bigbossredskullz

Symbolically  for 2019, the roundup is late. But then, better late than never right!

As I still enjoy and find the yearly review one of the best parts of the blogverse I will continue the tradition. Also this marks the fifth year of my blog and that`s something to celebrate even though my numbers, as most blogs have taken a severe hit. Still I find my blog as the anchor on keeping track of what I do across all mediums, and I intend to keep on doing it. There are still people out there that keep track of what I do and I really appreciate that (especially those taking the time to comment) – thank you all!

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For the previous “Bigboss Year in review..” 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
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#hobbygoals2019
Let us first start with looking at the hobby goals I set up last year.

• Risi Vortapt
  • I actually managed to build and paint the entire Legio which was a big success for me.
  • I still have to finish up the terrain but I`ll get it done
  • The game is still eluding us but here`s hoping 2020 will be the year!
• Nestorian Infestation
  • Helge painted some stuff for it and I revealed some WiPs and there will be loads more of this 2020!
• WHQ
  • I had plans for Blackstone Fortress as my main board game focus for 2019. It did not happen..
• Blood Bowl
  • No new team but I did get in some games with one of my older teams at the local pub which was great fun. I really want to finish off another team but time is really biting me here.
• Underworlds
  • One of my main games in 2019. I really enjoyed it and I plan on working on Beastgrave during 2020.

• Collecting toys
  • Did not happen – PUH as that stuff is expensive!

All in all approx 50% achieved of my goals. Quite frankly it is better than I thought!
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Year in review
So with the basics out of the way lets talk in broader words how 2019 was for me.
I didn`t do much hobby related stuff during 2019. Where 2018 started on a very positive note, it didn`t quite end that well and that carried over into 2019 for me. Suffice to say, I had some big life changing matters and I had to handle that and get my stuff sorted. RL stuff that is!
I also felt that being on all kind of mediums and a plethora of groups on facebook was starting to stress me a lot. The amount of collabs and whatnot just became to much for me. So I dropped out of all of the collabs I was a part of and then reduced the number of platforms BBRS are on to this blog and instagram. I`m only on the Inquisitorum group on facebook. Truth be told but reducing that much was a real stress relief and has made me enjoy my hobby time for what it is. Alone time, and one of the few activities I can do that actually takes my mind of RL matters. So I don`t really care any longer if my numbers are high, and to keep a constant barrage of posts on the blog and insta to keep people clicking on it. Don’t confuse it with not caring for people actually liking what I do – because that I really really do! I just don`t care about “doing it big” on social media anymore.

So pretty doom and glum so far right? Don’t worry, it is all good now and I have been doing a lot of positive stuff that I`m very excited about.

I started playing video games again after 15 years in 2018, and I`ve kept that up in 2019 too. Played a ton of Diablo 3, Tetris99 and more and it has been nice. Another distraction that with the switch is easily avaiable, especially as I travel a lot due to work and studies.

I also collect and read a lot of comics and books as well as watching a lot of TV series. If I can reccommend something I`d go for the following;

• Books
  • A Little Hatred – Joe ABercrombie
    • Pitch dark fantasy. He has written a lot of stuff and it has all been really good. This new series is at least as good as the stuff he started with!
  • The Passage / The Twelve / The City of Mirrors – Justin Cronin
    • A truly astounding trilogy. It touched all heart strings and the finale was to die for. Couldn`t reccommend it more
• Comics
  • Seven to Eternity (fantastic world building)
  • Monstress (the strongest female lead – literally!)
  • SAGA (overall one of the best comics out there)
  • Batman: White Knight (the one Batman title you should read)
  • The Black Monday Murders (my personal favorite, pitch black occult stuff)
• TV-series
  • Watchmen (best TV series I think I`ve ever seen)
  • Umbreally Academy (surprisingly good, hope for more)
  • Doom Patrol (the highlight from the Titans season 1 is even better here)
  • Swamp Thing (the closest to what I visualize Nestorian Infestation to be)
  • The Witcher (solid series, liked it a lot. Think I need to buy the video game!)

Remember, previously I only used my “spare time” for miniature hobby but now I am more relaxed towards it all as I mentioned in the intro. I don`t feel the pressure to constantly deliver stuff, and that will hopefully transcend into worthwhile stuff when I actually do post something miniature related.

The biggest surprise for me was the desire to start with music again in 2019. This is also something I haven`t done for 15 plus years because of..reasons..I used to be a vocalist in 4-5 different bands. The main band was a melodic death/thrash metal band. But then these “reasons” happened and I lost all desire to both do music but also pay attention to it. I had a massive CD collection, tons of magazines and it is all gone now.
Nevertheless, with how technology works now I can listen to what I want when I want and I don`t need a band around me as I can do everything myself. That has lead to me making the type of music I always wanted. Extreme metal basically. 2020 will see the release of a demo on cassette format and I`ll also get it out on spotify and iTunes at least. I have no ambition or desire to get a contract or something like that. This is like my hobby stuff in general. No pressure, just what I feel like doing when I feel like doing it. If you are interested just keep an eye out here or on my insta account and you`ll know when the demo is ready.

If you like extreme music here`s a few albums I would highlight if you haven`t heard these yet;

• Death Atlas by Cattle Decapitation
• A New Kind of Horror by Anaal Nathrakh
• God Hand by Brand of Sacrifice

As for miniatures I did make some nice minis in 2019. I continued with Underworlds as it is a game I like a lot and when Warcry was released I even liked that game better.

A large serpent for my Warcry warband in progress

I think it is because it reminds me a lot of the first edition of Age of Sigmar and the Path to Glory supplement they released as an eBook. If you remember that`s what inspired my …of Matters Arcane and Magic work.

The main warband of Splintered Fang I`m working on

Anyways, I completed two warbands for Underworlds;

As the second season of Underworlds was themed around being even deeper in the Underworlds I made my own take on it with a Shroomverse spin on things. I have another warband in progress but they`re not completed yet.

Crazy looking I know but it is just the way I like it!

My biggest achievement of the year was getting my Risi Vortapt setting legio done;

This is Legio Proditor, a canon tzeentch legio but one you don`t really know a whole lot about through the fluff, so it has a lot of room for interpretation being tzeentch and all.  My take is that the planet Risi Vortapt happens on has been the scene of a great battle, leaving a ton of wrecks that hasn`t been reclaimed yet. So these tzeentch sorcerers flew down with their towers, settled in on various titans and forced them into service again. Wilhelminiatures is part of it as well as a fair few others but it is only me and Helge that has completed any miniatures. Next up will be the battlefield/terrain which I will make. Have a ton of stuff in progress theres so stay tuned for that.

Wrapping this up is the one big scenario which spans several years, Nestorian Infestation. Not that I painted anything new here, that was Helge. But I finally showed some of my WiPs that I have been working on for the next installment of the setting. The Matriark and her court as well as Berroguete in his ceremonial battle suit.

The Matriark herself

The name is still unknown, but all will be revealed

The Matriark surrounded by her fawning court

Ordo Xenos Inquisitor Berroguete out of his plague doctor suit and in his battle suit

Mind these still need a ton of work but I think you see where this is going. I do have a post coming very soon with another addition to the court which I think you will all enjoy.

Goals for 2020
So to try and wrap this up, here`s the goals for this year;

• Nestorian Infestation
  • Finish the latest batch of minis and play some more games in the setting
• Risi Vortapt
  • Completing the terrain and playing the game
• #make2nded40kgreatagain
  • If you remember there was a similar challenge with Plague Marines a few years back that Betweenthebolterandme hosted.
  • This time I`ve challenged the brothers and Helge by sending them some minis, and keeping some myself and try to make them great again beyond the nostalgia aspect. Here are my WiPs for my orks

• Dark Skies over the Harrowmark
  • I said earlier that I dropped out of all collabs and stuff, but as Saul invited me to a flying ship setting in AoS I just had to say yes. Too cool and I felt it was time to get involved with something like that again. Especially as the event won`t happen until late 2020, early 2021. Suits me very fine!
  • I have three main ideas I am contemplating for this;
    • A Silver Tower for my tzeentch stuff
    • A Rot barge for my nurgle stuff
    • Something big hat / big nose Chaos Dwarf (I have a ton left of those)
    • My decision will depend on what I source as the ship.

So more than enough you could say in the pipeline! Hope I can get at least half of it done 🙂

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Okay I think that`s the most important stuff I had to tell this time around. Thanks for reading this and following my blog. Here`s hoping for brighter days in the coming year!

-t