Retrospective

Another year has passed us by. Well actually, when I started writing this article it was only October. Why am I writing this so early? Because I’m done for the year, I currently have enough articles scheduled to last me into January. Switching up my painting style to something more speed based around the time of the Restless Corpses has really enabled me to just plough through models, getting 182 painted this year. Slightly less than the 205 of last year but then I did batch paint 107 Xenos for Zombicide Invader in one go which significantly bumps up last year’s numbers. However, I have been more consistent this year. Excluding this one, I have publish 49 articles this year which means I missed just three weeks. I have to say I’m really proud of that, dare I aim for the full 52 next year? 

I’m getting ahead of myself a little, let’s see how I fared with the rest of last year’s goals: 

Finish painting the Warhammer Underworlds warbands.

Completed by the skin of my teeth, the Crimson Court was one of the last articles to get published this year. 

Finish painting the Valhalla kickstarter miniatures.

Technically complete, the remaining Valhalla miniatures are actually done; it's just the articles haven’t yet been published. 

Build and paint the Bandai X-Wing and TIE fighter.

Got the X-Wing done at the beginning of the year and although the article hasn’t been published yet, the TIE fighter is also done. 

Make significant gains on the remaining Village Attacks and Zombicide Invader miniatures. 

I absolutely knuckled down and got a lot of Zombicide Invader done this year. I pretty much just have the Dark Side expansion and its extras to do at this point. 

On the flip side I haven’t touched Village Attacks this year. It’s hard to drum up enthusiasm for it given the issues I had getting paint to stick to the models. Even more so with the news that Grimlord Games has gone out of business and there’s no chance I’m ever getting my Grim Dynasty pledge.

Be in a position to start my narrative campaign.

I might not be in a position to start my campaign but I’m closer than I was last year. No spoilers (or promises) yet but I do feel that I’m tantalisingly close to being able to start. Watch this space is all I’m saying. 

Paint the Frosthaven starting classes. 

Done! And even painted two of the unlockable classes like an overachiever.

Overall pretty good progress, most of them are basically complete. It’s only Village Attacks that I haven’t made any progress on at all. 

Stats and numbers

It’s not all about the hobby, I do have a blog to run after all. Last year we had 4700 visits to the site. 

This year we have continued to grow and got 8800 visits to the site, an 86% increase from last year. Not the explosive growth from the year before but it’s growth nonetheless. Especially considering that near the beginning of the year 20 visits in a day was a busy day for the site, but now 20 visits is a slow day. 

Continuing the trend from last year Gloomhaven articles garner the most traffic. My most popular article was the Level 5 Unlocks for Jaws of the Lion with nearly one thousand four hundred visits this year. Most of the Frosthaven starter classes account for the majority of the top ten articles, with only the Drifter not making the cut.

My most engaging article was The Crimson Court, so far only three visits but an average stay of around twenty minutes. 

The Year Ahead

So let’s see what I want to get done next year. Continuing to work on my narrative campaign and Zombicide Invader are no brainers. I do also want to make some headway on Village Attacks, it’s about half way done so in theory it shouldn’t take too long. 

I also want to get on top of the Commemorative Series Warhammer models I keep buying. A few of them are years old at this point. It will mean actually deciding on a Necron colour scheme though. 

I should also do some more reviews, I certainly have things to say about some Warhammer books and WarhammerTV shows. The trouble is finding the time, I scarcely have time to write about the things I paint let alone the things I watch and read.  

In summary, by the end of next year I want to:

• Be in a position to start my narrative campaign.

• Finish Zombicide Invader.

• Make significant gains on Village Attacks.

• Paint all Commemorative Series models.

• Review at least one book and one WarhammerTV show.

With my new approach to painting these feel fairly achievable. Two of them arguably don’t involve painting either, so I should have some wiggle room for other projects. The Stormlight Archive Premium Miniatures Kickstarter that I backed should be fulfilling soon, if it hasn’t already by the time this article is published. And I haven’t even made a start on the Massive Darkness 2 or Batman Gotham City Chronicles miniatures. 

Bring it on!