Hobby Butterfly

["Mighty General"]

It has occurred to me that I am what you might call a hobby butterfly; I've got a fair few projects and armies on the go and I'm always tempted to start some more. For example, yesterday I went out and bought some DE corsairs as I was bored and wanted to try out painting things with a white undercoat so I could give them a bright paint job (in hindsight, Empire probably would have been a better choice). I also watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail which led me to imagine how cool a Bretonnian themed army would be, coconuts and all. Earlier last week I was thinking about making a meso-american space marine chapter and the week before that I was considering Dogs of War, to the extent of making a list of suitable models: http://www.dogsofwaronline.com/forum...d.php?tid=1474

Does anyone else have this "issue" and to what degree are you affected by it

[zoggin-eck]

I'm with you 100% mate!

My projects rarely get beyond a test model or two, sadly. I have a few favourite armies that I always come back to, so I don't miss out entirely, but there's a scary number of regiments with just a few painted models, or a mix of colours and basing styles.

Practically every cool model/conversion/paint job I see online or in print gives me an idea of how I could do my own version, and every story I read makes me love that particular army. Often I'll pick up the army book of whatever I'm currently painting/playing, only to read a story within and suddenly prefer whoever they are fighting! "Oh look, the Skaven are fighting Night Goblins? Hmm... what happened to those squigs I undercoated?" And so on.

When White Dwarf was doing the Index Astartes series, I realised the danger, and decided it would be much cheaper to paint up a few stands of Epic scale marines and tanks after reading each article! I ended up with a crusade force with Black Templars, Space Wolves, Blood Angels and so on. Was cheaper than buying new 28mm marines

Actually, I said "sadly", but I must admit, I enjoy the hobby the way I approach it, so it doesn't matter one bit. I seem to enjoy thinking up new ideas, scribbling ideas for armies, terrain projects or army background. I have pages of illustrations of terrain pieces I'll never make. I still enjoyed drawing them, though!

[lbecks]

I tend to buy individual figures/bits of releases I don't want to buy entire boxes of. So I have things like 1 cold one knight, 1 black knight, 1 bretonnian knight, 1 dryad, etc.

[Old School]

+1

I can't help it either. Only the other month, with numerous projects on the go ranging from an Epic Ork Warband, a WHFB/Mantic Undead army, Crimson Fist Rogue Trader army, BFG Imperial Navy etc, I went ahead and bought the Empire Army boxset so I could paint the models exactly how the regiments were in the old Warhammer PC Game Shadow of the Horned Rat.



That boxset still lies unopened as now I'm painting up my Dreadfleet box-set, which will be closely followed up by the soon to arrive Dreadball Striker set.

[myrdinn]

Common problem with me. I manage to stave it off by doing a lot of window-shopping, wishlisting and "research" - planning colour schemes, writing draft army lists etc. You can usually drag that out until either the itch has passed or you've realised that you do actually want the army, and start working out which minor organ you're going to sell this time to pay for it ...

[gidsy]

+1 from me.

I only ever seem to get 2/3 squads(40k) or 9/10 minis(lotr) done before I move onto the next project. It's got to the point where I am refusing to buy any more models until a sizeable hole is made in my metal/plastic mountain.
Although I did buy Dark Vengeance, and I'll get The Hobbit box set too, but not until next year

[Tavendale]

Dear God, yes!

It's gotten to the point where I'm pretty much set until I die - which apparently is earlier than average in my line of work, so you know, sorted

Currently working through my Chaos Space Marines. I found it hard to settle on a chapter, so I'm pretty much doing 1k-2k armies of each legion which can be fielded together or mixed and matched as need be. Currently "finished" my Word Bearers (years ago, though retooling my Chosen and adding a second Dark Apostle) and my Death Guard. Currently finishing off my Thousand Sons, a good way into my Emperor's children and just starting my Black Legion.

I've got the Skaven army that seems to go on forever. It's shelved just now as I prioritise more managable projects.

The Bretonnian army I started when the last army book came out which, frankly, I am considering just cutting up and adding to my Vampire Counts.

My modest Grey Knights army I bought with a combination of a lucky scratchcard and second place winnings at club tourney.

A big box of Foundry and Dixon cowboys I picked up at Claymore a couple years back and building a board to go with them.

A metric buttload of Blood Bowl teams. Currently painting a Shadowforge female human team. Got some undead recently sprayed. But then there's the Skaven, Dark Elves, Bretonnians, Chaos, Amazons, High Elves, Orcs, Goblins, etc.

I have been trying to ditch stuff. I recently unloaded my almost entirely painted Eldar army onto a friend as I really would never use it any more. Nothing to do with the rules, the faction just doesn't appeal to me any more.

Maybe Dark Eldar would be better...

[Scaryscarymushroom]

I am a pseudo-hobby butterfly. I started millions of little projects over the years. I have a lot of projects that I'm interested in, but I would be lying if I said I enjoy all my pending projects in even amounts. I like painting unique minis at 30mm, and then I like building terrain. So given the choice of projects to work on, I'm able to give myself at least SOME direction. I probably will never get around to painting all my space marines and termagants simply because I'll always have more appealing things to do.

[Etienne de Beaugard]

I suspect most wargamers have some variant of the "butterfly" effect. It's basically the same thing that Dork Tower calls the gamer gene ("It must be MINE!") I struggled with it for many years, and still have the occasional bout of it. Recently, I decided to make a viking warband for Saga. I've ended up with enough minis to create a six point band and almost enough for a six point Anglo-Danish band as well. Happy painting, for at least a year.

[someone2040]

Definitely yes!
Especially in Fantasy, but occasionally in 40k, I have so many ideas of armies I want to do. Sometimes multiple for a given army.
Usually I'm pretty good with staying somewhat focused though. I haven't really started many armies only to flit to another one in a few weeks time.

I do have a lot of models from a few years ago though where I would go "Oh, that'd be good for Bloodbowl, buy that. Oh that'd be nice to go with this army, buy that". Mainly around Bloodbowl really as it's easy to pick up a few miniatures here and there for an idea, then never go through with it.

Nowdays though, I've come to the realisation that I don't really have the drive to paint big armies. My Orcs and Goblins army, I just haven't made much progress on at all. Possibly I regret starting them somewhat, as I'm not 100% into the army and don't have the theme behind it really. So I've just decided that I'll by the models I like, and stay away from the big armies for a while.

["Mighty General"]

It's good to know I'm not alone . I might make some sought of scrapbook of all the ideas I get from time to time.

[BTJ]

I think I managed to find a cure for it, the Reaper KS. The sheer variety on hand it gonna be great. Alternatively if you play RPGs, especially as a GM, buy minis you'd like to use in those, lot less to paint at one and gradually you'll have enough that a full army isn't too big a stretch

[Damien 1427]

I suffer from this grievous affliction.

My justifcation always has been that if I have multiple projects, I always swing back to them and I'm never truly bored. Which does work, but it's still a pain.

[vargojones]

I suffer terribly, coupled with me being a slow painter leads to an over abundance of plastic laying about.

Variously i have an BFG fleet to paint, two necromunda gangs, a mantic kings of war box, skaven, empire, vampire counts, dark eldar, renegade guard from FW, space marines coming out my ears, dark vengeance, flames of war, infinity, secrets of the third reich stuff, and probably a shed load of stuff i've forgotten about lying in a cupboard somewhere.

My excuse is that i can currently afford it, i don't have kids yet, but when i do my money will in all probability go on them, so having this backlog makes sense ... right must see about adding to my chaos space marines

oh forgot to add dystopian wars, very tempted by dystopian legions.... it's never ending.... oh a load of tyranids..................

[Private_SeeD]

I also suffer from this affliction, I sit in work bored so to waste the time I write army lists and dream up army lists. sadly I have seemed to have lost my carry case with all my empire stuff which was the one army that I had progressed the furtherest with, so trying to morn the lost with starting an Orge army and buy random bits for my DA so when the new stuff 'will' be released it won't break the bank



Sent from my Omni tool via the Sol System Mass Relay

[lorelorn]

I have models for Blood Bowl, Dystopian Wars, Saga, and War Machine, plus 'game of my own creation that I haven't even finished writing yet'. Coming very soon will be the Prussians for Dystopian Legions and next year will bring the Bones models. That should keep me fully occupied.

[Thuggrim]

I am so guilty of this, between natural instinct and 5 years of GW discount couped with a decent pay from my main job a few years back I indulged every hobby impulse. I am trying to get better and paint armies - no its just settling on one or 2 and doing so.

I hvae atleast 2 forces for every specialist game, atleast one army for every 40 k codex (4 chaos space marines) bar sisters I just sold these, every fantasy army with the exception of bretonnians to a minimum of 3k (Sold bretonnians as I would want to do everyone as a character and there is no way thats happening) as well as forces for warmachine, hordes, uncharted seas, malifeux and flames of war.

I am currently sorting myself -will sell some, and then try paint stuff up in focused blocks. I am currently working on painting a 1k block of common goblins, modelling and beginiing painting of my word bearers (Starting to regret the decisiion to go with hand sculpted bases - espcially after getting my mits on 2 boxes worth of Dark vengeance) and re-starting my Dark Angels.

Oh and I am working on a fantasy castle to sit neatly on the hill of my realm of battle board.

Once I get my painting area properly sorted I believe I may try a blog to enforce progress. Oh and must avoid looking at the shiny new starter for bolt action and flames of war, plus avoid the new troll colossal. I also have plans for malifeux swamp board and a mordhiem board if I can get people up for a new campaign.

See cannot even say focused for this post

[Little Joe]

I used to do this all the time, but found the tales here on Warseer and the hard choice of reducing support to a few games very helpful. Mind, I still have it, but far less these days and usually do not follow up. On the other hand my output has risen in both quality and quantity due to active honing of skills.
Lately I blame crowdfunders and extreme discounts for some unplanned gets, but all within limits (a fixed budget helps).

The tales help you to get projects done, painting contests and set games with friends (tournaments for others), for which something needs to be done are also great motivators for me. The tales however are a long term commitment with a goal, so I prefer those.
Reducing my GW armies to three and vowing not to start something new before all is done (minor some small additions for these 3, so see you in ten years GW ). Switching to skirmish games with more hobby challenge and only choosing two games to support full out at a time (until I have all current models done and just need to do upkeep, then I can swap a game focus). I do allow for some sidetracks, but with skirmishers this means 15 miniatures at most, so it is manageable. Skirmishers tend to be expensive per model, that helps as well.

And of course a regular grooming of the collection and selling all you will never work on, but there are other threads on that subject.

[Thuggrim]

A fixed budget is definately the way to go, I buy a hell of a lot less now days. Often not spending my budget as I tend to put block on buying stuff - Such as I won't buy X until atleast y, etc are painted/done. In some cases this is I won't buy this until I have 1500-200 points painted.

I still struggle to stay focused on one project, and I don't enjoy tournaments because you tend to end up against exploitative play and so many of the armies are boring and often poorly painted. (I don't rate myself highly as a painter - but at least I take a little pride in painting as opposed to applying paint). Nothing against those that take that approach - they are playing to win but it doesn't make for an engaging experience for me.

I think a blog maybe a way to go.

[Lord Squidar]

Thank god I am not alone! I thought I was the only one! I have a few core armies that I would never sell, namely Dwarfs and Skaven, but everything else is just waiting for the time when I need cash to fund the next project.

I have learnt a few techniques to overcome it though, such as that time I wanted a tomb kings army and then watched all the Mummy movies back to back, got a mummy overload and the idea died.