For those that don’t know what the title is on about, back on the old forums, I used to keep a tally (in my signature, with links to each year’s thread tracking progress - although whilst getting the screenshot, I noticed I only have one link!) of minis painted, compared to minis bought.
I posited the idea of reviving this tradition and opening an invitation to people to do the same, as can be seen here. It’s a great incentive to keep painting and allows us to justify purchases as well (the real reason, of course 
).
In my case, I will add a single point for each model I “complete” - that is, paint to completion, sell, gift or trade away. I have decided to only count this when I actually have them (due to waiting on some minis for 10mths and counting in some cases).
I will also remove a point for each model incoming - buying, gifted, traded, even won. The big exception here is Mortal Realms, which I am collecting, but I plan to make a Youtube series using them and don’t count them for that reason, somehow 
In honesty, I will likely fudge numbers a little here and there (magma cannon counts as four painted due to crew? But only one bought as they’ll be stuck together? Sneaky as a git…), but I’ll be just as candid when I do and try to minimise the impact.
To that end, so far this year, I have managed to paint a unit of 10 Chaos Dwarf Infernal Guard with Fireglaives and a full command (Deathmask, banner bearer and drummer).
My turntable video wasn’t coming out right, so I moved on for the photoshoot. There will be more Dawi Zharr shortly, but next is some The Lord of the Rings era Middle Earth SBG. I’ve been watching Battle Streams in Middle Earth - a Youtube series that is going through the models in the Battle Games in Middle Earth magazines from nearly 20 years ago, hanging out and painting (with potential prizes for progress made on that issue’s relevant model/s) and I managed to watch live for Boromir week. I’d recently picked up the fantastic mini of his fatal wounds and figured (no pun intended, but happily there) this was the perfect chance. I really pushed myself with this and am quite proud - additionally, I painted his Mines of Moria version too as it seems I only have his heavily armoured, Captain of Gondor, version completed before now.
Next up, and keep this secret I got hold of some Dire Wolves minis to use in the final set piece of the 2nd edition Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay game (WHFRP) by Green Ronin. With the exception of the off-white base and the eyes/tongue, these were done with Contrast Paints, ideally suited to the task. You can see I was aiming for a little variety too.
I did promise a return to our “Evil” “Duardin” from the Legion of Azgorh. I managed to complete two characters, a Daemonsmith and an Infernal Castellan. I tried extra hard with basing these guys, including the Winter Tufts from Army Painter (which you can see I then applied to the unit of fireglaives above) - partly to add interest and a splash of muted, non-distracting colour, partly to hide the slight hovering foot caused by the basing method: three thick coats of Astrogranite Debris (absolutely no flat showing through) over a Naggaroth Night base (just in case) and then one or two or three coats of Druchii Violet (an attempt to emulate the realmstone of Shyish, where they are based - out of Zharr Vyxxa). Sidenote: attempts at differing skin for the decapitated, the fighter and the stoney sorcerer.
I will save a little groupshot present for the end, as it’s just text from here on. Those models totalled give me +18, pretty good compared to 0, 2, 0 (string of 0s) for a few years back.
But this isn’t a blog just celebrating my successes in painting (although it is partly that). It is to account for my sins of buying minis when I have so many left to complete
To that end, I have also purchased: 10 Dwarf Ironbreakers, a Chaos Dwarf Hellcannon with 3 Crew, a lone Dwarf Thunderer, 2 Dwarf Quarrellers, 2 Dwarf Troll Slayers, a Chaos Dwarf Daemonsmith, a single Dwarf Runelord, and all 13 Champions of Erebor from the Hobbit era of MESBG.
I can reason a bunch though Ironbreakers are to help make use of other minis for an army as is the Runelord, instead of going unused, the Hellcannon was a great price and I have no idea where mine’s been for years now (this is the resin version too, but official), the Thunderer is the 4th/5th edition version with a dragon-barrelled gun that I have always adored and combined with the troll slayers and (one of the) quarrellers are most of my Mordheim warband (one slayer is actually my minimalist engineer and the other is the Forge World one to be an actual slayer).
The Daemonsmith (not the event only Hellsmith, although I have at least two of him) is the Warhammer World only one that I’ve wanted for some time, but not had access to/found at a non-gouging price. I still desperately want the 2014 one as well, but unlikely to get that.case
Lastly, the Champions of Erebor are super-armoured Thorin’s Company and can now only be bought together, but wanted some for making my burgeoning Iron Hills force into, Erebor Reclaimed.
It’s here I realise I should’ve taken pictures, but 4am when my girlfriend wakes up in 90mins for a 13hr shift as a nurse, in our tiny flat, is not the time/place to rectify that
For those keeping track (somehow and not bored yet ) that’s negative thirty-four to be applied. I have some catching up to do! Overall, I have bought 16 models more than I have finished!
Except there’s a late change in proceedings! I gifted a friend Galadriel, Haldir and Eowyn to join her Lothlorien and Rohan forces for her birthday (LotR era MESBG). AND managed to sell an old Wood Elf Forest Dragon (for what is possibly far less than they go for). That adds 4, meaning I only need to paint a dozen more to break even - and when my paints arrive, I’ll just slide back over to positive numbers again 
That promised present of my full (painted) Legion of Azgorh Age of Sigmar force so far (more to come, of course)!
Wasn’t really worth it
Total: -12
