2020 – The Year of Papa Nurgle – Part 6

The End Of The Longest Shortest Year Ever

It’s November. 

Wait, it’s November? That can’t be right. 

Right? 

What the hell happened? Most of the leaves have fallen, and there is a bite to the air. We are about to cross into the fourth season of covid. Fourth. My wife and I are more than used to our home lives. And the idea of returning to even a semi-normal life is not all that appealing. People are gross. I almost cannot fathom going to a concert again. And I love shows. Or a hockey game. And I am a season ticket holder with the Rangers. 

I’m happy at home in our little safe zone. I’m happy sitting in front of the tv watching something with my wife, or playing a game, or sitting at my hobby table. Going to check the mail is about as far outside as I would like to go, most of the time. But work gets in the way. Not much can be done about that though. 

With the year coming to a close, I am now in the middle of a push to complete some smaller projects before the year’s end. On a facebook group that I help admin, we started a tradition of posting yearbook photos at the end of December. To show off all you’ve accomplished this year. I was determined to make mine more impressive than the last. Not really trying to impress anyone but myself. I just like to challenge myself. 


The Push

During the closing days of working on Hammers Ruin, I was actually working on another related/non-related model while things like the texture paint, or the epoxy to finish drying. A model that was also sitting built and collecting dust on my shelf. A Daemon Prince.

I do wish GW would release a new Prince

He is an Ascended Iron Warrior Champion under the sway of Slaanesh. The right arm, shoulders, and hammer are all 3D printed bits from PopGoesTheMonkey. I think it came out pretty good. He will most likely be my Warlord going forward. A Psyker presence is something I was sorely missing in my last game. In 2019…

Next up is a model that I built and primed all the way back in March(Part 1 of this series for those keeping track). The Adepta Sororitas Hospitaller. I love this model. I love everything about it. This sculpt is great. It properly depicts a non-militant arm of the Sisters of Battle. And it has so much character. The diorama base is perfect.

Blood for the Blood God Technical paint FTW

Following the Hospitaller, I turned my attention to a model I have had in my possession since at least high school. Cypher. The character that is bane to the Dark Angels. Also a long since discontinued pewter model. I am not a fan of his new model. But this one is classic. Run and gun. He is on the run after all. I’m glad to finally put paint to pewter. Though, this wasn’t the first time I tried. There was two previous attempts. Both ugly failures.

The new model doesn’t have the same feel that this one has. I’d like to see this revisited and modernized

The next model was more of a palette cleanser than anything else. I received it with a Japanese hobby magazine earlier in the year. I have absolutely zero interest in this army. I was just looking for something random to do to keep myself in a groove, and not end up with hobby fatigue again. All that said, this Stormcast Eternal was actually kind of fun to paint. But if I ever do an Age of Sigmar army, it will most likely be Hedonites of Slaanesh. Seeing as I already own a sizable chunk of them.

Retributor Armor base paint and Reikland Fleshshade. Another beautiful mix

Following the successful palette cleanse, and more real work, it was now the middle of December. I turned back to my White Scars. I wanted to build a veteran  command squad. Something I could mount in a Land Raider much later down the road.

With the exception of the Captain(MK X armor? May be wrong on that one) and the Apothecary(MK IV armor), the whole squad is in MK III armor. Also, the whole squad except the Captain are from Forgeworld. I’m using the Legion V Praetor as a sergeant.

The Ancient’s standard to be very simple and to the point. With a bloody scar down the center. Obviously Kor’Sarro Khan is not Forgeworld.

Back to my Iron Warriors now for a character I was sorely missing in 2019. A sorcerer. The new model is great looking. He and the Daemon Prince will really add some extra power with their Psyker abilities. This was a pretty fun piece to work on. Not too difficult. It’s also a model that I am not at all upset about the paint job on the face. I am terrible at faces. Well, except for White Scars apparently. Somehow I manage to be happy with their faces. My poor Sisters are hit and miss…

Dammit, my hand is turning purple again…

Jumping again to a different army, next up is Boss Snikrot. Bane of Armageddon and to the Imperial Guard. Leader of the Red Skull Kommandos. I had my eye on this model after I finished the 30 year old pewter Kommando models earlier in the year. I had a stipulation prior to buying this model though. It had to be pewter. 

Seeing as all his subordinates are pewter. This model was released in finecast resin a while back. Maybe more than ten years. So I “had” to hit eBay to find the pewter version. For a pewter model, it has really great sharp details.

This is another model that I absolutely love. Another great sculpt and was super fun to paint.

Shhh! I am being sneaky! No one will notice a 7 foot tall hulking monster
A boss and his less than minimum wage paid underlings. Still not getting benefits on Armageddon too

We are now in the waning days of 2020. Christmas has passed. I only have a few more days to produce some last minute results. And I would choose something so far out of left field that it even made me laugh when I chose it.

2nd Edition box set Space Orks and Gretchin.

I told myself that I would not touch these any time soon. The project is way too big. I have something like 60 of those Boyz and 80 of those Gretchin. But in the last days of this strange year why not? Right? I was kind of surprised with the results. Particularly when compared to my original “paint job” from more than 20 years ago.

More than 20 years later, I never expected these could look this good

I can actually be proud of these! But my effort from all those years back? Yeah…

Ugh…
I think I’m gonna…
…throw up…. Ok I threw up a bit… That green… 

Kind of well beyond “night and day” comparisons, in my opinion. That Walmart-special neon green paint actually felt like a good idea at some point in my life…  

These models were fun to paint. But I still cannot see myself doing a deep dive on them anytime soon. Maybe 5 to 10 every so often. 

At long last we’ve reached my last model of the year 2020. I chose this model because I still have the original model. 

Kharne The Betrayer.  

While the old model is a classic piece. The new model is incredible. It really captures the essence of the character. And both models will proudly be displayed together. The old one, complete with its paint job from 20 years ago. Though the green flock base has seen better days.

I wish the new Cypher got the same upgraded model style that Kharne did
When I painted that old Kharne, That was about the peak of my painting skills for that time. I don’t hate that paint job.

Final Thoughts

Well, that is it. 2020. A year, that for the most part, was spent at home knocking out as many projects as I could. 

I managed to finish projects ranging from small to titanic. And then some. And I managed to finish projects from every army I am collecting. And some completely random ones, for the hell of it.

In all, the final total of completed models was in the ballpark of 175. That includes the diorama base for Hammers Ruin, and all the 3D printed components and terrain. 

My yearbook photo. I’m proud of this picture

If I had to pick a favorite project for the year. The answer would be obvious. It would hands down be Hammers Ruin. That is long going to have a special place in my heart. I look at it daily in its display case here at the house. 

I made Hammers Ruin removable from his base for the eventuality of using it for a game. I need to create an alternate base still, for support, out of cork. But that is a project for when or if I actually play with  this model some day.
The Aurocannon marine was chosen specifically for this spot on the diorama

A close second would actually be the Adepta Sororitas. This was a project that I vowed to do all the way back in high school. I wanted a Nuns-with-guns army so bad. But back then it was all pewter models. And not cheap for a high schooler with only a part time job. In hindsight, I am glad I never pulled that trigger back then. Looking at my “painted” Orks, I can only imagine what kind of abominations I would have created with those pewter sisters.

The Sisters Repentia are some of my favorites in the new line

I have a lot of pride in the work I accomplished this year. Does any of it compare to the models you can see on Instagram or YouTube? Not even close. I am not painting to win awards.  I’m not pushing for a Golden Demon. 

I am painting to challenge myself and for fun. 

 A global pandemic and the at home stress that brought with it, actual sickness, hobby fatigue, and ruts aside, I had a blast this year.

An opportunity like this to get this much done probably won’t present itself again. So I am glad I took advantage of it.

Thanks for reading.

So ends my tale of 2020, The Year of Papa Nurgle.

The End

[This post was originally published at Otherverse Games & Hobbies]



Robert

All of these are true except for one:

Robert is: a Hobbyist, a Music Lover, an RPG Gamer, a Mustard Lover, Chaotic Neutral, a Japanese Speaker, a Veteran, an Otaku, a Table Tennis Player, an Anime Fan, an Aviation Professional, a New York Rangers Fan, a Chaos Lover With Loyalist Tendencies.

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