Mike

I always love hearing stories from inside GW

I've come to the conclusion that going to bed with a sense of existential dread is just the new normal.
Relaxing into sleep is so late 2010s, when you can go to bed with anxiety instead.

Another 10km medal

Another 10km - which is starting to feel easy, so the training is working as planned.
PB in 5km but 30 seconds off in the full 10.

It's weird that I'm spending more time thinking about this hobby than wargaming at the sec

I use them despite mates telling me other ranges are better, as I know I can easily replace a pot mid project without having to order online.
Too many stories from mates spending £3 on a pot they need RIGHT NOW, and paying an extra fiver for postage.

Storming a building

Command Squad

Heavy Weapon Squad

Infantry Squad

Continuing to push through the silly amount of Tendorians I bought with another infantry squad, a platoon command and a heavy weapons squad.
I need to grab some more black spray before I can do any more, though.

A unit of green and brown guard

With the Combat Patrol magazine at the point where the guard were in it, I went nuts and bought a whole load of infantry for cheap.
This means I can revive my old guard regiment - the Tendorian 26th.

I've changed the colours of their uniform to a new green and brown scheme though.
Test unit done

Two people showing their running medals

I ran my first Half Marathon on Sunday with waaay too little training.
A certain element of mess about and find out how occured but the knowledge I can run one is seriously motivating*

*I might have booked a marathon

Steel Legion vs Chaos Space Marines

Aeronautica Imperialis, Imperial Navy vs Orks

Two games last night with one of my brothers.
40k Imperial Guard vs Chaos on one planet of our campaign and Aeronautica Imperialis orks vs navy on the other planet.
The AI game was something I've been meaning to do since I had a demo in 2019, loved it and then didn't get around to another game again

Bigger batch of winter US infantry

I spent the day trying to do multiple tasks but also painting up a big batch of winter US infantry for a demo game tomorrow.
Not my best painting but they will look fine on the table.

Moving through a wintery landscape

The test squad

My mate wants a small demo of Bolt Action 3rd edition on Saturday - ultimately he wants to play winter themed Americans.
It just so happens I have a collection in my backlog, so I'm seeing if I can get two squads and an officer done before the game.

Holding my new running medal

Victoria Park 10km - we are getting so much quicker.
It feels amazing seeing the effort I'm putting in starting to really pay off.

Daemon Prince attempting to kill an Immolator. He failed.

Game of 40k last night - my World Eaters vs my mate's (tank heavy) sisters army.

I just could not kill tanks, but also he couldn't get near the objectives, so . . .

Litter picking on the foreshore

Finally finishing the 10km

A glamorous day in the life;

Litter picking on the foreshore under Hammersmith Bridge. We removed about 1/3 of a ton of, mostly, wetwipes between us.

Then a 10km in Battersea Park that evening - with a rubbish time as I was absolutely shattered by that point.

I really liked gow many people were posting "GW will fall now".
What does that even mean?

Is there a more civilised way to play a game?

I can't afford to do this regularly but what a way to play. I am very impressed with the new @waylandgames.bsky.social centre

Mumak on the table

First game at the new Wayland Games Centre in Brentwood.
Mumak on the table panic painted today.
Bottle of cider and Cauliflower "Wings" in Korean BBQ sauce.

Absolute bliss.

2026 might just be ok?

Manned bunker

The plasma bunker from behind

The plasma bunker from the front

I've not really done any painting since late November as the build up to Christmas is just too busy, but I stopped in a model shop in Great Yarmouth and picked up some 3d printed terrain that I thought would make a nice project.
I'm calling it a plasma bunker and adding it to my desert terrain

Snowman

My Park Run was cancelled, so I've built a snowman with the kids instead.
It's just started snowing again too.

That End Of Year Post - 2025 Edition A blog about wargaming 30k, Lion Rampant, Bolt Action, Napoleonics, 15mm gaming and a multitude of other sins.

My hobby roundup for 2025 - mikesrandomwargamemeanderings.blogspot.com/2025/12/that...

Everyone is probably sick of them by now, but mine has added running?

Having painted one for a mate, its a good mix of units - add the rhino and its a legal combat patrol.
Monopose figures are absolutely fine, nothing wrong with them.

My only issue is the 3x flagellants, which is a touch small for what you want a unit to do.

I like 3.
3 is good.

And many happy returns to those that celebrate?

Festive me doing a 10km run in the dark around the Olympic stadium

I've not had time for any painting recently, but I did have a Chase the Moon 10km run booked.
Running is a weird hobby, you hate every second of the run, go home absolutely buzzing on a high and then spend days planning the next one.

I was planning on just having a few months break from them as my beer backlog had grown too fast.
Cancelling was so hateful they are never seeing my money again.

Kharn the Betrayer

KHARN!*
I bought Mr The Betrayer on a whim a few months back to paint while I read his novel, but project backlog takes no prisoners and he was an obvious target.
This model is surprisingly difficult to both paint and photograph.

*Accidentally crossing the streams

When I was researching for my 30k Ultramarine project, I think the answer was, there isn't a source of this.
A few companies or chapters are named with details but otherwise, there is nothing.
There are well over 100 chapters and 1000 companies of Ultras at the outbreak of the heresy.

Defending a farmstead

The whole gang

Carrying on the 'just get the backlog down, I don't care what it is plan', are the 12 dismounted Confederate cavalrymen for my ACW project to go with the horse holders I painted a couple of months ago.
Yet again, these were bought 4 or 5 years ago, built, sprayed and left to mature on a shelf

Posed photo with trees at the back

The whole bunch

Carrying on with the plan of just getting figures painted, any figures painted.
Another 15 archers and billmen for my Yorkist WotR army.

This is the regular infantry done now, I think? Just a few foot knights left to go.

Sadly you just have to trim the names that become the worst offenders.
I've followed loads of interesting people who have slowly stopped posting about the thing that was interesting about them and swapped to politics.
Periodic trims when it gets too much is the only way

Oh mate, I'm so sorry to hear that.