Sunday, 31 December 2023

Hobby Spends 2023

Afternoon #warhamfam and #warhammercommunity Following on from previous year's spending record I've kept another log for 2023 [and will do so for 2024]. The final figure of just under £621 represents a significant increase on last years gross spend of £287, clearly more than double! And there was me expecting to not buy much. However, I had saved up some Christmas money and I had a cash leaving gift from colleagues my old job that I specifically earmarked for  40k10th edition and to go towards the Lion and the Norn Emissary. That's helped subsidise my spend on the hobby by £196, bringing it down to £425 which is around £32.50 a month. Here's the breakdown:



Yeah, that's a lot of money and a lot of figure purchases, some of which I've no idea about when or even if I'll get round to painting. 10th Edition is underwhelming and I'm beginning to question why I'm investing so much money and time in painting figures I will not use. So much for my 40k addiction! With hindsight I should have realised my prediction of being frugal was misplaced, knowing full well I had money burning a hole in my pocket and rumours of a new edition on the way. I did hint at the possibility with the new nids etc. but I should have known better

It's also worth noting the WarhammerFest tickets. Ordinarily that would have just been one for me at £20, but I took Oscar as well and then Paula agreed to come so triple what I'd have paid otherwise. I wouldn't have had it any other way but it was unexpected and significantly more. Will all this stop me buying more figures? Of course not. Even 12 months on I'm still thinking about a couple more Armigers and with Legion Imperialis the new Epic boxset I think the Adeptus Titanicus starter set may begin to disappear off shelves, and by the looks of it it's already on back order. So if I want the added value in that box of giant freaking robots I may have already missed the boat. But as I said in December I haven't even played AT yet and I can't imagine playing soon. So why am I even thinking about it? 


On the plus side I probably have some Christmas money and also a Google Adsense payment about to mature so that will subsidise whatever potential big purchase in 2024. I could get those Armigers and maybe even a Cerastus Acheron, if the titans are gone. I doubt I'll get anything from the new Dark Angels incoming. I've plenty space marines from Leviathan I can have a go at. Fingers crossed 2024 is frugal. 

Monday, 25 December 2023

HAPPY X-MAS

Good morning #WarHamFam and #warhammercommunity  and a merry X-Mas from Professor Egon Seuss and the rest of the Magos on Ferron Proxima. Additional felicitations from the guys and gals at the Vulcan Institute of Techno-Archaeology. May all your X-mas wishes be plastic [or resin]. 


In case you're not X-mas orientated please accept the following good wishes:



Saturday, 23 December 2023

#ArmiesOnParade2023 - Parade Day @ Warhammer Wigan

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity it was #ArmiesOnParade last month and I was busy celebrating Liam's 50th birthday so couldn't get to Warhammer Liverpool. However, Warhamer Wigan was hosting Parade Day the following week, so it would be rude not to attend? I had my 4 #BloodBowl teams, a scratchbuilt Megabowl 7's pitch and I'd even had time to add a little crowd backdrop, thanks to some fussy AI prompts.


Here's a video of the board, although you've seen it already you can see the backdrop a bit more.


So here are some of the other entries. This great Tyranid board, which understandably I love.


If I recall correctly I think this won the 40k category.


It's so annoying to see this miniature close-up as I want one, just can't justify getting one or the silly price-tag on it.





Screamer Killers do look cool


And I love the effect on the wings of this Tyranid Prime.


I think this Word Bearer's army won the overall prize.


It was really well don with lots of little details. 


The lave weaponry was most effective.






Another Tyranid army, almost Behemoth but brighter.





And not just figures from Leviathan, we have a Tyrannofex too!


This was the only entry in the Young Bloods category, but well deserved.





A small diorama, but we love it regardless.






And another Chaos Space Marine army, which next to the Word Bearers made some interesting comparisons between the same figures used in each Parade. 









And my Parade. I was the only Best of the Rest so inevitably got that certificate but it was just great to be instore on the day. 


Interestingly the Wigan manager had been in charge of the Southport store before it closed.


I didn't recall her, but she did remember my Tyranid Parades.


We had some really good discussion about AoP and she was very much supportive of the event, even if it was a bit quiet on the day.



As an early Christmas present if anyone wants the backdrop you can have it. It's set up for an A4 sheet. You'll need to print 2 of these on sticky labels. Add all 4 bits and it should make a 2 foot strip. Repeat and you have a corner backdrop. I stuck them on 1cm up from the bottom of the board, so the pitch-side adverts pitch-side, not buried in the ground.


Lastly, some pics from the store displays. Worth noting this means in my decade of parades, I've paraded at Warhammer/GW stores in Southport, Manchester, Liverpool and now Wigan.