Sunday 31 March 2019

Closing Awards for AHPCIX



Well, here we are at the end of our ninth edition of the Painting Challenge. All the votes have been tabulated for 'Challengers' Choice', Sarah has made her selection for 'Sarah’s Choice', I’ve done the same for the Judges selection, and we’ve made the prize draws for all the points thresholds. Whew! It has been a VERY busy day, so please get yourself a cup of your favourite tipple and settle in - you're in for a long read.
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The Challengers' Choice

We had 23 nominations for the Challengers' Choice Award this season. It was terrific to take in the gallery as it provides such a wonderful retrospective of the Challenge. Below are your top selections of all the worthy nominations.

Honourable Mention 

Millsy's for his excellent Crusaders.





Honourable Mention 

GregB's imperiously stompy Imperial Titans






Honourable Mention 

BenitoM's British WWII Paras project







Honourable Mention 

Curt's Female Samurai






Honourable Mention 

Byron's Red-Ones-Go-Faster F1 Ork Racer






Third Place for Challengers' Choice  

TamsinP for her wonderfully varied body of work. A few samples to whet the appetite.







Second Place for Challengers' Choice  

MartinN for his sumptuously painted body of work. Here are just a few selections:






First Place for Challengers' Choice' goes to: 

KenR for his beautifully realised Italian Wars project. Bravo Ken!







Ken, for your prize you get a one-year's subscription to Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy.

For those interested in seeing the voting results for Challengers' Choice, they can be seen here.

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Judge’s Choice

Honourable Mentions go to:

MartinN's (AKA Nick) poignant 'Last Rites'







Honourable Mention 

Michael's devilishly fun Doctor Aphra, BT-1 and 0-0-0





The Judge’s Choice goes to:

StefanK's wonderfully pulpy 'The Unicorn Club'. Brilliant work Stefan, Bravo!






Stefan, for your prize you get a $50 CAD gift certificate from Northern Lights Terrain.

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Sarah’s Choice 

From Sarah: What wondrous madness the ninth edition has brought forth! It seems that for each Challenge, the entrants for Sarah’s Choice provide a stellar variety of figures and genres, and this year is no exception.

I have spent a very pleasing morning, coffee in hand, perusing through all this years Sarah’s Choice entrants. All of them, from old witches and shield maidens to zombies and renaissance orcish ladies are awesome and I admire you all for showing such creativity and diversity!

Honourable Mention 

PaulOG's Jeanne D’Arc


I can hardly believe that this was Paul’s first submission to the highly coveted and sought after Sarah’s Choice Award. 
Such a poignant, well painted vignette and a terrific write up of a very complex historical figure. Well done, Paul!

Honourable Mention

StuartL's Nellie Cochrane and her Fake News Crew


I am unfamiliar with the Malifaux game, but I do love steampunk and fierce Lady journalists are super cool. Every once in a while, Curt convinces me to play Eldritch or Mansions of Madness.... I suspect that I could probably be enticed into Malifaux

And the winner for Sarah's Choice is:

AlanDs Jugoslav Partizanke






I really enjoyed reading Alan's posts on these women and was very impressed by both your research and the hard work on converting suitable figures. This is exactly what I like about the Challenge, people finding a passion and sharing it with wide audience. I am a history nerd, and I thank you for the book recommendation. Added to my reading list! 

Alan, your prize is a gift certificate from the good folks over at 'War & Peace Games'.



Thanks again to all the participants; your posts and the friendly commentary makes for a very warm and welcoming community.

I’ll see you all for Challenge X!


Sarah


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The Prize for The Prettiest Undead 

This was a hard fought contest, a pitched match of decayed tooth and taloned nail.

In the end, and very suitably so, it was a dead heat (ahem). Yessiree, even-stevens, right down the middle with 21 votes apiece. So, what to do you all think? I reckon we need a rematch for Challenge X.  :)


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The 'What a Tanker!' Prize

We are still awaiting the adjudication results from Lard Island HQ so stay tuned for that in a future post.

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Points Threshold Prizes

Next we have the Point Threshold prizes. These are drawn randomly and awarded to those participants who broke through the six points barriers over the course of the Challenge.

Threshold I / 500-749 points: BrettM
(20 Euro Gift certificate from Barrage Miniatures)

Threshold II / 750-999 points: JamesM
(20 Euro Gift Certificate from Barrage Miniatures)

Threshold III / 1000-1499 points: AdamC
(20 Euro Gift Certificate from Barrage Miniatures)

Threshold IV / 1500-1999 points: PaulSS
(20 GBP gift certificate from Barrage Miniatures)

Threshold V / 2000-2499 points: RayR
(40 CDN Gift Certificate from Westfalia Miniatures)

Threshold VI / 2500+ points: FranL
(40 CDN Gift Certificate from Westfalia Miniatures)


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Top Tier Points Finishers

Now, I think it only proper to give some prizes to our Paint Titans who dominated the points roster:

3rd in the Points Standings: MartinC: (20 Euro Gift Certificate from Barrage Miniatures)

2nd in the Points Standings: MilesR (40 CDN Gift Certificate from Westfalia Miniatures)

1st in the Points Standings NoelW (50 GBP Gift Certificate from Barrage Miniatures)


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Congratulations to all the prize winners and thank you for sharing your wonderful work with us. Please contact me to work out the details for getting your awards. In the meantime, let's dance.




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Okay, keeping with tradition, I've come up with a few small gifts to express my gratitude to this year's Minions who all did a fabulous job keeping the show moving along.  Some will notice that a few of these were shown during the Challenge, but a couple are new here today.



Barks, our Monday Minion, here is your horned Pink Horror to lurk as a warp-cursed vagrant within your Pinkstone Fortress. 



Lee, Tuesday's Minion: I went through my stores to find something that would compliment your interests. So, here is a figure of a senior sergeant and drummer boy from the 24th Regiment at Isandlwana. 



Evan, our antipodean Wednesday Minion, an elder Deep One for your burgeoning collection of monsters and all things eldritch.



Iain, our Thursday Minion, a Sister Superior from your wonderful gifting of an unpainted Sisters of Battle force. Thank you very much.




and Robert, our Francophile Friday Minion, your's was easy, my friend. Here is Napoleon at Arcola, 1796. Vive la France!!



I also want to thank our Spreadsheet Sith Lord Miles and our patient Duels Wallah Paul for gifting us with their herculean efforts this year. Guys, you can expect something from me in the post.

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Painting Challenge IX is now concluded.  I’d like to highlight all our Challenge Sponsors for their wonderfully generous support of the event.  If you have a free moment please visit their sites via the banners on the left sidebar and see if something strikes your fancy.  As I say every year, the Challenge doesn’t need prizes to be a success, but it sure adds a bit of sparkle to the show. :) Thanks again to all our wonderful sponsors!

Finally, and I really can't say this enough, I want to thank all our Challenge participants. This event would be nothing without all your hard work, your humour and most of all, your open-hearted good nature. All of these things makes the Painting Challenge what it is. I doff my cap to you all.

So in closing, I bid you all a fond farewell. In a few days Lady Sarah and I will be departing for a much needed vacation to the south of France. The sun and cuisine will be an excellent diversion, but I also have an additional piece of luggage dedicated for brushes, paints and figures - the Challenge continues! In the meantime, enjoy the next nine months everyone, and I hope to see you all next November.

- Curt




48 comments:

  1. I'd like to thank the academy at this time, seriously I won something.......congrats to Curt and the winners!

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  2. ......it's not funny money is it?

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    1. ...depends what you buy with it Fran.

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    2. Fran, since the currency is Canadian, as in Canadian Dollars, it can not be described as "funny money" but rather "Very Polite" which is a fine reflection of the populace of the our little subsidiary to the North.

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    3. I'd take umbrage with the 'subsidiary' remark but I'd only later apologize for making such a fuss. ;P

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    4. I think making a fuss like that is a felony under Canadian law - it's just not worth doing hard time in the Maple Syrup mines of the great white north

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  3. Congratulations to all, more than well deserved. Thanks again Curt and Sarah and enjoy that holiday in France

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  4. 3rd place in Challengers Choice? Wow! Thanks everyone!

    Congrats to all the prize winners! :)

    "I suspect that I could probably be enticed into Malifaux" - sounds like Curt is going to be getting into a new game ;)

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    1. Well deserved Tamsin.

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    2. Well deserved, excellent high quality work

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    3. Congratulations Tamsin. Very well deserved.

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    4. Really wonderful submissions, Tamsin. Worth third place (at least) for your comments alone!

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  5. Congarats to everyone in the lists, it has been an honour fighting along-side all of you... Erm yes... Anyway, thanks Curt for everything and enjoy the Holiday!

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  6. Congratulations to the winners! A suitable finish and enjoy your holiday in France!
    Best Iain

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  7. Woohoo! Congratulations, everyone!

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  8. Well done to all the wonderful winners!!! Can't believe I won too!!! Off to find out what goodies I can buy at Westphalia and what missle 40 CND's is worth!!!
    Cheers everyone!

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  9. Huge congratulations to KenR on the very well deserved win in the Challengers Choice. Also a big round of applause from here in sunny Essex for all those that took part.

    Curt: very chuffed with that model. It will take pride of place in my new display cabinet and tops off my favourite challenge so far. Looking forward to Challenge X!

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    1. Thanks very much Lee, apologies for the extra work marking it all 👍

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    2. Yes, absolutely terrific work Ken.

      Lee, I'm delighted you like the two lads. Please PM me with your address when you get a chance.

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  10. Congrats to all the winners - superb and inspirational work for every one of the above projects. As we emerge from our pigment splattered painting warrens and into the bright sunlight let us all thank Curt, and the lovely Sarah for putting this show on. As the High Commissioner of Spreadsheets, I do get to see how furiously the paddling is under the water and let me say Curt and his minions put in an enormous amount of work to put this show on and do so with great good cheer despite whatever bone-headed mistakes I make in the spreadsheet.

    I hope everyone enjoys a few months in the company of other people before descending, yet again, into our painting hovels to begin preparing for the big one, Challenge X. Dun, DUN DAAHHHH....

    I don't know about you lot, but Challenge X will be the one we I finally engage my "Beast Mode" and turn the volume up to "11". Vallejo will need to double their production shifts.

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    1. Sounds delightfully ominous, Miles - in a geeky kind of way.

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  11. Well done . Worthy winners...

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  12. Wooohooo! Congradulations to all the winnere!

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  13. Thank you Curt for a fab winter. I'll be back

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    Replies
    1. Cheers Martin. I'd expect to see you in the scrum. :)

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  14. Congratulations to everyone. I promise not to let my award go to my head, once I've had the neon sign on the front of our house properly installed. Some very worthy winners in that list - but very many worthy submissions that didn't make it to the list, too. Thanks Curt, Sarah and all the little yellow miniones. Banana!

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  15. Congratulations everyone. Safe travels Curt!

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  16. Looking forward to next years already! Thanks to all that put in the extra time to make this possible. Something I look forward to every year now.

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  17. Well what can I say, Challengers Choice Winner, so very proud. Some amazing competition to so a little surprised it topped the list with over 50% of the vote.

    Thanks very much to everyone who voted for the project and all those who took the time to leave comments on the post during the challenge. Painting can be quite a lonely thing and the support of fellow challengers during the last three months has been superb.

    And thanks again Curt for organising and running another great challenge.

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    1. Congratulations Ken, your Italian Wars project was wonderful to watch unfold. Brilliant work.

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    2. It was a no brainer Ken. I wouldn't be surprised in we see an influx of Italian Wars on certain blogs over the next few months because of your efforts.

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    3. A very worthy winner - and I'm already painting my Italian wars figures up, inspired by yours, Ken.

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  18. Great event! Thanks to all! See you in the top ten!

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  19. Congratulations to all the fine winners!

    Christopher

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  20. I've had a great time in my first AHPC and definitely want to return for more. Lets see if I can keep up the rate of >200 28mm figures in three months for the rest of the year.

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  21. My word, what a Challenge it's been! Now if only I could be better prepared next time...

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  22. It has been a smashing three months. The last 12 days have felt oddly weird, not rushing to the painting desk to complete an entry, or seeing what sort of French madness the Challengers could foist on me to post on Fridays. Put me down for Challenge X, and more French Friday Follies.

    Speaking of madness, if you can get Barks into Adepticus Titanicus, I have found his inspiration: https://shop.lego.com/en-US/product/D-Va-Reinhardt-75973 Though, I do admit I was thinking of Greg's Titans when I saw it.

    The winners are all well deserved. Spectacular stuff. It's fitting that my cunning plan trapped Iannick into a draw, seeing how I got royally skonked by his gobbos last year.

    I absolutely love my minion gift. I had just pulled out my Trent Republican French and Austrians, and so this is just the inspiration I needed to restart that project.

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  23. Well done all, a great challenge to be part of! See you at the end of the year!

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  24. Well done everyone! Tons of amazing work was on show so very well deserved to all the winners!

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  25. Congrats to all the winners, but in the wider sense all the participants are winners. Thanks for all the fun!

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  26. Congrats to everyone for a fantastic Challenge, and thank you so much to Curt, Sarah and the Minions for bringing the joy. I am so chuffed with my Sarah's choice award, and hope it might inspire a bit of interest in a fascinating slice of history. See you in AHPC X.

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