SAGA is our game of choice since the epic SAGA Storm game day. The Storm brought many new players in and I can find a match at Fantasy Flight Games on most Thursday nights. I’m thankful for the new friends I made last year through this hobby.
I’m also thankful for my brushes and paints. Painting quiets my mind like nothing else and helps me forget my workday troubles. Painting
to audiobooks and podcasts is my favorite thing. I try to listen to something that matches my project. As I was assembling two boxes of Warlord Games Soviets this week, I listened to Von Lucks “Panzer Commander.” Luck's stories fired my imagination and carried me through the tedious process of assembling 70 plastic soldiers!
I'm looking forward to new projects in the new year. Some of our new SAGA players also play Bolt Action so I'm going to give that a try. I painted lots of WW II figures last year but they were all on contract. This year, I'll paint a Soviet force that can double under Bolt Action or Chain of Command. With Muskets & Tomahawks in rotation, I'd like to also paint up my first French & Indian War figures.
I have a couple of things I'd like to accomplish this year. I'd like to slow down and work on improving my technique. Failing that, I'll trot out Stalin's line that "painting in quantity has a quality of it's own." Or something like that. I'd like to put the brush down and make quality terrain this year as well. These recent pics illustrate how great terrain lifts up a game.
I have a couple of things I'd like to accomplish this year. I'd like to slow down and work on improving my technique. Failing that, I'll trot out Stalin's line that "painting in quantity has a quality of it's own." Or something like that. I'd like to put the brush down and make quality terrain this year as well. These recent pics illustrate how great terrain lifts up a game.
My OCD-fueled painting tally shows 434 28mms and 1,271 15mm painted in 2014. 28mm output is down a bit from last year
but 15mm is up. The excruciating details of what I painted are below the break.
Here's to the New Year. May it bring you great gaming and painting!
434 28MM:
Normans: 48 Spearmen, 8 Flemish mercenaries
Bretons: 12 Javelinmen, 16 Mounted hearthguard, 8 Mounted Warriors, 1 Warlord
Anglo Saxon:
2 Anglo Saxon Warlords
Vikings: Warlord and 2nd
Dux B: 4 Pict crossbowmen, 4 British archers, Pict chariot, warlord, driver and 2 horses
Samurai: 8 Sohei Monk Bunrai, 9 Bushi Buntai, 4 Oxen
British WW II Paras: 56 foot, 1 AT Gun + 3 gunners, 4 jump off points, 2 jeep drivers
British WW II: 95 foot
Norse Gael: 72 foot
Dead Man’s Hand 15 casualties, 4 townspeople, 7 Pinkerton Agency, 7 Apache, 7 Cavalry, 7 banditos, 2 bad guys, 5 hanging, Wild Bill Hickok and 3 civilians, Wagon, driver and 2 horses
Stagecoach, 4 horses, 2 drivers 2 passengers
1,271 15mm:
Dailami: 8 Slingers 16 Archers, 18 Ghazi Foot, Camp, 88 Cavalry
Celtiberians: 86 Heavy Scutarii
Gauls: 32 Archers, 96 Medium foot, 32 Light Horse
Spartans: 214 hoplites, 1 camp, 36 Psioli, 16 Cretan Archers, 20 Cavalry, 24 Thuriophoroi, 24 Medium Hoplites
Dacians: 72 Falxmen, 96 Javelinmen, 12 Light Cav, 12 Bastarne Cavalry, 36 Sarmatian Cavalry, 24 Light Bowmen, 24 light Javelinmen, 1 Camp, 8 Fort pieces
Ottoman Renaissance: 188 foot, 24 Cavalry
Late Republican Romans: 18 Numidian Light Horse, 8 Light horse archers, 2 ellies, 32 Archers
Monty, this is a positively herculean effort - and to think I was pleased with myself for finishing 25 figs in the same period...
ReplyDeleteIf I were you, I would seriously consider taking part in next year's Analogue Painting Challenge - that would be fun to watch!
Evan, that is very kind of you to say! I have thought about it. I'd probably get carried away, based on prior life experiences. So instead, I'll just look on in amazement at the work of Millsy. ;-)
DeleteThat's a lot of figures painted, nice! I agree with you about the terrain thing, definitely helps the feel of any game with a bit of quality terrain.
ReplyDeleteAll the best for this years projects and hope you have a good one!
Thanks Hendrid, good luck with your 2015 plans too!.
DeleteYou're a machine, Monty! I think you'll enjoy Bolt Action.
ReplyDeleteFMB
In my wurst Austrian accent. "Sara Conner, come with me if you want to...paint." Extends robotic hand.
DeleteHi Monty,
ReplyDeleteyou're a MASTER (of the painting) and a SERVANT (of the paintbrush)
don't forget that WE CAN'T GET ENOUGH (of lead to paint)
JUST A QUESTION OF TIME to paint the BARREL OF THE GUN ;)
well done MATE !
Warm regards.
Gilles " painting therapy"
Gilles, you are too kind and funny!
DeleteI'm sorry to change gears so suddenly but I just heard they caught the monsters. Our hearts go out to the families of the victims of the attack. Be safe and take care Giles.
Monty, you ARE a painting machine! Fantastic yearly production. You have mastered quality AND quantity. If Stalin could have harnessed that combination, WWII would have been shortened considerably.
ReplyDeleteClassic! Good thing I wasn't drinking because I'd have sprayed it all over my PC. Thanks sir!
Delete"28mm output is down from last year..." I'd take a fraction of that and be thrilled! Quality work too, I salute you! Personally speaking, I've found a mix of projects and a bit of terrain thrown in as well really helps keep the motivation and output high. Looking forward to following your exploits this year :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks Paul and you're dead on. When I get tired of one scale or project, a switch to another will often give me the spark I need.
DeleteYour technique improved so much over this past year and the number of commissions you are getting is a good reflection of that. And people are right you have both quality and quantity.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is in college now and I've more painting time. I'd have more painting space if I could make myself take over her bedroom. But I can't. I keep it exactly as she left it.
Anne, you are much too kind but thank you. I really do want to improve. I look over at what you've done and know I need to step it up. What you've done and continue to do is simply amazing!
DeleteI hear you about your daughter. My wife has taken our kids leaving for college pretty hard. I have not yet convinced her to join me painting and gaming to fill up that empty space. ;-)
A good year indeed, Monty! Well done :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Pru!
DeleteThat's quite some going Monty, keep up the great work in 2015!
ReplyDeleteThanks Ray!
DeleteImpressive numbers, but the real achievement is that quality is even greater than quantity! Congratulations, your awesome work is inspiring!
ReplyDeleteThat is very generous, No Vember, and thank you! It is a tricky thing to balance quality and quantity.
DeleteSo impressive and so beautiful!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Phil!
DeleteWhat a cracking year and you have certainly got all your hobby ducks in line! I know exactly what you mean about painting as a distraction - it certainly helps to keep me going.
ReplyDeleteMichael, thanks! It is my medication, so to speak. Hope I don't ever OD on it. ;-)
DeleteMan, that is over 4 minis per day. If I painted that many miniatures in a year I would never paint again. Nice job.
ReplyDeleteRick, lol! It's an addiction for me. When you leverage painting over big projects, it goes down easier. I've got 200 Romans in 15mm. You just line them up and do the same thing for each step, over and over again. Thank goodness for the podcast in the background to keep me awake!
Delete;-)
Fantastic, huge and Epic!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks much, Michal!
DeleteMonty, you're a true painting machine! Really loved to see you coming up with a new army every week ;-) Your output alone is awesome but compared with the quality of your painting it's absolutely breathtaking. Keep it up!
ReplyDeleteThanks Moiterei, you are too kind! T
DeleteAn Astounding painting total! I agree in that great terrain really lifts the game. Looking forward to what comes off of Mr. Saga's brush!:-)
ReplyDeleteChristopher
Christoper, thanks!
DeleteYour boards, terrain and painting too are all inspirational.
Sounds like you have had a good gaming year and painted an impresive amount of minis !
ReplyDeleteIt was a great year Michael but you know what would top it? A trip to Stockholm, a Viking tattoo by a real Viking and then a trip to the Viking museum. One day!
DeleteWow that is quite an output.
ReplyDeleteI can second your statement about having kids out of the house, both mine are gone now. What a relief.
My days off are usually my own.
I really look forward to seeing your terrain efforts.
John
Thanks John, I've really enjoyed your CoC campaign write-ups. 8 games is a great run!
DeleteWow, that's a truly impressive amount of painted miniatures by anyone's standard and made even more impressive by the excellent quality of your painting!
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to your continued efforts this year and especially your terrain building.
Jonas, thanks so much. ! I hope you and your family had a great holiday season!
DeleteLovely work all around, so lovely that i would have problems picking a favorite!
ReplyDeleteWhat I can say though is that even amongst these beauties, the carts really stand out. You have done a very fine job at depicting the weathered wood!
(Before I hit enter, I cross my fingers, that blogspot does not loose my comment like they did the last two days!)