IC Hobby Challenge 2011: It Begins

I'm taking part in the Independent Characters' 2011 Hobby Progress Challenge. The goal? Build and paint an 1850-point army, along with a 400-point sideboard of minis to swap out/add on, in time for Adepticon 2012. It seems like an imposing task, considering it took me four years to finish my Tau army, but I think I'm up to this one. Since I was already in the middle of building my Chaos Marines and getting them ready for painting, I just made a list and turned that into my project. So, here's what I'm trying to get done:

HQ: Daemon Prince w/Mark of Slaanesh, Sorcerer, Warptime, Wings (160)
Elites: 5 Terminator Champions w/Lightning Claws, Icon of Slaanesh in a Land Raider (485)
Elites: 6 Chosen w/2 Flamers, 3 Meltaguns, Icon of Slaanesh in a Rhino (203)
Troops: 6 Noise Marines w/Blastmaster, Personal Icon in a Rhino (200)
Troops: 5 Noise Marines w/Sonic Blasters, Noise Champion w/Doom Siren, Power Weapon, Melta Bombs in a Rhino (230)
Troops: 5 Noise Marines w/Sonic Blasters, Noise Champion w/Doom Siren, Power Weapon, Melta Bombs in a Rhino (230)
Heavy Support: Predator w/Autocannon, Lascannon Sponsons (130)
Heavy Support: Predator w/Autocannon, Lascannon Sponsons (130)
Other: 6 Summoned Lesser Daemons (78)

TOTAL: 1846 points

And the sideboard:

HQ: Sorcerer w/Mark of Slaanesh, Lash of Submission, Personal Icon (130)
Heavy Support: Defiler w/Reaper Autocannon, Close Combat Arm (150)
Other: 6 Summoned Lesser Daemons (78)
Other: 3 Havoc Launchers for Rhinos (45)

TOTAL: 403 points.

That's 2,249 points, all to be done by the end of March 2012. Right now, here's how my schedule is looking:

• June: Paint the Blastmaster squad and Rhino, Assemble Terminators
• July: Paint one Noise Champion squad and Rhino, Assemble both Lesser Daemon Squads
• August: Paint other Noise Champion squad and Rhino, Assemble Defiler (partially built already, needs arms)
• September: Paint Daemon Prince
• October: Paint Chosen squad and Rhino
• November: Paint Predators
• December: Holiday break
• January: Paint Terminators and Land Raider
• February: Paint Sorcerer and Defiler
• March: Paint Lesser Daemons

This month sees me getting a late start, as some family business took up about a week, but I've started off with the Blastmaster squad pictured above. They're assembled and primed and ready for painting. The priming job wasn't the best - high humidity combined with holding the can a bit too far away ended up causing them to get somewhat gritty or fuzzy - but a few minutes with a stiff-bristled toothbrush cleaned them right up. I also have a Rhino just about ready for painting as well; I just need to put Slaanesh icons where the Khorne icons used to be and do a bit of spot-priming. Then it'll be time to start throwing some pink on these guys and making them obnoxious.