Sunday, April 24, 2016

Painting Points Total for 2015-2016

My hobby interest in 2015 continues to go up even as my interest in the game has completely cratered with a bottoming out in the first quarter of 2016.  I still ended up with 517 points for the 2015-2016 year.  The represents nearly a 30% drop from the 730 points in 2014-2015.  However, this drop comes with a few big caveats.  First, let's see what was finished this year, what Terrain I built, what is in the queue, and what I expect in 2016.

Completed Projects

Overall

Out of the 517 points, the  bulk was still in Chaos with 235 points.  The remaining points were from Orks at 132, GK/Inq closely behind at 120, and a surprising return of Blood Angels at 30 points.

Chaos


After representing the bulk of the work from the previous year, Slaanesh only accounts for a single point for 1 herald base that was still outstanding.  The points this year were spent painting whatever I felt like.   The most points came from Nurgle units.
  • 3 Nurglings
  • 3 Plague Drones
  • 2 Blight Drones
  • Mamon
  • Herald of Nurgle on Palanquin
  • 6 Plague Toads (use as Beasts or Spawn)

Khorne models make their first appearance with 63 points.  I was very selective with units I liked.  The Flesh Hounds are outstanding looking and also represent my first custom basing.
  • Herald of Khorne
  • Herald of Khorne on Juggernaut
  • Skull Cannon of Khorne
  • 10 Flesh Hounds of Khorne

Tzeentch had a respectable 42.5 points.  The screamers were especially pretty and surprisingly easy to paint.  I still need a Lord of Change, still holding out for a plastic kit like the Bloodthirster.
  • 10 Pink Horrors & banner
  • 2 Blue Horrors
  • 9 Screamers
  • 3 Flamers of Tzeentch

This year brings a whole new Chaos aspect with the start of my Sons of Horus.  After probably 6 months of hemming and hawing, I settled on the SoH for a few reasons.  The leading factor was their flexibility.  To be able to run them as 30k Sons of Horus, 40k Black Legion, or 40 Vanilla Chaos was important in preventing me from being stuck using an army that was always terrible.  I wanted to try something new with painting and feel like I have a really cool scheme with them.  The Horus primarch model was especially appealing as are the iconography of the custom bits from forgeworld.  Ultimately, I only ended up painting a Sicaran, a Hellblade, and a Sorcerer (with Familiar).  Of that, only 1 unit can even be used in 30k, but it was important to be consistent.  I have a lot of other items for them in progress.
  • Hellblade
  • Sicaran
  • Chaos Sorcerer
  • Spell Familiar

Imperium 


Quite a bit was completed, earning 120 points.  Most importantly, I was able to complete everything I have for Grey Knight/Inquisition/Assassins.  The conversion project necessitated by the new GK codex has completed with the interceptors finished as well as 5 more Terminators.  For completion's sake, I even finished the 3rd Dreadnought.  While mostly finished before, now the 2 Rhinos are completely done and quite stunning including forgeworld hatches and GK insignias.  All the bits are there to turn them into Razorbacks with Assault Cannon or Psycannon turret.  I can swap  out a storm bolter, attach dozer blades or searchlight (because GK used to have to pay 1pt), or run stock.


One of the last completed items was my Xiphon.  It was purchased solely so that I could deep strike in turn 1 in a NSF detachment.  At least until they take it away from GK.  It was painted red to match my storm ravens and in case I need to run as BA.  It's very very awesome.

For Inquisition, I only had 1 inquisitor and 2 priests to finish.  I also managed to knock out the Culexus to complete my Assassin quarter, just in time for them to be obsolete.  Rounding out my collection was a lot of optional, magnetized weapons -- halberds, hammers, melta, plasma, meltabombs, etc.
  •  5 GK Terminators
  • 10 Interceptors
  • 1 Gk Dreadnought
  • 2 GK Rhinos & RB
  • Xiphon
  • Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor
  • 2 Ministorum Priests
  • Culexus Assassin

Orks



The bulk of the painted orks were bikes.  A total of 20 warbikers (in 3 separate batches) along with Zhadsnark were completed to a very high standard.  I can run a full Warbiker army like I envisioned... just in time for Eldar D, Tau ignores cover, and other assorted shenanigans to completely invalidate this build.  I completed Grukk and Mad Dok  which I had started the year before.  At least my tank busta squad is still solid.  Overall, not bad.  I'm mostly left with big squads that need to be completed, stupid hordes.
  • Zhadsnark
  • 20 Warbikers
  • Grukk Face-Rippa
  • Mad Dok Grotsnik
  • 8 Tankbustas
  • 2 Tankbusta nobs
  • 2 bomb squigs
  • 2 Rokkit boyz (refurb)
  • Nob w/Shoota & PK, BP
  • Kommando Nob w/PK & BP
  • 6 Traktor Kannons
  • Grot Bomm Launcha

Blood Angels

I'll admit, the only reason I painted anything was to get them off my list.  The tactical squad was in pieces in a pill sorter.  I got tired of them taking up space, so I painted and built them.  I'll admit that they're gorgeous, but at this point it's been almost 2 years since I ran BA at all and almost 3 since I ran them as a primary.  Nothing in any of their releases has me excited.  I'm considering scrapping some of my rhinos just to use the Rhino parts to make hunters/stalkers.  I could re-prime them as Ravenguard.  I've got so many other projects I'm more passionate about though.

I finally completed a Far Seeing Eye for Brother Corbulo.  I wanted the marker so I wouldn't forget to use his re-roll.  Corbulo himself was finished way back in June 2014.  Of course, I've never actually used him.  I could see him being useful in a Skyhammer formation... if BA were allowed to take the skyhammer.  He'll just continue to sit in a box along with the rest of my derp angels.
  • 10 BA Tactical Marines
  • Far Seeing Eye
  • 4 inferno pistols
  • 2 hand flamers

Terrain

Terrain was a big target for me in 2016.  With a significant investment, I was able to start scratch building and .  It still seems like I don't have everything I need and the more I look, the more equipment there is.

I built two amazing ruins from mantic building kits.  Unfortunately, one of them has walked off the FLGS never to be seen again.  I also built 3 sets of toxic pipes that promptly faded and look questionable.


Custom foam kits were my main focus.  I learned a lot with my first attempts.  The line of sight blocking hills are a bit pedestrian, but do their intended job of blocking LoS.  I built 6 of those along with 1 large centerpiece terrain feature  The paint I used was very corrosive and ate away at the foam.  They're acceptable, but not great.  I have plans for some cool future ruins.

I repaired the Dreadstone Blight I painted last year, adding pins to keep the wooden plank stable.  I also pinned (aka nailed) the Arcane Ruins together and drybrushed it for what seemed like hours to a very nice looking tabletop standard.

Incomplete Items

 The big drop this year is mostly explained by the big goose egg I laid for the first quarter of 2016.  I spent countless hours cleaning, assembling, and pinning a Greater Brass Scorpion of Khorne, intending for it to be a beautiful centerpiece model.  I started painting it in Mid-November, took a break to paint the hellblade, Sicaran, and a few other items, then went 3 straight weeks every night painting it.  After realizing how little I had gotten done, coupled with the insanity that is the current state of the game now, I got burned out and didn't touch anything 40k related for over two months and took nearly 10 weeks before I finished another model.

As it stands now, I've only played one small 1000pt game and only ordered bases since then.  I'm starting to ramp up my painting effort again.  I have a lot in the queue.

The Brass Scorpion  is probably a little over 50% done.  It's also worth a huge amount of points, in the 55+ range.  2016 is going to be the year of bigger models and vehicles.  I also have a Knight Acheron, Fire Raptor, and Imperial Bastion to complete.  I'm strongly considering a Kytan as well. On top of that, I have Daemon engines that I'm building for  a Hellforged Hunting Pack to use with my Brass Scorpion.  Two maulerfiends and four blood slaughterers are in the queue as well.

To finish out my Daemons, I have 10 more Flesh hounds and 3 more plague drones primed and ready to go.  A large chunk of Chaos forces (some 30k, some 40k) including a Nurgle Sorceror on mount, a Khorne juggerlord, 6 bikes, 6 artillery, and 20 cultists.  I ganked a whirlwind scorpius, an attack bike, and 2 apothecaries from my Blood Angels.  I'm considering switching my land speeders over as well.  They already have 30k multi-meltas anyways.


The other big block of work facing me is my Renegades.  I have, essentially, nothing painted, though a few were purchased 2nd hand.  I'm going to experiment with dipping for the infantry.  For the vehicles, I'll be using chipping medium to achieve a dirty, run-down look.  It's a long list of items.  My primary issue with Renegades is how slow they play.
  • Command Squad
  • 112 Infantry
  • 3 Heavy Weapons teams
  • 6 Sentinels
  • 4 Thudd guns
  • 2 Leman Russ tanks
  • 1 Wyvern (plus 2 more to convert)
  • 6 Heavy Artillery carriages
  • 1 Hellhound

Looking forward to 2016

I built enough models in 2015 and so far this year that I won't run out of items to paint in the foreseeable future.  I have more than enough Chaos to last me the year with the Sons of Horus incoming. 
We're expecting our second child in a few months.  As I saw a complete drop off in 2012, I expect the same through the late summer, early fall time.  I'm trying to squeeze in as much as I can now.

Hopefully, next year's report will show my Daemons completed as well as several large centerpiece models (Brass Scorpion, Acheron).  Certainly, the Legion of the Damned should be done.  There will definitely be some Chaos models remaining, but most of the Sons of Horus complete.  I may not have the Renegades done, but it would be great if I could get some vehicles done and a few test models from the horde; at least enough to field with other detachments.  I doubt I'll complete any BA, barring some awesome codex drop.  My Grey Knight army is complete as of now.  I do plan on getting a 3rd Dreadknight at some point.  Finally, I expect a few Ork models, but overall very little movement.  At least towards completion.  There are around 85 models simply primed.