2013 Year in Review

Looking back at 2013, I can say that this past year, more than any other, has been focused on Warmachine. I'm usually pretty good about spreading my effort between historicals, fantasy and other projects...that just didn't happen this year. Not complaining though...I had a lot of very enjoyable Warmachine games this year against a wide array of super opponents.

On the modelling side, I finished off most of my Menoth collection early in the year. Here are some of the last 'casters I needed for a full collection.

And the new Bastian Seneschal (with friends)...

I was also able to finish off a number of great Table-top World terrain pieces. Like the graveyard...

...the smithy...

...and the merchant's house. I have plenty more of these great buildings to do, and hope to get to some more of them this year.

In the spring, I ran the MayDay Warmachine tournament. Very fun.

In June I flew down to Seattle and attended Lock & Load. Great Privateer Press convention...but I think I'm going to swing back to GenCon this summer instead.

Throughout the year I got in plenty of fun Tuesday night games...mostly with my buddy, Elliot. Always a great opponent with very well painted armies.

During the summer, I started into my main army project for the year, which was a Damiano Mercenary theme force. Most of the effort when into the 'jack camouflage painting, but the end result was worth the trouble.

Later in the year, I joined into the Thursday night Warmachine leagues up at our LGS, Thunderground, in St. Albert. There were many fun painting challenges that had to be met for these leagues. Here's a terrain piece I put together for one of the Journeyman leagues.

Toward the end of the year I led a series of three painting workshops up at Thunderground. We covered basing, skin, cloth and armor. You can get a lot of work done just knowing the few basic techniques required for these common figure painting areas.

Finally, at the end of the year, my new game room was completed. I've been looking forward to getting the basement renovated just for this purpose. I'm very happy with the end result, and look forward to hosting many friends here for gaming over the coming years.

That's 2013 in a nutshell. Maybe not as productive as past years in terms of raw output...but there's been plenty of great games and lots of friends met and made.

I hope everyone has a great 2014...and happy modelling!

'Til next time.

2012: Unfinished Projects...Sad Face

As 2012 draws to a close, it's time to look back over the year and figure out what didn't get done. This past year, I finished about 2/3rds of the projects I started. Not bad, but that did leave a lot of models staring back at me with the "What did I do to deserve such shoddy treatment?" look.

Topping the list of unfinished projects was a beautiful BaneLords model I picked up at GenCon during the summer. I put this resin piece on a Secret Weapon 50mm sculpted base and figured I'd have a really nice Middle-earth Troll out of the deal. However, he only got half-way painted before being overtaken by more Cryx madness.

On the Cygnar front, there were a fair number of models I didn't complete. Included...this Hammersmith and Firefly.

I also did not finish Nemo2, Haley1, Murdoch and the Black 13th. I did play with all of these, however.

Back when GW was in the midst of pulling all their metal models from their product line (for the pending release of Fine-mis-cast models), I panicked and purchased as many metal Middle-earth Elves as I could lay my hands on. Here they are in early stages.

Rohirrim! The Hobbit got me started back into more Middle-earth figures. I have a box of Valiant Rohirrim sitting around, so I dug into half the infantry.

My wife is a fan of King Theoden, so she wanted to paint some Rohirrim horses. Here, she has just started into two. I'll be painting the riders. This is a very current project, but won't be done before the end of the year.

North African WWII micro armour. The fetish continues. Here are some British and German vehicles still not done.

And a slew of Italian ones.

In 28mm, to go along with my recently completed Sherman V, I'm "in the process" of painting this Panzer IV H. May be a while before it's done.

My interest in Dust came and went quickly...no one to play. I nearly finished off this light German walker before shelving the project.

Menoth 'jacks for Warmachine. Here are three that are in various stages of completion. Fortunately, these are high-priority models to get done early in 2013.

More flotsam from the Cygnar side show at the end of 2012. Tempest Gun Mages with Officer, another Stormsmith, and eStryker.

OK, this is one I really want to do. Again for Warmachine, this is the Mercenary Alexia, with two Thrall Warriors and 20 Risen. The boxed set only comes with about 10 Risen...I raided several other manufacturers for the other 10 undead models required for the project.

A few more Warmachine personalities that didn't make it off the production line. Aiyana & Holt, along with Ragman.

Iridian Skirmishers. Gawd...this unit doesn't deserve to be completed. If anyone has a viable list that uses them, please let me know. I can't see a good reason to put them on the Warmachine table.

Finally, a platoon of Canadian soldiers in 28mm for Normandy games. Fellows...don't worry...you will see the light of day before long!

Well, there it is. What are you lamenting not getting done this past year?

'Til next time.

Looking Back at 2011

What a year!

2011 was awesome...so many games, so many models, and plenty of projects to keep a hobbyist busy. Looking back over the last couple of years, it looks like the pattern that's developing is to knock out about two big army projects a year, and then supplement that with plenty of work in other areas.

This last year, the two big armies that got put together were 1) 1st century AD Celtic army (which can double for many different Gallic, Germanic and British armies)...

...and 2) A rather large Cryx army for Warmachine. This shot is of a unit of Mechanithralls; just one component of a project that ran close to seventy figures.

2011 turned out to be a pretty prolific year. I finished over 300 models and got close to putting the finishing touches on a couple of other big armies, like this Early Imperial Roman force...

...and an ever growing Menoth Warmachine army. Ah yes, Prime Severius and his 35 point juggernaut force. Good list!

My army projects seem to focus in on putting together one or more games for MayDay (our local miniatures convention). In 2011 it was the Battle of Sotium. MayDay is a very good driver for this sort of thing.

Some of the painting projects this year leaned towards the big end of the scale. The new battle engines for Warmachine came out this past year, and I did two of them. The Cryx Wraith Engine...

...and the Menoth Vessel of Judgment.

Another big project that got knocked out this year was getting all sorts of paint into dropper bottles. Wound up with more than 800 of these little buggers.

This past year I started posting a number of tutorials. These turned out to be pretty popular on the blog, so I'll continue this trend in 2012. I really enjoyed doing the horses tutorial.

I played lots of games this year, thanks mainly to our lunch time Warmachine group at work, and the Tuesday night Edmonton Wargame Group. Five game systems took up most of my time in 2011, including Warmachine/Hordes, Command & Colors, Conflict of Heroes, the new SAGA (pictured here)...

...and Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 3rd Edition, which we use for our Middle-earth-based RPG system.

Well, that was a busy 2011, and 2012 shouldn't be any different. There are already several new projects underway on the hobby table, which I'll be posting on in the coming weeks. Hope you have a great New Year!

'Til next time.

2010: Year in Review

Hello All.

It's been a busy year with lots of cool stuff going down at the hobby table and with the family. Time to look back.

There were 230 projects completed this year, ranging from the modest (Space Hulk Genestealer) to elaborate (the Viking Ship). Let's start at the beginning.

Back in January, I was plugging through eight Albatross DVs in 1/72 scale. That was a nutty project.

As the MayDay convention was looming, I started work on the Carentan Normandy scenario. Here is a WIP shot of some of the German infantry I worked on. 28mm.

Here are the finished American paratroopers I had out for that convention game.

I also ran a daylight bombing raid over Berlin, 1945. This was a six-player game with lots of 1/144 scale models, and lots of metal falling out of the sky.

In the early summer I got an airbrush and decided to take on a modest first project...nearly 40 15mm armor pieces for a still-to-be-realized Kursk scenario.

But before I could finish that project, Warhammer 8th edition was released, and I decided to take the plunge. A Lizardmen army occupied most of the summer.

The Stegadon.

In August, our city's Folk Festival hit town, and so did our nieces. Four days of music, food and a great time!

Late in the summer, Hordes 2.0 hit, and I started to expand my Legion of Everblight army. A WIP ship of Thagrosh.

In the fall, I undertook this Viking Ship project to spruce up the Danish dark ages army I was putting on display in the local library.

In October, my wife and I left for a beach vacation...it was nice to take a break!

When we got back, we decided to expand the cat family, so we adopted Orion from the Humane Society.

As winter approached, I expanded into a second Warmachine army. This Spriggan was my first Khador Warjack project.

On to Christmas holidays, and the last bit of insanity for the year...a new Celt army for Command and Colors.

Well, that about does it for the year. I hope you had a great 2010 and are looking forward to an even better 2011. Thanks and welcome to all the new followers of the Hobby Table blog this year!

'Til next time.