Painting and Gaming Plans for 2026

There has been no wargaming for me over the past couple of weeks, as we have been travelling to Seoul, South Korea for a family wedding, and as I write this post (on my iPhone) resting up for a few days in Singapore. The break from painting and gaming has given me a chance to gather my thoughts on what I would like to focus on wargaming-wise in 2026, which will be my second year of retirement.

Projects to complete or finish off

• Gaul army using 20 mm HaT plastic miniatures, currently about two-thirds complete.

• Star Wars Legion, finishing off a couple of models that are still sitting in the plastic pile.

Adding to or enhancing existing periods

• Napoleonic armies, with the addition of artillery, cavalry, and officers with standard bearers.

• English Civil War, adding two cavalry units and some dragoons.

• WWI, strengthening my British army for the Mesopotamian front forces with more Indian troops and cavalry. The HaT 20mm miniatures are already in the plastic pile.

New projects

• Revamping my Warhammer 40,000 terrain, which is currently rather bulky and not well suited to gaming on square or hex grids.

• Battle of Britain / Blood Red Skies, a small project of four aircraft to try my hand at air wargaming.

Campaigns

• Gauls vs Romans, most likely a mini-campaign of about 3 to 5 tabletop battles, though the how I will run it is still to be decided.

• English Civil War campaign, smaller in scope than the one I ran between December 2018 and February 2020, which involved over 30 tabletop battles (original campaign posts start here). This will again be an area-based campaign, but with far fewer regions to control.

• WWII desert campaign, using a board game as the campaign map and guide to drive the tabletop battles.

Anyway a few things to get going with, which will no doubt change once I am back at the painting table. 

That is it. It is hard writing a post on an iPhone. But here are some more photos of the changing of the Guard Korean style…

Painting a few more 20mm Gauls

I have been busy clearing the painting table of some 20mm plastic Gauls (mostly HaT with a few Italeri). So far I have completed two Warband units (96 figures) and half a cavalry unit (10 figures). Adding them to my existing collection which are used as part of a Carthaginian army. I am continuing with the larger unit approach, with infantry and cavalry made up of four bases, and skirmishers and chariots using just two bases.

The push to clear the painting table is largely because we are heading away for a couple of weeks to attend a family wedding in South Korea, followed by a short break in Singapore on the way back to New Zealand. I do not like leaving units half painted, as I find it difficult to get back into the flow after a break.

The Gaul army as it currently stands with the recent additions.

Who doesn’t like a few chariots!

Gaul Warbands (48 figures per unit).

One of my Christmas presents was the Blood Red Skies starter set. I’m looking forward to building the kits (two Spitfires and two Messerschmitts) and giving the game a try when I get back. I think this will be my first foray into air wargaming, and something to look forward to after the trip.

A first foray into Air Wargaming

Two Spitfires and two Messerschmitts to make and paint.

As for my wargaming plans for 2026, I am still mulling that over. At the top of the list is finishing the Gaul army - the remaining half of the cavalry unit (10 figures), a unit of skirmishers (14 figures), and a unit of chariots (four chariots). I would also like to complete the Blood Red Skies starter set pretty quickly.

The time away should provide me with a good opportunity to ponder on what to paint and play over the coming year, and to firm up a rough plan for 2026.