Nothing new on the 40K of 40K front. I did manage to make some serious progress on my Necrons though, finishing two fliers, bringing me up to three total. I do the bases for that army separately as well, and am almost done with all the bases. I also finished a Cryx Iron Lich Overseer. Oh, and a bunch of commission work. Busy week.
I also got to try my Daemons out in 40K. More on that later.
Well, the Daemons side project’s photos are finally here, showing the last of the completed models. This project really got me thinking about army painting, hobby projects and painting oaths. I own several incomplete armies for several different game systems. Warhammer 40K is my main one, and the one that I have the most armies for. I also have a few Warhammer Fantasy armies and a few forces for Hordes and Warmachine. There is even a Battletech starter set sitting here that needs opened and painted.
I tend to be really mercurial when it comes to armies. What is hot today is cold tomorrow for me. Sometimes that leads me to picking up models and unloading them rapidly. Many times though it just adds to the pile of incomplete projects. Too many incomplete projects can be taxing to the spirit, so they tend to get shoved in a closet somewhere. The best cure for this, of course, is to finish a project, which is what this side project was about.
Now, I paint a lot more than I play games. Playing games requires a certain time commitment and an opponent, whereas painting can be done to my own schedule completely. Also, I am one of “those people” who dislikes playing with an unpainted force. This is another aspect of the side projects, it allows me to kick out a small army (roughly 1500 points) that I can get games in with while having a fully painted force.
The 40K of 40K project is meant to be a long term project, which is intended to help me focus on completing the two largest armies I own, namely Tyranids and Space Marines. I’ve made a lot of progress on it this year, but there is a long ways to go. Originally I was going to attempt to finish the Tyranids this year, but a few events have conspired against me. One, I am struggling to find a Tyranid build that I enjoy in the new edition. The Tyranids are still a viable force, and I’ve seen people do really well with them. However, the ways that are doing well are not the ways I enjoy playing them. Two, I am in the process of attempting to buy a house. As such, I really don’t want to assemble any more super heavies or gargantuan creatures as they are much easier to move in parts. Three, side projects!
Still, so far this year I have painted over 4500 points of Imperials and Tyranids, more than 10% of the total points to finish the army. As things stand, I have less than 13,000 points left to paint, which well a bit daunting, means roughly three more years of painting if I keep the same pace. I am also encouraged by the fact that I have completed that much while working as a consignment painter and doing other numerous side projects, such as the Daemons painting oath.
Speaking of painting oaths, they are a great way to get small projects done. I belong to an online group that does oaths several times a year. It is basically a group of painters who set a theme and a deadline to get models done in. Everyone picks their own project, and can tailor it to their own ability and time constraints, and then they get started. We post photos of the finished results and those who finish get to bask in the glory of their accomplishments, while those who fail to get some good natured ribbing. I personally find them a great way to stay motivated, knowing that I am accountable to answer for my oath.
So, moving on for the rest of the year I will be continuing work on the 40K of 40K project, plus working on a new side project. My local shop is starting up a Warmachine map based campaign soon and I need to get my Cryx ready for action. I have about 60 points painted, led by Asphixious, but for the campaign I need two additional casters. I started Skarre this morning, and am debating who my third will be. I also have several units and ‘Jacks to paint up. Also, I have about 1500 points of Necrons to paint up, so I will be working on those on and off too. Once the Necrons are done, I have my sights set on a small Ork force (I own over 5000 points of greenskins) and a small Tzeentch themed Chaos Space Marine force to go with my Daemons (once again, 1500 points).
Oh, and this week I finished two termagants. 🙂
Tyranids painted total: 16,556
Imperials painted total: 10,725
lordokaos 