community here, and I will use participation in these games as a way to build social capital for running some historically or historically inspired games. And I hope to maybe get my hands to some painted Brettonians, I had left at my friend's Chris house. 

But in many ways I am at a tabula rasa point, and can start a new collection. Which leads me to make a serious and extensive review of the rules-systems I have in order to see which I am keen at making a collection for.  I used to think that you get the miniatures and you will find the rules, but I know find that have a set of rules that really makes you want to play provides more motivation for collecting miniatures. I guess the worm has turned. So here goes a big review. In a future post I will then lay out my plans for collecting for the next two to three years.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

 Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all. 

The years ends with two projects.

A postcard boardgame called Kanlisirt 1921, done for the Postcards from the Front 2023 Jam organized by Hissy Cat Game Studio. You can download and play at this Itch link

De Re Militaria, a DBA 3.0 sourcebook for Mark Smylie's "Known World" setting. A first draft is in the hands of Mark.

The 36 inch x 36 inch gaming table decision

Updated for a more realistic plan 

Those of you that followed by old blog, already know that I was thinking on downsizing to collections that could be played on a 36x36 playing area. Now that I came to the US I considered a bit whether to relax this. Considering my finances, space, the need for collections to travel, and lack of available time, I have decided to stick to it. Pretty much if your game cannot accommodate a 36x36 playing area, and a one to one-half hour gaming time, then it is not for me. That does not mean your game is bad. It probably is brilliant, but it is not for me (pretty please consider us poor smucks when designing games)

This has led to some more decisions on collecting miniatures inspired by Stillman's Rules (of Warhammer fame)

1) If you are not buying rules and miniatures as part of a group activity, do not buy rules if you already do not have a miniature collection for them. 

2) If you are starting a collection for your own amusement, always get a matched pair. You may eschew this rule only if you are guaranteed other players for at least one game a year.

3) You must have a collection for each rules-system you have paid money for. If you are not willing to do so, retire the rule-system.

3) 28mm miniatures will only be used with skirmish games or small scale tactical games

4) Said skirmish games must give a good game in one hour to one half-hour, on a 36x36 inch gaming area

5) Mass Battle games must give a good game in one hour to one half-hour  on a 36x36 inch gaming area

6) You many not go above 15mm for mass battle collections. 

7) You will make the effort to have good and aesthetically pleasing terrain options for that 36x36 inch gaming area

8) For historical mass battle gaming, you will build matched pairs for specific historical scenarios that can be accommodated on a 36x36. Make the appropriate terrain. 

9) Design scenarios for 36x36 table size. If you design a scenario for a bigger table size, be frank and clear to people that you will not playtest it. 

10) Any board war-game you buy must fit in a 36x36 playing area, and have a average playing time of one hour to one and half hour. This must be the central offering of the game and not just a auxiliary scenario.

Considering these rules, and taking a look at the various systems I paid money for, a plan for future purchases can be made. I summarize my thinking in this table 

Rules-Set	Collection	Matched Pair	Modifications for 36x36 Table	Budget
Altar of Freedom	6mm for Battle of Fort Donelson scenario?	Yes	None, stick to the scenario and make it nice.	50 USD
BBB	Greek-Ottoman 1897, 10mm Pendraken	Yes	2/3 Measurements or make scenario specific set-up for Velestino. Translate scenarios to 3x3 and only make 3x3 scenarios in the future (may make larger for other people)	Done
19th Century Wargaming			None
Tercios-Liber Militum	New Model Army 28mm, Warlord Miniatures (needs an opponent)	Yes	None, play Companies Lists or 500 points games	150 USD
BBB 1912-1922	6mm Greeks and Turks 1919-1922?	Yes	2/3 Measurements, or make only 3x3 Scenarios for own use (may make larger for other people)	100 USD for figures
Great War Spearhead			Stick to Divisional Level Actions
Basic Impetus	Known World Factions 15mm? 12th-13th Century Generic Feudal/ Harnic-Lythian Inspired 15mm?	Yes for Known World, no need for 12th-13th Century	Use 60mm Base Width	200 USD
DBA
To the Strongest
Mayhem
Rally Around the King
Knychte, Pyke and Sworde	Known World Factions 28mm, Perry Miniatures	Yes	Works fine at 36x36	100 USD
Saga: Age of Magic
Kiss me Hardy	1/4800 Scale Ships?	Yes		150 USD
Kill Team/ Warhammer 40k	Death Guard, 28mm Games Workshop	Not needed	Works Fine for Kill Team and Combat Patrol	100 USD
Labels: Italics: Planning phase Bold Italics: Some Progress Bold: Done Project Commercial rules I own that I know I will not play : 1859,1866, I Ain’t Been Shot Mum, Fleet Action Imminent , Might and Reason, Maurice, Lassalle 2, Perfidious Albion, Shako and Drum, Smoothed and Rifled.   Free Rules are not included here.

This adds up to about 850 USD (I rather over-price than under price, though I have a feeling many of the collections will be cheaper than I think) for miniatures, and say 500 USD for terrain, paints etc. If I budget 200 USD per year on the hobby (15 USD a month), then I can complete all these projects in the next seven year period. That should be the aim.

Of course as Old man Moltke said, no plan survives first contact, but still a plan, and especially a budget can help a lot. 

This plan has a couple of pros: it includes 28mm collections that can act as a gateway to get people to try the other games on their. It includes naval gaming options that I have found are always popular. And the collections should be mobile enough, that I can always take something with me when visiting war-gaming friends in Greece or Turkey.