The Tally of 2022

There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.

And yet somehow, I never have enough time to finish my painting.

In Skavenblight, every year is the Year of the Rat.

For those who don't know, this is the idea behind "Project: Micawber"...

"Annual leadpile twenty Ardboyz, annual painting nineteen Ardboyz, nineteen Kruleboyz and a Pot-Grot, result: stagnation.

Annual leadpile twenty Ardboyz, annual painting twenty Ardboyz, nought and a Pot-Grot, result: progress."

Project: Micawber

The premise is simple: paint more models than I acquire, add them up at the end of the year and bring down that leadpile!

In 2021 I upped the stakes and promised to purchase no new models. On a wing and prayer (and some dodgy accounting), I proved successful. But now the leash was off - did I learn my lesson and become a responsible hobbyist?

Bought

Did I heck. After the long abstinence, my acquisition habits were back with a bang. In my defence, some of my early eBay rescues were to bolster my armies ahead of The Silver Cage campaign (you wouldn't have me face a Thunderhawk with just one Heldrake now, would you?)

The real culprit (other than my own lack of self control) was Imperium Magazine - I grabbed a lot of cheap infantry for Sisters of Battle and Space Wolves. The rest I'll just put down to a moment of weakness in the Element Games shop.

I will say, between selling off armies and doing painting commissions, the hobby budget has been very thrifty. So the only real loser is my cupboard space.

Acquisition total: 183 models.

Painted

• 16 x Battle Sisters
• 1 x Canoness
• 18 x Repentia
• 2 x Repentia Superior
• 7 x Plague Marines
• 1 x Chaos Dreadnought
• 1 x Heldrake
• 1 x Chaos Land Raider
• 1 x Whiplash Spawn
• 1 x Lord of Change
• 20 x Blue Horrors
• 1 x Valkyrie (commission)
• 1 x Tempestus Prime (commission)
• 5 x Tempestus Scions (commission)
• 1 x Chaos Vindicator
• 1 x Chaos Predator 
• 1 x Burning Chariot
• 1 x Thousand Sons Land Raider
• 1 x Palatine 
• 5 x Dominions 
• 5 x Retributors
• 1 x Mindstealer Sphiranx
• 10 x Pink Horrors
• 1 x Chaos Spawn
• 5 x Rubric Marines
• 6 x Tzaangor Enlightened
• 1 x Infernal Master
• 5 x Zephyrim
• 5 x Celestian Sacresants
• 1 x Dogmata
• 1 x The Blessed Saint Daphne
• 1 x Faker
• 1 x Stinkor
• 1 x Spikor
• 1 x Forgefiend
• 5 x Heavy Intercessors
• 3 x Eliminators
• 21 x Tempestus Scions (commission)
• 2 x Taurox Prime (commission)
• 1 x Vulture (commission)
• 1 x Wolf Priest
• 17 x Malign Sorcery
• 2 x Swampcalla Shaman
• 1 x Chaos Sorcerer Lord
• 1 x Rotbringer Sorcerer
• 1 x Knight Incantor
• 1 x Auric Runemaster
• 1 x Zarshia Bittersoul
• 1 x Great Bray Shaman
• 1 x Guardian of Souls
• 1 x Grey Seer
• 1 x Changecaster
• 1 x Frostgrave Wizard
• 2 x Votann Hearthkyn
• 4 x Space Foxes
• 1 x Kraken Paints (gift)

This time, I couldn't fit them all into one shot!

Painted total: 201 models

So I end the year 18 models in credit - that's double figures! I'll bank that, and it means I can get this backlog cleared in less than a century!

It was a year of two halves (Brian). The early months were a mad scramble to get enough Tzeentch units ready for The Silver Tower campaign (some 10,000 points in all), plus the monthly grind of the Hobbypocalypse 2.

After that, the brakes went on hard. Although I still managed to turn out a Tempestus Scions army commission, and did the entire Endless Spells set as a palette cleanser (which led me down a very novel detour of painting random wizards until the end of the year).

So quite a roller-coaster of a year, but I went into it very reluctant to paint vehicles, and I managed ten of them. I was also very hesitant to approach big models, and I realised my dream of painting a Lord of Change.

So pushing myself onwards, trying new things, and racking up over 200 models to my credit. I'll take that hobby win!

Other notables of 2022

• 
  
  Favourite unit:
  I did covered a lot of familiar ground with units this year - Space Wolves, Plague Marines, Rubric Marines - so I'm going to pick the humble Battle Sister squad. A colour scheme of my very own that worked out well.
  
  
• Favourite model:
  This was a different matter - I painted many different character pieces, many of whom I'm exceptionally fond. But the prize has to go to the big bird - the Lord of Change - a long-held ambition (almost to the start of my hobby) that nearly thwarted me, but I pressed on to come out with a model I'm really happy with (and has infuriated and frustrated opponents already)
  
  
• Favourite battle: 
  This is another one that's hard to pick from: the nail-biting finale of The Silver Cage, the Last Stand of The Purge, the breathtaking Rescue of Captain Nampo, the sweatiest of sequels in Hobbypocalypse 2. I think the winner goes to the Masters of the Universe-themed clash between Space Wolves and Thousand Sons - absolute insanity and a hobby milestone.


• Battles played: 
  Around 30 battles of 40k played (give or take - for once I didn't record every game I played)), plus at least a dozen games of 40k and Age of Sigmar played with my kids (which should go into the official tally, as we're almost up to full rules now), and one Fantasy Battle game. I also got to play a few friends for the first time this year, which was a real treat.
  
  
• Blog posts: 
  No contest. It has to be our 10th Anniversary clash of Fantasy Battle Empire vs Orcs & Goblins. Just as much fun as it ever was, if not more so (now I have a fancy mat, not just a piece of painted hardboard) - sometimes, you really can go home.

Goals from 2022

I hope 'buy models like they're going out of stock' was on the list somewhere...

• New army
  Yep, with my full Hobbypocalypse 2 stamp, I am the proud owner of a Sisters of Battle army (I could do with playing it some more).
• Paint a random model/unit each month
  I actually forgot all about this one. My selections did get very random as the year went on, so I may have achieved this by accident, but I wouldn't challenge a steward's enquiry.
• Play at least one game from six different systems
  Sadly, I didn't veer far from Warhammer 40k. The best variety I managed was three systems: 40k, Age of Sigmar and one classic game of Fantasy Battle.

Goals for 2023

• Only one hobby purchase per month
  I'm going to try this again (with a slight adjustment to the pressure valve), as it seemed a very healthy way for me to paint the things I wanted to paint.
  
• Paint a model from a different faction each month
  Let's see if I remember it this time.
• Play some small-board games
  Basically to try something that's not based on a 6x4 table. I have at least three in mind.

Have a great 2023, leadfellows! The Royal Mail is getting Warhammer Stamps in June, so let's try and hang on until then.