Goodbyr to 2012 and Hello 2013!

So this topic is simple. What do you think of what you achieved in 2012? And what do you intend to aim for in 2013?

2012 - Pros
- I painted a lot of marines and can field around 3000 points painted now.
- I made scenery that I am still proud of - chaos terrain for latent, an ork vsettlement for Hobo and now a desert piece for Rellik (although he hasn't seen it yet).
- I made large strides in my painting skill - I think I am much better than I was this time last year! I paid particular effort to feathering, selective dry brushing, thinning my paints and started to attempt OSL too. I believe that these had all made a difference and look forward to going on to the next stages of wet blending (hopefully!).
- I like the "commission" work I did and am glad I have cleared the back log.
- I started painting my ELdar!
- I feel I learnt 6th edition pretty weel - even though I am still learning to this day!
- The Storm Apache! What a massive undertakling. So glad I did it though just to say I have. Learnt so much about green stuff as well!
- Being an active member on this website!
- Video battle reports!

2012 - Cons
- I didn't paint enough Marines! I want thema ll gone and finished but other projects just keep coming up!
- I would have liked to have won more games! I think I may be becoming worse as a general,lol!
- Im rubbish with GS and need to improve quickly!
- Not being actuve enough on this website
- Needeing to play more and to get more batreps up in a quicker turnaround time!

So thats it for 2012! The main things are that I got better and more dedicated to painting and hope to carry that through. I would have liked to have clear more marines but I shall go back to them when I finish my 600 point Eldar army! The other main thing is taking the next step in terms of this website and video battle reports. Onwards and upwards!

Next Post - What I want to achieve in 2013!

So here I am back for 2013! What do I want to achieve this year? What is it that I hope to be able to look back on with a degree of satisfaction?

Well for one thing I have a few main projects -

- Catch up on updating this website and you tube!
I have 2 video battle reports to do and lots of updates of terrain I've made and models I have painted. The point of the website was to share and share I will!

- 600 point Eldar army
For the tournament Hobo and I will be attending in February. This includes painting 9 dire avengers, 10 guardians, the Avatr and two Wraith lords between now and then. That gives me about 7 1/2 weeks! As I will of course be trying to win best army, best painted model and even best objective maker I feel quite challenged for time! Lets hope I work well under pressure!

- Finish my "commission" work
It felt great to finish the long outstanding parts of Stryphs army and the christams presents. It will feel even better to complete the list I have promised. This is:
* a unit of grey knights
* grey knight dreadnaught
* detailing a grey knight land raider
* A deff dread
* Possibly the flying chaos thing
Som of these are quicker than others but I certainly hope to concentrate on them after the Eldar done. I currently am in ownership of the unit for grey knights and hope top pick up the dread and land raider tonight. If everything goes to plan (and when does it ever!) I hope to have these done by April time.

- Possibly start a commission painting service?
I leave a question mark as this is no small thing. I want to, but we'll see how it all goes.

- Convert to dark angels?
I will be grabbing a copy of the DA codex and will likely be switching from vanilla. Thos who have played me for years won't really be too surprised. I love the fluff and even painted some up with a DA tribute (ever wonder why my termies were black while the rest of my force was purple?). I quite fancy a death wing army so we'll see how it rolls out over all. Maybe they will even make me competetive!

- Paint my marines!
They are made, they are undercoated 0- I have no excuse. Even if I paint them to a base colour table top standard intitally I will be happy as they would all be tournament legal! That can't take too long, can it?

- Learn how to use botht e citedel spray gun and an air brush
I own the spray gun and have never really been able to make it work. I might take soem time off work and find a GW who can talk me through and show me. If I could even learn to base coat an entire model I would likely save myself a lot fo time and improve the quality of my tanks/skimmers.

In September I am getting an airbrush for my birthday. That will be fun

- Oh, the rest of my Eldar too

- Beat Mark - if I havent doen this by the time I go to Plymouth late in the year I may well bring a base ball bat and do it the onld fashioned way - can't use your hands? Can't roll dice? I win by default!

But most improtantly - Be Awesome

I HOPE 2013 IS AS GOO TO YOU HOBBY WISE AS 2012 WAS TO ME!!

hmmmm

what did I achieve in 2012...

I guess really the main think I think I gained is direction. I'm playing a lot lot more now and have started to assemble a group to play with down here. I'm entering my first ever tournament and can actually field a fully painted army.

I have some work to do before the tournament in febuary, flying hive tyrant to build magnetize so I can actually fit it in my case, paint it as well as a dakkafex and some more gaunts, but It feels a lot more doable than it did 6 months ago.

After the tourney I'll start the crons properly - this brings me to my target for the year of getting better at painting, converting and using greenstuff. Some of the ideas I have for them are no small feat and realistically beyond my current skill so it's going to be a sharp learning curve to say the least!!

Video batreps - taking the camera down this weekend and will take my first bash at this, the background noise at the club is my biggest concern, taff suggested doing voiceover afterwards - no idea how to do it but I'll go that way and see what comes out I guess!

Main target though - play against a more diverse a range of armies, my nids shape up pretty well against the usual people I play but theres a lot more space wolves, dark eldar, chaos daemons, Imperial Guard out in the real world and I'd like ot see how I fair against those if I played them more ofter/ ever!

2013 campaigns - if I run any more (which if I'm honest I'm really on the fence about, as I'm struggling to find the time these days, I have more to do at work, a course out of work, more boring household stuff as nat isn't getting any better and more time is being spent playing these days, plus if i waanna do videos something gonna have to shift) they are going to be really really simple; we'll see how things go though

- Don't lose to Taff - ever!

2012 achievements and highlights

- my first full year in 40k allowed me to get a full on army together - and thanks to a pretty intensive painting schedule at the start of the year, ive always been mostly painted, only ever a unit or two unpainted at any stage
- learned the rules fairly well, and really nailed my favourite list and how to use it - it works, and even when i dont win a game i still hand out a good old arse kicking!
- the campaigns! mark may well be thinking of jacking it in, but i really hope he doesnt - ive really enjoyed both of them, and its given me so much playtime that i probably wouldnt have managed otherwise, with you guys would i would probably rarely see!
- the website was good fun to put together, and while its been quiet of late, when you look at our post count, its great to see it being used! been a really good platform to have some group discussions and post all our pics if nothing else!

2012 low points

- well, my painting has died down a lot of late, but im starting to get the bug again. if id been more focussed i would easily have been fully painted by now!
- my painting also hasnt improved very much!
- im on a four game losing streak! GAY!

Targets for 2013!

- keep Strykes Waaagh growing! i have alot of chores to complete this year, such as fleshing out my lootas (god i hate painting them), and collecting and painting 30 more shoota boyz instead of proxying slugga boyz. Ive finally just bought my second battlewagon which taff will be happy with!!!
last on my list of purchases is another squad of bikers, but more importantly the forgeworld nob bikers are required...£54 for 3 is pretty steep but necessary nonetheless!
- plan a 1500 tau army, and a 1500 space wolf army.
ive decided to collect both as my second armies but rather than just buying stuff willy nilly, i instead plan to buy exactly what i will have as my list. they will be standard lists, and wont change, but that to me just increase my emotional attachment to them

My wolves will be very wolf based, with 2 wolf packs, thunderwolf cavalry, HQ with saga of the wolfborn, wolf priest, wolf guard, and then grey hunters/longfangs/bloodclaws. obviously thats actually about 4327 points, so ill need to refine the list somewhat!

my tau will be based on my dawn of war tau army (commander + crisis suit bodyguard, 3 broadsides, 2 fire warrior squads, an etherial, kroot carnivores, kroot hounds and lots of stealth troopers!)

Interesting thoughts about the second army. Lets hope they are competitive lists, lol. It's such a good idea though. Can help to keep the cost down, definitely helps with storage, allows a true themed army painted to a high level with any degree of consistent conversions you want!

well, im not sure theyll be hugely competetive, but ill enjoy collecting, painting and playing them though!

it'll be what the internet calls a fluffy list.

hmm, i think i might accidentally on purpose download their codexes and make thte lists - keep your eyes peeled for a new topic!

I will do, but I ant to see more Hobo activity in the WIP section,lol! When you get started of course

i have very little to wip and very little worth wip-ing!

ill do one for my warboss though for sure!!!!!!!!!

I meant with the new armies