Ring In The New

 Happy New Year, Woffbooters!

Only a day late, here's my hobby review. I am, in all honesty, quite happy to say goodbye to 2022. It was a bit of a shitter for me for various reasons. 2023, all shiny and new, at least has the potential to be better. And had better not mess it up. 

Hobby-wise, however, 2022 was business as usual for me. I out-painted my intake, the lead pile ran dry once or twice, but I got through a lovely selection of commission, terrain and my own bits. 

There is so much more of this stuff to do, but it looks so good once done that I kind of can't wait! Even though I have been.

I'm not a big one for trying to pick out favourites, I'm enough of a butterfly that whatever I'm doing right now is usually the top of the list. That said, some of the commissions this year came out very well, with the Forgefiend and Eldar probably first.

Two whole new armies for me, as well! Adeptus Custodes and Genestealer Cults, both up to just under two thousand points from essentially zero at the start of the year. The latter army is nearly finished but not quite, there's a unit and a vehicle still to go.

I got the Goliath about seventy percent done. More than three colours ready, any way! But highlights and details still to do.

There's also a couple of things I painted that haven't had their first outing yet, I'm saving them up for a Necromunda Ash Wastes game that needs playing! But here's a quick preview to keep me excited, if no-one else.

It's a big 'un!

I didn't actually get much gaming in this year, sadly. Life getting in the way, for the most part, but I have to admit that I've reached peak 40K for this edition. Whether the ever-present threat of a new one coming along might get me back in, I don't know. And don't get me wrong, I'm still enjoying it! But the thrill has somewhat lessened of late. Too many rules stapled on to the outside of the original folder, too much babbling tournament gubbins - I don't know, hard to point a finger. I think I just need a bit of a rest. 

So to that end, here are my resolutions. Unchanged from last year, really. I didn't manage any of the other systems I'd hoped to give a spin this time, so Frostgrave (or Stargrave, actually, the future version), Blood Bowl, maybe a bit more Necromunda?

1. Play the new Frostgrave (or Stargrave!), some Blood Bowl and a bit more Necromunda
2. Finish the current Mantis Warriors narrative campaign - Captain Nampo needs to get back to his battlegroup and sort out those Alpha Legion rascals wot nicked it
3. Paint all my nice new plastic scenery
4. Somehow shoehorn that lovely model Stylus sent me into a game
5. Stop collecting 40K

The last one is the biggie. At last, my cupboards have finally failed. There is no room at the inn, and trying to cram any more models in there means I'd have to sell off an army or two. And I know there's a big scenery delivery coming early in the year, so I'm already facing a backlog!

No, Fry. You shut up.

That said (and my daughter is currently standing next to me, saying "what if you see something really cool" which is an entirely fair point), there are exactly three more purchases I want to make. Then all six home armies are complete, in my eyes, and don't need more adding on. 

• A Rhino for the Sisters of Silence - there's a nice trick you can pull for a pre-game move, plus the poor Sisters are very much the window dressing in a Custodes army, they need a delivery option to live
• A Rhino for the Alpha Legion - a Deimos one, I think. Again, they need a delivery option, and although my homebrew Termite is a decent one, it also makes me feel dirty when I field it. Deep down, Forge World dirty. *shudders
• A Hunter/Stalker tank for the Mantis Warriors - it's a rubbish rubbish tank, although I think it looks great. With a third heavy option, they can field a full Brigade, just in time for that rule to probably go obsolete, but it ticks a box in my head. Yes, fine, a Leviathan Dread would also fill this slot (and look even better), but I'm very obstinate.

Go on - hands up if you've ever seen one on a table!

I'm quite serious - once I've got these, I'm done buying for 40K. Six armies is plenty, and I'd actually rather spend more time playing than painting! 

Necromunda and other systems, well, I'll keep my options open there for now, but the idea is to stop buying. Tune in this time next year to see how poorly I fare on this ridiculous quest. And Happy Hobbying until then!