This is the beginning of a new year, the time when people make resolutions. They start a new life, sign up for the gym, start a healthy diet, ditch alcohol and tobacco… and before the end of January, they get back to their old routine. The gyms that were full of new year resolutioners are back to the regular guests, snacks and comfort food find their way back to the more and more liberal diet plan and a good pint or a drag of a cigarette still does the magic.
I never really believed in new year resolutions and dramatic changes, but there are a couple of things that work for me:
In this case, it’s not for my life in general but for my hobby only: the games I play and the minis I build and paint.
2019 Review
My biggest achievement was launching this blog, which is a small step for mankind, but one giant leap for me. I’ve learnt how to use WordPress, set up the blog and started posting on a regular basis. First, I was full of doubts if I can really make this work, but it turned out to be fun and now I enjoy it. However, there is something I haven’t really considered: spending time with my hobby is one thing, but writing about it is a completely different one: both activities use the same, limited free time I have.
I started my RPG campaign in January after a more than a decade long hiatus. I wanted to run a one-off DnD session just to get back to storytelling, but by the time I prepared the module, I felt that I have two or three more stories to tell. When we finished the first adventure, we agreed to run it as a campaign. By now we have almost had twenty sessions, finished eleven modules and spent about sixty hours with playing – and we’re not even halfway through! I ended up with an amazing party of talented and committed players. I really enjoy running the campaign and I have learnt a lot from them too. Guys, if you are reading this, thanks for all the fun, I can guarantee there is more to come!
I’ve also started playing three RPG campaigns recently: a DnD 5e game in a Forgotten Realms setting, a post-apocalyptic Twilight: 2028 game, and an Atlantis – The Second Age game, which are all run by talented veteran DMs. I bought miniatures to represent my characters, but I haven’t painted them yet.
I attended a few great wargame shows: Colours 2019, SELWG and Fighting Fantasy Fest. Seeing the fellow hobby enthusiasts, the works of professionals and meeting some of the living legends was an inspiring experience, I will definitely visit these shows in 2020 too.
Of course, I made a few mistakes as well: I made unnecessary purchases and now I’m flooded with unfinished minis. I hoarded the following ones:
These are only the basecoated but unfinished miniatures, and I’d rather not count the ones I bought but haven’t started painting at all. ☹
What to do differently?
All in all, it’s been a good year, but there are a couple of things I will have to change.
First of all, I want to improve my painting skills a bit: drybrushing was my go-to technique so far. It’s simple and easy, it works, but it’s time to take things to the next level and add layering to my repertoire.
The other technique I want to learn is object source lighting. The basics does not seem to be rocket science, but it can get tricky at a more advanced level. For the records, I aim just for the basics this time.
I will have to do something with my backlog and with my unused games and figures. I should definitely stick with the games I already own and shouldn’t start buying any new systems – however, buying new releases and extensions to currently owned games should be fine, if done in moderation. It’s easy to say, but there are so many interesting new ideas out there: High Noon, Clash of Spears, Black Seas… I know that this will be the biggest challenge for me.
At least for now, I shouldn’t start any new bigger painting projects – not even if I have the minis available. Instead of this, I will have to focus on completing the half-finished or just started ones.
This all sounds good, but how do I do this?
I want to do two things: reduce my backlog and paint my characters from the ongoing RPG campaigns. The difference between a wish and a goal is that you have a plan for the latter, so here it goes:
- I’m going to start with the biggest piece of my backlog: the Roman legionnaires. Painting them will offer a great opportunity to practice layering as well.
- I will pick one of the unpainted characters from the campaigns I participate in (Forgotten Realms, Twilight: 2028, Atlantis – The Second Age).
- Next up are the 10 skeletons from my unfinished minis list.
- I will pick the second character from the campaigns.
- I will finish the TIE fighter.
- Finally, I will paint the third figure from the campaigns.
This adds up to 45 minis in total, currently in different stages of completion, which sounds like a reasonable but challenging goal.
I left the most difficult bit to the end. There are figures, games and books I bought a long time ago and it is highly unlikely that I will use or complete them in the foreseeable future. It feels difficult and kind of heartbreaking, but it’s time to get rid of them either on eBay or at the bring and buy sale of a wargame show. If all else fails, I will donate them to a charity shop.
Watch this space to see how I get on with my 2020 plans.