Figure Painting Total - June 2026

I've painted a little bit, but not finished anything. I was able to get the Armegeddon launch box. Now that they have relvealed what will be in the starter boxes, I am very glad that I did. Bought Unmatched Adventures: TMNT – Extra Toppings - 16 40K Armageddon 11th edition – 62 Painted June total – figures bought 78, figures painted 0 Running total 2026 – figures bought 153, figures painted 6

40K editions

 I’ll add the 11th edition to the stack of placeholder editions.

 

 

 

I also have the boxed sets for second and fourth but they are in deep storage.  I did not get the boxed set for seventh edition as it was just sixth edition with a new rulebook.  I did not get the launch box for the eighth edition but got the starter boxes instead.

 

 

 

For those keeping track,

Rogue Trader came out in 1987.  It did not have a starter set.

 

 

Second edition starter box came out in 1993.  It was Space Marines versus Orks.  It came with monopose figures – 20 marines vs 20 orrks, 40 gretchin, and a cardboard deff dread, and a lot of cardboard terrain.  This was the first edition to include codices.

 

 

 

Third edition came out in 1998.  The starter box was Space Marines versus Dark Eldar.  It contained 10 marines, and a landspeeder vs 20 dark eldar.  It also had some plastic ruins, barricades, and some jungle trees. This edition had a codex wipe. Later editions carried the previous codices through until they were replaced by the newer ones.

 

 

The fourth edition came out in 2004.  The starter box was called the Battle for MacCragge and was Space Marines versus Tyranids.  It contained 10 marines, and a pilot vs 10 termagants, 6 genestealers, 8 spore mines, and a crashed aquila lander, and some tyranid terrain.

 

 

The fifth edition game out in 2008.  The starter box was called Assault on Black Reach and was Space Marines versus Orks.  It contained a captain, 5 terminators, 10 marines, and a dreadnought vs a boss, 5 nobz, 20 boyz, and 3 deffkoptas.

 

 

The sixth edition came out in 2012.  The starter box was called Dark Vengeance and was Dark Angels versus Chaos Marines.  It contained 1-3 characters, 5 terminators, 10 marines, and bike marines vs 1-3 characters, 6 chaos space marines, 20 cultists, and a hellbrute (chaos dreadnought).

 

 

The seventh edition came out in 2014.  It reused the Dark Vengeance starter from the sixth edition with the new rulebook.

 

 

 

The eighth edition came out in 2017.  The Launch box was called Dark Imperium and was Primaris Marines versus Death Guard (Chaos Marines – Nurgle).  This edition wiped the codices and started with five index books that covered all the armies.  It also came with tiered starter boxes.  The First Strike starter contained 3 intercessors and 3 reivers vs 3 plague marines, and 6 pox walkers.  The Know No Fear starter contained 5 intercessors, 5 hellblasters, and 5 interceptors vs a Lord of Contagion, 5 plague marines, 10 pox walkers, and a foetid bloat-drone.

 

 

The ninth edition came out in 2020.  The launch box was called Indomius and was Primaris Marines versus Necrons.  It contained a captain, lieutenant,chaplain, judiciar, bladeguard ancient, 3 bladeguard veterans, 3 eradicators, 10 assault intercessors, and 3 outriders vs an overlord, royal warden, plasmancer, 2 cryptothralls, a skorpekh lord, 3 skorpeth destroyers, a plasmacyte, 20 warriors, and 6 canoptek scarab swarms.

 

 

 

The tenth edition came out in 2023.  The launch box was called Leviathan and was Primaris Marines versus Tyranids.  It contained a terminator captain, a terminator librarian, an apothecary biologis, a ballistus dreadnought, 5 terminators, 5 sternguard veterans, and 10 infernus vs a winged tyrranid prime, a neurotyrand, 2 neuroloids, a screamer-killer, a psychophage, 5 barbgaunts, 11 neurogaunts, 20 termagaunts, and 2 ripper swarms. It also wiped the codices.

 

 

The  eleventh edition came out in 2026.  The launch box was called Armageddon and was Primaris Marines versus Orks.  It contained a captain with shield, a chaplain with jump pack, a librarian, an ancient, 10 intercessors, 5 vanguard veterans with jump packs, 3 eradicators, and a land speeder vs a warboss, a big boss, a banner nob, a painboy, a weirdboy, 20 boyz, 10 gretchin, a wartrack, and a big mek dakkari rig.

 

 

Armageddon it

 It has been three years so there is a new edition of Warhammer 40,000 coming out.  The launch box is Armageddon and includes Pimaris Marines versus Orks. 

 

I’ve been playing 40K since Rogue Trader back in 1990.  Or rather, I played the first three editions, and have been buying placeholder sets since then.  I haven’t kept up on the painting either.  Even though I got the regular and mini starter for eighth edition and the launch boxes for ninth and tenth, I have only painted three Primaris figures – and those were the ones from the model-in-a-month giveaways.

 

I’m tempted by the launch box for Armageddon, but still have a lot of Ork figures from Rogue Trader, second edition, and Assault on Black Reach that still haven’t been painted.  The plastic wierdboy and mekboy would be nice – but I still have a bunch of the old metal ones.  I’ve been painting the Primaris as Space Wolves so far, but my son has now declared for Blood Angels, which are not one of the armies in which I was interested. 

 

I was going back and forth about getting the Armageddon launch box or just getting the regular starter set.  The $360 price tag certainly has a factor on this.  The only thing I really am interested in is the Armageddon Operation Imperator book.  They don’t come with a special hardcover rulebook this edition – which is nice as it usually seems to get errataed within two weeks after release.

 

I tried to get it last Saturday when it came available for pre-order but it sold out quite quickly.   I was going to see if they had any available when they launched at the end of June else I would get the regular starters.  But one of the local stores also had a sale on the preorder so I popped in and ordered it from them.

 

The box doesn’t come with a big fancy launch hardcover rulebook but rather one of the starter softcover rulebook.  While I’ll miss the hardcover rulebook, it usually seems to get errata-ed in the first month and, with all of the campaign fluff, is quite big if using as a your standard rulebook.

 

Figure Painting Total - May 2026

 I was finally able to get a Gorilla Pioneer Squad for Dust.  There are still a few units like another SSU Walker and maybe the helicopter.  As well as another walker for the Axis.  I would like to get the Mythos, IJN, and Merc forces as well but I may have to wait for another reprint.

Bought

Dust Tactics – Gorilla Pioneer Squad – 3     

 

Painted

 

 

May total – figures bought 3, figures painted

Running total 2026 – figures bought 75, figures painted 6

 

Figure Paintig Total - April 2026

 I finally finished painting some figures this year.  

Even though I still haven't played Star Trek Away Missions, I picked up the last set.  The only thing left it the Q figure that was in a store mission set.  I think that I'm going to put off getting that until I've played a few games to see how I like it.

Bought

Star Trek Away Missions (Scotty) - 4

Painted 

Star Trek Away Missions (Borg) = 6

April total - figures bought 4, figures painted 6

Running total 2026 - figures bought 72 figures painted 6

Books Read - January to April 2026

 

Jan

Space Battle: The Mattel Intellivision and the First Console War by Jamie Lendino

A Wanted Man by Lee Child

Warhammer Armies – The Empire (6th edition) by Alessio Cavatore

Warhammer 40,000 (8th edition): Urban Conquest by Games Workshop of Nottingham

Misdirection by Jennifer Blackstream

 

Feb

Military Modelling by Donald Featherstone

Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green

Sacrifice by Jennifer Blackstream

Deeply Odd by Dean Koontz

 

Mar

Oathmark – Battles of the Lost Age by Joseph McCullough

Warhammer 40,000 (10th ed) Boarding Actions by Games Workshop of Nottingham

Shroud by Jennifer Blackstream

With Hot Lead and Cold Steel by Arthur van der Ster

Stevenson at Play by Robert Louis Stevenson

Slowing Down to the Speed of Joy by Matthew Kelly

 

Apr

Uncle John’s Heavy Duty Bathroom Reader by the Bathroom Readers’ Institute

The Wargaming Pioneers: From H.G. Wells to Captain Sachs by John Curry

Scrappers by Robert A. Faust and Andrew N. Davies

Floor Games & Little Wars by H. G. Wells

Lion Rampant second edition by Daniel Mersey

Figure Painting Total - March 2026

 

I was able to prime a bunch of the figures I have from Don’t Look Back. I had also bought a bunch of STLs from Black Site Studios last year.  I was finally able to get some of them printed and primed.  They are moving up on my painting list.  I am currently finishing off the Borg from Star Trek Away Missions.  They cut in front of the Orc Bloodbowl team that has been sitting on my painting table since 2024.

 

 

Bought

BSS – Great Dane Good Boy – 1

BSS – Lake Camp Killer – 1

BSS – Meddling Kids – 4

BSS – Mr Pumpkins – 1

BSS – Mystery Gang Van – 1

 

Painted

 

 

Mar total – figures bought 8, figures painted 0

Running total 2026 – figures bought 68, figures painted 0

 

My Top 100 Games - as of 2025

 Rank     Last           Name  

1             1                Space Hulk

2             2                Circus Imperium       

3             4                Diplomacy

4             3                Family Business

5             6                Assault on Hoth

6             7                Illuminati 

7             10              OGRE

8             5                 Warhammer 40,000 (up to 3rd)

9             9                  Bosworth

10           8                  Icebergs

 

11           12                Risk 

12           11                Walk the Plank

13           22                Car Wars (up to 5th)

14           NEW            Acquire  

15           14                Cash ‘n’ Guns – second edition

16           34                Daytona 500

17           NEW            Tetris Link

18           NEW            Tiki Topple 

19           NEW            Super Mario Bros. Power Up Card Game

20           NEW            No Thanks

 

21           NEW               Downforce

22           NEW                King of Tokyo

23           NEW                Don’t Look Back

24           NEW                Unmatched – Little Red Riding Hood VS Beowulf

25           18 – 1st Ed     Groo the Game – 2nd edition

26           26                     Blood Bowl

27           26                     Fortress America

28           NEW                 Samurai Jack: Back to the Past

29           NEW                 Fallout Shelter

30           31                     Tsuro

 

31           15                     Sushi Go 

32           NEW                 Pandemic: Contagion 

33           NEW                Marvel Splendor 

34           27                     Go           

35           28                     Star Wars: The Queen’s Gambit

36           19                     Race Day

37           29                     Conquest of the Empire

38           30                     Battle Masters

39           33                     Battleship Galaxies

40           NEW                 Transformers Armada: Battle for Cybertron

 

41           36                    Car Wars Card Game 

42           38                    Guillotine 

43           37                    Camel Cup  

44           13                    Survive: Escape  from Atlantis

45           NEW                Disney Haunted Mansion: Call of the Spirits

46           NEW                Monopoly Empire

47           83                    Canasta   

48           35                    Rocketville           

49           NEW                Cathedral

50           20                    Highlander: The Card Game

 

51           NEW               Sorry! Sliders

52           82                   Resistance        

53           89                   Colt Express        

54           NEW               Love Letter: Batman     

55           84                   Wits and Wagers Family

56           NEW               Blitz Bowl

57           21                   Crimson Skies (WizKids)  

58           41                   Hey, That’s My Fish!     

59           16                   Bang: The Dice Game

60           51                   Zombie Dice

 

61           53                   Dilbert Card Game

62           52                   Cthulhu Dice

63           23                   Scoville           

64           NEW               Disney Villainous 

65           NEW               Batman: Gotham City Strategy Game

66           NEW               Tantrix

67           42                   Pitch Six

68           NEW               Get Lucky

69           NEW               Dust Tactics Revised Core

70           54                   Rules with No Name

 

71           50                   Zombies!!!             

72           56                   Shogun (Ikusa)           

73           81                   Monopoly            

74           57                   Aliens

75           62                   Chess    

76           59                   Canvas Eagles

77           40                   Horrorclix     

78           63                   Girl Genius: The Works       

79           45                   Cardline – Animals

80           24                   Heroclix

 

81           58                   Search for the Emperor’s Treasure

82           47                   Timeline: Music & Cinema 

83           48                   Spooks

84           65                   INWO

85           17                   Monty Python Fluxx

86           64                   Elixir

87           90                   Word Thief       

88           86                   Iota 

89           NEW               Space Marine Adventures: Rise of the Orks

90           NEW               Pamplona: Viva San Fermin!

 

91           39                  Star Wars Miniatures: Starship Battles

92           60                  Dragon Dice

93           NEW              Timeline Challenge

94           NEW              Space Marine Adventures: Labyrinth of the Necrons

95           92                  Yahtzee: Free For All

96           NEW              Domination    

97           61                  Pente

98           NEW              Exago

99           44                  Blokus Trigon

100        46                   Blokus

    

Top 100 Games - as of 2025 - overview

I last did a list of my top 100 games back to the end of 2015.  It is a good exercise but not something that I would want to do every year.  But to revisit a decade later seemed like a good idea.  

So 30 new games made it into my top 100.  Well, new to me.  The oldest of these new games Is Domination from 1963, and Acquire from 1964, and the newest games are  Groo the Card Game second edition, and Munchkin – The Nightmare Before Christmas, both from 2023.

 

Some of my games have slipped.  My top 12 remains my top 12 but the order has changed slightly.  But there are 5 games that are new to the list that dropped in the top 20.

The highest game to have fallen off of my top 100 was Pandemic, which was 43 last time.  This was replaced by Pandemic Contagion, but even Pandemic Hot Spot: North America ranked higher than it and helped to drive it off of the list.

 

The game to have dropped the farthest and still remain on the list was Monty Python Fluxx which fell 68 points.  This is probably due to us not having played it in the last five years.  The game that was on the list before that has risen the most is Canasta, which rose 36 points, despite not having been played in the last five years.

 

These are the ones that almost made the top 100:

 

100

Rank     Previous             Game

101        NEW                   Dixit!

102        NEW                   For Sale!

103        NEW                   Dune (Parker Brothers 1984)

104        55                       Fluxx

105        69                       Unexploded Cow

106        78                       Chill: Black Manor Morn

107        87                        Empire Builder

108        NEW                    Space Marine Adventures: Doomsday Countdown

109        NEW                    Bob Ross: Art of Chill Game

110        91                        Qwirkle

 

111        NEW                    Lanterns

112        85                        Scrabble Slam

113        NEW                   Unspeakable Words

114        67                       Quiddler

115        70                       Junta

116        71                       Toss Up!

117        72                        Risk: Balance of Power

118        73                       Star Warriors

119        77                       Hive

120        79                       Filthy Rich