Onward to 2021. Plots and Plans

 After finishing 2020 on the high of completing the Painting Challenge and being able to make progress on so many of my projects, the start of 2021 was a bit of a crash!

The impact of Covid19 aside, I started the year with a blank and feeling very uninspired and completely unfocused. Lots of half painted figures and project next steps in front of me but nothing caught my eye.

Initially I had a hook with Warlord Miniatures new American Civil War Epic range, it reminded me a lot of teh old GW Warmaster game which I never got into but had alway sat on my maybe list. I picked up some free sprues that had been given away with Wargames Illustrated and made a start with a Union force

First of my Union troops, first time painting on the Sprue as well which certainly helped with these

First Union Canon, although i think I will have to go back and add some red flash

The AWC is also not a period I have looked into before so I had plenty of background reading and viewing available keep me going.

Unfortunately I think I tried to do too much, too soon and after the test unit and cannon the weigh of Batch painting crashed me out again.

Put to one side, I have no doubt I will come back to these, just not yet!

Still in limbo I will look at defaulting to my usual re inspiration and do some terrain until the Muse is upon me!

Until then, my plans for 2021 include...

1. Bloodbath at Orcs Drift Project - Continue buildings and finish off Civilians and Militia Unit.

2. Prehistoric Project - Finish Homo Erectus tribe and Heidelbergensis (Green Stuff furs on the remaining figures and paint!) and start testing rules

3. Relics - Buildings for Vaettir and Nuem, possible ship for Britanan. Complete at least one Faction, probably C'thu first as I have several foot units started on my table of shame along with some Barbs of Thamos! 

4. Turnip28 - have a lovely board, now need to add some units!!

5. Erin - Sidhe and Formorans to do

6. Saga - Romano-British ongoing and Dark Age village (this will also be used for Erin)

7. Epic - finish Bad Moon Gargant and finish Alt Reaver and Warhounds so I can finally start my Warlords!!

8. Man O War - Empire to finish and Dwarves to start!

9. Rogue Trader/ WH40K,  Original Necrons (Keep or sell, undecided!) Adeptus Mechanicus (Keep or Sell, undecided) warbands for Inquisitor and Dusk Raiders ongoing

10. Doctor Who - Focus on Finishing Robot set with UNIT troops and Bunker to build. 

Next set Three Doctors, Pyramids of Mars, Brain of Morbius or Destiny of the Daleks

11. Frostgrave - ongoing city build and finalise Warband

12. Mordheim - paint up undead warband!

13. Alternative Armies - Ion Age 15m and 28mm, paint up playable factions and play!!

14. Pulp/7TV...don't really need to be starting any more projects but keep looking...

More than enough to keep me busy well into 2022!

2020 Painting Challenge

At the start of 2020 a fellow war gamer Jamie Loft set up a painting challenge group on Facebook. An excuse to show off our painted toy soldiers but also to encourage more paint and less lead mountain!

One figure (or set) a week for 52 weeks.

In a surprise to myself, I have been able to keep to this, give or take a week for timing, and have been able to post my 52nd figure and also jump onto Jamies last minute 'Paint a Dragon before the 1st of January!'

This has been a great boost to my hobby and I have certainly painted more as a result. Roll on 2021!

The last post is a converted old citadel Minotaur. I added hair, new horns, skulls and a new weapon. The figure was made up as a Dungeon boss, the Axe is the key out!

The Dragon is a Rock Dragon that I had original bought with the intention of converting it for my Slann army. I had planned on using it without the legs and wings and adding some spare wings from a Greater Deamon of Tzeentch and turning it into a Feathered Serpent.  

The Dragon Challenge thankfully inspired me to keep it as is and add a big beastie to my collection

WIP on base. The original figure came with a dead knight as a focus for the dragon but instead I will have a burnt tree stump.

The Rock Dragon is one of the largest figures I own, next to a citadel villager 

2020 Painting Challenge Photo.

180 figures.

Bloodbath. Terrain P5. The Stone Bridge, River and Forest

 

Next on my build list, as a quick addition before the end of the year, is the stone bridge. Adding this one would also push me to paint up a set of resin river sections that has been in a box for about five years!

Initially I was undecided about making the bridge as a separate piece to lay over a river section or add a river under it. I settled on the later as the river sections are quite wide compared to the original card design and didn't want to alter it too much.

The final build made with Plasticard, stirrers and glue for the banks

Laid out with two sections of the river and a section of road.

River effect was made with Tamiya Black Green on black undercoat with a gloss varnish

Completed Bridge

( although I may go back and add some more weathering )

Completed bridge and river sections

To go with my slowly growing village, as well as other games like my Prehistoric Project, I have been slowly acquiring and building trees

Ebay lot on wooden discs left over from MDF paint holder and washers

Flexible filler to build up the base and sculpt a trunk

finished first set of trees

Some bushes using Hanging basket liner and flock

Some trees using branches, hanging basket liner and flock

A quick mock up ( hence teh bad lighting etc) using terrain 

Dwarf Patrol stumbles on an Orc scouting party and defends the bridge to allow the villages to flee and alert the main army

Next on my build list are the tents, board base and then next building...

Bloodbath. Terrain P4. The Stone Barn

 With the end of the Year fast approaching I have managed to complete another WIP from my desk. This is my third building for my Bloodbath at Orcs Drift Project.

Image from the Townscape version

Plasticard Base with Foamcard walls. Wooden areas made with coffee stirrers

I have made the roof removable and added interior detail

Stirrers have been scored to add extra texture

Assembled Stone Barn

Interior detail with shelves and canvas over the doors and windows

Brickwork detail added with Green Stuff

Completed Stone Barn compared to card version

Bloodbath Buildings completed so far

Stone Barn, Ruined Cottage and Latrine

Started work on the bridge and tents to try and add a couple more before the year is out!