HAPPY NEW YEAR!

God knows we all deserve a happy new year after the trials and tribulations of the one just gone, which will be remembered infamously for the rest of our lives.

From a wargames hobby perspective 2020 saw a decimation of the show circuit, the club scene was also somewhere close to non-existent and simply meeting up at your mates’ houses for a game fluctuated between being risky and illegal.

Thanks to wargamers’ increased use of the internet over recent years many of us were able to take to the keyboard to keep our hobby alive, whether that was via forums, virtual conventions (well done to Partizan, HMGS CyberWars and Patmocon for their valiant efforts) or ordering online. This last, along with state aid in some quarters, has meant that we are not aware of any businesses in our hobby that have ‘gone under’ because of Coronavirus. In some cases hobby companies have actually thrived, struggling to cope with orders during lockdown (see my article in Wi392 – Coping with the Great Pandemic of 2020). But, I know that many, many of us are hoping that 2021 will see a resumption of normal service when it comes to meeting up with fellow gamers across the tabletop, rolling some dice and talking toy soldiers and other nonsense with like-minded people.

Let’s hope that will be the case sooner rather than later and that 2021 will see an outbreak of dice rolling, rulebook flicking and above all laughter across the tabletop, around the globe. Here’s to 2021!