The Tallyman 20/04/16: A Giant Dump...

Ok so, lets just ignore the fact I skipped a month, and that this post is a bit early (or 20 days late, whichevs). But I didn't get anything painted in March, so it would of been a bit of a crop post. Also May isn't looking like a blinder of a month either - something about end of module assessments or something... Anyway, forwards into the breach!

With the painting disaster zone that was March over and done with, lets get on with what I've been up to in April...

April started out quite slow, I had a hard time concentrating on any single project, I managed to make a start on a whole variety of thigs:

But nothing really 'stuck'. I did get a couple of things conpleted tho, like this White Lion for Kingdom Death: Monster

Gold/Red is the new White.

When I was about to resign myself to another disapointing Tallyman update, my phone chirped to signal an update on one of my Kickstarter projects. I opened it, and saw this:

And I thought to myself, "Hey, remember when you painted the Zombicide base game? That was fun. Remember how the game looked much cooler with painted models. Remember how it took you 5 months? Do you reckon you could do it again? But in, like, 2 months?" For some reason I thought that yes, yes I can do it again, in under half the time it took last go around. So i cracked open my copy of Black Plague and went about priming models.

And here's the end results:

So, that's 18 models painted, and 0 purchases. After a slow start, it really kicked up a gear. I'm onto the main bulk of the zombies next, so lets see how that goes for me.

The Tallyman 28/02/16: Slow-er Progress

Ok so, the "slow month" of janurary was a bit of an under estimate of how slow a month can really be. Turns out the Open University has a thing called "deadlines" that I'm supposed to meet? Who knew! Anyway, on with the show.

February was a bad month for the Tallyman, Nurgle won't be bestowing any favours at this rate. Lets start with the good (ish)... 

I started work on these guys! They're very much WIP at the moment, I think this is just after base coat and wash, so very early stages. I thought I'd get these guys done, because numbers 1,3 and 4 were part of the Colony 87 kickstarter, and with the dawn of the Return To Colony 87 kickstarter currently in progress, it's probably time to get these painted up.

Ok, that's the positive side of the scales sorted. Now I'm sure that there's no way i would panic buy something that I've previously had no interest in, just because it was being discontinued...

Ah, bugger. So anyway, the story is Games Workshop decided to discontinue the Tomb Kings. This move upset a lot of people, but it's kinda unreasonable for us to ask a company to keep stagnant stock around just so we won't miss it. So when the Red Sand Timer of Doom (tm) popped up, I had to take the plunge and pick up some of the models on the chopping block. I'm sure I won't regret this.

I also picked up this guy from eBay - I'm not going to lie, this was a 100% impulse buy. No idea on the range or manufacturer but it looks like a fun model, and I'm sure I can squeeze it into a chaos warband or something. 

Ok so, two months down and the scores on the doors are currently at 2 Painted : 7 Brought. So my leadpile slowly rises. Hopefully I'll conquer it before it crushes me.  

The Tallyman 07/02/16: Humble Beginnings

They cost how much?!

Ok, look! 3 posts in 2 months? And you thought I wouldn't be able to keep that "post more regularly" resolution. Anyway, welcome to my... monthly? summary of how well my plan of converting my lead-pile into painted models. Or money.

January 2016 was a pretty slow first month for the Tallyman. I've been working my way though re-re-basing my Skaven army (long story) which is taking up most of my hobby time, but I did manage to get a couple of models painted!.. Ish.

Models Painted: 2

Firstly, on the left, we've got a standard bearer for the gang of Nurgle Thugs i've been building for my Nurgle Warband. On the right, we've got the, for now, leader of this thugs, he could do with a couple of additional layers of paint - but he's "finished" for now. Both have unfinished bases, but that's because I've not decided on a basing scheme yet.










Models Brought: 2

On to the negative side of the equation. This month has been a very restrained month for me (considering some of the releases - I'm not counting Kickstarters until the arrive) only two purchases! 

Firstly, though the Oldhammer Trading Group on Facebook i picked up a Jules Le Jongleur for my Warband:

He's a model I've wanted since I first saw him - It turns out I have a bit of a thing for Jesters, perticualay evil ones. I'm not quite sure what that says about me.

Secondly, I popped into my Local GW and picked up a Gaunt Summoner:

Not sure what this is for, but thanks to the "Grand Alliances" of AoS, I don't have to decide! This guy and the Treeman (and the Dryads, to a degree) are all part of what I'm calling Games Workshops "Pan's Labyrinth" Collection. Stylistically, Pan's is one of my favourite films, so it was a bit of a no brainier when this guy popped up for sale.


So with one month down, and no sales, the score is tied at 2:2. Which means my lead-pile neither grew nor shrank in the last month! It's the little victories. Until next time!

2016: Hobby Resolutions

Happy New Year!
Hope you all had a great night!
But not like this. Hopefully.

So here we are, at the beginning of another year. As is customary at this time, I've prepared a set of hobby goals that I hope to meet during the next year. Like all New Years Resolutions, I'm probably going to be quite optimistic at my staying power, and the wheels will fall off around March. But here we go!

Modelling Resolutions

• Skaven Army.
• Frostgrave Warband.
• Gorkamorka Mob.
• Bret Army.
• Veer-Myn Army.

Paint Resolutions:

• Nurgle Warband.
• Khorne Goretide.
• Verminlord.
• Zombicide: Black Plague Box.
• Kingdom Death: Monster Box.

Misc Hobby:

• Reduce Unpainted models (by any means necessary).
• Finish a project before starting a new one.
• More, regular, hobby time.
• Update this blog more regularly.
• Keep a tally of painted models vs. brought models.

Not the hardest resolutions, but I'll check back every few months or so to keep myself on track.

Here's to 2016!

2015: A Year (end) In The Hobby.

The shiny golden face of 2015

So, this year started with everyone cautiously excited about the new edition of Warhammer Fantasy. Then proceeded into rumours of round bases started popping up, which were only stoked by pictures from Warhammer World, with Lizardmen on (gasp) ovals. People thought that it truly was the End Times. Then it hit. The Age of Sigmar.

GW had committed heresy! They made the rules free, and quick to learn! They introduced a new chapter of Space Marines! They also committed the gravest of sins, they advanced the storyline! The sky was truly falling!

(Insert mood lightning here)

Ok, jokes aside. The release of AoS was a big deal this year in the hobby. If only for the quantity of "power gamers" who Rage Quit the game, but - controversial opinion - did the hobby really lose anything with these players quitting? Mantic's Kings of War better be on top form in 2016, because if a significant portion of your player base is people who rage quit another system, they're not going to give you any leniency.

I must admit, I was sceptical at first - as you can probably see from any of my posts about AoS leading up to the release. But I've been converted, I think that the modelling freedom that round bases offer offsets the "loss" of our precious block formation. I've even started two warbands for the game:

Khorne Goretide:

All the other guys a standard out of the box models, except this guy.
 He's a "rescued" Kharn model, who's been re-purposed as a Blood Warrior icon bearer.

 And a New Realms of Chaos inspired Nurgle Warband:

Again, an Icon Bearer. I must have a thing for icons.

Of course, the Age of Sigmar wasn't the only headline this year. The other big news of 2016 was the fulfilment of Kingdom Death: Monster. 

And you thought this day would never come...

I received my copy, and let me tell you, it's a nice kit. I'll look at it a bit more in-depth once I've cleared my current hobby waiting list. 

But that wasn't the only Kickstarter project of 2015. The last year has been a good one for Kickstarter Projects, possibly better than the "golden age" of a couple of years ago. There were so many cool projects, it was actually quit difficult to choose which ones to back. In the end I threw my lot in with:

• Phroggs
• Deadzone: Infestation
• Colony 87
• Space Raiders
• Zombicide: Black Plague
• Wasteland Survivors
• The Others: 7 Sins
• Macrocosm
• Warpath
• Darklands: Savage Hordes
• Die Hard Miniatures

Just from that list I have more than my fill of New and Old School miniatures, as well as boardgames and just whole armies/warbands/gangs that I can sub into various systems/settings. Between the Deadzone and the Warpath Kickstarters I've got a decently sized Veer-Myn force coming my way. Hopefully I can work my way through my leadpile and I can actually paint and show off some of the new stuff that's already arrived (more on that later).

Looking forward, the upcoming Kickstarters is even more exciting. We have the thinly-veiled secret that is the next Mantic Kickstarter (Pssst... it's probably Fallout Warfare), and the upcoming Pantheon of Chaos Kickstarter (from Diego Serrate, the mind behind the Space Raiders), all the way to whatever CoolMiniOrNot have planned (if I was a betting man, I'd have my money on a plastic box release of Dark Age or the much-anticipated Confrontation Phoenix - but then I bet on those two every year).

Ok, I'm running out of space here so I'll cover my New Years Hobby Resolutions in another post. But until then, have a happy New Year!