Goodbye 2011… Hello 2012

Let's be honest, I've not managed to post anything of much value here for a couple of months. The main reason is my six-month cycle (I have a natural intense enthusiasm period for any interest that lasts about six months then naturally burns itself out no matter what I do). This happened with 40k a while back but didn't return, it happened with Malifaux back in October and is slowly coming back. The problem is I get so into a given game or project that it can only burn itself out over time – the candle that burns brightest and all that.

During this burnout period I have been playing a lot of Warcraft, the Deathwing raids especially, getting some very decent gear along the way. I've also purchased Starcraft 2 and started the campaign missions, like meeting an old friend you haven't seen in a while. There's also been a lot to occupy my mind in life generally over the last few months, that I won't go into, and jobs around the house in the run up to Christmas visitors, etc.

Despite a perceived lack of interest in wargaming in general, and Malifaux specifically, I have not been idle (recently at least). Fugs purchased the Lilith box set a month or so ago and we've had a couple of games with her as my main opponent, which came as a shock to the system after so many games against Rasputina. The first game I tabled Fugs in 4 turns, which is not unexpected as I was using a Perdita led crew that I know well whilst he was still learning about his new models. The next game I made a few changes and got tabled myself in 4 turns - oh how fickle the Fate deck can be, not a decent hand of cards all game whilst Fugs got the Red Joker at least three times (that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!).

So that's what's been happening. At the moment I am dipping my toe back into the gaming/painting water. After some great feedback and mounting enquiries about my Malcontent bases I have pulled my finger out and got a 50mm Bamboo base cast up. I had sold two before the mold was even dry, such was the interest!

I also have some ideas for new base designs, as well as 40mm and 50mm versions of current designs.

On top of that I have been painting! At present Papa Loco sits on the painting desk alone, but Avatar Sonnia will be undercoated today and I have an entire Kirai crew drying after a WHITE undercoat (something new for 2012, never used white before).

Whilst in no hurry to burnout my new found, if delicate, gaming mojo I have also embarked upon a bit of terrain. I bought the Citadel wood just before Christmas in answer to a lack of greenery on our gaming board. Not a very challenging build, I have devised a way to weigh down the trees so that they stop falling over every time you so much as look at them. I hope to add an additional wood with trees currently residing in a box in the attic. This should give us a decent balance between solid and obscuring cover during our games.

As for the rest of 2012, I have not distinct resolutions or plans. This year will be a big year one way or another on the domestic front, so games and hobbies –as important as they are– will have to be flexible. I would like to break the 6-month burnout cycle and 'plod' more throughout the year both with the hobby and the blog. I'd like to paint more miniatures this year; 2011 (April) started with a bang and then tailed off rather dramatically. I'm hoping to maintain the weekly gaming with Fug, supplemented by a few more games against Bull – been way too long. Being a stats geek I'd quite like to track painting and gaming progress, like Bill at Dead Tau Project. It would be nice to compare year on year stats.

Best wishes and luck to you all for the coming year, both in gaming and life in general… oh, and the impending end of the world (so I'm told).