2024 - How did we do?

Started by Leon, 22 December 2024, 06:56:59 PM

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Leon

As another year draws to a close, it's time for our annual evaluation of which projects we managed to tick off, which ones are in progress, and which will be kicked into 2025!


10mm Sci-Fi Expansion! - SUCCESS!
The big Sci-Fi expansion was our main focus for the first half of the year with 6 shiny new ranges all released and available here: https://www.pendraken.co.uk/10mm-sci-fi  There are 3 more ranges coming soon, ahead of the launch of Future War Commander 2 at Salute 2025.

28mm Crossover Miniatures - SUCCESS!
Another tick on this job with all of the Crossover Miniatures Superhero ranges back in production on the website here: https://www.pendraken.co.uk/28mm-crossover-miniatures  We've also added these to our show stand and the physical shop.

Multi-Scale Flags - SUCCESS!
Another tick here too, with over 700 different flagsheets licensed from Tiny Tin Troops and added to the website here: https://www.pendraken.co.uk/tiny-tin-troops-flags  These are a great addition to our catalogue and have been really well received.

10mm AWI Additions - SUCCESS!
Ticky tick tick!  These were delayed quite a bit but were finally released earlier this month, adding another 30+ codes to our already comprehensive AWI ranges: https://www.pendraken.co.uk/10mm-18th-century-american-war-of-independence  I think we're done for the timebeing in this period and the next Clib release will be the Goths.

10mm Indo-China French expansion - SUCCESS!
More successes here, with a full revamp of our Indo-China ranges released back in the summer and available here: https://www.pendraken.co.uk/10mm-post-war-indo-china 


10mm ACW Additions - ALMOST!
These have all been sculpted but sadly we didn't have chance to get them into moulds and released before Christmas.  They'll be one of the first jobs to work on when we get back in January, so keep an eye out for them very soon.

10mm Modern Vehicles - ALMOST!
Similar to the above, we've had these all designed and they're in Pendraken HQ ready to go into moulds.  I'll grab some photos of them first and pop them up on the Forum for folks to look at.  This batch is mainly T-72s, plus a BM-27 truck.

10mm WWII Artillery crews revamp - ALMOST!
This one should have been done a couple of months ago but there was more work involved in assembling all of the relevant artillery pieces and prepping all of the new moulds.  All of the sculpts/pieces are in the workshop at Pendraken HQ so it should be one for the first few months of 2025, all being well.

More Red Vectors products - ALMOST!
I'm going to class this one as an Almost as we've got another batch of MDF buildings all prepped and ready to release, but we had some issues with one of our laser machines earlier this month and needed both a service and new extraction fitting.  This left us with just one machine for a while and we had to focus on the orders/stock rather than anything new.


10mm TB Line - FAIL!
I'm going to class this one as a Fail although we have made some progress on this task.  Techno has completed the repair work on several of the Ancients ranges so those can be put into new master moulds soon and then onto production moulds.  The Mongols are still waiting on my desk though, so I'll need to crack on with those asap.

10mm Dungeon World - FAIL!
Sadly we didn't make any progress on this one at all so it'll need to be moved into our 2025 plans.  The new Dungeon modules are all designed and the monsters/furniture masters have been spun up, so we just need to get cracking on new moulds for it all.

12mm Fantasy ranges - FAIL!
Complete Fail on this one, as we just didn't get time to even look at these this year.

10mm Bronze Age Middle East - FAIL!
The sculptor has started doing some research prep for these new ranges but we've not made a start on the sculpts yet.  I'm hoping to have a rough list soon of what we'll be producing and then I can put it up for everyone to look at.


In total there we've got 5 Successes, 4 Almosts and 4 Fails for this year, so some big projects ticked off but definitely room for improvement! 

Most of the Almost projects are sculpted/prepped so it's just a case of finding time to make the moulds and get them released, so I'll optimistically aim to have those done quickly in the new year.  We've also got a new member of staff starting soon, who'll be taking on a lot of admin/social media work and easing my workload a little bit.

I think we'll probably go a little easier in our 'Plans for 2025' as well, just to make things a bit more manageable!

As always, thanks for your valuable custom and endless support this year, we hope you've enjoyed our new releases and we'll have a lot of new shiny goodies coming your way in 2025.
www.pendraken.co.uk - Now home to over 7000 products, including 4500 items for 10mm wargaming, plus MDF bases, Battlescale buildings, I-94 decals, Litko Gaming Aids, Militia Miniatures, Raiden Miniatures 1/285th aircraft, Red Vectors MDF products, Vallejo paints and much, much more!

mollinary

Well done, Leon, another great year. Can't wait for Clib's Goths. I've never really worked out what they should look like, so look forward to finding out!
2021 Painting Competition - Winner!
2022 Painting Competition - 2 x Runner-Up!

fsn

A lot done this year*. Well done.

I particularly enjoyed the SF and am looking forward to the 3 new ranges. Add a bit of alien-ness to the mix - what could go wrong?** :)

Very excited to see the possibility of some bronze age armies.

I wouldn't beat yourself up - you've delivered a lot this year. I'd also say that delivering 6 full new ranges, plus the many, many ... many .. many additions to the AWI range must be considered major projects. The promised "addition" to the ACW range is nearly 100 new figures. That's more than other brands have in their entire range.

So, Amazons in January; SF in March, May and July and then you have 5 months to do the Bronze age. I think that would be a suitable schedule. :)

Seriously, well done to all at Pendraken. 

*Regrettably none of was Amazonian.  >:(
**I'm pondering the possibility that the waspy ones could lay eggs in their enemies. :-\  Turn then to zombies or something.
Lord Oik of Runcorn (You may refer to me as Milord Oik)

Oik of the Year 2013, 2014; Prize for originality and 'having a go, bless him', 2015
3 votes in the 2016 Painting Competition!; 2017-2019 The Wilderness years
Oik of the Year 2020; 7 votes in the 2021 Painting Competition
11 votes in the 2022 Painting Competition (Double figures!)
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Raider4

QuoteWell done, Leon, another great year. Can't wait for Clib's Goths. I've never really worked out what they should look like, so look forward to finding out!
The men all look like Dave Vanian, Andrew Eldritch or Nick Cave. The women all look like Siouxsie Sioux.

Last Hussar

Put me down for the entire range of Siouxie figures...
I have neither the time nor the crayons to explain why you are wrong.

"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little."
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paulr

Well done to Leon and all at Pendraken =D>  =D>  =D>

Three of those four fails are nudging into the almost category and as Nobby said several of the 'additions' are bigger than many providers full ranges
Lord Lensman of Wellington
2018 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!
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whubble

I'd say a great year's work ... with much more to look forward to in the coming year. Take care. ;)

FierceKitty

I'll be interested in what's planned for the bronze age.
I don't drink coffee to wake up. I wake up to drink coffee.

fred.

Lots of successes this year - especially when you cross reference the list of released codes - and see how big some of these single item successes are. 

Hopefully your new person frees up capacity for mould making - as this seems to be a common bottleneck in several of your Almosts!

Can I ask about the Japanese castle?
2011 Painting Competition - Winner!
2012 Painting Competition - 2 x Runner-Up
2016 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!
2017 Paint-Off - 3 x Winner!

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Steve J

I think you've done pretty well to say the least, given all the challenges you've faced this year. A delay in some ranges is not the end of the World! I'm certainly looking forward to the Bronze Age armies, just to see what might tempt me...

fsn

QuoteI'm certainly looking forward to the Bronze Age armies, just to see what might tempt me...
C'mon Dendra armour!
Lord Oik of Runcorn (You may refer to me as Milord Oik)

Oik of the Year 2013, 2014; Prize for originality and 'having a go, bless him', 2015
3 votes in the 2016 Painting Competition!; 2017-2019 The Wilderness years
Oik of the Year 2020; 7 votes in the 2021 Painting Competition
11 votes in the 2022 Painting Competition (Double figures!)
2023 - the year of Gerald:
2024 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!

DHautpol

QuoteI'll be interested in what's planned for the bronze age.

I am also quite curious as to what this range may entail.  Well off my usual radar, but you never know what interest might be piqued.
2016 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!
2018 Painting Competition - 3 x Runner-Up!
2023 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!

DecemDave

Well the real success is continuing to thrive as a business despite EU attempts to stop you exporting and our governments imposition of more NI and better wages and conditions even for the casting dwarves.
And your success/almost category greatly exceeds my  which armies will I "finish" this year.   You churn the ranges out way faster than I can do armies!! 

steve_holmes_11

I may be too late to be of influence here.

Lardy Rich (of the TooFats) made a plea during one of his advent calendar broadcasts.

Heading "Bigger WW2 weapon crews" - well OK that's a bit vague.

The most interesting snippet was: 
"Soldiers opening (ammunition) boxes have many uses when building a unit".



I reflected, an active "loader" wielding shell, ammo belt or mortar bomb fits a limited range of weapons.
The shell guy won't look right crewing a 37mm and a 105mm.

But a guy tending to a crate, can conceivably crew almost anything.

Leon

Thanks for all of the positive comments!

Quote from: fred. on 23 December 2024, 09:08:01 AMCan I ask about the Japanese castle?

That's still pending but we might be able to make some progress in the first half of next year.  There's a rough plan currently to build ourselves a resin room and bring the resin products back in-house, but it's reliant on us finding a spare week to build the new room and fit it out. 

We'd probably start with some of the simpler products too, as we'll need to train someone from scratch in resin casting, but then we can start working through all of the backlogged stuff too.
www.pendraken.co.uk - Now home to over 7000 products, including 4500 items for 10mm wargaming, plus MDF bases, Battlescale buildings, I-94 decals, Litko Gaming Aids, Militia Miniatures, Raiden Miniatures 1/285th aircraft, Red Vectors MDF products, Vallejo paints and much, much more!