To Do List 2024/25

Season of Wood

Afternoon #WarHamFam and #warhammercommunity having covered my achievements over the past hobby season, it's now that I look forward to the new one.

My list this year has been streamlined. I've only included things I want to do with an either/or and if I buy something. It's much smaller than usual, but some items are quite significant. If I manage to do well I may revisit the list mid-season.

As previous years I am going to begin with these two items, which are enshrined as the most important things TO DO every season…

• Develop a more healthy hobby/life balance - go to bed at a decent hour[ish]
• Continue to play games, they bring me so much joy and fun...
  
• Find a way to be happy about not always doing battle reports

But for my painting goals let's start with Tyranids. I didn't get many of these done in 2023/24 I even found the prospect of painting them of little interest, but they need to be done:

1. Norn Emissary [#DreadTober]
2. Genestealer Cult Sentinels [#DreadTober]
3. Leviathan - Neurotyrant and 2x Neuroloids:
4. Leviathan - 5x Barbgaunts
5. Leviathan - Winged Tyranid Prime
6. Leviathan - 3x Von Ryan's Leapers
7. Leviathan - 20x Termagants

Imperial Knights

1. Cerastus Knight Acheron
2. Cerastus Knight Castigator

If I get silly I might buy a Warlord Titan for Adeptus Titanicus, so that will be on both my build and paint lists

1. Adeptus Titanicus Warlord Titan

Despite settling on their paint scheme all my Leviathan and Indomitus Dark Angels will not turn out to be my #ArmiesOnParade2024 entry. In fact they're going on hold, with only Sammael a priority and those two tanks... well it'll be one or the other :

1. Dark Angel - The Lion
2. Dark Angel - Sammael on Jetbike
3. Dark Angel - Old skool Crayola Whirlwind, or
4. Dark Angel - Proteus Land Raider

And the Death Guard, they're even less of a priority but if I find the time I may do:

1. Gellerpox Infected

ArmiesOnParade2024 - decide on what I'm going to do...

Turnip28 is on hold [sorry]

The Big Build notionally continues, this season. The principle is sound and pays dividends with those items that tend to be off-list that get built through to painting and completion. But it's been streamlined:

• Dark Angel - Crayola Whirlwind, or
• Dark Angel - Proteus Land Raider
• Adeptus Titanicus Warlord Titan [if I get one]

I've had a number of items that I classed as pipe dreams, both painting and building and instead of keeping them here for the records I'll refer back to a previous season should I need them next season. 

So that's my 2024/25 list, much simpler but how will I know when I'm satisfied? All the best for your own efforts this season.

Hobby Season 2023/24 Review

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity The 2023/24 Hobby Season (the Season of Blood) draws to a close, and how did I do? So lets start with my first task:

Develop a more healthy hobby/life balance - go to bed at a decent hour[ish]   

I need to work on this I've recently been getting later and later to bed though. My average sleep time continues to increase but I need to get better on having the will power to actually go to bed..

Continue to play games, they bring me so much joy and fun...

Fun has been on the agenda, whether it been MESBG - I actually went to a tournament!

Recently we've played Star Wars Legion, Speed Freeks and even a couple of games of 40k! Games have come thick and fast, so much so I haven't been able to keep up recording them. That's a shame as it's always nice to have a record to look back on and feel the joy in reminiscing. But I think I also need to not feel guilty if I don't report on it. I need to find a balance, maybe that's something to work on...

Part of that balance has cropped up as the hobby season came to an end. My eldest will begin teacher training in September, and so has a proper 'school holiday'. That means I'm occasionally watching things with him in the evening which has impacted my hobby efforts. So, I've been less motivated to come out to the shed. I had some last minute goals to try to achieve but they might not have made it. But what did I do?

First on my list of TO DONES, I did this Nurgle Blood Bowl player and two Tree Sprites.

The High Rule Dude was part of my #Dreadtober pledge. I started early, as usual it was such a big beast. As I write this now I can't believe how quickly I forgot about it. How I was somewhat downbeat about my efforts but this is epic in a grand way, not a tiny way.

I also painted these Two Screamer Killers for Dreadtober and that's not a small endeavour either. OK, all three figures were done over a two month period so I could have chosen one thing and done it start to finish but where's the fun in that?

I entered #ArmiesOnParade2023 with my Blood Bowl megabowl pitch and teams. It was so great to see them all on the board for the first time.

And then we come to the Deathwing Knights 5 of the 16 terminators I decided to batch paint. This was a massive task as I put so much detail into all these models.

The Close combat terminators too, with their banners, shields and power weapons.

Command unit models and heavy weapons were also a challenge and just as I finish all my terminators I ended up with another 6 from the Leviathan box!

#SwordsAsWalkingSticks - Deathwing Strikemaster was the last of the 16 and this was so much effort I think I was 'content' with my hobby season progress at this stage. Anything else felt like it might be stretch goals.

I had this MDF terrain base knocking around for ages, which was finally good to get finished.

Then I went completely off list and bought and painted these Imperial Knight Armigers. Again feelings of intense satisfaction and amazed how quickly I got through these.

I finally painted Ironsoul's Condemors - Angels of the Covenant test scheme. This is a TO DO LIST item and I genuinely will paint my Indomitus/Leviathan Primaris marines in this scheme... of course when I do that is another thing, but I was happy at least with these results.

As satisfied as I was at the Deathwing stage I desperately wanted  to paint my Adeptus Titanicus Titans. Getting these done would truly satisfy my season goals, even if they were not on them.

Adeptus Titanicus Reaver Titan 2. But that is the whims of the season and off-list items are always acceptable, especially when I found painting the original Titans so hard.

Adeptus Titanicus Warhounds. It was great to get these all done, without feeling overwhelmed, enjoy the process and feel like I could paint another titan without the doubts I had at the beginning of these, thanks to that first experience.

I did sacrifice painting Adeptus Titanicus Cerastus Knight Lancers alongside the Titans, but it did not take me long to jump back onto them and get them done. All my Titans are done now, so what was next?

So there we go 36 models painted, compare to the 91 last season. But, I'm just going to reiterate that last season I allowed myself to be less productive for 23/24. Although that number may not be high, it does not account for how hard they were to achieve. And, let's not forget I also painted 18 additional weapon options, which is where I could arguably say there were another 18 models, but this is where I get confused - do I count the actual loaded weapon options as part of the model [as I have done] or do I start inflating my numbers by adding in those as well? I think we all know the answer to that one. Bottom line, the lesson I need to learn from this is:

Whatever I achieve each season is enough!

The 2023/24 Season of Blood is over, the 2024/25 Season of Wood starts now, what will I achieve next?

The Big Build is my 'self-help' initiative to build miniatures. Building isn't always my favourite thing but without a construction phase I can't have a painting phase. So I recognise the special effort this challenge is to me, so I can progress through to the painting stage.

I built my first Turnip28 unit of Fodder. Progress stopped shortly after but it was fun.

Built these two Armigers in dynamic poses, fun but challenging.

Loved how they turned out though.

And then followed it up with more posed giant freaking robots - Adeptus Titanicus Reaver 1

Reaver 2

Warhound 1

Warhound 2

Cerastus Knight Lancers.

'nids part 363 - Leviathan bases and basecoats

Afternoon #WarHamFam and #WarhammerCommunity I've been #PaintingWarhammer on my Leviathan Tyranids but this was from the beginning of July! I shaded them alongside my Adeptus Titanicus Lancers

Now I'm starting their highlights but it was handy to have done this menial task to help streamline the next stage.

But on top of that I also did the bases as well. Still to do the bonewhite chips but that's a later step.

Von Ryan's Leapers, and I;ve just discovered the new Combat Patrol magazine has another 3 of these in issue 2, so if I can get that there'll be another 3 to add to the brood.

Alternatively I could add the old Lictors as they're almost the same size now. My Deathleaper and painted Lictor with this one makes a full brood of 6! Not that I'll ever play them! 😂

While I still can, here's a whole bunch of Bloody Great Big Bloody BASE Stamps of Bloody Approval 

Have you got WOOD? The 2024/25 Hobby Season starts soon, join me!

Afternoon #WarHamFam and #warhammercommunity the 2024/25 hobby season will be starting soon so for those alumni who joined in last season it's time to start looking back at your TO DO lists - at what you've TO DONE!, what might have slipped and those lovely unexpected successes that happened despite life getting in the way and loss of mojo - I speak from experience [yet again].

The original plan when I started with 'great big stamps of approval' was that I wouldn't do multi-coloured stamps, just alternate between red and green, but who was I kidding? I had fun with the Bloody Great Big Bloody Stamps of Bloody Approval, and I had planned to follow it up with the 'Season of Flesh'. A rather gross looking brain effect, but my Photoshop skills are rusty and the tutorial was out of date. So, instead of a physical connection we have a rhyming one. I give you the Season of Wood. Back to the roundel of the Great Big Wooden Stamps of Approval. Feel free to download and use them on your blog as and when you get stuff  'TO DONE!'

Or you can record your achievements with an 'unbranded' version.

And should you feel inclined to differentiate your efforts yet further here's the major goal stamps

And minor goals [which I occasionally find a use for].

And I've also got the Big Build...

 and Base [and obviously prime] Stamps done too. I heartily recommend this video from Tabletop Minions to understand where I was going with the 'Big Build' concept, he's touched on and expanded exactly why I created this a few years back.

Just a reminder of what it's about, in 2011 I made my first To Do List, amusingly it now/still looks like this:

• AoBR Tactical Squad
• AoBR Dreadnought
• AoBR Terminators
• Scout Squad
• Ravenwing bike squad
• Dark Angel Drop Pod
• Purity Seal all of my son's Tyranids
• Gloss Varnish all of my son's Tyranids
• Tyranid Prime
• Mycetic Spore
• Paint Vent Tower
• Paint defence platforms x4
• Complete pot pourri vegetation
• Complete future containers
• Complete 40k Cathedral tower
• STC Single story ruin
• STC Hex Defence platforms
• STC Targus Assault Blockade
• STC Vent tower
• STC Athena plateau
• STC Mercury plateau
• STC 40k Cathedral tower
• 60mm Dreadnought crater

So 4 things still haven't been done and quite frankly never will 😉. The purpose was to try to focus my efforts to outline a list of things I'd love to do over a twelve month period and if I achieved any of them - great, all of them, so much better. But more importantly I needed a structure to cling to when my efforts became aimless. That's not to say deviations from the list were forbidden it was more for when I went 'well what's next?'

It became an annual blog post to review what I'd done and set new tasks. Throughout the season I would reveal my 'To Dones!' as completed items both on and off the list. Showcase posts are nothing new to hobby blogs, everyone else does it at the end of the year/beginning of the new year. But for me it was a structure to help build the identity of this blog. Then, in 2014 I invited readers and passers-by of the blog to join in. Well, when you have a good idea why not share it around? I got about 10 people joining in and it looked like we were quite a supportive little bunch. I think over time steam ran out a little bit, but folk continue to join in each season and hopefully the same will ring true for 2024/25.

To help things out a bit I eve created a Hobby Season Facebook group, it's here [but not very popular[:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/278747245819138/

So, if you're joining in just ask and I'll add you into the group, that way you can share your blog posts or any efforts to those also joining in. I hoped this platform will allow more interaction for those taking part and keep us all motivated.

I guess the last question is why 28th August as the start/end date, why not January 1st?

I think back in 2011 it was at that time I thought a structure needed to be in place and it was as good a time as any to post a To Do List, afterall the footy season starts around this time too, no one complains about that, do they?

Anyway, 28th August join me for the new Hobby Season :)

Where's my head @?

Afternoon #WarHamFam and #WarhammerCommunity I'm in a somewhat reflective mood and that usually prompts the 'where's my head @?' post rather than 'what's on my palette?'. What is funny is I go back to the last 'where's my head @?' and I discover it was almost exactly 12 months ago that I wrote it. More interesting is that I had a similar sense of ennui at the end of the last hobby season. I already had things I wanted to say here but before that I'm just going to reread what I wrote in 2023...

Some time later

OK, so there is some help from that refresh of how I felt, but let's set the scene now: I finished my Adeptus Titanicus models and I thought let's get into the Leviathan Tyranids. I know my Tyranids, the scheme and that's comfortable and familiar - wrong! It was tedious and demotivating. Ironically the opposite of what happened last year where I thought I could go back to my Terminators and instead leaned into the bugs. I mean I'm persevering with them but it's not much fun.

Additionally, I'm thinking about Armies On Parade, insomuch as I never had a plan for this year, aside from my Leviathan bugs and that's not happening. So I thought about my Knights... except I just ordered the Cerastus Acheron and Castigator and it sure would be nice to have them on the board too. And I was thinking my original DreadTober plan of my Norn Emissary + 2 GSC Sentinels could instead be 2 Cerastus Knights. Except AoP is October so those timelines don't align - which has further skewered my plans and motivation.

On top of that I have been writing my review of the Season. Although I was 'satisfied' for my progress when the Deathwing were done and my [stretch goal] guarantee of satisfaction was the Titans. Well I achieved that - so I was supposed to be free and clear. But the recent lack of mojo and seeing fewer finished models somehow undid that sense of achievement. Thankfully looking at that post from last year has helped. It's pointed out just how much of a challenge those Terminators were, which I ultimately overcame. And, let's remind ourselves of my own pearl of wisdom:

However, as my Hobby Season comes to an end I am fortunate to see that this season has been a bumper one, so if next season is a little more fallow I can live with it.

So, I gave myself permission last year to do less, so I should not be feeling bad about that. And although that is true, the things I've done have been hard work, challenging and significant stumbling blocks in how long they've been on my list. Not to mention models I did not look forward to painting again [Titans] but overcame that reluctance; not just for this effort but possibly any future Titans. In which case, I have a lot to be proud of. 

It's only through writing a reflective post like this, and accidentally discovering the last post covered similar issues that I can move on with positivity. I may not have solved my AoP situation and my bugs are still tedious - I have some WiP posts to explain why, but at least my head is @ a better place now, than when I first thought about writing this post.