Results from the 2019/20 Hobby Season

 

Well, it is time to bring the 2019/2020 Hobby Season to a close. And what a season it turned out to be.  As with the prior season, I chose to focus on a few specific areas or forces in order to make progress; but I didn't let that keep me from specific fun projects as they presented themselves (I'm looking at you, Jewel of July!).  This season I chose to focus on Horus Heresy Dark Angels, Blackstone Fortress, and a new Titan Legio for Adeptus Titanicus, Legio Ignatum. Over the course of the season, I completed 36 infantry sized models, four dreadnought sized models (including AT titans) and one Knight titan. During the prior 2018/19 season I completed 31 infantry sized models, nine dreadnought sized models (including AT titans), and one Knight titan.  

For a look at what I proposed for the season vs. what was accomplished, see the updated kick-off post here.  I hit everything on the list with only the Blades of Vengeance not getting any completions.  That project went on hold early when 9th edition was revealed and it became clear more was coming in terms of Primaris and Dark Angels. Since Dark Angels are now embracing their Primaris brethren, I decided to scale back the Blades of Vengeance project.  The new Indomitus marines will be painted as Dark Angels along with squads of Intercessors and such to bulk things out.  The Vanguard marines and associated characters will be painted as Blades of Vengeance. This approach will lend variety to the Dark Angels collection and offer some painting variety as well as lending the Blades of Vengeance some purpose for being in the combined force (They are the vanguard!).

 

But enough of that, let's take a look at the season's accomplishments.

So, starting with Dreadtober 2019, I completed one dreadnought, two Praetors, two Veteran command squad marines, and five Interemptors for the First Legion this hobby season. This progress covered all of the new Forge World releases except the five new Knights Cenobium (which I did get assembled and primed).

The Praetor models are very cool.  Lots of neat details and iconography, lots of character for the Legion. If I had a nit, it would be that the poses are a little stock when compared to similar models for other legions.  

These command squad veterans were fun to put together and lightly customize.  They should stand well alongside the Praetors  and other characters. I'm overdue to complete a command standard bearer.

I enjoyed using some old school decals on the veteran below. The chest eagle is probably 30 years old or close enough to not matter.

The Interemptors were a great kit to paint. Who doesn't need some plasma flamers in their First Legion army?!  So cool.

This was the season to get some work done on the great Blackstone Fortress models.  I of course wanted to get the Characters finished, but I felt that had I done that I would never get the hostiles done.  So I chose to put the characters aside and do the hostiles first instead.  Starting with Squaduary 2020, Here's what got completed over the season...

21 hostiles were completed, leaving only the cultists from the original boxed set left to do.  Here they are in order of completion throughout the season.

As stated in the individual posts, I borrowed the basing theme from White Metal Games.  I like how they come out when placed on the actual game tiles, as shown here.  It's a simple approach that works when compared to many of the more complex examples you can find around the web. I definitely wanted something I could easily and consistently reproduce on all of the models in the Blackstone Fortress line.

Starting with Monster March 4, I made progress on a second Loyalist Legio maniple for Adeptus Titanicus to face off against the Legio Tempestus force I completed last season. This happened when it became clear I had chosen a defector paint scheme from the Forge World books (I had planned to use my Tempestus force as Loyalist).  So they can still be Loyalist, or declared Heretical to face off against my new Legio Ignatum titans.  And I actually got a small socially distanced game in this summer, the first for me and the models!  Here's what got completed this season...

If a maniple is only going to have one Warlord, make sure it has ALL the options. I have a bunch more of the Forge World resin options assembled and ready to paint as well.

The new Warbringer was a fun surprise to the model line and a great way to separate this new Legio project from my existing Tempestus Legio.  I have the new Forge World Warlord-Sinister titan ready to build as well to stand with the "good guys". 

Here is my current completed set of Legio Ignatum titans standing together.  As build projects, I also completed two Warhound titans and a second Reaver titan for the maniple. I hope to get them completed over the 2020/21 hobby season.

 

I also snuck in a couple random projects of interest as the season went by, starting with a squad of Sisters of Silence to join with my Custodes force. These ladies are great fun to paint and I especially like the tine forehead tattoo decals.

Here they are standing with a few Custodes for scale and to illustrate that the forces compliment each other when displayed together.

The other outlier for the season (And I'm pretty pleased that I stayed focused through out the year on my main goals) was putting paint at last on the Cerastus Knight-Castigator as part of the Jewel of July community painting challenge. This model is the lead Titan for my House Taranis project.

I love the optional internal detail that Forge World offered for these knights.  I'm not sure this is an option any more, so I'm glad I picked them up and dumped them in the bits box while they were available.  So much is going out of production these days...I mean I get it, but it's still too bad.

Here is the Baron leading his force of House Taranis Knights. I have SO much more to paint for this force...five more assembled and primed knights and one unassembled Knight Preceptor.  And I still haven't picked up one of the newer big boys (Valliant or Castellan), not to mention picking up any more Forge World knights. This project will be on going for a couple more seasons as it isn't as high a priority in my mind so far.  Too much newer cool stuff coming out on a regular basis to spend too much time on these big models, even though I truly enjoy building and painting them.

Taken in all, I am very pleased with my production this season.  As a husband and dad, I don't commit a great deal of time to the hobby (maybe six to eight  hours a week). This hobby is my primary source of free time and I've let go of all other hobbies in order to accomplish that much.  For me, the Warhammer hobby has been a thing since the mid-90's, when I stumbled on 40K 2nd edition and the equally early editions of Warhammer Fantasy. So much background and great models. Nothing else compares for me.

Check back in September when I'll kick off the next hobby season with more simple goals and forecasts.  I will adopt a similar approach to my 2019/20 goals. One can't always guess what cool stuff will come out so I always leave the door open to change. I've been successful with focusing on a few key projects and I'm enjoying the progress as I final starting getting whole collections painted rather than just hitting random models and squads across my whole collection (which is understandably large after 30+ years of collecting).

Stay safe out there, and thanks for reading this far.

Cheers and Happy Gaming!