MichaelD: Challenge '16-'17 Post-game

I discovered the AHPC last year and couldn't wait until December rolled around so I could sign up and give it a try. It's been great to participate and have my minis out there with so many other great hobbyists.

This being my first challenge I had only pledged 500 pts and still I came up short with only 425 points. I think entering the challenge I simply estimated by thinking "Well what's the most I've painted over a three month period", shaving about a half of that off and figuring it would be no problem. Now that I've gone through this one time, I have a better idea of what it takes to get your points. First I need to keep a better eye on the themes, planning them and making sure I get them done. Second I need to figure out everything I'm going to paint, priming it before the challenge, planning my "assembly line" technique and then just letting rip. Instead I kind of winged it, sometimes painting figures I knew well and was able turn around quickly and sometimes painting figures I had never painted before.

I offer all this not in order to make excuses but in the spirit of having learned a bit over the last three months and looking forward to giving it another try in December 17. I had a blast. Thanks to Curt and the minions for all their work, and especially to all the other Challengers for sharing the pictures of such great minis. One of the joys of this hobby is that when you look at figures as you're gaming with them, you can see the whole history of how you got them and got them painted. So for these assorted Sisters of Battle, Foreign Legionnaires, and Burgundian mercenaries, I always remember them as products of my first of (I hope) many painting challenges.