2009 Annual Review

As New Years eve gets closer, I thought I'd look back over the year and sum up how I feel it's been for my 40k hobby and this blogging lark.

First off, hobbywise, I've got quite a bit done. Back before the new guard codex release, I decided that this year, I'd try to put together a full infantry platoon, less the conscripts for my mech guard force. As the end of the year draws in, I've got the final 9 figures on my painting station waiting to complete the 100+ troop choice. It' strange to think that I've spent a good part of the year on one force organisation slot. I've managed to add a few tanks to my force with the release of the new codex, and even made the odd bit of terrain. One thing I have noticed is that I've become a bit pattern set with my guard, with them being uniform. I've spent the year painting shades of grey, which hasn't really improved my painting skill, so I'm going to have to look at that

I've also dipped my fingers into the sculpting and converting with a few small projects like my snipers, marbo, advisers and the ongoing field ambulance project. Although they've soaked up a lot of time, I've really enjoyed putting them together and they are the models I'm most proud of. I definitely want to get more into the sculpting / converting / scratch building side of the hobby next year. 

On the gaming side, I must admit, it's been a complete failure. I don't think I've had more than six games this year, which considering I've spent the last year painting models to play with, it's a pretty piss poor situation. I'd like to say that this or that got in the way, but in all honesty, I've just been lazy. The nearest place to play is just short of an hour away and only open on a Friday night, so it takes a real effort to get me out of the house and rolling dice. This is something else that I intend to improve on in 2010.

Finally, on this blogging malarkey. I wandered into blogging back in march after getting disillusioned with forum and the various sorts of personalities you get on them. Nine months in, I've got to say it's going great. I never thought I'd enjoy it so much and people seem to like what I'm doing. So, I'm looking forward to more blogging in the new year. I have noticed that I haven't done much work on my campaign blog this month but it is a long term side project, so I'm not feeling to guilty about it, I'll posting more campaign rules in the new year.

So, all in all, a good year. There's a few issues I intend address in the new year but for now, thanks for taking the time to read this and following my blog if you do. Hope you have a great new years eve and I'll see you 2010.

Another heavy weapons team

Hope you all had a good xmas and Santa brought you lots of hobby goodness. We're slowly getting back into routine, I should have been working today, but I decided to extend the holiday by a day as the eldest two are staying for an extra day.

On the present front, personally I didn't get much this year. Firstly, I didn't really ask for much 40k stuff as I'm trying to get the plastic crack mountain down to a hill. Secondly, there's an ongoing xmas theme with the nearest and dearest where she tries her best on the 40k front, but something always goes a bit wrong. This christmas was no different, first off, she got me the Rogue Trader rulebook, well, she actually got me two copies as she won both ebay auctions. So, I'm not sure which to keep, the hardback or the softback, but one will be heading for ebay. Also, I've had an itch for Advance Heroquest recently, so my lovely wife scoured ebay and christmas morning, there I was, opening Heroquest by MB games ..... gutted but great fun with the family that evening.

I managed to do a little hobby stuff, I finished the final heavy weapons team for 2nd platoon. That leaves the final squad which I've already put together and undercoated ready to paint. Once they're done, I've finished the 100 man platoon. I also dugout my sentinel halftrack and undercoated it ready for painting, it's going to be the escort for my command section.

Merry Christmas ...

Image from Toycutter.

Merry Christmas

I hope Santa brings you all lots of wargaming goodies.

Doc Butchers victim ... sorry, patient.

I finished off the operating table last night whilst doing some other bits and bobs. All I really needed to do was to add a drip stand and a line. Overall I'm quite please with how it's all come together. Next up for 462 Field Ambulance is some stretcher bearers but I've got a few other things I need to get done first.

Way back when ...........

So, I was flicking through an old copy of WD109 when I came across the inaugural guard article. Well, I say article, at 22 pages, it was more like a codex. Things were very different back then, first off, GW only put one advert for the 'new' guard box in the entire article!

Anyway, onto the boys, way back when I was a boy, the guard was a very different army. We flew around on land speeders and jet bikes, we drove into battle land raiders and rhinos.

Our sgts packed vortex grenades, our troopers packed conversion beamers and d-cannons and we had assault squads, yes, you heard me right, guard assault squads, with jump packs!!!

We were very inclusive in the day, we'd take criminals, squats, ratlings, ogryns and even beastmen, I jest ye not. Back in the day, we also used some dodgy methods of getting the job done, like suicide bombers, yes that's right, us guard were miles ahead compared to the real world in using high explosives and stupid devout people to cause death and destruction.

As you can see, things were very different back then, and yet twenty years on, there's still so much that's the same. Unfortunately, White Dwarf isn't one of them, it makes me laugh when I heard you young whipper snappers going on about how rubbish WD is. For us greying vets, we remember a very different WD. In this issue, along with a 22 page guard codex, we had the vehicle rules for Adeptus Titanicus (Now epic), rules for greater demons in WFB & 40k, rules for goblin fantatics in blood bowl, the inaugural 40k terminator rules, the rules for reaver and warhound titans in AT (epic) and finally the rules for orc stone throwers and goblin chariots plus a host of letters, faqs, titbits and heavy metal.

Now that's what I call a White Dwarf!!!!!!!!

Finally, a quick update on my operating table for 462 Field Ambulance, it's almost done, I just need to finish the drip but I wanted to show you a wip because I'm really proud of how the green stuff work came out. What ya think guys?

Doc Butcher finished

I finished Doc Butcher last night, overall I'm pretty pleased with how he's come out. I went a little OTT with the blood on the apron, that's what happens when you try to paint at 2am when you should be sleeping. I did add a bone saw at the request of a few of the guys on the Bols forum.

It took me three attempts to get the teeth right and the handle was a real challenge but it worked out quite well in the end. One thing I did realise when I was painting him up was that in future, I need to sculpt more texture / creases on arms, aprons or any other large flat areas. With the Doc's arms being mainly flat, when it came to painting them, they turned out flat. So, that's the first sculpting lesson I've learned since starting sculpting, hopefully, I won't repeat that mistake again.

Finally, I had a play with one of the biker bases John at Spectre hobbies sent me. I'm sure you can guess where I'm going with this one.