Slow and not quite steady

Recently I've found that my efforts to try to write up all the Albion campaign reports and think about what happens next has been absorbing the majority of my hobby energy. It would arguably be too much of my energy, except that the campaign is actually important; the club has recently been light on numbers and there have been very few people playing miniature games. Things have really dropped off since the Christmas break. The campaign helps give some drive in that direction - it brings people along, and ensures they actually bring an army and play a game, rather than going for an easier option like a card game or just sitting around chatting. It's not large enough to have a huge impact on numbers, but it helps point things in the right direction.

Anyway, before the campaign really got rolling (in more of a hurry than I might have intended, largely in response to the needs of the club), I had started painting another model for this "model a month" thing I had signed up for. Unfortunately this model has now sat partially painted for several weeks...

Valmir von Raukov, Elector Count of Ostland. In all his half-painted glory.

I actually assembled him (and possibly mildly converted his horse) many months ago. Along with a pile of Kislev Winged Lancers, some Outriders and some Pistoliers. They all got undercoated, a few of the Winged Lancers got the start of a paint job, and then everything stalled. I've looked back. This was in October last year. My how times flies. As I said at the time, I was lacking motivation so it's hardly surprising that this project didn't get far.

Anyway, I figured tackling the character from this pile was a nice modest target, and it would give me something I currently lacked - a character that ties in with the red and black "Ostland" contingent of my Empire army. Right now that contingent is just 3 large infantry regiments with no accessories like war machines, characters or support units.

It turns out tackling this model was slower than expected because I found I didn't know what colours I wanted to paint him. I'm still not completely sure in a few places, but I'll get there. If I'd had a little more direction he probably would have gotten done before the campaign took over. Oh well.

I am sort of committed to getting Mr von Raukov finished for this ongoing monthly goal thing, but the campaign is also threatening to throw up other challenges on the painting front. My Empire have nothing to do with it. Hell, I wasn't going to need to use my models at all in the initial planning, but then when someone pulled out, I felt obliged to step in with my Dark Elves. This is all well and good, but my painted Dark Elves are barely functional as a 2,000 point army, and offer no variety whatsoever. Except for the number of Assassins included. I am good at Assassins...

All the sneaky murder!

So if I want any more flexibility in terms of my list, I really need to paint some more Dark Elves. I also kind of need to get some of the Albion-specific stuff painted. The stuff that has been sitting untouched in storage for years...

Truthsayers and Dark Emissaries and Fenbeasts, oh my!

So now I need to work up some motivation to get painting, knock the Elector Count out of the way, and get on with something that might actually be needed in the immediate future. 

No rest for the wicked, and all that.