Between the Bolter and Me: 2013, a year in review

It is hard to believe that Between the Bolter and Me is already a year old! What started as a means to stay excited about miniature-based wargaming amidst my time in graduate school has blossomed into something bigger.  Instead of just serving as a distraction, it has become a fantastic outlet for my creativity and has encouraged me to become a larger part of the developing community. I am more excited than ever to be in the miniature gaming hobby and to be a part of the community as a whole. Over the year I discovered and have been inspired by a huge list of other hobbyists and their blogs, including Migsula, Jeff Vader, Kari Hernesniemi, Mikko Luoma, KrautScientist, Pijamas Gagarin, and Dave Taylor, to name just a few.

My confidence and skill as a modeller has improved by leaps and bounds, particularly in the area of actually modelling with greenstuff. And while I still have not started painting yet, it is only a matter of time!

With 2014 just getting underway I wanted to take some time and review some of my favorite models that I (and the other members of Between the Bolter and Me) converted in 2013.

A look back: Miniatures of 2013

Now that the year is drawing to a close, I find myself thinking back on it as a whole and remembering all the exciting miniatures that were released. Between the Bolter and Me is now almost a year old, and I can’t help but think of some of the releases that kept me forging forward with the hobby amidst the toils of graduate school. Before the year turns over, I felt it would be neat to talk a little about my favorite models of the year, culminating in my pick of the best model of the year.

The year certainly had a number of really impressive releases which really helped inspire me to work harder than ever to assemble and convert  new models. With so many companies releasing models, it has become increasingly difficult to select a single model as the best of the year. To make this post more manageable, I am going to break it down by the specific company that released the models.

Dark Eldar: Converting Duke Sliscus

Follow the Serpent!

Ever since the release of the Dark Elf assassin Shadowblade, I knew I wanted to use the model as a foundation for a conversion of Duke Sliscus. The model’s dynamic pose seemed to play nicely with the image of him I had in my mind, a flamboyant firebrand of a character.  I mused on how best to create the characters, and with the later release of the Dark Elf fleetmaster, I knew I found the last few pieces I needed.