The Unbearable Burden of Hobbies

Hobbies are a tricky thing. To many of them, and you never seem to get anything done. To few, and you’re stuck to the internet and social sites all day trying to catch up with what the latest stars and Idiots are doing. I blame that on a lack of hobbies, its true. where are the stamp and coin collectors, the birdwatchers, the hikers. Many a hobby has dried up. I seem to have jumped on the wrong end of that miserable see-saw. I can’t even balance Painting-Assembling-Converting-Playing

I mentioned that nothing gets done if you have too many hobbies, but that’s not exactly correct. Instead, what happens is that I become extremely frustrated with any one hobby and wallow about in an uncertain limbo, trying to make a decision that simultaneously encompasses the activities I want to proceed with.

In no specific order:

Conversions – I have in my possession a unit of bane thralls that I am turning into Bane Templars. I need to get shoulder pads for them and glue them together. I also need to make sure their axes are smooth – I ground them down with a Dremmel, but I’m not sure its the finest of grits. I’ve yet to prime and paint with it. These are my third unit of banes, the second to be complete with UA and Standard. My Second unit will now be relegated solely to Goreshade II.

Also sitting on my table to build are Deneghra 3, 2 Helldivers, 4 Soultrappers, 2 full units of Spell Drudges, my second Aradus that is waiting for magnetization, Cognifex Cyphon and a unit of Cetratii I have had for more than three years.So much plastic, and I hate assembly, but these models are not going to do it themselves. I’m also going to pickup Barathrum and likely another unit of Blackbanes here soon, putting me farther and farther behind.

Painting: Compounding on the assembly line problem, I have a painting backlog that likely won’t ever resolve itself. Relic Knights are about to get the boot, but I heard that they are just a little bit away from a second edition. Infinity has about a dozen minis I need to paint to finish up all my Haqq models, and there are about twice that to finish up all my Malifaux, which while I love painting simply sit and rot, watching foam. I also have my eye on the 14 Giants I have here from the bones line that I need to paint, because I love giants. Just… Love em, and I really enjoy painting them as well. The part that killed me was the skin tone on the Frost Giants. The Giants, However, are only a subset, a portion of the bones minis I have and wish to paint. All sorts of models with various interesting poses and model types I don’t get to paint otherwise. I could, and very may well, spend a year or two just painting them up! Instead, since I’ve purchased and received them, I’ve managed to paint 8 of them. So many just need to get painted. So. Many.

The real problem, though, is the pile of unpainted miniatures I have for Warmachine. Its a staggering total that keeps growing with every release. Fortunately, I’ve limited myself recently to models in faction, or models that I want to convert. I’ve not bought anything specifically for my Cygnar, Merc or Minion force for a long time. Instead, the log gets longer and longer for the two mains and their periphery.

Warmachine, at one time, was completely painted. Just prior to MK II coming out, I was caught up on single releases and was working on duplicates.Now, five years later, I’ve made almost no further progress. Thankfully, its almost all solos and warcasters that I’ve got on my plate.

Oh, and one soulhunter.

• Asphyxious 3
• Deneghra 3
• Goreshade 3
• Goreshade (New) + Deathwalker
• Coven + Egregore
• Erebus
• Plastic Leviathan Kit
• Darragh Wrath + Dismount
• Soul Trapers x2
• Iron Lich Overseer
• Scavenger
• Scarlock Commander
• Defiler (re-sculpt, never repainted)
• Bane Riders
• Soul Hunters (1 or 1 unit)

This list, written out, doesn’t actually look as brutal as I thought it would. Granted, I’m not painting any duplicates I currently use or repaiting any of the models I don’t like, but even then, I’ll just be adding

• Scavenger
• Scarlock Commander
• Defiler
• Helldiver x4

Come to think of it, I don’t think that is an impossible task. here, though, comes the big problem: I have a number of converted models that I will want to paint up, and sadly only a single model isn’t part of a unit.

• Bane Templars (thralls)
• FenHowlers (Boomhowler)
• Steelhead Thralls
• Sgt. Nick
• Cyleana and the Ninja Hunters

That, there, is an intimidating list of models to tackle. Each of them has been converted in some way, with the exception of Nick, I want to make sure I get them right, and it takes me almost a month to paint a unit up.

Finally, I have the Bad Seeds Fun Army I want to paint up one day, and I am strongly considering that that day is this year. The list includes only two painted models: Saxon Orrik and a Rendegade.

• Magnus the Warlord
• Renegade
• Defender
• Sentinel
• Sword Knights (10)
• Trenchers (10)
• Trencher UA
• Rangers
• Trencher Commandos
• Commander WA
• Kel Bailoch (will need to be converted)
• Orin Midwinter
• Trench Buster
• Trencher Master Gunner x2

I’ve never been one to really regiment my painting, mostly just painting models as they come our or as I enjoy them. This year, though, I think I want to come up with a plan, of which I have three.

1. Paint nothing. Take a break like I’ve never taken before and simply paint up models from Bones. I might get a ton done, or I might get almost none, but sometimes you deserve a break.
2. Paint up Bad Seeds. Put Cryx on hold again ( I painted only Skorne last year) and paint up an enjoyable, fun army that lets me experiment with a number of different techniques and styles while pushing my abilities.
3. Paint in a reward system, picking models from the Cryx list and then rewarding myself with a specific, equivalent model that can be painted from the secondary stash, one that I enjoy and will likely have fun painting. I have a feeling that this is going to be the way I go, but I want to hear what you guys have to say.

For the record, I don’t actually care about models on the table being painted. Instead, its a relaxing hobby that I happen to be good at, allowing me to kinda Zen Out and just have peaceful time. well, after 8:30 Thursday – Sunday.

Its not an easy choice, but I think I have to make it soon. Once I’m done with Xerxis II and the Effarit Scout for trade, there is going to be a ton of painting to be done!