Final finishes of the year! (Carl)

I finally managed to get the last of the 10mm Pendraken Haystacks and the five outstanding Termagants for my 10 model unit finished this month.

It was a bit of a last gasp affair with the Termagants but I was determined to finish the unit by year end.

These completions take my total completed models in 2023 to 52! A new record for me and I’m quite pleased with managing to hit it.

A bout of covid just before Christmas and then the mayhem and busy period of Christmas itself took out any chance of hitting 116 finishes so I’m still down against new purchases this year. But on the whole I’m pleased with the completions I’ve managed, I had several screaming diversions that didn’t actually make any new finishes materialise but did slow progress on actual works in progress.

Next year I’ll be attempting to focus on finishing projects rather than leaping around and getting nowhere fast.

Tyranid Termagants, Spore Mines & Ripper Swarm (Carl)

 It’s been a while since my last post mainly due to a random collection of work related fatigue, family life and ‘jobs’ that needed doing, but finally… I’ve finished a few more minis.

First up are the first half of a 10 model Termagant unit for warhammer 40K. These are the old two piece plastics from long ago. I’ve continued the paint scheme started with the Genestealers and it’s proving an interesting project working out how to balance the colour spread across the various chitin elements on the models. My models are spread across different decades of GW sculpting and the styling has been refined over the years meaning that what works on some models wouldn’t necessarily work on others. I’m working on the basis that a consistent colour palette will tie everything together rather than any particular placement on the models.

The next model is the third base for the Ripper Swarm unit (although they can operate as 1, 2 or 3 bases). This one is the new modern 2023 design. A current model in my collection! Shock moment.

Finally there’s two more units of three Spore Mines, a combination of old metal and plastic versions.

These models have been waiting weeks and weeks for me to finish their bases. Now they’re finally completed it takes my 2023 completions up to the heady heights of 40 models! A new record for me in recent years.

Day 1095 - a 3rd year of paint-on-brush (Nick)

Yesterday was 3 years since Carl & I started trying to put 'paint on brush' or as it is now, at least do 'something' every day.

Sadly this year I've had a lot of misses for one reason or another, I genuinely forgot on several occasions or was just too tired (let's blame old age) and a brief bout of COVID has led to a prolonged period of not doing much and the wheels have pretty much fallen off my wagon.

Carl has been doing much better than me recently and is on quite a roll, however my efforts at end of the previous year (again) mean that the last 12 months of doing 'something' every day have seen 54 finishes from me although the calendar year is currently only 3!

I do intend to continue the mantra, but it looks like I need yet another bumper year end - as always I guess doing 'something', no matter how little, is still better than doing nothing... I just need to put those wheels back on my wagon.

As I write this cruising down La Seine hopefully this short break is what I need, I have even brought some paints and brushes with me should the mood strike!

Pendraken 10mm livestock (Carl)

 

The latest addition to my completed miniatures this year are actually something I’ve bought this year. They’re these 10mm livestock (cows and sheep) by Pendraken Miniatures. Considering how tiny they are they’re lovely little sculpts. I’ve enjoyed painting them - I even dotted the eyes in on them! 

There’s also a single haystack there which was the first of several also from Pendraken. The 10mm miniatures I e bought this year are part of my project to produce a 10mm version of the Lucrum board game I released in summer 2022.

Blood Angels Death Company and Chaplain (Carl)

Earlier this year myself and Nick went to a 10th edition 40K Boarding Actions warhammer 40K midweek event at warhammer world.

After a hurried rebasing session on a few Tactical marines I needed to finish a few other models to take.

These are are a five man Death Company unit and a very old Chaplain to lead the Boarding Action force.

They were a bit quick so a light on detail work and minimal colour additions but they do the job.

Tyranid Ripper Swarms & Spore Mines (Carl)

I’ve kept some momentum going with painting the Tyranid force made up from various models kicking about on the mountain. I’ve managed to finish two Ripper Swarms and three Spore Mines.

These follow the colour scheme from the old school first edition Space Hulk Genestealers. There will be another Ripper Swarm and more Spore Mines eventually (I’ve actually bought a new Ripper Swarm  to add to the models from the mountain for this force).

Miniatures bought in 2023 (Carl)

I recently did a bit of a totting up of the miniatures I’ve bought over 2023. Compared to what painting I’ve completed so far it’s a sobering sight.

In no particular order:

Models bought 2023

Bad Squiddo:

4 x Viking archers

2 x Samurai Women

Horus Heresy:

20 x Marines

Age of Sigmar

1 x Aethervoid Pendulum 

1 x Chaos Lord

1 x Chaos Knight

Pendraken 10mm

2 x cottage/farm buildings

8 x Haystacks

10 x Livestock bases

Warhammer 40k

10 x Termagants

1 x Ripper Swarm

Warhammer Underworlds - Gnarlwood

9 x minis in two warbands (4 + 5)

Fenris Games

38 x Terrain Features

1 x wizard mini

Titan Forge - Bloodfields

8 x Vampire Hunters & Beastshape Tribe (4+4) starter box

This comes to a total of 116!

That’s a big ask to equal in completed models painted let alone getting ahead and shifting some off the mountain. It’s going to take some serious effort to get to this number between now and the end of the year!

Genestealers from 1st edition Space Hulk (Carl)

With the release of the new 10th edition of Warhammer 40K Nick and myself have been enjoying getting to grips with the system using the Boarding Actions variant of the game.

While I’ve been using my Blood Angels for the initial missions I’ve started putting together a Tyranid force built from old models I have knocking around on the mountain.

So the first new (old) models for the army are these rebased 1st edition Space Hulk Genestealers painted in the traditional colours from waaaaay back in time.

These models take me to just 11 completed models for 2023. But I do have a load of works in progress which ‘should’ see me hit 52 for the year. By my standards in recent years that’ll be a massive change. 🙂

War of the Roses - Bowmen (Nick)

Beware the Ides of March! ...or something like that, although we're nearly into April and alas these are my first finishes of 2023.

I have prepped and assembled quite a few minis so far this year, and at least 'something' every day, but my attempts at painting kept ending in frustration almost like I had forgotten my own techniques - I think maybe some burnout after the frantic end to last year.
In fact these very figures were on the 'naughty step' for a long while until one day some simple base texturing and all was well again.

These metal figures are samples from the c15 Medieval range by Eureka Miniatures on which I decided to try out liveries for my new War of the Roses wards to use in Never Mind the Billhooks Deluxe and make a characterful change from the usual grey plastic from Perry Miniatures:

I have used the same tried and trusted technique as my other War of the Roses figures, using Games Workshop Contrast Paints and some additional highlights over pre-shaded white prime, just substituting alternative colours for the livery to the previous orange and green - by coincidence this will give me four different colourways using eight unique colours.

For those interested, the liveries are (L to R): Sir John Tuchet, Lord John la Zouche & Sir William Hastings all of whom have local connections in one form or another.

So all in all not the start I had hoped for in the New Year, in fact just one figure a month rather than one a day - but hopefully I'm on the road to hobby recovery and more will follow soon.

War of the Roses - the collection so far (Nick)

Day 2 of 2023 and the family photos as promised, rather than any finishes just yet.

Firstly the 100 points of Lord Thomas Stanley's veterans for Never Mind the Billhooks 'Deluxe', including the Ambushing skirmishers:

C-in-C
Veteran Men-at-Arms

Leader I
Veteran Bows
Veteran Bills

Leader II
Veteran Bows
Veteran Bills

Next up the 24pts retinue for Lion Rampant, with the extra bidowers/skirmishers lurking in the background:

Foot Men-at-Arms/ Elite Infantry *with leader
Archers
Archers
Expert Yeomen/Veteran Light Infantry
Expert Yeomen/Veteran Light Infantry

...and now that I've completed more foot knights, the original 'one box' retinue - albeit with a few figures from alternative box sets now:

Foot Men-at-Arms/ Elite Infantry *with leader
Foot Men-at-Arms/ Elite Infantry
Expert/Veteran Archers
Expert/Veteran Archers

Not the excitement of new figures I know, but it was good to get them all out together before putting them away in the cabinet - new figures are happening, and hopefully more finishes on the way soon... dare I hope for that extremely elusive 1-a-day this year??

Never Mind the Billhooks - Men-at-Arms (Nick)

So my second post of the New Year, and back to War of the Roses for Never Mind the Billhooks 'Deluxe' for my final finishes of 2022.

Again Perry Miniatures plastics, and a mix of several 1450-1500 box set components - in fact the last of my War of the Roses collection I already have assembled!

Nothing fancy on these ones, just carefully picked out details and some specific poses - the chap with the white feather was going to be the commander of my original Lion Rampant project, and the pointing leader in charge of a second unit:

These will form a unit of 12 for Never Mind the Billhooks with the last three I finished including the banner bearer, while the first 3 with surcoats form temporary leaders giving me a painted 100 point force + the Ambushing archers - I also get two units of 6 for Lion Rampant as originally planned, even though many of these figures are later additions.

So with these last 9 finishes, that brings the tally for 2022 to 53 finishes - one less than last year but I managed to hit the magic 52+, with 51 of them finished in the last week!!
Hopefully 2023 will see the enthusiasm continue, without such a mad dash to the 'finish line', for a start I need at least one more unit for 130pts at the next Billhooks BASH in April so I best get cracking?

WAB - Germanic Skirmishers (Nick)

Day 1 of 2023 and here we are with the first post of the year already, ...although as has happened in previous years these are actually 2022 finishes that I didn't have time to post before Big Ben went bong!

We also have a change of tack from the War of the Roses deluge as I was able to quickly get these skirmishers with javelins ready for my Germanic WAB army - back to Wargames Factory plastics again and the usual Games Workshop washes and occasional Contrast paint over a white prime:

As was always the way back in the day I've kept them cheap and cheerful for WAB without any upgrades (and an odd number to play about with the 25% casualties rule).
However other rules sets do equip them as standard with bucklers or shields so I may revisit them in the future to add these, but for now I'm calling them done much in the same way as my javelinmen for Lion Rampant.

In the meantime they may make an appearance in Infamy, Infamy where I only need units of six, so when I finish another nine that will make a healthy 3 units to play with.

With these 9 done that makes 44 finishes for the year but I've been VERY busy in the last 24 hours so...