In my last post a week ago there was a realisation that burnout has occurred for me in general and that it's probably best to put hobby stuff on hiatus for the foreseeable future. I say this as painting takes time and assessment items due soon, as well as work and study. Oddly enough, being on mid-semester break currently (til next Tuesday) is doing wonders for me, as luckily (?) only one of my five shifts for the fortnight is in this week which is giving one a 'sampler' of the no-work, no-uni break. Still heavily burned out, but whatchagonnado?
I will take Beat Ronin's advice though (see last post) and stick to video game coverage if possible in the meantime. Come Wednesday I might purchase FRAPS to record videogame-play :P Hell, I can see a new 'series' happening in November: [Minecraft Mishaps].
Since miniature stuff won't happen until November (at the earliest), downsizing is gonna go ahead come Wednesday- gotta get some boxes for posting :P and whack stuff up on ebay. I have also realised that whilst I like the Valhallan models GW puts out and have a load of them, I don't actually want to have an army of them O.o as colour schemes feel rather limited for the Not-WWII-Russians-In-SPAAAAAAACE. So, they'll take part in the downsizening (hell, I wanna play mechanized anyhow) but through a swap site- ebay can't really be relied upon for larger groups.
That being said, I am looking forward to painting some Chaos SPEHSS MEHRENS in Nov, as clocking in at ~870pts, no upgrades is:
- A lord
- Two squads of five normal chaos dudes
- 12 Very
HungryAngryCaterpillarsKhorne Berserkers - 3 bikers
- Five Havocs, and
- One defiler
a) Refrain from touching stuff
b) Start back in small
c) Alternate armies
Option c) is probably one of the best ways (as my mind reckons) to paint a large army - by breaking it up into gaps between another army. The reasoning being to break up monotony and so on. In conjunction with this, maybe some dabbling in boardgames as they're a whole different kettle of fish. Why people put fish in kettles or even barrels is beyond the scope of this rambling. Please consult your local authority if you have any questions regarding fish in kettles and/or barrels.
Getting back on track with the chaos mentioned above, 28 dudes, 3 bikes and 1 vehicle should be child's play to paint up and get on the table. I guess this burnout helped open my eyes to the fact that you don't need huge armies or massive collections. In the end it's less hassle to assemble and paint up 32 dudes rather than ~50-60 dudes. This is RE: 40k, as WHFB has a large model count, even more so if you're an O+G player like myself.
To any person new to the hobby who has somehow stumbled over here, heed these words lest ye follow in thy steps:
The Warlock's Rules For Miniature Wargaming Based On The Opinion Of The Burned-out:
- The Rule of Thought:
Choose your army carefully and not rashly, lest you regret the purchase- wargaming is generally a big buy-in/investment and you don't want to regret anything here. - The Rule of Appeal:
It is recommended that you choose the army you like the look of- to hell with the rules! They are always in flux! - The Rule of Focus:
Once your army is chosen, stick with it until fully painted and collected before trying out a new one. This is so you retain focus and do not get bogged down in a myriad of projects, leading to ultimately achieving nothing. - The Rule of Acquisition:
Refrain from purchasing everything in one go- build up gradually. This will give you a feel for the game at different point values (if playing as you go). - The Rule of Ooh Shiny!:
Please refrain from rushing out and buying the latest hotness, be it a unit or new faction, etc. It is best to focus on your current army until that is complete. Most companies aren't going anywhere anytime soon so don't worry- that new item will still be there. Refer to Rules 1 and 3 regarding this. - The Rule of Colour:
Paint as you go- I cannot stress this enough. If you do this, you will avoid falling into the trap of having mountains of plastic crap sitting around for years doing absolutely jack-all. - The Rule of Friendship:
Wargaming is a social hobby, so I guess it's ideal to find a friend or someone who can encourage you to stay focused and psych you up just as much as you psych them up. It is also nice to have a 'rival' per se to have the good ol' grudge match against. - The Rule of Burn-out:
If at any stage you can't get your groove going or gaming doesn't hold the same appeal that it used to? Take a break from wargaming, be it a week, month or year. To continue forwards heedless of this because of emotional investment or financial investment leads inevitably to distaste for the hobby and/or burnout.
Until then,
The Warlock
EDIT: Fixed dem spellin' mistakes and formattin' errors