OK, let's kick off the year with a whole bunch of new (well...) challenges for the forthcoming 12 months. I'm keeping the 16 project format (8 painting, 4 each of gaming and hobby) and I'll set them out and discus what I'm planning to do for each one. Leaning more towards the pessimist/realist end of the scale rather than delusional/optimist, I doubt the arrival of a new year will magically lift all the restrictions we are living with, so, it makes sense to keep the majority of the challenges painting and solo oriented. If the restrictions are lifted early enough in the year, I'll revisit this around June and maybe bump some of the numbers up for the Gaming resolutions.
Painting Resolutions
So, as far as painting goes, the last 6 months of 2020 were a challenge as Sarah was working from home and took up residence in the games room. Couple that with the fact she was generally starting every day after I had got in, and I really didn't have much access to my desk. I took the executive decision to strip down my paint station (the horror) and set up a desk downstairs to use as my new painting area meaning I don't really have an excuse for not cracking on with things after work if she is working. Well, that's the theory at least...
1. Continue to work towards Grymkin being fully painted (HORDES)
Let's start the ball rolling with a returning challenge. I've worked
away at these over the last 3 years, and have definitely broken the back of this one.
I currently have 28 models to do for this to fully paint my backlog, I
already have all the Warlocks painted, along with 2+ of every Warbeast, all of the solos and units and a Battle Engine. The 28 remaining
models will fill out all the Units to maximum Field
Allowance. From there the only things I am missing will be a 2nd
Deathknell (questionable) and the Oblivion and Riot Quest releases, although they
aren't strictly speaking Grymkin models for the most part. At a very minimum, I'd like to
finish at least... all of them? It might tempt me in to picking up some of the newer releases, just for Faction completeness you understand.
2. Complete the Tales of Instahammer challenge (Warmaster)
So I managed to finish this last year, probably made up the points I didn't do 2 years ago in extra models, so I'll give it another bash. I'm not sure I can squeeze much more Stormcast into the cabinet, so, I'm taking a slightly different approach this year and going for a Warmaster force instead. Tiny Tales of Instahammer it is then. Planning to do a full 2000pts over the 6 months and trying to match up to the various challenges. The astute amongst you may have realised that I still don't have all the Black Gate Ogres for my planned list, but, I do have a resin 3d printer (early Xmas present to myself last year) and have printed out a ridiculous amount of 10mm Vampire Counts miniatures. Obviously each base counts as 1 mini, even if it has 12 or so figures, so a unit nets 3 minis painted generally. At least the characters are quick, right?
Vampire Counts, 2000 points
Warmaster Revolution
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120 - 4 Skeletons
140 - 4 Zombies
110 - 2 Ghouls
240 - 4 Grave Guard
180 - 2 Ethereal Host
440 - 4 Black Knights
160 - 4 Dire Wolves
130 - 2 Fell Bats
230 - 1 Vampire Lord
- 1 Winged Nightmare (80)
160 - 2 Vampire
90 - 2 Necromancer
--------------------------------
2000 - 26/13
3. Paint 6+ points for Age of Crusades (SAGA)
Jumping on the Heerschau 2021 challenge from Stronghold Terrain, it's basically Tales of Instahammer but for SAGA. Not sure exactly how it pans out, the full schedule hasn't been revealed, but I'm going to try and get some of those Teutonic's from Crusader Miniatures done. Even if I don't have a dedicated Warlord model yet. No idea what the final list will look like (fingers crossed for lots of Hearthguard) so I'll assume an even split of 2pts each of Hearthguard, Warriors and Levy and add a tentative 49 (including Warlord remember) minis to the list. Currently sat with 12 mounted Hearthguard, 8 foot Hearthguard and the same again with Great Weapons, and 24 Warriors and the same again with Crossbows, so I just need to source some suitable Levy figures if the need arises.
4. Paint a lot of Warbands (Warhammer Underworlds )
So it seems to be tradition now that I get the latest Underworlds box
set from Sarah each Christmas, and last year was no exception. I have 3 Warbands to do for Season 1, 4 for Season 2, and currently own 2 of the 5 I still need to do for Season 3, plus the 2 from the Champions of Dreadfane set. There has been a teaser image for Season 4 (Direchasm) so that adds another 8 Warbands (including those in the box). Don't know the exact numbers, but it is 70 minis up to and including the Direchasm starter. That leaves 6 warbands so, guessing at least 3 minis per set is another 18, so, again, a tentative 100 to finish them all? Looking at the teaser image, we have Undivided Chaos Warriors, Lizardmen, Vampirates? Savage Orcs, Ossiarch Bonereapers and Idoneth Deepkin. I think.
5. Project: Shieldwall
The plan for this is to just keep chipping away at more Viking models whenever I get the chance. I have a load of Foundry Vikings based and primed to get started, as well as the remaining Footsore ones to fill out the range, a huge pile of Foundry still to be prepped, the Artizan ones, some Bad Squiddo ones, you get the drift. I'd be happy with doing a few each month, so anywhere from 24-48 over the year? Let's just round it up to 50.
6. Monthly Fun Mini
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This kid knows more about blending than me...
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Bit of a change of pace this one, just knock out an average of 1 random fun mini every month. Having access to the 3d printer now, I can quite easily get random stuff that takes my fancy and doesn't necessarily have a place in the other challenges. I might use it as an excuse to do one off minis and try out new techniques, or stuff in bigger scales or a bust or something.
7. Blood Bowl Team
A nice simple one for this, paint up a Blood Bowl team. I have played numerous games over the last couple of years on Xbox, but none on the tabletop, so let's see about fixing that. Sarah's Admin team is doing an online BB league with the view to meeting up at some point in the year once things are back to 'normal' and playing games with their levelled teams outside of cyberspace. Guess I better have a team done too then, so I'm not left sitting thumbing my hole while they all play games. Current thinking is the Ogre team, because it is the only new plastic one I have, although the Necromantic and Nurgle teams are very tempting.
8. Terrain
With a view to playing more narrative style games, I really want to update my terrain collection from flat MDF. I reckon a good mix of MDF or plastic terrain will be a start to a more immersive tabletop, so, 4 terrain pieces over the year. I'm leaning towards some Dark Age styled housing, maybe a forest or marsh, some scatter terrain and walls or somesuch. It's a very repeatable challenge, so, if successful, might make a return next year. Yeah, who am I kidding? Even if I don't do it I might just leave it on the list out of laziness...
Gaming Resolutions
So, Gaming Resolutions are a bit up in the air right now, all things Lockdown considered, so I'll start with smaller numbers than normal, and look into things later on in the year and maybe bump them up later depending on how things pan out.
9. Play 26 (or 52) Games
Pretty simple, averages out to 1 game every couple of weeks to begin with, or 1 a week if I can get out to play. Hopefully, the restrictions get lifted early enough and I can get out to the club again. Worst case scenario, redlining a full weekend of Shadespire to rack up a load.
10. Start a Blood Eagle Campaign.
Hopefully I can make good on this one this year. Planning for 4 session and I guess if the lockdown restrictions stay in effect, I can use that time to build up the warbands and scenarios plan, then try and get the games done at the end of the year. Again, inspired by John E's excellent umpiring at the club, I'd like to make this a long running thing if it takes off.
11. Play 3 New Games.
Pretty simple, play 3 new games this year. Getting back to the club is good for this, so, again, fingers crossed.
12. Play 6 Boardgames.
I want to get some board gaming done this year to make use of the various ones I have picked up over the years. Shadespire is an easy point here, and I want to play Blood Rage again. Beyond that, no solid plans, although Hate might factor in, but it is a big box to deal with.
Hobby Resolutions.
13. Weekly Social Media Post
In the age of technology, this should be an easy one providing I can be bothered. I'm aiming for a #workbenchWednesday post on Instagram or Facebook or Twitter or whatever, should probably do a bit more YouTube stuff too, seeing as that fell by the wayside once I was back at work.
14. Do a Month in Review post every month.
Simple really. Just to keep everyone (all 20 of you) up to date with what I'm up to.
15. Changing (Games) Rooms
What with relocating my painting area, the plan is to build a new games table and unit for boardgame and figure case storage. it's a bit of a combination of my hobbies and I want to open up the games room a bit more and deal with the clutter a bit better as it always seems to pile up. The plan is to build an extending tabletop that starts at 4'x4' and opens up to a 6'x4'. There isn't really a need for a permanent 7'x4' board when most of the games we play use a 4ft table. It should sit on 4 small bookcases and slid out when required, but slide away when not in use to avoid it becoming a dumping ground. The second thing is a unit that will hold a number of figure cases and most of the board games that I have, just to clear up more space. I have the shed mostly done, and should be able to get something functional sorted out.
16. Go to 4 Shows or Conventions.
Same as this year. Get out the house. Spend some money. See some people/cool things. I'd be happy to get at least 1, but aiming for 4. Fingers crossed.
As far as the blog/my hobby is concerned, along with the above
#hobbyresolutions, I am going to be giving some thought to the
following.
1. Cut back on buying loads of new miniatures.
I mean, 3d printing minis doesn't count as buying, right? But still, I don't want to just be adding to piles, I want to make a inroads into the leadpile and keep at it.
2. Continue with Project: Shieldwall
Paint Vikings. Easy enough right, especially as I have some planned.
3. Catalogue the Lead Pile.
Yeah, still crazy business I know. But I did start it last year. Actually, it occurred to me that it is now easier to get rid of stuff because if the notion ever takes me to do something that I'd already cleared out, I can print a new or similar thing in a lot of cases.
4. Start working on Osprey blue book forces.
So I've kept on top of buying these up as they are released and I want
to try and paint up at least one force for every title. Using a
combination of models already painted and stuff I have planned for this
year, I'm going to start tracking my progress.
So, that is, going by the spreadsheet, a grand total of 451 various
miniatures/tasks to be completed, so, to add to that, I'd like to have
painted forces for at least 3 different Osprey blue books just in case I run out of things to do...
After that big wall of text, all that remains to be said is I wish you
all a better, a happier and healthier 2021 and may you end the year with at least as much hobby
enthusiasm as you started it.
All the best,
John
