December 2014 - Painted Guys

It’s almost the new year, so I think I’m contractually obligated to write up some kind of retrospective. I started tracking my backlog (and therefore all hobbying) in January, and blogging in May, so I actually have a pretty good record. In the last few weeks I’ve caught up with all the projects I completed in 2014 but hadn’t yet written up.

Overall stats

I started the year pretty deep in hobby debt, with a significant backlog from a store closing sale, and went deeper after buying a Space Marines Strikeforce for some Inquisition War projects. I dug myself out, though, and worked all the way through the backlog.

60 projects completed
131 individual models
94 infantry models (including 55 40k dudes, 6 40k characters, 17 Malifaux models and 16 Reaper Bones models)
18 vehicles (14 40k, 4 non-game airplanes)
19 markers, tokens, and the like
6.7% of the Bones Kickstarter models completed
New workspace, with much more functional desk, shelves, and paint racks
Exclusively used painted models in every game

Warhammer 40,000

The Warzone Harat three-part campaign finished up in January. The finale was an apoc-style event, which got me to buy and paint up a Revenant Titan, my first experience with Forge World. The other big ongoing event was the Inquisition War campaign at Endgame, which gave me the excuse to paint up old Necromunda models as the Inquisitor and retinue, and finally do the Deathwatch Kill Team I’ve been considering for ages.

In addition, I had a pretty large backlog to work through, which meant quite a bit of Ultramarines, Dark Eldar, and Eldar got hobbied.

Inquisition War
Forge World
- Revenant Titan
- Dark Eldar Reaper
Old models and other maintenance
Ultramarines
Dark Eldar/Eldar
- Razorwing
- Scourges
- Wave Serpent
- Guardians
- Rangers

Malifaux

I’d been contemplating adding a second miniatures game into the mix, but had never pulled the trigger. Early in the year I got a demo of Malifaux. Then, Wyrd’s summer painting contest convinced me to pick up and paint a box. Once that was done, I had no choice but to play.

Since then, I’ve built up a decent selection of models. I still don’t really know what I’m doing, but I get more confident with every game.

Reaper Bones

I participated in the first Reaper Bones Kickstarter back in 2012, which was delivered in 2013, and I finally started painting in 2014. For a while I was trying to do one per Thursday (Random Rursday), but that stopped being fun, so I stopped. I’m still painting them when the urge hits me, and keep a couple primed on standby.

Scale Aircraft

I got back into miniature wargaming a few year ago through scale models. The nice thing about wargaming is that it has a built-in excuse to show off your work. I only found a little time for it this year, but like the results.

Looking to 2015

Malifaux is occupying most of my miniatures brain these days. I’ve got a pretty decent backlog already which will probably take me through February or so.

I’m going to Adepticon in March. I’m signed up for a mix of 40k, Malifaux, and hobby seminars. I haven’t decided what, if any, hobby goals I have ahead of the con. If I want to do anything special (build out my Deathwatch for Combat Patrol, maybe?), I need to get serious about it soon.

Beyond that, it’s hard to say. I have a hard time imagining myself starting a new 40k army at this point, but I can see myself building my existing ones out. I have an desire to complete the Neverborn faction in Malifaux (well, the plastics, anyways). I get to play few enough games that I worry I won’t understand all the rules, much less actually play with them. Or maybe I should collect masters instead of factions.

I’ve also got my eye on both Dropzone Commander and Firestorm Armada, but I’m pretty sure I already have too many games…

I bought these Eldar Rangers in the same store closing sale as a number of other models about a year ago. They are Finecast, and were a big pain to clean up. Most of the gems has some kind of flash on them, for example.

I painted them months ago. Looking at them now, that pain has mostly faded and I’m really happy with how they look.

The blue cloaks are the Reaper Ultramarine Blue colors I’ve been using as the accent color for both Eldar and Dark Eldar. As I recall, I airbrushed everything blue shades and mids, then highlighted the cloaks and painted the orange armor, helmet, gun, and details by hand.