Results from the 2021/22 Hobby Season

 

Image courtesy of 40kaddict

So we've come to the end of another hobby season and it is time to reflect on the season past to discuss what got completed, what did not, and showcase the fruits of my labor.  Here's where the 2021/22 To Do List stands as the hobby season wraps up. Items crossed out were completed, the rest were not.

The Horus Heresy

• Complete Dark Angels Legion Inner Circle Knights Cenobium
  
• Complete Dark Angels Legion Deathwing Companions

Warhammer 40K

• Kill Team - Complete DKoK team
  
• Complete five Intercessors
• Complete a Vehicle 
• Complete a Grey Knights unit
  

Adeptus Titanicus

• Complete Legio Ignatum Warmaster Titan
• Complete Legio Tempestus Warlord
  
• Complete Legio Tempestus Warbringer
• Complete some more weapon options
  

Blackstone Fortress

• Complete Starter Set

Bonus Projects:

• Complete another Unit for the Custodes
• Complete some Aeronautica Imperialis models 
• Complete a Dark Angels Legion Vehicle
• Complete The Lion (Am I ready?!) 

Not a bad tally at all! As we will soon see, there were more projects completed that were NOT on the original list, and that's cool too!  For example, I went deeper into Adeptus Titanicus than I originally planned.  At the start of the season I declared 30K/40K/AT as my main game systems, with Blackstone Fortress a close 4th, due to progress made there during prior seasons - I'd really like a complete painted set of the original box.

For the Horus Heresy (30k), I decided to pull back for two reasons this season.  First, the rumors of the new version started to circulate and I wanted to see more of what that meant before building and painting more models.  Second, I can't really play Horus Heresy at this point, but I can (and did, once) play AT because I have two forces and can invite friends to play who don't currently collect the game.  It felt better to get work done on the two Legios I owned to get more gaming in with friends - even though that only translated into one game over the 2021/22 season. 

For 40K, I once again didn't have games to look forward to and decided to just tackle a couple easy projects before stepping away for AT.  I had started the season with a Grey Knights strike squad, then moved into a DreadTober dreadnought for the Adeptus Custodes, followed by another handful of Custodes later during Squaduary, before turning my full attention on Adeptus Titanicus.

In the mix, I got a set of Aeronautica Imperialis planes completed and one more character for Blackstone Fortress.  The tiny planes were another concession to the reality that it's just easier now for me to get small games together, where I own all the needed models and materials.  I'm not a "hang out at the hobby store" dad, and so don't have easy access to players that I haven't personally converted over the years (and some of those have justifiably become weary of my efforts after a little over 25ish years).  Anyway, the effort did net me a game of AI and a promise that there could be more to come.

With that for commentary, here's a look at what got completed:

The season kicked off with this squad of ten Grey Knights, who can also be fielded as two five person squads. That ticked off the Grey Knights unit item from the To Do List right out of the gate.

DreadTober 2021 was next and I completed this Telemon Heavy Dreadnought with all the fixin's.

Then I took a pre-holiday break to bang out the planes from the first Aeronautica Imperialis boxed set.

Next I completed Dahyak Grekh from Blackstone Fortress. I have all the Hostiles from the initial box set painted, but I still have a handful of the Adventurers yet to paint.  I will force myself to make more progress here in 2022/23.

I was tickled with how the cloak came out, though!

Then the Goonhammer Christmas Kill Team Challenge came along and I banged out this unit of Death Korps of Krieg Veteran Guardsmen from the initial Kill Team reboot box set.

For Squaduary 2022, it was back to the Custodes.  I actually painted one squad of three Custodian Wardens and two additional models here - but it counts. :)  The lone Custodian Guardsman helps fill out an under strength unit and the Vexilus Praetor adds another character to my available units. He was built from the Wardens box set, so hit fit in to the project overall. The Custodian Guard...not so much.

Then I bit down hard on Adeptus Titanicus projects.  I was so close to building out my Legios that I just let the muse run off on its own for the remainder of the season. The madness began with a pledge to paint this Legio Tempestus Warbringer and the Warlord below for MonsterMarch.

I got close, but I didn't quite get both across the line - my first DNF for MonsterMarch or any other blogger challenge.  No matter though, I soldiered on and completed the projects shortly after.

THAT was so fun that I decided to not only build the Warmaster titan for Legio Ignatum, but add on two Warhounds in the bargain. They were fun to paint and it felt great getting them battle ready. 

This Warmaster, also for Legio Ignatum, was the crowning achievement to the 2021/22 hobby season. It took the summer (between vacations and what-not) to complete, but it was worth it.  It's a proud centerpiece to the Legio and gets me excited to paint the Warmaster Iconoclast for Legio Tempestus during MonsterMarch in 2023! I have that and a third Reaver titan for each Legio yet to paint.

In all that is 26 infantry models, 1 dreadnought, 5 tiny titans, and 9 tiny planes complete for the season. Not a bad haul for me.  It feels a bit shy of the 52 infantry models, two dreadnoughts, and four AT titans completed during the 2019/20 season - but not by a lot.  How do we compare infantry vs tiny planes, or a Warmaster vs dreadnoughts and other models? I know that I let my foot off the gas a bit this past season and spent a bit more of my leisure on other pursuits. Further, I don't tally builds, just completions - and as regular readers will know, I build A LOT of models from time to time.  This takes up some of the available hobby bandwidth for sure, but gives me a nice palate cleanser between and among painting projects.

So that's 2021/22 in the bag.  Next I'll share some plans for the 2022/23 season kicking off September 1st. There's SO much to do that I'm certain to have another banner year of painting projects completed. And who knows, maybe I'll get a game or two in as well!

I wish you the best of luck with your own hobby projects. May the hobby lighten the load of life, even if only a little, and bring you peace and happiness throughout the year.

Cheers and Happy Gaming!