My blog's fifth birthday is today

Unbelievable how fast time passes when you're having fun. Today marks the fifth year I've been blogging about my hobby. I'd been planning to start earlier, but I kept finding excuses to put it off. Chief was wanting to keep it all in my own hands. In other words: as long as I didn't take some time to build my own site, I wouldn't write. Well enough of that - I thought five years ago - you're a copywriter for #@$@'s sake. Just produce some content on blogger and take care of the rest some other time. This marks post number 286, but I'll move someday soon....sure I will ;) Anyway enough bla bla. I was planning all kinds of spectacular posts, but to be honest I've been to busy with work, life and unfinished projects. Instead lets just reminisce about my favorite projects. I'll start with 'Buddy'. 

Who's a good boy? Buddy is!!!

Buddy is the name I gave my Hell Pit Abomination. I'm still quite fond of his paint job because it marks the first time I tried to paint interesting looking dead skin. I found a lot of tutorials and the gist of it was to add yellow spots and purple bruising to a brownish looking skin. I think it still holds up today. A nice paint job is one thing, but Buddy has been gobbling up enemies for the past five years. Models that get real use are just that much easier to love. There's plenty I would do differently today (the base is a bit bare and boring for example), but that's neither here nor there. Who's a good boy? You are Buddy!

Look at his banner Becky, it is soooo big and out there....

Four years ago I invoked the lyrics of one of the great powers of the early nineties and proclaimed that I like big banners (and I cannot lie). The Skaven Battle Banner was scrapped from the AoS list of options before either of these two ever saw official use. No matter. Every time I see my large Skaven banners in the display case I smile. These are awesome (if I may say so myself). The green banner's picture does not do it justice. Its one of the nicest in my collection, and I still remember the pure dread when I held a lighter to the painted paper to burn some good looking holes in it. Rules or no, expect more large banners in the very near future I say. 

A random Facebook person called this guys armor 'too shiny'. A very obvious point was missed that day. 

I try to get my hand on as many painting books as I can find (and afford). Three of my favorites are Imperial Armour - Model Masterclass Volume One, Imperial Armour Model Masterclass Volume Two and The Horuse Heresy - Model Masterclass - Volume One (there is a pattern there if you watch closely ;). The last of these three tomes features an Imperial Knight with a gloss red carapace on the cover. When I got my hands on an Imperial Knight I had to follow the accompanying masterclass in the book. It paid off I think. This crazy model still has not seen an actual battlefield (I haven't really played 40K in the past few years) but it does dominate my display case. I have a second knight somewhere on sprue. I should build and paint it some day to give this one a little friend...then again maybe I should convert that one to Chaos. Ah so many ideas, so little time.

I really need to find a way to incorporate this castle into a game....

I kicked off 2019 painting the Mighty Fortress. I've owned this polystyrene castle by Games Workshop since it was launched in 1988 (the full color box is still in a place of pride on top of one of my display cases). I had a lot of fun adding tiles to the interior and I....learned....a lot about epoxy resin and cure times making the moat. Stir, then stir some more and then just keep stirring for the hell of it, is my advice. On an unfortunate side-note: this terrain piece has never been used in battle. Lately I've been considering using a Dremel to take off the entire moat. That will make it an easier fit on the table (and incorparte it in games. On the other hand: the fortress has served me quite well as a backdrop for photos and the moat was truly hell to make.  

Now this move would've made the movie Face Off actually interesting. 

Much to my amazement 2020 was not my most prolific year when it comes to writing on this blog. I had a (shall we say) interesting time trying to keep my small business afloat during the pandemic. It all turned out more or less okay in the end, so I can now safely conclude 2020 was a lot worse for many, many others and count my blessings. I painted Malicia Ironhoof during the pandemic and she's just awesome. I think its quite safe to say every single one of the Chaos Sorcerers released in the eighties is an awesome model to own, but this one just has that little bit of extra mystery added. I'm going to stick her on the tabletop every chance I get. With the Corona-induced slump in gaming my 'games played'-counter sits at a very solid 'one', but things are about to get back to normal here (I think) and that spells opportunity for Malicia. 

Not every new model hits the mark, but these one tick so many 'awesome' boxes.

Last but definitively not least are these five Lumineth Realm-Lords Vanari Dawn Riders. They stood  for a few months in a basecoat of silver on my desk before I stripped them down and went for white and orange instead. Good call. I'm very satisfied with how these turned out and I have to say I'm quite enthused about most of the Lumineth line Games Workshop produced. One thing that makes this book especially attractive (and both the Skaven and Legions of Nagash Battle Tomes before it) is that it gives you the chance to use the models you've painstakingly collected and painted over the years or decades. That motivates me to keep collecting and painting. Now please give me a chance to use my Greenskins again (I have a good feeling about that one, considering the upcoming AoS 3.0 release). 

I'm still overtly proud of my two Armies on Parade wins (one silver and one bronze).

I hear people grumbling that there's no incentive for GW to make models and books if you keep using the old stuff. Humbug I say! (Yeah had to make myself extra old there ;). To me the wargaming hobby at its core is about creativity, collecting stuff and socializing. There's nothing quite like a nicely build table with pretty models on it and good company at the opposing end. As long that goal is achievable, the till at GW will keep ringing. Looking at my collection, which features models from the past four decades, I can safely say that the hobby endures, GW endures and some very talented independents do as well (insert a nod to Tim Prow at Diehard Miniatures here). Lets end this five year post with some awful pictures I recently shot of my display cabinets. I had to use them somewhere and the article I was meaning to use them for keeps getting delayed.. I'll leave you here (from a text perspective). I wish you all happy gaming, painting, collecting and socializing (as soon as safe). I'll go on and see where the next five years will lead me. Who knows....I might get my hands on both the Realm of Chaos tomes, or - even better - the crazy plastic giant from page 18 (3rd ed. for the confused youngsters among you). More on the hideous chaos in my cabinets someday soon, in the meantime thanks for all the comments over the past years. Its truly awesome to see people read my nonsense ;)