The Rewards of Necromancy

Okay, this one wasn't my idea, exactly. As is evident from past hobby posts I have searched for years in vain for a motivational method to keep me focused on painting. I've tried targets, I've tried doing A Tale Of One Gamer (Dwarfs were not as inspiring as I'd hoped) and other methods too boring to list and pretty much gave up on the idea.

Then my friend Matt and I read the Humbling Of Settra scenario in White Dwarf #30. The idea is simple: Nagash on his own versus the opposing player's entire Tomb Kings collection.

I've got a lot of Tomb Kings models: few are built, none are painted. I had an opportunity to pick up a whole army's worth on the cheap a few years ago and took it. They've been a “rainy day” project ever since and now the day seems to have come. Matt and I intend to play the scenario some time in January between the end of our current narrative campaign and the beginning of the next. I've got four months to paint as many Tomb Kings miniatures as I can.

As an added spur to work I'm going to set myself some rewards for the first few milestones. Another friend of mine does this and his method is that he likes tanks, he loves tanks so when he finishes a big infantry unit he'll reward himself with a tank. I like centrepiece miniatures, I like doing a real production number on something flashy so here are my rewards, my presents to myself:

500 points completed: I get to paint my Ushabti. I love Ushabti and the original great weapon ones look beautiful in Finecast.

1,000 points: The Necrosphinx, a beautiful centrepiece. I'm thinking a jade effect for the body.

1,500 points: A couple of years ago Matt made me a custom “Scorpion” Warsphinx for my birthday: a mash-up of Necrosphinx and the Arachnarok Spider from the Orcs & Goblins range. Definitely something I should paint up now I have reason and some idea of how I want to colour it.

2,000 points: At this stage I get to buy a Nagash model of my very own.

I'll set further rewards if I exceed these targets but that should be more than enough to be getting on with.