2020 Hobby Review

Not having to commute to work the last eight and a half months combined with the launch of 40K 9th Edition and its utter lack of connection with my hobbying mojo meant 2020 became the year of Necromunda.  I had started the year full of earnest hobby goals and trying to actually do more hobbying that just buying and assembling models.  The year definitely turned out to be more productive that probably any previous year.

I started out focused on my Steel Legion IG force thinking it was small enough that I could actually complete assembling and painting it.  Made a bit of progress before pandemic lockdowns and other distractions led me astray.

Steel Legion force.  Mostly metal with some officers coming from a combination of Anvil Industries plus Mad Robot Miniatures heads.  Mobile mortars for heavy weapon teams from Victoria Miniatures.

Another long running IG force are my attempt at Arbites.  Originally conceived using the old rules where you could upgrade non-veteran units with carapace and running lots of veterans units with shotguns.  In 2019 I'd finally settled on Anvil Industries regiment bits to get the carapace look but the 8th edition IG codex had stripped them of official rules to spam carapace but I still liked the concept and I love the Arbites so I dabbled a bit more.

I even got another semi-decent concept of using Genestealer Cult allies as the Detective/Special Forces branch of an Arbites precinct.  There would be some modeling carryover from the main Arbites force visually for some of the GSC characters along with Aberrants as Ogryns and maybe a brood brother counts as unit as a breacher squad or some other such thing.  That plus the ridgerunner vehicle as a patrol/scout vehicle were very appealing. 

I got a few of the characters modeled up but again ran out of enthusiasm and inspiration as the shelter in place continued and economic impacts began to be felt in our family finances.  That and the drop of 9th combined to just crush any remaining interest in 40K.

I avoided pandemic hobby interests like gardening or baking and instead picked up my Necromunda books to read a bit closer and brainstorm some terrain and other underhive hobby activities.  I also fortunately discovered the Sump City Radio podcast which explores the depths of Necromunda lore, modeling and gaming while also doing very creative audio segments as an underhive radio station with a diverse set of characters that they and their friends voice which includes news and atmospheric reports for the dome they occupy along with sports, listener advice and other interesting and funny segments.  The second half of 2020 ended up being all Necromunda as a result.

Only have the Sump City Radio station broadcast tower so far but the station building and fenced in yard should come soon.

Sump City Radio also got me excited about the "House of..." books released for four of the original six gangs through their tactical reviews and enthusiasm for the content.  

My 2020 Necromunda hobby output.

Lots of conversions started...

...many inspired by the "House of..." books.

Painted models for 2020.

Cawdor Modeling

So another long gap in posting to my hobby blog.  My hobbying has its fits and starts.  Documenting it even more so.  

I've really been enjoying the Convert or Die hobby blog over the course of 2020.  It's one of many that set a great hobby example in tone, detail and productivity.  Recently he posted his tenth in a series of updates about his Cawdor modeling which got me thinking about the models I had in my hobby closet.  Turns out I had even more than I remembered.

I built the box of Cawdor I bought when it was released right away and tried to work in other weapons in a bid to have more extras to spread across additional gangers converted from zombie bodies and Frostgrave cultists. 

That plan kind of worked but the current Cawdor bodies are so distinct, though, and I haven't found a good way to even come close to capturing the unbalanced, scruffy, scrawny aesthetic they embody.  Here's the other dozen or more "Cawdor Lite" models that have the ramshackle weapon aesthetic but not the body type.  You can see where I hit the pause button having run out of ideas and/or enthusiasm.  Looking at the metal Cawdor models picked up in auction purchases over the years I can only think they are destined to be Redemptionists since they all look too burly and well fed to be current Cawdor.

At least the Stig-Shamblers pretty much look the part.  Mis-matched hulking brute captained by a scrawny malicious minder.

I am very much enjoying the "House of..." books so far in 2020 and looking forward to seeing where "House of Faith" takes the Cawdor.  My 2021 hobby plans include trying to get some more Cawdor models and bits in place to add to the gang once their book is out in Q2.  Until then there's plenty to finish modeling and painting.