Tuesday, 31 December 2024

2024 - Year in Review - Part One - Painting

 As with many gamers, the end of a calendar year brings on a desire to review progress made in the past twelve months, as well as record games played.

In this post, I review all the figures I have enjoyed painting over the last year. A review of games played will come in a second post.

I won't be presenting any numbers - I am not motivated enough to go back through my blog and make a head count - this is simply a pictorial record and a few descriptive comments.


It seems a long time ago now, but in Jan 2024, I was still working on my 28mm Blitzkrieg Germans!



I had a bit of a splurge on new figures early in the year, and the above Three Musketeers miniatures were some of the new arrivals painted


A Blitzkrieg Command Group


Some more of the idiosyncratic mix of purchases - these may appear in a Pulp game one day.....


Fallschirmjaegers were also added to the Blitzkrieg roster!


It would not be my blog without some ladies - Three Musketeer-esque above, and Pulp below!



Another Pulp lady...


And some 3D printed scenic items I purchased for use in skirmish games.


Fallschirmjaeger command group


And a "Pulp" Command Group!


Some very nice 3D printed 28mm Blitzkrieg vehicles were obtained from JJG in France


A group of Fallschirmjaeger riflemen


Another 3D printed soft skin transport vehicle


More Fallshirmjaegers!



From a local web auction site, I obtained these now out of production Plastic Soldier Company 28mm hard plastic infantry at a bargain price


How they arrived on the left and with my enhancements on the right!


More of the lovely 3D printed vehicles, plus passengers!



Superb little SdKfz 222





Kubelwagon and "Chaindog" or Feldgendarmerie, to give them their official title!


I then moved on to painting some of new arrivals from my earlier buying spree - SCW Assaltos above, and some 1930/40's Pulp civilians below


And some rather nice "Gun Molls"!














And a female "Indiana Jones" type adventurer!



Plus, her long-suffering side kick!





Slight change of pace, with Crusader Miniatures FIW native warriors!


Then M'Lady de Winters servants for the Three Musketeers!


Back to the injuns!


Another online auction bargain - four rather rough 3D printed Opel Blitz trucks


They will do for me, though - cheap transport for the Wehrmacht - TICK!


Some hedgerows etc were created next.


Can be used with either 28mm, 20mm or 15mm!



Lots more FIW First Nation warriors




A quick burst of Pulp figures....


Then something quite a bit different - British Napoleonic Hussars for the Peninsula!



And then, some British Dragoons for the same theatre!



Now, I moved on to a new project that had not been anticipated, and was jump started by a bargain Warlord starter army box being available from a local retailer - AWI Americans!


The following pictures cover two to three months of steady assembly and painting production




After about a month, some Perry plastic figures were added to the mix!



The Man himself - Genl. Geo. Washington.


I must have felt like a break from the Yanks, because this is a unit of British Light Dragoons, again for the Peninsula era!


Then it was back to a production line of Perry AWI unit!






Withe several boxes of Perry plastic AWI troops assembled but yet to be painted, not to mention quite a few figures from the start of the year purchases still patiently awaiting attention, what did I do now - why, start a completely different and unexpected project, of course!


10mm 3D printed Early Imperial Romans from Cromarty Forge!



These arrived with the AWI infantry, and I obviously had an urge to paint them at this point!


Then, it was back to the 10mm Romans....






... and later, their Ancient Briton enemies!



Romans......




........ Britons!






From there, it's just alternated between the two sides for the last two or three months of 2024,







 And I already have more Britons on the desk to usher in the start of the 2025 painting season!

Have a very happy New Year (which is just over nine hours away for us, as I type this on Tuesday afternoon) to all my readers and I will be posting a review of my games played in a few days' time!

36 comments:

  1. Very success and productive year for you at the painting desk. I always enjoy seeing each of your new recruits. Keep it up in 2025.

    Happy New Year!

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    1. Thanks Jon - it is always quite surprising (to me at least) just how much stuff I have actually painted in the previous 12 months!
      Off out for dinner with SWMBO and who knows, might even see the New Year in at midnight, then off on some mystery mini break (two days) tomorrow - which will be nice although it has possibly prevented an AAR on my first game of 2025!

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  2. A very productive year Keith and lots of variety in the output. Looking forward to seeing more in 2025

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    1. Cheers Scotty, I am looking forward to 2025 as well, it will be fun, seeing what it brings!

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  3. Busy year on the painting front, that is a fair collection completed and a good range of projects too. Have a super New Year when it comes.

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    1. Thanks Donnie, and for your visits and comments throughout the year, too! See you next year, and we will do it all again!

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  4. A great year. Painting can feel such a chore, but as you say, when you review, the amount done is very surprising and satisfying. I do like the ‘rise of the Cromarty’, they look like they will be a cornerstone of your 2025 gaming.

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    1. Thanks Norm, and also for the great Christmas post you put together again this year!
      I am quite lucky, in that I generally don't find painting a chore(well, not wargame figure painting, anyway 😉), but I do look at the MANY boxes of 25/28mm figures in my storage cupboards and wonder, how and when did I paint all that lot!
      I hope you are right re the 10mm collection!

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  5. That's evidence of a nice productive year Keith, and all quality stuff. All the best for an equally productive 2025.

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    1. Thank you, Richard, and the same to you!

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  6. Tanks, gun molls, Musketeers, chariots , AWI, Pulp.....my the list goes on. Lots to play with in 2025! Have fun on the secret getaway. Looking forward to your AAR.

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    1. Thanks Joe, hopefully a few more games will be played this year!

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  7. Well a HNY to you and yours Keith! The Hogmanay parade has been cancelled in Edinburgh due to bad weather forecast, with other places too affected. Still incredibly mild for the time of year but a cold snap forecast from tomorrow.

    Great to see your painting from this year, many of which I had forgotten about, but nice to be reminded of them all. Hopefully some might get more table time in 2025...?

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    1. And to you, Steve! Must have been incredibly bad weather, for a Hogmany parade to be canceled in Scotland!
      I had forgotten some of the painting too!

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  8. So many awesome looking miniatures sir!

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  9. Seeing these all in one post really puts them in perspective--seems like longer ago that I was reviewing many of these. An impressive output, indeed!

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    1. Thank you Ed, it was a good year, for sure, just needed a few more games!

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  10. You have done a incredible amount of painting! And a great variety too. Very well dobe.

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  11. HNY Keith. Lots of projects there...how is the space in the garage now?

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    1. What space in the garage 😆....I should have changed to 10mm years ago!

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  12. Great variety there Keith and all beautifully done. I can't believe those Blitzkrieg Germans were all the way back in January as it only seems like six month ago to me.

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    1. I know what you mean, Lawrence.....I think it's called "getting old!"

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  13. Quantity and Quality Keith! Great work.

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    1. Thanks Ben
      ...maybe for 2025, I need to do less painting and a bit more gaming!

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  14. Great and inspiring stuff all year, Keith! I do like your work on the 10mm Ancients a lot!

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    1. Thanks a lot Dean, I appreciate your kind words!

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  15. Man you were a busy boy in 24. Love all your figures but I’d forgotten how good your injuns looked. I always get some sort of inspiration from your blog so keep up the good work in 25 please!

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    1. Cheers JBM, it's very nice of you to say so! I will, of course, attempt to keep providing inspiration 😆

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  16. Wow Keith! I disappear for a year and your hobby output goes into overdrive! Nicely done mate.

    A very happy new year to you and yours!

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    1. Happy New Year to you too, Dai, and welcome back to the blogosphere!

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  17. Happy New Year Keith, what a year.... nice to see so many projects being juggled.... I forgot about your AWI regiments, I might borrow the colour scheme for my next 10mm units.
    Cheers
    Stu

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    1. Projects being juggled....but not completed Stu 😒 I must get back to the AWI and get them finished off in 2025!

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  18. You got a LOT done. I especially like the 3 Musketeer and Pulp figures. Both are very different from my usual fare!

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  19. Goodness! That is a LOT of stuff! Well done!

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