Today's a Day for a - Hobby Review and TO-DONE

Hi fine folks of the tubes,

I really enjoy a regular assessment of where my hobby is going. I find it a good way to crystallise ideas that I have had floating around and sort out what I want to do next. This is why having laid out goals really helps as a metric to see where you are at with all your projects and also to see how much whim and fancy takes control of you during a new release or just off the cuff!

Below is a copy paste from my 40k Addict season goals that I put up just 2 months ago (my time flies) so that I can see what progress I have made on these goals and whether I have enough spare time to add things to them,

1. Finish the 6 final Death Company - TO-DONE

These guys have finally been completed! I am still waiting for some LEDs to arrive so that I can illuminate the whole army for a photo shoot, rather than just one unit at a time. I feel that wouldn't do the army justice. Very happy with the army as a whole but really need to keep pushing my painting game for myself.

2. Paint all my remaining blood angels = 1 drop pod, 5 Sanguinary Guard, 6 Vanguard Veterans, 10 Scouts, 1 Chaplain, 2 Librarians - Incomplete

These guys are a constant nagging thorn in my side at the moment, I really want to get them done for completion sake but I game with them so infrequently its hard to push me onward and upwards. I've now struck the scouts of the list as I intend to sell them. This was motivated by the fact they are metal slottas on 25mm bases and re-basing them just felt like a hurdle I couldn't be arse to climb...

3. Paint all my Ravenwing = Dark Talon, Sammael, 3 Ravenwing Bikers - Incomplete

I've hit a mental block with these chaps much like I did with my Death Company. Its the combination of what feels like huge amounts of effort for a force that looks middling at best. I am still very keen to get them done though and I feel these are the most likely of the cast aside projects to be finished before August. 

4. Build remaining models for Dark Angels that I own = 5 Deathwing, 3 squads of 5 tactical Marines, Company Command squad and 2 x Veteran Squads - Incomplete

This should be a lot more achievable as building things has become quite the rest from painting things and as a lot of this is snap-fit stuff I shouldn't take to much time on them. Still lower down my to-do pile though.

4. Build the entirety of the Alpha Legion = 20 Veterans, 1 Fire Raptor, Finish the Leviathan + Drop pod, and a converted Autilon Skorr - Incomplete

Barely even started on these...BUT...I have fire in my belly for this project and I am definitely going to be working on them in the nearish future. Whether or not I will get them done before August ready to be painted in the next year of 40k Addict isn't certain though.

5. Build and Paint my 30k Mechanicum to a finished but not weathered standard = 4 Castellax, 9 Thallax, 2 converted Magos, 2 Thanatars - TO-DONE

Not only is this done, but I have surpassed the goal with 2 x Domitar Automata and 2 x Krios Venators complete as well and an additional Magos. I've also part-exchanged a spare Castellax for another Thanatar - the one with the siege brick and a giant S10 lascannon. So that should be fun to paint! Super happy with these guys and hope to use them as a springboard for improved painting.

6. Attend Vanquish 2016, Hero for a Day, Double Trouble and Fluffageddon - Partially complete

Already attended Vanquish and Double Trouble is coming up fast. Looking forward to taking my Mechanicum to Double Trouble very much! Plus NafNaf of ObjectiveSecured bloggery fame is bringing his Dark Eldar Danse Macabre that I cannot wait to see in the flesh (plastic)!

7. Place in the top half of any tournament - TO-DONE

Despite only completing 4/5 games due to illness, I managed to place 28th out of 60 in Vanquish 2016 which I am thrilled to bits by! I hope to do well at Double Trouble as well. But more importantly I had a blast at Vanquish and I am sure I will have a blast at Double Trouble.

8. Place in the top 3 of a painting competition - TO-DONE

I rated this as near impossible when I originally wrote the list up but my Mechanicum army garnered me second place in the painting competition at Vanquish and that was worth any amount of effort on my half. I was completely over the moon and I hope that the Mechanicum will do me proud at future tournaments and hopefully my other armies might do as well!

So that is a full 50% of my goals for 6 months completed in 2! I can feel very happy with that. So is there anything to add to this list? You bet there is!

1. Build and Convert a Mechanicum Indentured Imperial Knight - Likely to be done

I've already started work on this chap and I'm really looking forward to breaking out some more extensive and adventurous conversions on him. Expect pictures fairly soon!

2. Paint a squad of 10 Legion of the Damned - Likely to be done

My first Test model for the Damned is already live on my blog and I'm hugely appreciative of the feedback I've been getting. I'm looking forward to finishing that off satisfactorily before starting on to the rest of them. This model has illustrated that my painting skills just happen to have matched up well to the mechanicum and I still need to practise that level of quality on other miniatures. But these should be a fun distraction from other projects when I need it :)

That all today folks, normal business of bombarding you with models and reviews will resume shortly :)

Peace out,

Rob