Dark Elves taking way too long

[Alarantalara]

Around 2006 or so, I started collecting Dark Elves because I'd tired of playing Beastmen and I didn't enjoy my brief foray into Lizardmen. I think I painted a unit of crossbowmen, a bolt thrower, some shades and a sorceress before stopping playing Warhammer entirely (I picked up the army books for Beastmen and Dark Elves in 7th edition, but I don't think I ever used them for a game).

Then, in 2019 I bought some paints to fix up a large sculpture that had broken and make it look new again. I wanted to paint again, so I got out all the models I'd collected but never assembled or painted and got started. I took this picture in early 2020, with my newly painted Lokhir and the start of some critical units like spearmen and witch elves.

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And then I stopped, only to start up again about a year later because I wanted to play some games. Unlike with the beastmen, this time it was painted or nothing to play. Certainly not the half-assembled ungors I ended up playing at one point. Painting thus progressed rapidly, and I was able to play 2000 point games after about 6 months, with everything completely painted. At which point everything seemed to slow down again, though diversifying into painting models for Cursed City and more lizardmen for my son didn't help.

But I'm still going through the pile of models I had from before the break and the fancy new ones from after and I'm now here.

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There's still more in progress, I've got 50 or so more models in varying stages of progress (for instance, I have 18 black guard, not the 6 in the image). Even so, I thought it would be nice to take a moment and just enjoy what is finished. It's why I wanted the painted only approach this time. Without the demands of weekly games in stores, I have the time.

[TinyLegions]

Tell you what, that is a story as old as the hobby. My pile of shame fills up a closet right now. Looking good so far. Keep at it, and remember a collection is never really finished.

[Alarantalara]

It's been a couple years, so here's another photo. About all that's new is three big centrepiece models at the back, the black guard are done, and there's a battle standard bearer I've yet to use. Not much in terms of actually getting through all the unpainted models, but I console myself with the amount of terrain I've made. I'm slowly working towards being able to actually use those terrain tables at the back of the book without needing substitutions.

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I think it's 4500-5000 points altogether with over 1100 of that new from the last photo, though there's too many characters to actually field everything at that points level.

Edit: cleaned up brightness a bit so you can actually see the colours.

[Just Tony]

They look fantastic, and it was a pleasure to have seen them in person.

[TinyLegions]

I agree with JT, this looks fantastic. Anything left on the backlog, or are you just working on terrain pieces right now?

[Alarantalara]

I have:
- a unit of 5 more dark riders that just needs basing for the fifth and last model
- a half-painted chariot and a cold one musician that I keep putting off finishing because i don't want to buy more superglue for two metal models and then watch it dry up like the last 5 bottles because everything else is plastic
- one crossbowman from a mix of 3rd edition dark eldar with dark elf arms that's mostly finished but really needs 9 more to feel properly unified
- a box of 10 8th edition witch elves that's half assembled because I got tempted to try playing a witch cult after I played a game with the cauldron
- the other 4 plastic cold ones to match the lone plastic one in the group of 5, with one about halfway painted
- some leftovers from the finished units to round up to appropriate box multiples (2 6th warriors, 6 8th executioners/black guard)
- a gifted headless metal witch elf I'm not sure what to do with
- an untouched box of 10 8th edition warriors
- an untouched box of 10 plastic corsairs
- a second unopened blister pack with Malus Darkblade

So close to 60 models if I put together everything for the sake of finishing everything. Practically there's less than 20 that I really want to finish: just the 6 cavalry, chariot and witches. The rest can wait for either inspiration or an invitation to a 7000 point game with sufficient warning, since they'd give me enough to field that large an army.