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The 2023 Ovelist was better than the 2022 Ovelist, so that’s something.

The Ovelist, if you’ve never heard of it, was something that was thought up by a friend of Arbitor Ian (one of my favorite Warhammer YouTubers). The friend, Andy Ovel, came up with a graphical set of goals for the coming year, a sort of checklist of things that you want to accomplish.

This will be my third year of doing the Ovelist, so let’s see how I did.

These were on my 2023 Ovelist:

1. Batman Miniatures Game

I made it a goal–for the second time–to dig in and review this game. So I bought the starter (a new starter because I had bought the old starter the previous year), but… I just am ramming my head into a brick wall when it comes to the game. The gameplay itself is fine, with some unique mechanics to like, but.. the game just drives me bananas. The models are incredibly fiddly, made in true scale 28mm with extremely delicate parts and NO INSTRUCTIONS. I found assembly a nightmare, painting a chore, and, when I was done? Batman’s team is Batman and a bunch of cops. And the other team is not some wild and crazy band of Arkham’s Asylum misfits, but Falcone and mobsters. So I was going through the tedium of painting and fiddling and annoying myself all to have two bland, milquetoast warbands.

Basically, I did not like this game.

2. Kill Team

This was probably my biggest achievement of the year in terms of hobbying. I made it a goal to create a kill team of each of the loyalist Space Marine Legions (including the Deathwatch, Grey Knights, and Black Templar). And it was a ton of fun and turned out great. This goal, was a major success.

3. Sci-Fi Terrain

I do not have enough sci-fi terrain, especially Warhammer 40k terrain. And I made a goal to fix this and, with the exception of a couple of kits and some 3D printed stuff, I generally didn’t get anywhere with this. So, a major loss.

4. Imperial Guard

This was a win with a twist. I built a large Imperial Guard force and then, as I frequently do, I think “What if this army also happened to be a Genestealer Cults army?” And so I expanded into Genestealer Cults, and I got all the way up to 2000 points, which I’m happy about. Got a Baneblade and two units of Rough Riders–and seriously, the Rough Riders look amazing. I love them.

5. AOS 2000 Point Army

This was my goal in 2022, too, and I was determined that 2023 would be my year. But, it wasn’t. I keep getting close. I did a large force of Idoneth Deepkin, and a large force of Kharadron Overlords, and this year I did a large force of Seraphon, but none of them are actually large enough to be playable. And that’s a shame. But, there’s always next year (spoiler).

6. Solo Wargaming

I made a goal of getting into more solo wargaming during 2023, and this one actually went really well. I put in many hours of Majestic 13 and other games, and generally found that I enjoy the casual and slow pace I can play solo games. So, a big checkmark.

7. Undaunted

At the time I wanted to get into Undaunted, Undaunted: Stalingrad was making waves, but I hadn’t played any of them at the time. That was remedied this year when I got heavily into Undaunted: Normandy and put North Africa and Stalingrad on my wish list.

8. Model Railroad

The train that had been started is not entirely done, but it has really come along. There was a problem with the electrical work that required tearing up a big portion of it, and while I was at it I made the slope of the rise more gentle. But it still continues to grow. I have plans to heavily build out a factory section with multiple levels.

9. SPQR

I had wanted to get into this game because I love Hail Caesar’s models but don’t love the gameplay. And SPQR, from Warlord Games, did not disappoint. It is a fantastic game if a little simplistic. It moves faster and has simpler rules, but adds in the campaign rules and gaining experience for your leaders, which is a lot of fun.

10. D-Day Campaign

This one is a failure. I had big dreams of running a big multi-game system campaign, where we’d see Flames of War combined with Bolt Action with Undaunted with Advanced Squad Leader and more. But I just didn’t get it planned in time to correlate with D-Day.

11. Interviews

I had a goal of six more interviews in 2023, after having a pretty extensive backlist of interviewees. I don’t know if I actually hit six, but I got several. I think I’m going to mark it as a fail because, by my best count, it’s only five.

12. Warhammer 10th Edition

I was looking forward to getting into Warhammer 40k 10th Edition (because it was long rumored to be coming). And, I bought Leviathan. And? I kinda like it. The whole premise of 10th Edition being a more easy-to-learn version with streamlined rules was something I was very much looking forward to (I had issues with 9th Edition) but Games Workshop seemed to go back on that and it’s quickly getting convoluted again. So, that’s dumb.

2024 Ovelist

These are the things I have on my 2024 Ovelist, my 2024 Wargaming Resolutions, if you will.

1. Age of Sigmar 2000 Point Army

Yes, this has been on my list for the last two years and I never make it, but this year I am finally going to complete a 2000 point Age of Sigmar army. And I’m almost there! I have a ton of Cities of Sigmar stuff (if I can just get it all painted).

2. Legions Imperialis

Maybe this is just recency bias, but I really want to get into Legions Imperialis. I have the starter box, and I bought a couple of Baneblades because they look so good. Odds are good that I’m going to paint the Space Marines up to match my Horus Heresy Blood Angels, but I have no idea what I’m going to do with the Solar Auxilia. Still, looking forward to getting stuck in with a full 2000 point army.

3. First Annual Convocation of the Wargame Explorer Society

This is my wargame retreat! It’s happening in Salt Lake City in June, and I’m really looking forward to it. It’ll be a full week of a nice AirBnB, fully catered meals, and just games all day. I’ve never run a retreat before, and this one is certainly not a tournament, but it’s shaping up to be fun. Click here to learn more about it!

4. Dirty Half Dozen

The Dirty Half Dozen is my new game that is in the playtesting stage right now but will be released in the first quarter of 2024. The rules are fully written now, just working on some balance issues, but it’s a ton of fun. It’s a blend of Bolt Action and Mordheim, with teams of commandos fighting against each other in World War II. And best of all it’s going to be given away for free! So keep an eye on this space.

5. Advanced Squad Leader

While more of a board game and less of a miniatures game, this is a wargame that has a ton of love and a huge community of fans–and I’ve never played it. That’s something that needs to change, and this is the year to do it. I’m looking forward to learning what it’s all about.

6. Warcry

I’ll admit it: after three (or four) years of Warcry being on the market I have just never been able to get into it. I think this has a lot to do with the same reason I can’t get into the Batman Miniatures Game: the models–with a few notable exceptions–are very small and fiddly. And, in my unthinking desire to get into the game I chose the smallest and fiddliest of the bunch: the Corvus Cabal. Anyway, my desire to play this game has only increased over the years and I want to play it. My goal is to have two complete and painted warbands so that i can be a game advocate for it at the local FLGS.

7. Terrain and Scenery

I noticed in a recent article I did about Bolt Action that I had some realy gorgeous shots of my World War II miniatures, because I had spent so much time lovingly crafting beautiful display boards. And while I’m not saying that I want to do that for Warhammer–though I might–I definitely want to have more terrain to use. If for nothing else but photography.

8. Horus Heresy

This one isn’t about collecting and painting, because I have very close to a full 3000 point army already. But I don’t have anyone nearby who plays The Horus Heresy. I have considered building a second Horus Heresy force (and that would be fun because I love painting them) but that could be pricey. No, I need to find

9. Age of Sigmar 4th Edition

By all accounts, the 4th Edition of Age of Sigmar is coming this year, assuming they follow the three-year cycle that they seem to be sticking to. ALSO, there’s a big rumor of a range refresh for the long-neglected Skaven. If both of these things happen concurrently, I will be a very happy man. I’ve never been a big fan of Stormcast, so it would take a good opposing army to get me to go in on the starter box. Still, seeing as it is my goal to get more into Age of Sigmar this year, then I probably will need to keep up with this new edition.

10. Flames of War

This is one that has been sitting in my pile of shame for far too long. I not only have the Kursk starter set but I have the Kasserine starter set, too. I have no reason not to be playing this game other than the fact that I just haven’t gotten around to it. So this is on the list.

11. Launch YouTube channel

Yes, I have a YouTube channel for the Wargame Explorer that I have played around with a bit over the last several years. But I don’t have the video know-how to make them look good and, as a writer, I’m much more comfortable behind a keyboard then on camera. Still, I believe that the future lies in video and it’s time I get to it.

12. Sarissa Precision

This goes along with two of my previous Ovelist goals: the Dirty Half Dozen and the Terrain and Scenery. I have bought two Sarissa MDF scenery kits in the past and been very pleased with them and I really, really want to get more of them, especially to play my World War II game with. I’ve already ordered a couple things and hope to build up a collection.