[The Backlog Project was a January 2023 Otherverse Games and Hobbies community project. As such, you may happen across references to Otherverse and see its logos. The goal of the project was to dig into our respective piles of “shame”, select some yet-to-be started/unfinished projects, and see how much we could knock out in one months time.]
A Look Back On 2022
As a new contributor to the site, I haven’t paid much attention to the total number of models completed in 2022. Of course, this now means that I get to tabulate a proper accounting of my pile of shame. It’s not much of a pile compared to some… but significantly daunting nonetheless.
At the tail end of 2021 I was gifted a substantial number of firstborn Space Marines, and I ended up deciding to paint most of them up as Crimson Fists. While I’m nowhere close to finishing that particular project/army, I’m quite happy with the quality of the models I’ve finished painting so far.
I did also make good progress on working through my backlog of Steel Legion miniatures that needed painting, especially the tanks!
More importantly though, I began the process of repainting some of the early “just get ‘em painted” efforts with my Steel Legion Infantry. Quite a few of my infantry models were painted when I was still in middle school, and it shows. They’re really nothing to be embarrassed about, but my painting skills have undergone a transformation since COVID, and my “acceptable” tabletop standard has been upgraded quite a bit.
Before:
After:
In fact, this upgrade effort was so successful with the squad-level upgrade that I performed, that I decided to make this my project for January.
Making a neat segway to…
My 2023 January Backlog Project
I have a secret to share. While I have multiple thousands of points of Steel Legion “tabletop ready.” I really only have 3-4 squads of infantry painted! My tanks *literally* outnumber my infantry on the tabletop. This is somewhat excusable because the Guard has always been tank-heavy, and especially so with the Armageddon Steel Legion (whose whole schtick is that everything needs to have motorized transport).
How this would work in practice, is that all of my infantry squads would be mounted in their chimera transports, and maybe a squad at a time would dismount to take an objective for victory points. Inevitably, since IG squads are notoriously squishy, they get yeeted off the board in short order, thus ensuring no more than 3-4 squads worth of infantry is ever on the board at one time.
My shame now exposed, it’s past time to rectify the issue. Behold… my stuff.
Yeah, that’s a lot of unpainted and partially painted Steel Legion miniatures. Give or take 10 squads of infantry (100~ models) to paint. This doesn’t account for the two remaining painted squads that aren’t repainted to the new standard.
Note that I won’t be attempting to paint up the Steel Legion heavy weapons squads, since I have other plans for those folks. You may also see some future projects primed in brown hiding in the background there! You’ll see posts about those later this year ?.
We’ll see how far I can get in January! I have the motivation, I have the skill, I have the paint! But can I manage my time successfully?
We’ll find out in the next episode folks!
Ian
Something of an expert on printing, kitbashing, and hunting for models to keep his beloved abandoned GW factions alive a little longer. Usually finds the bandwagon about 10 years after it left the station. Can usually be found repairing old cameras or rusty hoopties in his spare time. Voted most likely to ask “Can I use this soda-can carnifex?” at an official tournament.