Now in its third year, let’s take a look at my hobby work over the past year.

Overview

I started the hobby year working through the Malifaux Black Friday order and getting a few things ready for Adepticon. Then the queue got real. In 2015 I felt I had been a little too stingy at Adepticon. Let’s just say I didn’t have that problem this year.

I was out of town for the first part of the summer. When I returned I really focused on getting through that backlog. In late September when I knocked them all off, it was time for a major photo session. I managed to find space in the garage to leave the light box set up for a week or two so I could use all my hobby time actually taking pictures. While I was at it I figured I should reshoot some older models which didn’t have nice pictures taken. I had to limit the scope, so 40k and old random models didn’t make the cut.

As the year came to and end the backlog picked back up. Last year, this was due to the Wyrd Black Friday sale. I skipped the sale this year, but still found plenty to buy.

I’ve been wanting a general gallery for years. 2016 is the year that I finally put it together. It came with a revamp of the Spin-o-matic viewer which gives a lot more flexibility in how to lay out the spins. Since I don’t have nice photos for 40k, it hasn’t made it into the gallery. Maybe next year.

• 152 individual models completed (+5.6% YoY)
• 66 Malifaux models (51 on 30mm bases, 7 on 40mm, 8 on 50mm)
• 37 Dropzone models
• 15 Guild Ball models
• 34 others (including terrain, Arena Rex Team Yankee, and Wreck Age)
• Exclusively played with painted models

Malifaux

Malifaux is still my main game. This year I continued expanding both factions I play, Neverborn and Gremlins. I also built out the Tara crew a bit. With the Guilder program making some new limited models unbuyable, I’m telling myself I don’t compulsively need the limited editions. I sat out the Black Friday sale this year, so maybe it’s working.

• Neverborn
  • Vintage Pandora
  • Dreamer
  • Daydreams x3
  • Lord Chompy Bits
  • Coppelius
  • Alps x3
  • Lelu
  • Lilitu
  • Alt Barbaros
  • Black Blood Shaman x2
  • Widow Weaver
  • Stitched Together x3
  • Iggy
  • Mature Nephilim proxy (Frostgrave Demon)
  • Angel Eyes
  • Scion of the Black Blood
  • Bloodwretch x2
• Gremlins
  • Gremlin Taxidermist x2
  • Stuffed Piglets x6
  • Old Cranky
  • Alt Bayou Gator
  • Gracie
  • Hog Whisperer
  • Hog Whisperer Piglet
  • Piglets x3, plus refinishing one from last year
  • Warpig
  • Ulix
  • Penelope
  • Old Major
  • Wild Boar x3
  • Pigapult
  • Sammy Lacriox
  • Merris Lacroix
•  Other
  • Scion of the Void
  • Desolation Engine
  • Abomination x4
  • Malifaux Child
  • Bishop
  • TTB Hannah
  • Killjoy
  • Aionus
  • Dr Grimwell
  • Nurse Heartsbane
  • Orderly x2

Dropzone Commander

I played a little less Dropzone Commander this year than I had expected. The community at Endgame seems to have dwindled a bit, although I see the hope of a resurgence in the coming months. I added a second faction, Resistance, which gives me an excuse to play with new modeling techniques and play styles. I still need more to get to a full-sized force.

• Resistance
  • Lifthawk x4
  • Jackson x3
  • Resistance Fighters x6
  • Hannibal x2
  • Kraken
  • Gun Wagon x3
  • Alexander (Salakahn)
  • Zhukov x2
• UCM
  • Raven-A x2
  • Katana x3
  • Cata (Ferrum) plus Starsprite Drones x8
  • Phoenix

Guild Ball

I picked up Guild Ball at Adepticon this year. I’ve only gotten a couple of games in locally; it seems the local community meets on days that it’s hard for me to get to. I picked Engineers mostly on looks. The Engineers play has changed completely in Season 3. I like that Steamforged is keeping it fresh, but it’s maybe a little too fresh for an occasional player.

• Ballista
• Salvo
• Velocity
• Engineers ball
• Mainspring
• Ratchet
• Colossus
• Hoist
• Gutter
• Rage
• Vet Velocity
• Mother
• Web Markers x3

Other

Arena Rex and Wreck Age were also Adepticon purchases. The Arena Rex sculpts are simply fantastic. Even without games I’m excited to have them. I’ve only played a demo game at the con, but I dig the turn mechanic, and did I mention the models are awesome? I’ve ordered a second faction’s worth so I can paint them, and put them in front of somebody and make them play me. Wreck Age gameplay seems a bit too story-campaign-oriented for me, but the post-apoc theme is cool, so I bought a few models.

I bought the Team Yankee American starter at it’s launch late last year, and finally got some starter games in in the spring. I decided at the time that I wasn’t going to invest further, since I didn’t see a clear path towards playing (sometimes I can be rational!), and honestly I wasn’t excited with how my painting turned out. Well, now Mike at Endgame is talking about a few month campaign starting in the spring. I’ve taken the bait. Hopefully I can up my camo game.

• Arena Rex
  • Bjarrhvit
  • Vargr
  • Sven
  • Frigge
  • Hagal
  • Stheno
• Terrain
  • Plasticraft Suburban Props
  • Outhouse
  • Signposts
  • Fence
• Wreck Age
  • Reclaimer Zealots x2
  • Arhk Trooper
• Team Yankee
  • M1 Abrams x6
  • Cobra x2

Looking to 2017

I’m starting the year with a significant backlog again. Team Yankee will be my immediate focus, since it has a hard deadline. Then I’ll work through the Dropzone Resistance and Arena Rex. Oddly, for it being my main game, I currently have nothing in the Malifaux backlog.

I’m super excited for Team Yankee right now. The WWIII setting is cool, and Mike always puts on good events. I’ve ordered some supplies to try to make the models look great.

I’m signed up for Adepticon again next year. I’ve decided not to do any full-day events. I’d rather do half-day events, classes, demos, and maybe some pickup games. I’ve got Malifaux, Guild Ball, and even Aetherium on the slate, plus a few event games and classes. If I clear the backlog, maybe I’ll go nuts on purchases again.