Looking Back on 2019

As 2019 draws to a close, I'd like to thank all my followers and wish everyone a Happy New Year! Since it's the end of the quarter, it's also time to check in on my Wargame Hobby Bingo... I DID IT!

 

 

This morning I checked off the final box, and filled in the entire card! 

 

The boxes for this quarter include:

 

Paint a model and incorporate a technique you haven't mastered yet–

For the Quicksilver Swords endless spell, I used a white-hot metal effect to match the flame motif of my Undead Legion.

 

 

Paint a Monster–

I really struggled with this one. I already had plenty of monsters in my Legions army, and the Nighthaunt army doesn't have any monsters (I'm not a fan of the Mourngul), so I had to go into my Tomb Kings backstock to find this guy.

 

 

Paint a unit and add scenic bases to all the models–

Time was running out, so I chose the smallest unit I could. The Glaivewraith Stalkers also came with scenic bases, I just needed to do a little work on the bases so they would match the rest of my army.

 

 

 

Make a diorama–

This little guy came together pretty quickly, and turned out great. I'm looking forward to making another one next year.

 

 

Make a simple 4' x 4' battlefield–

I put together this 4' x 6' battlefield to use at the local shop. My tutorial for making game boards like this can be found here under my Terrain Tutorials.

 

 

 

Paint all the miniatures in a board game and play it–

I've missed out on this one every year, but I was determined to get it this time around. I had considered picking up a new game to paint, maybe one of GW's small games that uses miniatures that I could add to my nighthaunt army. I didn't really feel like dropping $50-ish dollars on a game I'd probably only play once, and I already have enough of the Nighthaunt figures that come in the games and don't want any Stormcast models. I went through my packed up games and found... Zombicide!

Even though it was way more models than I really wanted to paint (71 figures!), the zombies painted up super fast, and the game itself is a lot of fun. It even has a "one-player" mode, so I could still fulfill the criteria of playing it even if I couldn't find time to get a group of players together. I've got a blog post queued up with more detail shots of the figures and my process for getting through 65 zombies in a few days.

 

 

 

Paint a new version of one of your old character models–

The final square! I've been working on a new version of Korak the Grim, mounted on an ethereal steed to serve as a Knight of Shrouds in my Nighthaunt army. I finished painting him in about 3 days, and finished up his final assembly, Dull Cote, and static grass this morning.

 

 

How did you do on your Wargame Hobby Bingo cards? I'm working on a new card with some different spaces for 2020, hopefully I'll have it finished by the end of January. I'm happy with most of the spaces on the card, but some have limited use year after year.

For example, even the most hard core hobbyists probably only ever need to make one 4' x 4' battlefield. Once they've done so, that becomes a dead square that they'll likely never check again.

I'm considering axing the "board game" space too because it draws attention and finances away from one's wargame army. Although, without it I never would have painted my Zombicide figures, and I've been having a lot of fun with the game. So, let me know if you think I should keep it or change it.

365-Day Hobby Streak

#HobbyStreak is a personal motivator to maintain steady progress on your hobby projects. To participate, simply work on models for at least 1/2 hour a day. This can include, assembly, painting, converting, making scenery, etc. Even just clipping and cleaning mold lines off parts counts if you've only got a little time to spare. Post a picture of your progress on Twitter with #HobbyStreakDayX and see how many days in a row you can get. If you miss a day, start over at day 1, and see if you can beat your previous record. By maintaining just a little progress every day, you'll be surprised how much work you'll get done.

If you follow me on Twitter (@RobHawkinsHobby), you'll have seen my #HobbyStreak progress. As a New Year's resolution, I had decided to go for a year-long hobby streak. Finishing Korak today marks my 365th day of working on models Every. Single. Day. For a whole year. 365 days is my limit. I'm out. January 1st will be the first day in longer than I can remember that I can finally NOT paint something.

But all that hard work pays off. I've finished 277 models this year– Most of my Nighthaunt army, the Zombicide figures, finished off my Skaven projects and all of the endless spells, along with some scenery. Here's the spreadsheet that I used to keep track of everything:

 

 

I began the year with 91 models in my backlog. I finished most of those, and painted nearly every model that I started this year. The Grimghast Reapers got away from me because I haven't yet filled out the remaining two models in the second unit. I also have eight Chainrasps left. They are almost done, and there's a slim chance that I could finish them up today, but since I've already hit my #HobbyStreak quota for today, I'll probably pass.

That leaves me with 44 models still in the queue as I go into 2020. And it's all Nighthaunt and Imperial Fists, so it looks like that's what I'll be focusing on.

Have a Happy New Year, everyone stay healthy and safe!

'Til next year!