A Hobby Review of 2018

Phew! It's been a busy old year and I'm very much enjoying taking a bit of a festive break. Since the very start of this blog, I've taken the opportunity to take a look back at the end of each year, and its hobby highlights. This year is no different, and it feels like it was another good year.

At the end of 2017 I set myself some ambitions:

- To attend Bring Out Your Lead (BOYL).
- To travel to Ireland again for another gaming weekend
- Join participate in a new Necromunda campaign.
- To continue with Choose Your Own Adventurers.
- To paint some RT forces.
- To paint some Dracula's America in Space figures.

Oh, and to have fun and play some cool games!

Gaming in 2018

In 2018 I played a similar number of games to previous years. I didn't get across to Ireland, but I did attend BOYL, and a real blast it was too!

My car boot full of figures and terrain to be used at BOYL!

Dracula's America in Space at BOYL.

Bounty Hunting in the Underhive at BOYL.

I also had a few gaming sessions with my mate Graham at his place.

Necromunda was the key theme of the year though. My gaming group is now mid-way through our 3rd campaign of the year, and I'm on my 3rd gang (Confrontation Hunters, Techs and now mutie cultists). 

In April I also attended the first Necromunda tournament at Warhammer World since the new game came out. The best part about it was that one of my opponents, Mike, has since joined our Necromunda gaming group - it was worth it to meet a great new gaming buddy!

3rd best Necromunda player in the world (current rankings!).

I'm looking forward to more Necromunda to come in the New Year, and hoping for an improvement in my mid-table rankings in our campaign!

Painting and Modelling

The year was full of fun painting and modelling projects, some of which have been on my wishlist for years! I finished off three Confrontation gangs (the Hunters, Bratts and Techs) using in the main period figures. I didn't paint up my RT space elves, but I did make a nice new Eldar Kill Team using RT scouts. I also managed to paint Buck Rogers starfighter, a selection of mutated cultists, Johnny Alpha and a host of terrain. Not any Genestealer cultists though!

The Hobby Chart

But I know all you really want to see is the chart. Here you go:

In 2018 I painted a total of 160 'things'. A thing is a thing - a large terrain piece counts the same as a barrel. A single 28mm miniature is the same as a vehicle. I'm pretty pleased with a total of 160, even if it is a drop of last year's high (207 things).

Number of games is holding steady at 40. Less than the 2015 high of 46, but it roughly equates to one game a week excluding holidays.

I'm just hopeful that I maintain enthusiasm and have time for a similar level of output next year.

Plans for 2019

Speaking of next year, what does it hold? I say this every year, but as long as I managed to have fun games and enjoy what I model and paint, that's a success for me.

That said, I know I'll be working on some post-apocalyptic / fringe world terrain in the New Year, and I already have plans for the next Necromunda gang (I fancy making some fighters from House Helmawr).

I'll attend BOYL 2019, keep up the Necromunda campaigns, and I'm sure other opportunities will present themselves!

I'll sign off for 2018 now - have a great holiday period and wishing you and yours a great 2019!

Strontium Dogs - Sourmouth Clancy

Another reason for my current diversion of attention into the 2000AD universe, is that there are plans afoot to play a game with Search/Destroy agents next summer.

Aside from Johnny, Wulf and the Gronk (who won't be appearing in next summer's Strontium Dog game), I wanted and needed to create my own mutant bounty hunter. Again I sought some expert advice and was provided with the following brief:

• There is no set Strontium Dog uniform apart from the badge.
• Search/Destroy agents are comparatively wealthy (versus other mutants) and can have decent gear and outfits.
• The classic SD outfit is a tight bodysuit, accessorised with pads and other gear.
• Mutations are often bizarre / humourous, and often confer no or minimal benefit/abilities.

Armed with the above, I set about scouring the Citadel back catalogue in an attempt to track down a suitable base figure to turn into my SD agent. After much deliberation I settled on a rather obscure supervillain figure from Citadel's early 1980s Golden Heroes range. 

Strontium Dogs - Johnny Alpha, Wulf & the Gronk

I've started taking an interest in 2000AD characters recently. By and large Dredd, Johnny Alpha et al passed me by in the 1980s. For a long time though, I've been interested in Citadel's 2000AD figures, selectively repurposing them for use in Rogue Trader.

Some gaming buddies have suggested that I start taking a look at some of the comic strips, and I'm currently working my way through volume one of the Search/Destroy Agency Files, featuring none other than mutant bounty hunter, Johnny Alpha. Painting up Citadel's Strontium Dog figures is a nice refreshing linked mini-project. They are a discrete trio who give me a chance to play with brighter comic-book colour schemes. And there's the added bonus that I could in theory use them on the table in a game of Warlord's Strontium Dog.

Wulf Sternhammer, Johnny Alpha and the Gronk.

Setting the Scene - a New Backdrop

I'm a firm fan of scenic photography of figures and try to do it every time I paint something new. However, my backdrops are usually hastily assembled from gaming terrain, and new to be set up and broken down again every time. I wanted to make myself a fairly basic backdrop that I could keep near my painting station to access quickly and easily. 

The completed backdrop

The Rites of the Hunt - Necromunda Venator Band

Back at the start of the year I was invited to create a Venator band for Necromunda. There was planned that the gang might be published in White Dwarf alongside the article on Venators in the May 2018 issue. Sadly the gang didn't get into print, although they were shown recently on Warhammer TV.

My approach to the gang was to try and recreate the look and feel of the classic Marauder Confrontation Venators - check out these wonderful painted examples by Asslessman over at Leadplague. The classic look includes hoods, masks and a prevalence of nooses - something I wanted to replicate using current plastic GW kits.

It's a Long-Shot (Cultists Get Snipers Too)!

I'm really getting a kick out of my dregs and mutie cult for Necromunda, in spite of the fact that they are ranked 8th out of thirteen gangs in our campaign with a 50-50 win-loss ratio. There's something about pathetic low-lifes that really does appeal to me!

Not content with having two snipers already, I decided I wanted a third. This time I've elected to arm Sant, my new cultist, with a long-las instead of a long rifle. It lacks the range and stopping power of a long rifle, but in trade off it's a much more reliable weapon and more accurate at mid-ranges.