2020 - a year in the hobby! What was yours?

[Overread]

Yep GW has done a fancy little "what we released" video and I figured it would be a nice share and a good start to chatting and sharing what we've all done in this dark year of 2020 

 

 

For myself Shadow and Pain has been a late year fantastic boxed set for me - my two favoured AoS armies of Daughters of Khaine and Slaanesh getting a new model and a slew of useful models in a great boxed set. With Slaanesh kicking off 2021 in a big way this has been a great end of year boost to my Slaanesh and set me up well for moving into 2021 - for me the year of painting I hope - but also a year of expanding in the name of the God of Excess! 

Earlier in the year the new Escher House of Blades book has been a great addition and whilst I dislike GW's bitty rules release for Necromunda, the way its evolved from a few gang boxes into what is now looking like a full main line game is fantastic. I'm really looking forward to the added model depth they are bringing to the game and the sculpts also give me hope that if GW ever does a similar game for AoS it would be outstanding

Necrons have distracted me (sorry its all feeling very 40K in the TAG forums) and their updates are outstanding. Seriously if you want to dip into 40K they are a fantastic faction with some really outstanding sculpts and additions. They've also got some great kits for easy conversions and I've even seen several people converting some of them into AoS things - such as walkers for Cities and some constructs for skaven. Fun fancy stuff and quite affordable with some kits cheap on ebay right now after all the Indomitus sets. 

 

I've managed to get a fair bit built, not as much as I'd like, but a good chunk during all the lockdown madness and such - though painting still remains an elusive thing for me and a project for all these 2021 lockdowns. 

 

That's been a part of my list - what's yours - come share

[ChillTuup]

Started the hobby again in November again after 12-15 years break with  DoK start collecting box.

Finished Shadow and Pain dok part, the Sc box, 10* sisters of slaughter and almost finished my shadow stalkers. Today Morathi arrived and converted 10 doomfire warlocks. Been quite productive these two months ans hope I will start playing the game once the corona stuff allows it a bit more.

[Grim Beasties]

I wasn't able to finish as many projects as I would have liked, but I am happy with the progress I have made, with my wizard mega Gargant (still working on making him a hat and beard) and my Barrow Bustaz Rogue Idol (just needs legs and detail work). I've also gotten a lot of enjoyment from the Beastgrave destruction warbands, really enjoyed all the character they have and I'm very excited to see what the mystery April warband is in the new year. On the reading side of the hobby I was able to make much more progress thankfully and I've really been enjoying the resent AoS books as well as diving into the Warhammer Fantasy chronicles. Broken Realms was fantastic and I eagerly await whatever comes next.

Despite all the bad that's happened, I'm glad we have a great community on here that's made getting through it that much easier, thank you all very much.

[The Brotherhood of Necros]

I was finding lockdown very hard to begin with. As a way of coping, I started on a new project that brought together some of the things I love most: Warhammer, Lovecraft, writing, horror fiction, storytelling, the sea. 

I began with a rough outline of a story I wanted to tell, focusing on a small town clinging like a piece of stab-coral to a coastline in Ulgu. It takes the tragedy and horror of the Idoneth Deepkin’s mythos and blends it with that of the mortal inhabitants of the realms. Parallel to that, I worked on a diorama to help bring the town to life. I wanted it to be moody and menacing, a place filled with shadows and stories, as dank and esoteric as one of Lovecraft’s tales. 

The project has been an absolute life-line and I’ve fallen head over heels for it. The story is at still going at 70,000 words while the diorama is finished, but I already have plans for other areas of the town I want to recreate, as well as more of the peculiar folk who call it home. If you’re interested in following it, I’m on Instagram (@welcome_to_innswich).

[JackStreicher]

puuuh, a lot I guess:

Paintlog:
- Converted and painted 40 Marauders
- Painted and upgraded (selfmade upgrade sprues) 80 Ghouls
- Painted 12 Crypt Horrors

- Painted 10 Blood Sisters
- Painted 20 Iron Drakes
- Painted 1 Treelord
- Painted 3 Kurnoth Hunters
- Painted 1 new Wyldwood

- Painted 10 Sisters of Battle

Partly painted:
- 10 Khinderai Lifetakers
- 9 Shadowsstalkers (thx ebay!)
- Akhelian Leviadon
- Chaos War Mammoth
- Some Chaos Warriors
- Some Chaos Space Marines

Kitbashes:
- Combined 10 Free Guild Handgunners and 10 Greatswords to 20 Armoured Handgunners
- Made 5 Hellstriders look a bit more undivded to use them as Chaos Barbarian Horsemen
- Converted 20 Kairic Acolytes to 20 Hoplites
- Kitbashed 15 Chaos Warriors to represent a wide Range of Chaos Gods within a unit
- Kitbashed a Lord of Chaos on Demonic Mount


3D-Modelling and Printing:
- Made a Bretonnian-esque Beastslayer
- Made Power Claw Bits for SM
- Several small Projects

 

I found the most joy in playing CoS and all kinds of Aelves
I really hope my Vampire Buddies will get a lot of hard love very soon!
 

Edited December 31, 2020 by JackStreicher

[shinros]

Got loads of Slaanesh backlog I need to get through, the new mortals is giving me the drive to get through it. But, I want to post this video, 3D artwork of Morathi, in my opinion it shows how far AOS has come that someone took the time to make something like this. Whoever did this needs more exposure in my opinion. 

 

Edited December 31, 2020 by shinros

[Skreech Verminking]

The one thing I probably enjoyed most on this year is probably covid-19.

not because of the so called many deaths and sickness’s it spread but probably because it was the next big thing that could be blamed on the skaven.

considering that we had nothing for the ratmans, not even a mention or a tiny word spend on their existence,  this was probably one of the poorest years.

although it was nice  having at least a year of the rat

Edited December 31, 2020 by Skreech Verminking

[Neil Arthur Hotep]

I made pretty good headway on my Tomb Kings, even though COVID kind of sapped my will to paint for a few months.

Other than that I just painted a bunch of Leonardo DaVinci machines for Cities of Sigmar.

I don't think I got any models that were released this year other than the Mindstealer Sphiranx, which makes it my model of the year. I like the Lumineth range a lot, but did not feel like pulling the trigger on them quite yet.

My favourite model to paint this year was probably the Khemrian Warsphinx. Really too bad that it is OOP, it's a very fun kit.

My favourite kitbash I did this year is Kurdoss over here:

I think he will be fairly hard to beat for me, because everything just came together so well on him.

[Eldarain]

Started a local monthly painting challenge which greatly helped my motivation. Only bought two character models as well.

My plan moving forward is to keep going on my Old World Chaos. I'm sure I'll wander here and there but hopefully I'll get a lot done there.

[Skreech Verminking]

7 minutes ago, Skreech Verminking said:

The one thing I probably enjoyed most on this year is probably covid-19.

not because of the so called many deaths and sickness’s it spread but probably because it was the next big thing that could be blamed on the skaven.

considering that we had nothing for the ratmans, not even a mention or a tiny word spend on their existence,  this was probably one of the poorest years.

although it was nice  having at least a year of the rat

I think I might have misunderstood the question😅.

But I didi do a ton of stuff in 2020.

having had a lot of free time, I started painting on an old project I had many years ago.

with the return of a pretty great 40k edition (9th) I was encourage painting and building my thousands sons up.

my biggest project, still in work, is probably the six eyed raven. 

next to that Converted and painted a few rattling guns.

and I even got around 3000points worth of Khorne daemonkin (space marines and Daemons) done

Edited December 31, 2020 by Skreech Verminking

[JPjr]

Well I bought a load but despite not being able to do anything or go anywhere only actually painted about half a dozen models, 4 of which were 40k ones anyway. FAIL.

still I did salvage something from this bonfire of a year and successfully started a magazine about our weird hobbies, issue one of which will finally be finished by the end of this weekend and ready to go to print next week, so hopefully we’ll build on that next year.

anyway I haven’t been too active here the past couple of months, what with the magazine and all that but wanted to pop my head in and say happy new year to you all, let’s hope it’s a good one this time, and thanks to all of you for being there as a much needed distraction when it felt like the world was burning down around us all. 

Sláinte!

 

[Neverchosen]

So first of all thank you to this community which has been an amazing outlet in a painfully difficult year. I was able to paint up the vast majority of my 2000 point Slaves to Darkness army. However, most of it was done in the last two months as like many others I had a lot of trouble with motivation in the face of the real world difficulties presented this year. I still have to build up and paint a few odds and bobs but I can comfortably field what I have ready. I am also blown away by the sheer talent on display in this thread preventing me from sharing my own humble army... also preventing me from sharing is my hesitancy to settle on a basing technique*.

It was an interesting year for purchases as I traded my IDK battleforce for a Stormcast and Nighthaunt army to split with my friend. Those armies were in turn traded for BCR and OBR respectively. Somehow, I went from a battleforce to a full 2000 point army in fairly rapid succession and my friend (who is much better than me) has a powerful meta army from the same trade.  😮

*My initial plans were to create an army of demon worshiping crusaders borrowing some of the colours of the Knights Templar... instead I made an army of Santa Vikings which is somehow much more awesome to me. I will likely share an image of them at some point but only when they are based and ready.

Edited December 31, 2020 by Neverchosen

[Saturmorn Carvilli]

I can't exactly say which bits of my Slaves to Darkness army I already had painted by the start of 2020.   Considering I started this army in late November of 2019 it wasn't much.  There's still a lot to finish in there too.  I have been far too distracted with 40k stuff to get back to this army much this year. 

I managed even less painting on my Lumineth army.  By the time it finally arrived, I was getting burned out from painting and generally overwhelmed with life.  I did manage to get everything at least built, primed and initial base coat.  Unfortunately, this army has been moved way to the back of the cue.  I probably won't start until it becomes more definite that I can get back to gaming again.

So I have a lot of stuff to work on in the coming year.  I can't say for sure, but I do think I still managed to reduce my pile of shame even with everything I picked up this year.  Next year, I am fairly sure I will have at least a couple of my 40k armies completely painted as well as most if all my kill teams done.  I don't have any plans trying to finish up my AoS armies just yet.  However, I also don't think I will be starting any new armies or painting commissions next year and my current armies only have a handful of things I would like to add.   So it is still possible.

 

 

Edited December 31, 2020 by Saturmorn Carvilli

[Rhetoric]

I started my Sylvaneth with a Wyldwood last holiday break and finished with an additional two sets of Wyldwoods a couple of days ago.  I finished: 

 

TLA

Spirit of Durthu

Branchwraith (Ylthari)

Branchwych

Arch-Revenant

32 Dryads

10 Tree Revenants

9 Kurnoth Hunters

3 Wyldwood Sets

Vengeful Skullroot

 

just got to paint up my Spiteswarm Hive and add the basing accents and the army is done.  Working from home was a real deal breaker and I stayed motivated to get the army done because of the wonderful community and content producers of this hobby.  The only picture I have would be if this WIP(?) when I was working on my Durthu.  
 

 

[Sance]

I'm impressed with everyone paintjob, it's been one year since I started and i feel that i didn't progress much.

I'm planning to get better at the hobby in 2021 😅

[Painbringer]

This year was not the best one when it comes to hobby. I had much less spare time - I became a parent in 2019, started worked exclusively from home from march onwards and went trough two job changes (one being in the middle of the lockdown). I spent majority of my time with my family, and spare time that I had, I used for working out and reading. So, hobby related stuff in 2020:

- painted Archaon
- painted 2 out of 6 varanguard
- played 4 games of AoS
- tried Warcry for the first time (and liked it a lot)
- built small Tzeentch Arcanites army for Warcry
- sold my Blades of Khorne Army
- gave away my Beasts of Chaos army to a friend
- completed a small Idoneth Deepkin Army
- completed a small Chaos space Marines army
- expanded my Adeptus Custodes army a bit more
- started blogging about my hobbies again

[Greybeard86]

2020 I came back to the hobby after hesitating throughout late 2019. This is after 20+ years of not being very actively involved in it.

I started the year painting up over 2000 points of custodes (20-30 models).

Then, after rescuing from a box my old dwarf warriors, I decided I would collect and paint that dwarf army I never finished just before I quit. This lead to a scavenger hunt for OOP models that has resulted in a large pile of shame. I ended up getting several mordheim bands, a lot of DoW units, and a variety of bret and empire models; all that aside from an almost complete collection of dwarf models. On top of a force of gitz to build some battle scenes.

I hope that I can paint the core of my dawi in 2021, with some breaks for some of the amazing models I have found. I am particularly eager to paint a grimdark Bretonnian lance (a bunch of questing knights, plus assorted metal pilgrims, squires, men at arms, and a metal trebuchet). I also love some of the new gitz sculpts.

I am thinking of documenting my progress in a blog, but I am a rather private person so I am a bit hesitant.

[RocketPropelledGrenade]

I had serious productivity issues for most of 2020, but around the end of November I started to get a little fire in me, so most of my progress happened at the end of the year. Still, progress is progress, I suppose!

The earlier part of the year was focused primarily on 40k work with Adeptus Custodes, and a little bit of AoS with my Slaves to Darkness. However, my late-year output was all Ossiarch Bonereapers.  I didn't really count or track the earlier models closely enough to have an idea on total completed models this year, but it's at least thirteen--one Custodian Guard, 10 Mortek Guard, and one Immortis Guard. I guess the finished guys have a theme! 😉

Here's hoping next year is more productive!

 

[Praecautus]

I started 2020 discovering and introducing Zombicide invader to my local gaming club. 

During the first couple of months I Had several games with my Khorne army and started work in a slaves to Nurgle army and tried to finish off Rogue Trader.

When lockdown started, like others, I lost a lot of motivation. I recall I was painting some gellerpox and just stopped. I put the models and paints on the cupboard and couldn’t bring myself to buy other slaves models.

For several weeks I didn’t do very much in terms of GW hobby. I did however discover the world of board games - purchasing several of interest, including Talisman and some expansions, memoir 44, undaunted Normandy, eldorado, and the big three of Star Wars Rebellion, War of the Ring and Nemesis. I played a lot with my son and the simpler rule sets were much easier.

I got my hobby mojo back and painted all 153 Star Wars minis, coinciding with Empire strikes back being on the big screen and the mandalorian starting.

Our club reopened and I introduced Rebellion and some other games to the club prior to the second lockdown. 

The reopening drove my desire to build a new Khorne slaves army (Nurgle is on hiatus for now) which I have completed a squad of Khorne warriors, one of my favourite painted units at the moment and they came second on our local GW painting competition on Boxing Day.

Sadly lockdown has hit again but I am still managing to paint through the Khorne list and also drove some virtual hobby groups to form. So my social nerd network has grown.

I am now looking forward to the Slaanesh release as I have been planning a rock and roll themed Slaanesh army for some time. 2021 may be the year that project starts.

TLDR - list motivation, did some nerdy stuff and feel motivated again. Some random hobby pics

[LuminethMage]

What a great topic and amazing models. For me, 2020 meant the return to the hobby, first with joining TGA after the Pointy Aelves video was released. The first half of the year I spent happily speculating with others about how the Lumineth would turn out to be. I really enjoyed that, and becoming a part of the community here. 

Since July/August (when most of the paints arrived) I spent my time painting the Lumineth. The hobby part has been much more fun than I expected. When I last played Fantasy I enjoyed the gaming part much more. 

This all I have finished so far. Another 9 archers and the Geminids have been painted except for the bases. 

 

[Futa Manticore]

Man, I love these threads! Always gives me a boost of motivation when I'm starting to burnout.

 

Social and economic worries notwithstanding, 2020 had been a relatively positive year for hobbying. 

When I first started this hobby way back when Soulwars was first released, I was never really taken by the aesthetic of 40k/Space Marines, but I loved the idea of those crazy addicts who aspired to collect entire Companies if not Chapters of the power armoured superhumans, and I superimposed this inspiration onto my preference for Stormcast Eternals. Last year saw me complete a minimum sized Sacrosanct Chamber, a Drakesworn Temple, and I even made some progress on my fledgling Warrior Chamber.

Along with Sigmar's Golden Boys, I also managed to complete a minimum sized Nighthaunt Grand Procession and even manged to pin down a colour scheme for my prospective Elven Alliance, which will feature both Daughter of Khaine, Lumineth Realm Lords and maybe Malerion's forces if and when they come to light. 

 

@LuminethMage: I love the colour scheme you've got going on your pointy elves! Gold armour works particularly well on the Wardens. From a distance, your Teclis is giving me Magnus the Red vibes...

[LuminethMage]

Yes, these threads are the best. I find them very motivating too.

Thank you very much, it’s just the colour scheme of the Lumineth nation “Zaitrec” taken from the Battletome, because that’s my favorite Lumineth faction lore-wise. 

Happy that people like it, I was constantly self question myself I shouldn’t have gone with me of the awesome blue or purple schemes out there instead. In the end I’m happy though with how it turned out except for a few things. 

I had to look up Magnus the Red, that’s some self confident nipple armour!  You are right, thinking about it my Teclis and Celennar have a bit of an Tzeentchian vibe. : ) . 

Edited January 4, 2021 by LuminethMage

[Memnoch]

This last year my hobby drive was very much up and down but overall I'm fairly happy with the amount I was able to finish.
In total it was 77 models, 73 Stormcast Eternals (3830 points) and 4 Primaris Space Marines (195 points), bringing my total amount of painted Stormcast up to 8680 points and my total amount of painted Primairis up to... 195 points.

Looks like I would have managed 4000 points of Stormcast if I hadn't been tempted to start the Primaris army late in the year as well.
What can I say, I just really like dudes (and dudettes) in heavy armor

So for 2021 the aim is to beat that number and hopefully maybe get some models on a playing table as well!

[Lowki]

Love this thread, great stuff has been posted so far!

In general. as for many others in this world,  the year 2020 is one to quickly forget about. Hobywise though, for me painting rather than gaming, it was actually a good year, I could even say a great year. This for more than one reason, just to name a few:

1. Hobby Corner

This year I finally got myself a little hobbycorner in our livingroom. That may not seem worth mentioning, but for me it has been  real gamechanger. Thing is that I live in an apartment with my wife and 9 yr old son. We are more than happy to live here, and no reason to move or to complain. It is just that  it lacks that extra room, shed or even a broomcloset for daddy and his silly hobby.  As a result, if I wanted to paint it always took me like 20-30 minutes minimum  to get everything in place, and than a similar amount of time or more  for cleaning up after I finished painting. For this reason there was no point in start painting if I had only  30 maybe 60 minutes  spare time, as it would take more time to get ready alone. This put a serious limit on the time I was actually able to spend on painting.  Killing for a slow painter with a busy life like me. Now I have my littlel corner with everything at hand, I do a lot more painting than ever before.

  

2. Painted more than ever

I never painted as much as I did this year, this is still relative of course, as I see many people do in a month what I not even manage to  do in a year, but still. I even almost finished a full 2000+ army, which will be real milestone, being the first army I finish painting  in my entire life so far (note that I bought my first mini in early eighties.) It was just that the last three months were really busy at my other, less exiting job, otherwise  I would have finished it by now. Participating in the  monthly painting challenge, and the tale of the x online gamers thread in the TGA painting and Modeling forum was really helpfull, and gave just that bit extra motivation needed. so a big thanks. Just a small impression below:

 

3. Grey Pile of Shame

Another milestone, also for the first time, I managed to actually paint more than I bought. In fact the only thing I bought (besides painting and basing supplies) was a nighthaunt warcry warband. I am an impulsive buyer, easily hyped, and can afford me this relatively expensive hobby. Most of the time this results in buying way more plastic than I can paint in years. But this year I kept the promise I made to myself not to buy anything before I finish at least most of an army.  This of course also  with a some help from GW, as  I found nothing released last year really irresistible.

Not that I wasn't tempted. I love the Mega Gargant, with all it small details and built options, and I am sure I will buy it at some point, just not now. Same for Warcry catacombs. Great set, almost bought it, but than realized that a good part of the box is also in the original starter, and once it was clear the set would be available for a longer period, and the warbands included would be sold seperately, I let this one pass too.   I considered Shadow and Pain. I think it is a good deal and find the Dok part really great. The Slaanesh included, like the deamonettes are not my favorite though (other than some of the more recent models I must say)  so I let this one pass too.  This year will be different. I already ordered some Warcry warbands, and consider Slaanesh, if soulblight doesn't happen, that is. (or maybe both.)

Edited January 4, 2021 by Lowki

[Greyshadow]

In January, I finished three Chaos Warriors to complete a unit of five.

Next up was five Chaos Warhounds. They took me a lot longer than they should have. The rearing one in the middle is now the pet of my Chaos Lord when I play Skirmish.

I then painted the Shadows over Hammerhal Heroes (excluding the Lord Castellant which I did a few years ago). The Loremaster is probably my best ever paint job. Very proud of this lot.

I needed a few more Acolytes for Hammerhal so I painted these in July. I love these models but they do take me awhile to paint.

In August, I finished the Freeguild General on Griffon. My gosh was this a fun model to paint. I couldn't put my brush down.

I then painted another five Freeguild Archers to make a unit of ten I could use in Path to Glory.

In November, I finished five more Greatswords to make a unit of ten. 

I finished the year with some rebasing projects. First up was eight Knights of Order. I used this as an opportunity to add a side arm to every model in the unit too.

The artillery looks fantastic on their new bases.

Finally, I rebased my remaining Cities of Sigmar heroes from my collection. The Gunmaster was given a new right arm with sword, a holstered Artisan Pistol  and a Masterwork Long Rifle slung over his shoulder. The long rifle was made out of a Freeguild Handgun with a scope from my bits box.

Comparing with my goals from the last new year's resolutions thread:

Completed goals: 3 Chaos Warriors,  5 Chaos Warhounds, Freeguild General on Griffon, 5 Freeguild Greatswords.

Incomplete goals: Hrothgorn's Mantrappers, 3 Empire Wolfships.

Extra stuff painted: Gryph-hound, Cogsmith, Loremaster, Black Ark Fleetmaster, 2 Kairic Acolytes, 5 Freeguild Archers

Rebased: 8 Knights of Order, Helblaster Vollygun, Greatcannon, 2 Battlemages, Freeguild General with Stately War Banner, Gunmaster.

Edited January 15, 2021 by Greyshadow