Looking forward to 2023

 

The days are shorter and the nights are longer and we are reaching yet again the end of another year. 2022 has been a year of me recovery and rebuilding my hobby love from the Covid years. I am not much of a reflector I tend to look forward more and focus on the future. My Blog is my meanderings and reflections on what I have done in the hobby that month. However for 2023 I want to have a bit more of a focus to my Hobby Year. So I have chosen 5 areas that I want to be my main focus for 2023.

Number One: Star Wars Legion.

This has been my latest new starting Hobby project and so far played 2 games and really enjoyed the flow. My first army is the Shadow Collective and have enjoyed painting the models so far so expect to see some completion shots over coming months.

I am looking forward to the complete rulebook coming out in mid January and will do a write up of the book once I have got hold of it.

Yearly Goals: 

1200 points of painted Shadow Collective. This will allow me to have a selection of choices to build 800 point armies.

Build a themed table: At the moment I am toying between a Hoth and Genosis table. But more on this to come.

Number Two: Horus Heresy

HH was my major hobby achievements of last year. Having completed the starter box baring the Spartan and painted a lot of the other releases. So I really need to get some pictures posted up of the completed units.

I have still not played a game of the new system and really want to get this sorted out early in the new year. 

Yearly Goals:

Buy and Paint Horus as a focal point for the army.

Play at least 3 games in the first quarter of the year.

Start a 1000 point loyalist army so that I have an opposing force for someone to use on the table.

Number Three: Commemorative Models

On tidying my hobby room I have found that I have a load of commemorative models that have been bought and not painted and added to the pile of shame. I also want to improve my painting skills on single focus models and this is a great reason to reduce the pile of shame and improve my skills. 

Number Four: Secondary Games

I have a number of secondary game loves and want to make some time for getting these painted and have some games. The great thing with games like Bloodbowl, Necomunda and Battletech it is a small model count and quick game time, means that they can be nice break up projects.

Number Five: Online Gaming

I have not really ever talked about my online gaming. I have two loves the first being Eve Online which is a deep immersive space game. Now that sentence really does not do Eve Online any form of justice. But will delve deeper into the game in future posts. 

The second in roleplaying with COVID it stopped our gaming group from meeting up so we moved online and tried out to varying degrees of success online platforms. Having settled on the FORGE I have now been part of an online group for around 18 months now. Call of Cthulhu being our favorite system so far, but we have tried other games such as Alien, D&D and using the systems to play through some our fav horror and sci fi films of the 80s and 90s.

Work is coming up to some major projects that I know are going to hit on my free time out of work. So my hobby is going to be an important part of keeping me sane throughout the year. 

So with the last post of 2022 all for me to say have a Happy New Year and I will see you in 2023.

HOHO HOBBY VICES

 For those of you that are in the know will already be aware of HOHO HOBBY VICES, and may be part taking.

This is the third year for me and the premise is really simple. You join up on discord or Instatgram #hohohobbyvices around about Nov time you get sent a questionaire where you talk a little about your hobby and what you are collecting and what projects you are on. You then are matched up with someone and they read through your mad ramblings:) and then go and buy you some cool hobby gifts.

This year Ben (Not giving surname to protect his identity I think he might be in the A-Team) was my hobby Santa and what an awesome haul he sent me.

I jotted down that I am on the Horus Heresy night bus with SoH and Imperial Fists and he sent me a nice praetor which is ripe for conversion and 5 terminators not pictured and some cool nifty pin badges. These are not picutred.

Also mentioned that was just getting into Star Wars Legion, Ben not knowing anything about Legion popped to his local hobby store and they advised on these 2 characters. Spot on the buffs that Darth Vader has received as operative have made him a shoe in for my upcoming stormtrooper list. Along with Gar Saxon who is one of the Command options for the shadow alliance. 

Along with the Red Gobbo and some nifty EAVY METAL DICE was a lovely written card.

Of course Christmas is not Christmas without Choccie and Ben sent some Orange Chocolate DAIM bars which sadly did not survive the photo.

Many thanks Ben and I hope your hobby vice Santa put as much thought and effort into it as you did.

Star Wars Legion Bossk Complete

 

So next up on the painting table is Bossk first featured on the bridge of the Star Destroyer in Empire Strikes Back and then more fame in Star Wars Clone Wars cartoon series. 

The base needs a bit of tidying up, the yellow is far brighter in the photos than it shows in real life. I think the green is maybe to green and needs to be more camo green colour. But happy another model complete. Next up on the painting table is Gar Saxon to lead my Shadow Alliance Force.

Count Dooku Complete

 Finished my first Star Wars Legion model this week and it is the face of the Separatist Alliance Sith Lord himself Count Dooku.

Painted with a mixture of normal and contrast paints I was please with how it came out and the level of detail showing on the model. I think as I learn how to paint this scale and work out my weathering, I may well come back to him and go for a pure paint job with no contrasts. 

Up next on the desk is the start of my Shadow Alliance Gar Saxon and Bossk.

Star Wars Legion: Cad Bane Assembly

 

First up on my assembly bench for Star Wars Legion is the infamous Cad Bane from Clone Wars and more recently The Book of Boba Fett. The more recent waves of Star Wars Legion now come in hard plastic and with the characters a couple of poses. The first is in a gun slinger pose aiming one of his blasters. The second he is using a com link on his wrist.

 I went with the classic gun slinger pose and the build is very clean and crisp with very few mould lines. Once assembled there are no gaps for filling. Looking forward to getting some paint on the model over the course of the weekend. I have included the sprue shot and shot of the other varients.

 

 

Star Wars Legion

Me and friend where chatting on Monday this week about what gaming we would like to do over the Christmas break. We both been watching a lot of Star Wars recently and we decided on Stars Wars Legion. Being pay day I popped to Element Games and picked up some box sets to see how I like the models. So now in my greedy paws are the B1 Battle Droids, Anakin Skywalker, Darth Maul and Cad Bane. Will start building up the Battle Droids tonight and pop a post tomorrow. Don't worry my Sons of Horus have not been neglected, just need to get some pictures taken.

 

Horus Heresy: MkVI and MkIII Tactical Squads completed.

 Also completed this week are my first two Tactical squads a Mk III and a MK VI from the new starter set.

Horus Heresy: Justaerin Terminators Complete

 

May the 14th i posted my build pictures of my Justaerin Terminators. Happy to say that they are now complete.

Having looked at the photos I think I am going to change the rim colour of my bases not keen on the matching rims to the base material. When I re-edge the bases will add in some weathering powders.

Heresy Thursday: Scooby Snacks anyone?

 

This weeks Heresy update brings the Space Wolves some scooby snacks

Like the helemts but cannot see them hitting my bitz box as have no plans for a Space Wolves army.

Horus Heresy: Leviathan Build

 

Following on from the weekends post of the Leviathan unboxing, I have spent the past couple of lunch times building up the kit.

I obviously went with the Eye of Horus groin guard and the chaos looking chest plate and rear head piece. I really like the extra height and width the shoulder guards give the model. As you can see I have left the arms separate to make it  easier for painting. The model can be magnetized if you are one of those gamers that have to all options available to them (i am not if I want different variant will just buy another one). My load out is claw and drill, I really like that you can pose the drill and the claws to give a nice variable to your model.

Just for scale guide is one of my Tactical Support Marines. Hes a big unit and def gonna be a magnet for enemy fire. Looking forward to painting this model.

Whats on your table?

Horus Heresy: Sons of Horus Army List First Draft

 

Received an email today from the events team that they are holding another Heresy event in November and its two dayer 3000 points. So have the time booked off with her indoors, so thought was time to draft out my first army list 

HQ	POINTS
Abaddon	250
5 Justaerin Terminators	275
Multi-Melta	25
Cataphractii Praetor	135
Magna Combi-weapon	10
Paragon Blade	15
	710

I have an idea that i saw on Instareddwer for an Abbandon conversion but I do love his stats as a leader for the army.

TROOPS	POINTS
Tactical Squad	100
Nuncio Vox	10
Power Sword	10
Plasma Pistol	10
Rhino	35
Dozer blade	5
Tactical Squad	100
Nuncio Vox, Vexilla	20
Chain Bayoney	20
Power Sword Plasm	20
Tactical Squad	100
Nuncio Vox, Vex	20
Bayonet	10
Power Hammer	10
Flamer	2
Tactical Support Squad	145
Rotor Cannons	50
Vox, Vex	20
	687

Troops are built from the starter box with some rotor cannons added as some support. one unit in a rhino to rush forward to take an hold an objective.

ELITES	POINTS
10 Cataphractii	325
Two Lightning Claws	100
Spartan	350
Contemptor Dread	175
Gravis AutoCAnnon	10
	960

The Elites are coming in at nearly a third of points. I do think that the Spartan is expensive for what it can do but there is a need for some heavy weapons in the army. But the spartan could be the first item to be dropped from the army if points are tight.

HEAVY	POINTS
Heavy Support	100
Vox, Vex	20
Heavy Support	100
Missile Launcher	25
Vox, Vex	20
Kratos	300
Sponson Volk	15
Hull F,R,L Volk	5
Leviathan	270
Siege Drill	5
	860

Heavy choices are what I have from the box set, the Kratos and the Leviathan I picked up at the weekend.

The army at the moment is 217 points over so I am prob going to trim out the Spartan to start off with and an in some more troops, But have a test game coming up in a months time so I can see how I want my army to play. At the moment my idea is to engage the opponent over the objectives.

Next post up this week will be showing the progress made on the army so far. 

Anyone else heading to the event?

Horus Heresy: Leviathan Siege Dreadnought Unboxing

 

Was in Nottingham this Saturday for a close friends birthday. So thought would pop into the new Element Games shop to pick up the new Leviathan that was released today.

Nice artwork on the box featuring the Sons of Horus patterned Leviathan.

Inside the box you have 4 sprues, 3 of the sprues are for the main body of the dreadnought.

The final sprue are the Siege Claws and Drill weapons.

There are 3 differing groin guards, and 3 front carapace options. Only 1 head type, but two differinbg back plate pieces.

You also get some extra shoulder mounts for adding some extra heft to the already large shoulder sections.

The weapon is the sprue that will be swapped out in the next box release for the ranged weapon variant. I would have preferred to have had both variants in the box, so loadouts could be set or fully magentized.

Tegs as with the contempor dreadnoght are all ball and socket joints so will allowa full range of posing. Hope to get some build time over the weekemd. Not sure on my loadout will decide when get to that part in my build. 

Anyone else picked up one?

Heresy Thursday: WOW its a big drop from GW this week

 

This week's Heresy Thursday gives us not 1 but 2 upcoming releases.

The first being a stunning Praetor for the Emperor's Children

The second being an expansion book for Aeronautica Imperialis bringing rules for dogfights and bombing runs in the Heresy era. 

I love the unhelmeted head of this model and it showing where the Emperor's Children have started to experiment with sonic weapons.

The cloak is amazing and I could see this working on other models as I would have thought that the eagle will be a separate piece.

So it is just the teasing drop of images from the Community release today, be nice to see some of the lists available and if we are going to receive any Legion specific rules. 

This is going to give me the motivation to paint up the models from the last starter set released. 

Touchdown Tuesdays: A new Star Player for the Amazon Roster

 

This week on Warhammer Community we get to see the first Amazon Star Player Estelle la Veneaux.

I think the model looks great and will stand out so well from the rest of the Amazon models we have seen so far. Covered in frogs and what looks to be some form of squig, Estellle is a great addition to the Star Player ranks.

Aside from having the Disturbing Prescence and Block special rules, Estelle also has Baleful Hex. Allowing her to Hex an opposition player once per game that is 5 squares away and on a 2+ loses their tackle zone, I see this a a great way of almost garunteeing a touchdown either from Estelle or another close by Amazon player.

Looking forward to seeing what other star players will come out as for the Norse we got 3 and also expect to see pitch, cards, dice and a copy of Spike to complete the release.

Heresy Thursday:White Scars Upgrade Packs

 

This weeks Heresy Thursday brings us the Mark VI helmet and shoulder pads for the White Scars.

I really like the heads and I may well sneak a few of these ibto a Sons of Horus unit for the top knots, and the unhelmeted head would look great on a Character model