Hobby 2021 Recap

I looked back at my hobby output in 2021 to see how I compared to 2020.

In 2020 the final output was: 54 infantry, three vehicles/artillery, and two terrain pieces. 

2021 Tally

Built and Painted Models

• 10 drop trooper recon bikers (counts as 20 models)
• Antenna tower terrain piece
• Armorium terrain piece
• 10 storm troopers
• 3 Tarantulas with heavy bolters
• Bridge terrain piece
• 3 drop trooper missile launcher teams (6 models)
• 6 Sons of Horus heavy weapons marines with lascannons
• 6 storm troopers
• 19 Steel Legion infantry 
• Sons of Horus Praetor 
• 10 Sons of Horus tactical veterans
• Sons of Horus rhino 

Grand total of 81 infantry, 1 vehicle, and 3 terrain pieces.

Games Played: 7

Orks vs World Eaters using alternate unit activation

Night Drop: Drop Troopers vs Traitor Militia

Battle for Alteron Bridge: Drop Troopers vs Traitor Militia and Death Guard
Point of Desperation: World Eaters vs Traitor Militia vs White Scars (three-way battle)

A massive tank battle

War Train Raid: Drop Troopers vs Traitor Militia

Take and Hold: Sons of Horus vs Blood Angels

Battle Reports Generated: 6

Battle for Berat Part 5: The Decisive Moment

Operation Downfall Part 1: Night Drop

Point of Desperation

Operation Downfall Part 2: Battle for Alteron Bridge

Operation Downfall Part 3: War Train Raid (my first slideshow battle report with music)

Xhorik Secundus Part 1: Take and Hold

Other

Commissioned art for my Xhorik 87th

Got new paint racks

Had my painted models and background featured in the new Drop Troops fan codex for 9th edition

Bought an Avenger and touched it up and re-based it
Generated a total of 52 blog posts compared to 18 posts in 2020 (including posts by Pete and Bill)

Result

That equates to either 10 infantry, a terrain piece or a vehicle built and painted each month. Plus, either playing a game or writing a battle report. Plus, one blog post per week on average. Overall, a slight increase in output compared to 2020. At times, it felt very slow but then a few big projects like the ten bikers and 19 Steel Legion infantry boosted the overall numbers. 

It was a great year that saw us reach new levels of awesome in our hobby with cool new models, factions, battle reports and background story. I am looking forward to keeping up the pace in 2022 rather than trying to exceed this year's output. Unless I start a new faction I ca

n paint with speed, I don't think I can get much more done in a year than I did in 2021.

Last Model of 2021 - Veterans Get a Ride

 After a very slow stretch of painting, I buckled down over Christmas and painted this Rhino for my veteran tactical squad. It could use a bit more weathering on the metal areas, but I wanted to get it posted and inlcued in my 2021 model count since my output in the second half of the year was so low. 

Sons of Horus Veteran Tactical Squad

I finished the first model for this unit back in Septmber and finally finished the other nine last week. Painting time has been hard to come by with the kids being more active in sports again after the Covid disruptions. Although this unit really killed my hobby momentum and progress for the year, I am very happy with how they turned out.  

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This unit is part of a compnay of Terran veterans, part of the XVI Legion before it was known as the Luna Wolves or the Sons of Horus. They have served the Empire of Man with honor and distinction throughout the entire Great Crusade, eventually becoming an elite company made up of the remnants of over a dozen companies depleted by attrition over centuries of war. Their shared origins and long history together has left them a close-knit and insular group, able to easily reorganize into new units as needed, but aloof from the younger members of the legion, mostly of Cthonian stock. But, like all members of the XVI, they glorified and worshipped Horus as being above all men, second only to the Emporer Himself. He had earned their undying admiration and respect after leading them across the galaxy through countless dangers and always bringing honor to their legion. 

When the Horus Heresy began, they believed their revered leader that it was the Emporer who had betryaed them and that only the legions could lead humanity to its ultimate purpose of domination of the galaxy. Throughout the Heresy, they maintained their discipline and focus on tactical objectives, even as others gave in to the temptation to kill and destroy for its own sake. As the discipline of many of the younger companies eroded over the years, their veterans became less orderly and their units became known as Reavers, allowing the destruction of their enemies to become their overriding priority. These Terran veterans continued to conduct war in their Legion's old ways, with precisely timed and coordinated attacks on tactical objectives.

It was not until the final Siege of Terra that they realized that Horus had sided with the dark gods of Chaos over humanity itself. There had been clues of the dark path their leaders strode, but the men's loyalty was absolute and they refused to believe that the men who personally led them to the conquest of the galaxy could be wrong.  When the realizaiton finally came, too obvious to deny, their psyches  cracked under the strain of reconciling this reality with their all-powerful indoctrination of loyalty to the legion and Horus. The purpose of their existence had been not only destroyed, but twisted into the antithesis of everything they believed in and had spent many lifetimes fighting for. For them, all that was left in the universe was betryal, hatred, dishonor and death. The company gathered together outside the gate of the Imperial palace and made a suicidal attack into the teeth of the defenses. Their minds blackened beyond despair, their only hope for salvation lay in death in battle with a worthy foe.

I wanted them to really stand out from the rest of the army and to look like older, Terran veterans. They have a mix of MkII and MKIII (mostly III), where the rest of the Legion will have MkIV - VI. I also added the Spartan crests to the helmets to have a bit more of the Roman Legion look of the original legions, but it also works with the mohawk motif of the Cthonian ganger influence so it still fits with the Sons of Horus style, in my mind. I tried to convey their elite status with their equipment as well. Obviously they are loaded with power weapons and special weapons and a vexilla. I also made sure to include the extra melee weapons, multiple grenades, pouches and even a pistol holster (some of these details are not too easy to see in the photos due to the angle of the shots and the shadows). I also wanted their poses to stand out, with multiple guys either crouching or running. I wanted to give the idea of a unit where some men are stopping to provide covering fire while others rush forward. And the sergeant has a bionic leg to show he has survived some serious fighting. 

The next step is to build and paint their rhino so they can play the role in the game that I have in my head of a fast moving, hard hitting unit that is versatile enough to be used in different capacities as the mission dictates. 

Sons of Horus vs Blood Angels and Allies: Take and Hold

I will just do a quick recap of this battle since there is not much to write about.  

Background:
The Warmaster Horus and his legion have finally arrived in the Xhorik System as part of their long march to Terra. Thanks to Praetor Wolfgang's armu of Deathguard and World Eaters, the main planet, Xhorik Prime, is firmly in the hands of the Traitors. Meanwhile, Xhorik Secundus remains loyal and is launching a planetary invasion of Xhorik Prime. Horus orders his advance forces to take the moon bases surrounding Xhorik Secundus to enable the capture of the last major Loyalist planet in the system while they are preoccupied with the war for Xhorik Prime. As part of the invasion of the first moon, a small band of Sons of Horus plan to take a comms relay station vita to the defender's communication network. Forward recon units have reported the relay to be only lightly guarded by a small detachment of Planetary Defense Forces (PDF). However, when the Traitor strike force arrives, they unexpectedly find the area reinforced by Loyalist marines of the Imperial Fists and Blood Angels legions, the latter having not been seen in the system previously. Although surprised by the stronger enemy arrayed against them, the Sons of Horus leader, Praetor Ezmen Vyke, has little choice but to press ahead with the attack. 

Scenario: Take and Hold
Primary Objective
Control the comms relay at the end of the game: 3 VP

Secondary Objectives

Slay the Warlord: 1 VP
Attrition (destroy the most enemy units): 1 VP

Battle:

Deployment

Blood Angels

The Blood Angels have arrived in the Xhorik System!

HQ
Garo Arteo - Bloody Executioner of the Crimson Gate: Praetor w/ artificer armor, iron halo, digital
lasers, jump pack, blade of perdition, bolt pistol

Troops
The Golden Shields of Baal: 10 breacher marines, void-hardened armor, 8 bolters, 2 melta guns,
breacher shields, sergeant with thunder hammer & artificer armor

The Sanguine Berzerkers:14 assault marines w/ jump packs, bolt pistols, 2 power axes, sergeant with
power fist, plasma pistol, artificer armor

Heavy Support
The Angel’s Judgement: Vindicator Tank w/ demolisher cannon, armored ceramite and twin-linked
bolter

Veteran Sergeant

Next up is the sergeant with artificer armor and a power fist. I had to paint him next so I could field him in the upcoming game Pete and I plan to play. He has a bionic leg to reiterate his veteran status, much like my White Scars veteran sergeant. Unfortunately, I realized when building the squad that I was short one MKIII power pack due to using one on the sergeant for my tactical squad, so I had to improvise with something from the bits box. It is a bit primitive and clunky looking so I have to assume it was either leftover from some primitive early suit of power armor or it is a custom repair job from a distant forge world supporting Horus. Either way, it adds to his unique look within the squad. He also has a taller head crest from the command squad sprue instead of the added crests that I stuck on the regular MKIII heads for the rest of the squad. I went for a pose of a charging punch. I wanted something dynamic, which can be difficult with the Heresy models. It is not perfect, but he certainly looks like he is about to knock your block off, which is what I was going for.

Power Weapon Veterans

I decided to paint the veterans with close combat weapons next. A power axe and power sword will give this unit some versatility in melee. 

These two make seven in total. Just the sergeant and two more to go for the full squad. 

Melta Gun Veterans

 Finished the next two veterans. That makes five - halfway there!

These dudes bring the heat.

I love mixing in the kneeling legs for some variety. I like to imagine power armor allows a reasonable level of flexibility - more than terminator armor.

MKIII has a lot of highlighting and shading.

Operation Downfall Campaign - Battle 3: War Train Raid

 Inspired by Bill, I decided to do a video battle report this time:

Operation Downfall: War Train Raid


A few of my favorite pictures from the game:

Two More Veterans

 After not getting much hobby time recently, I finally got a little chance to paint today and finished up these two veteran tactical marines. Because the MkIII is so time-consiming to paint, I am taking these guys on in smaller batches rather than all ten at once. All decals will be added at the end. 

The three members of the squad so far.