As we come to the end of what has (I think we can all agree) been a very difficult year, we here at Master of Magics are getting ready to wind down and take some time off for the festive season. While we can’t get together like we would have done in years past, its important to spend what time we can with our loved ones and enjoy some good cheer. After all, if any year has needed a bit of cheer it been this one.
Yesterday I had a look at some ways we all could enjoy Magic the Gathering over the festive period, so today it only seems fair to do the same for the best tabletop miniatures game in the world (yes, I said it, don’t at me). Hopefully, you can all look after yourselves and each other as we approach the start of a new year, but maybe these ideas will help you keep in touch and have fun as the night get darker. So grab a glass of Amasec, or recaf if you prefer, and let’s see of the end of the year the right way.
Paint something Festive.
Don’t lie, we all have a mini or two that we just have gathering dust. Several, if you are anything like me. Maybe you had an idea for a conversion or a special project that you just didn’t get around to doing for whatever reason. Or maybe your impulse control is as bad as mine and you picked up that last HQ because “it was just such a cool looking model”. Hey, I’m not here to judge. If anything I’m just as bad, if not worst. Well, why not take that miniature and give them a festive paint job.
This is exactly what I’m doing with an odd Space Marine I have laying around, which doesn’t fit into any of my other projects. Additionally, I’m doing it to meet my quote for our #MounthlyModelMelee painting challenge. For those of you that missed it in my last Painting Log, the idea is to challenge a bunch of other hobbyists to paint any model we want during a single month, so long as it fits with a nominated theme for that month. With this month’s theme being Christmas/Festive Mini, I thought it would be a blast to paint a Primaris up in the Christmas Marine colour scheme (yes, that is a real thing).
If you fancy taking part yourself then follow me over on Twitter (see below) and use the hashtag #MonthlyModelMelee to get involved. I look forward to what you all can come up with.
Catch up on so Reading.
Is there anything better than snuggling up on a cold winter night in front of a cosy fire with a good book? Sure there is, like snuggling up on a cold winter night in front of a cosy fire with a grim dark book. Like many other hobbyists, I am quite partial to the works of the Black Library (recently finishing off the Watchers of the Throne series) and just like those other hobbyists, I’m desperately behind on my reading.
Now, I know it is easy to slump down on the sofa at the end of the day and flick on your favourite streaming network and binge some mindless programming. But is there really anything you haven’t seen by now? Why not instead catch up on your reading back log. Or if you are all up to date, try out a new series you have been putting off. Take the time to immerse yourself in some of the many books of the Black Library. Or, if you prefer, download them and listen to something new while you finish that Festive Miniature I convinced you to paint. I would recommend the Ciaphas Cain series if you haven’t tried them out already. They are rather good.
Discord Hobby Session.
Warhammer as a hobby has a few things going for it over some other social past times. Mainly, that a large part of the hobby (i.e. building and painting) can be done on your own without the need for other hobbyists. But just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. After all, I and many others have enjoyed many a night at our local game store, just chatting, joking, and of course painting our minis.
Sadly, with Covid still been a pain in the rear, the chances of getting together and spending a night of hobbying as a group are as likely as the Emperor getting off his damned chair. But that doesn’t mean you can’t spend time together. My local gaming group has been rather good at setting up nights throughout the pandemic to arrange for a discord group chat and spend some time together, either painting, building or just chatting.
Not only is this a great way to stay in touch, but it’s a way for many of us to get that social interaction that is so important to our mental help. 2020 has been a dreadful year, and even though there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel, as the nights get darker people can struggle to get by. Maybe they can’t see family over the holidays, or they have been locked up without the support networks they rely on. So, taking the time to stay in touch can be just what we need to get by.
As I said in yesterday’s article, we all need to look out for everyone while the world is trying to get back to normal. Hopefully next year will see some return to normality. But until then, we have to look after each other and do what we can to support those that need it. After all, we might enjoy playing a grim dark universe, but that doesn’t mean this world has to be.
And that’s it. Our last article of the year. I’ll be taking the next few weeks off to spend time with my family and try to avoid eating too much chocolate over the festive period. We will be back in the new year with a load of new articles for you all to enjoy. In the meantime, you can keep in touch with us down below in the comments, or with me directly @TenguPlaysGames over on Twitter. Here is hoping the Black Gobbo brings you all the plastic minis your heart desires.
Look after each other, and we will see you in the New Year.
