Toy Soldiers 2020 musings
So I'm reviving this thing once again, nearly a year to the day after I revived it for one post after another year... I'm not particularly on top of things
I'm largely using this as a vehicle to motivate/have a public record for my goals for the end of this year with regards to toy soldiers
This year has been a bit of a mess with regard to both free time and free money. Getting married/ applying for mortgages really takes it out of you. Its meant that I had to roll back a few of the things I wanted to get done last year and kick them upfield a bit.
Painting:
As far as painting goes, I had an ok year. Got a 3rd place painting trophy for a model I was reasonably happy with when it was finished but I'd never intended to enter into a competition or anything. I'd pretty much decided I wasnt entering anything as I just wasn't happy with the things I was finishing, but I asked my (then) 2 year old if I should try and win a trophy and she said yes, so I let her pick the model. She proceeded to pick the only model I had which was on a horse. (She was into horses at that point). For reference, trophy and model!
This was pretty cool, and was extra nice since I wasnt expecting anything. My goal as far as painting goes for this year was to come first in one of the categories. I imagine eitheer single model or behemoth will be the likely ones. I'm finding it difficult to improve much in painting though, and feel like what I put out is very inconsistent. Even within the same units I find that sometimes some are far better than others. I also find that I'm having difficulty implimenting new techniques as I'll try something on a model and get bored quite quickly, so wont improve it much and then revert to more basic things. I've attempted to paint a NMM model about 20 times and given up. I'll try to change that.
I get complimented on my painting a lot, which is very nice and gives me that nice seratonin boost. But while I think I'm likely above average, I dont think I'm putting anything with much skill out there, just muscle memory from years of doing it. Another goal for the year will be to take some advanced painting classes, and hopefully overcome some of my blocks and become more consistent. May try to use this to document some of my bigger projects so that I'll see some progress more objectively. Painting large models is definitely very difficult for me, as I lose patience and motivation on them quickly, so they lay unfinished.
My two potential behemoths at the minute: nighthaunt black coach, a great unlean one and a Tzeentch lord of change
Black coach has the benefit that I already own it and its halfway painted to a pretty high standard
I've always wanted to paint a lord of change and it has the potential to branch out on what colours I use
Great Unclean one is the least likely at the minute, while I have a small nurgle army and want to expand on it, its just generally easier to paint, so less of a challenge
Gaming:
I've only recently begun to try and get back into the gaming side of models, after not having played for well over a decade. Its been...interesting. For whatever reason, the armies I like and have painted up tend to be bad. This is generally a feature of both being more interested in the painting side, and also not wanting to play fad armies. I'm quite slow at getting things done, so I'd find it hard to paint up the newest hot thing in the game, so I tend to just play things I've had for a while. This generally leads to be getting smashed, and me brushing it off as "I was going to lose anyway". I dont like that as it smacks of excuses. I'd like to compete a bit better and thats the plan moving forward
The irish 6 nations team was announced this week and its annoying to be involved in the game and not be a consideration for the team. I'm aware that it makes no sense to be a contender as I havent played enough and get smashed all the time. But the competitive person in me wants to at least try a bit harder before next year. If I can make it to the end of the year and at least be a consideration I'd be happy with that. So that my gaming goal anyway. Gonna try and go to more events and maybe go to one or two in the UK if I can find an army. Also need to try and get some practice games in which will let me improve a bit. Generally only go to events now, so dont really play for the sake of practice.
Therein lies the issue however. I currently have 4 armies, some of which are larger than others
Gloomspite: In a bad place competitively
Nighthaunt/Legions of Nagash: In a bad place competitively
Nurgle: In a bad place competitively
Kharadron: Unknown as of yet
Also have the beginnings of a tzeentch army but needs a lot of time/effort/money to get up to snuff
So I'm not in a great spot considering I'm hoping to buy a house soon. Plan at the moment is to paint up my Kharadron Overlords, which I'm, in the middle of now. But its pretty slow going... Ships are taking a while and I'm finding it hard to come up with a sensible painting plan. But I think they're the best chance for a competitive army with what I have. Pretty much at the beginning with them but have a ship painted at least, base needs finishing though. Most of the rest is sitting on basecoats currently. That Ironclad is really gonna hurt...
The other 3 being pretty rubbish is annoying but hopefully nighthaunt or nurgle may get a new book at some point. If KO are a bust my plan may be to sell the nighthaunt and buy into something else instead. Generally hate selling models I've actually painted but may be the only choice on the table.
Hopefully can get the KO up and running by the 8th of march but that would be a pretty monumental shift to put in. Have fallbacks to play instead but if I want to get a bit better I think this is the best shot
Gonna try and post a bit more here for my own piece of mind, but I've said that a few times and failed miserably. But you know #newyearnewme
I'm largely using this as a vehicle to motivate/have a public record for my goals for the end of this year with regards to toy soldiers
This year has been a bit of a mess with regard to both free time and free money. Getting married/ applying for mortgages really takes it out of you. Its meant that I had to roll back a few of the things I wanted to get done last year and kick them upfield a bit.
Painting:
As far as painting goes, I had an ok year. Got a 3rd place painting trophy for a model I was reasonably happy with when it was finished but I'd never intended to enter into a competition or anything. I'd pretty much decided I wasnt entering anything as I just wasn't happy with the things I was finishing, but I asked my (then) 2 year old if I should try and win a trophy and she said yes, so I let her pick the model. She proceeded to pick the only model I had which was on a horse. (She was into horses at that point). For reference, trophy and model!
This was pretty cool, and was extra nice since I wasnt expecting anything. My goal as far as painting goes for this year was to come first in one of the categories. I imagine eitheer single model or behemoth will be the likely ones. I'm finding it difficult to improve much in painting though, and feel like what I put out is very inconsistent. Even within the same units I find that sometimes some are far better than others. I also find that I'm having difficulty implimenting new techniques as I'll try something on a model and get bored quite quickly, so wont improve it much and then revert to more basic things. I've attempted to paint a NMM model about 20 times and given up. I'll try to change that.
I get complimented on my painting a lot, which is very nice and gives me that nice seratonin boost. But while I think I'm likely above average, I dont think I'm putting anything with much skill out there, just muscle memory from years of doing it. Another goal for the year will be to take some advanced painting classes, and hopefully overcome some of my blocks and become more consistent. May try to use this to document some of my bigger projects so that I'll see some progress more objectively. Painting large models is definitely very difficult for me, as I lose patience and motivation on them quickly, so they lay unfinished.
My two potential behemoths at the minute: nighthaunt black coach, a great unlean one and a Tzeentch lord of change
Black coach has the benefit that I already own it and its halfway painted to a pretty high standard
I've always wanted to paint a lord of change and it has the potential to branch out on what colours I use
Great Unclean one is the least likely at the minute, while I have a small nurgle army and want to expand on it, its just generally easier to paint, so less of a challenge
Gaming:
I've only recently begun to try and get back into the gaming side of models, after not having played for well over a decade. Its been...interesting. For whatever reason, the armies I like and have painted up tend to be bad. This is generally a feature of both being more interested in the painting side, and also not wanting to play fad armies. I'm quite slow at getting things done, so I'd find it hard to paint up the newest hot thing in the game, so I tend to just play things I've had for a while. This generally leads to be getting smashed, and me brushing it off as "I was going to lose anyway". I dont like that as it smacks of excuses. I'd like to compete a bit better and thats the plan moving forward
The irish 6 nations team was announced this week and its annoying to be involved in the game and not be a consideration for the team. I'm aware that it makes no sense to be a contender as I havent played enough and get smashed all the time. But the competitive person in me wants to at least try a bit harder before next year. If I can make it to the end of the year and at least be a consideration I'd be happy with that. So that my gaming goal anyway. Gonna try and go to more events and maybe go to one or two in the UK if I can find an army. Also need to try and get some practice games in which will let me improve a bit. Generally only go to events now, so dont really play for the sake of practice.
Therein lies the issue however. I currently have 4 armies, some of which are larger than others
Gloomspite: In a bad place competitively
Nighthaunt/Legions of Nagash: In a bad place competitively
Nurgle: In a bad place competitively
Kharadron: Unknown as of yet
Also have the beginnings of a tzeentch army but needs a lot of time/effort/money to get up to snuff
So I'm not in a great spot considering I'm hoping to buy a house soon. Plan at the moment is to paint up my Kharadron Overlords, which I'm, in the middle of now. But its pretty slow going... Ships are taking a while and I'm finding it hard to come up with a sensible painting plan. But I think they're the best chance for a competitive army with what I have. Pretty much at the beginning with them but have a ship painted at least, base needs finishing though. Most of the rest is sitting on basecoats currently. That Ironclad is really gonna hurt...
The other 3 being pretty rubbish is annoying but hopefully nighthaunt or nurgle may get a new book at some point. If KO are a bust my plan may be to sell the nighthaunt and buy into something else instead. Generally hate selling models I've actually painted but may be the only choice on the table.
Hopefully can get the KO up and running by the 8th of march but that would be a pretty monumental shift to put in. Have fallbacks to play instead but if I want to get a bit better I think this is the best shot
Gonna try and post a bit more here for my own piece of mind, but I've said that a few times and failed miserably. But you know #newyearnewme
Comments
Post a Comment