2017 Year in Review

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(“I don’t have to tell you that 2016 was, as years go, a murderous sack of crap.” was how I started last year’s review.  Oh, you sweet summer child.)

Hobbywise, I actually got a fair amount done this past year, so this should actually be a fairly positive YiR.

Year in Review

  • In January, I banged out some Frostgrave Barbarians in no time that have held up quite well, as well as a few other assorted Frostgrave models.
  • February saw me blow through my Blood & Plunder models (though I have yet to touch the ship) and start painting Infinity again after kind of a bit.  (How is it I’ve yet to photograph my Blood & Plunder models?)
  • March means Madicon, and somehow that translated into deciding to paint almost the rest of my Wrath of Kings Goritsi.  I’ve picked up the new models that have come out since, and I have a few Zeti unpainted, but for the most part, everything is done, which is kind of crazy.
  • April was an unusually quiet month for me.  This is probably Persona 5’s fault.  I painted a ton of bases for Infinity, and that’s all.
  • May hit, though, and I went full Infinity.  Just painted a ton of Nomads. I believe it’s around this time that I got to start playing Infinity regularly.
  • I got to play in my first Infinity tournament in June, and had an amazing time.
  • July was probably my final Historicon, due to the move.  I got in a couple of great games, this time, and did very well in the painting competition, winning Best in Show for the second year in a row.
  • I was kind of aimless in August: I painted up a bunch of Bones and terrain, but didn’t really have much direction in what I was doing, hobbywise.
  • September was NOVA, which was, as usual, the gaming highpoint of my year.  I played in two Infinity events, and had a blast.  Going in, I was concerned I’d burn myself out, but coming out of it, I’m ready to sign up for All Of The Things next year.  I also exceeded my expectations by being able to place with my Anaconda and make final cut with two other entries in an increasingly competitive event.
  • In October, I painted some Dark Age that I picked up at NOVA, and then Shadespire came out, and I blew through painting it.
  • November was the Baltimore Brawl, the local satellite Infinity tournament.  Big surprise, I had a great time at it.  I also decided to be the change I wanted to see in the world, and organized a couple of tournaments that I wanted to happen (instead of waiting for someone else to run them).
  • In December, I ran Huzzah’s first Shadespire tournament.  It was a huge success, especially for a weeknight, and should go on to be a monthly thing.  Hobbywise, it’s felt quiet, but I’ve possibly been busier than ever, grinding through a stack of Warsenal terrain for an Infinity table. 

Hobby Charts

I got a lot done: less than in 2015 or 2016, but more than any other year.  I actually painted more models in 2017 than in any year other than 2016, and I started gaming a lot more than I remember doing, which is fantastic.

Early high productivity, and then somewhat consistent productivity past that.

Again, maybe not a record number of models painted, but this is pretty amazing, especially considering there were no 15mm/1:72 models painted this year, and a solid month’s been spent painting “8” models (buildings).

Hobby Spending

I was able to track all of my purchases vs. painted models vs. sold stuff for a second year in a row.  (I had to do this chart in Excel, as Google seems to be rolling back the flexibility of its Sheets’ Charts.)

I sold some Forgeworld early in the year; in fact, I did a great job of clearing out deadend projects, including finally clearing out the Tau I knew I was never to return to.  That means that, without even factoring in the painted models, I sold about $700 in models more than I bought, which is great.

Most of the stuff I don’t want anymore’s been moved, though, so I can’t rely on that to keep my numbers good next year.

Goals

2017 Goals

  • Finish – Complete Success – I got so much Infinity painted, and I closed the loop on a lot of Frostgrave projects, and even got all of my Blood & Plunder stuff painted up (until I bought more. :( )
  • Paint – Complete Success –  Undeniable.
  • Compete – Complete Success – Sorta.  I mean, I don’t know that I was ever competitive this year, but I certainly played in some tournaments, which is the point.
  • Step it up for Historicon – Complete Success – I placed with all but one entry, and took a second Best in Show.
  • Step it up at NOVA – Complete Success – I painted a couple of competition entries this year, so I’m counting this as a win.  The competition is passing me by, though; my best isn’t going to be able to hang for much longer.
  • Stay away from Kickstarter –  Success – Down a couple from last year: only backed 8 things; of those 8, only 4 had minis – more Blood & Plunder, more Zombicide, more Bones, and then A Song of Ice & Fire.  A manageable amount.

2018 Goals

  • Finish
  • Paint
  • Compete

As always.  Beyond that, it’s hard to say: my two big events are changing… Historicon’s moved away, and I might not make it out to it.  NOVA’s not going anywhere, but the painting event’s changed so much, I’m not sure if I’m even going to try to keep up.  Anything I can see on the horizon is either so immediate in term or narrowly focused, it’s a copout to list as a goal.  The best I think I can do at this moment is supplement the standard with:

  • Play