The Twelfth Annual Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge

  

Hey y'all, it's November 20th, and you know what that means: Well, yes it's getting close to winter, but it's also time to register and start preparing for that event that will make it more tolerable and fun. Yes! the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge!   

For this Painting Challenge, our 12th edition, we'll be charting our way through the 'Challenge XII Sector', a constellation of planets on the outer rim (of good taste) originating from film, TV and literature. More on this below. 

The Basics

The Challenge will extend from the first day of Winter, 12:01 am December 21st, through to the first day of Spring, 12:01am March 20th, Central Standard Time (CST). 

Miniatures (i.e. figures, vehicles, artillery, terrain, etc.) can be prepared, assembled and primed prior to the start date, but you cannot start painting until December 21st. In order to gain full points, the figures should be based (if appropriate) and any planned groundwork completed. The figures have to be painted by you. 

The Challenge follows the honour system in the completion and entry of figures. 

Miniatures can be in any scale and in any genre (pulp-adventure, science-fiction, fantasy, etc.).

In order to be scored, participants will self-publish photos of their submissions along to the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge blog. Up-to-date scoring (or as up-to-date as we can manage) will be maintained on the blog's main page. 

I will send out an email to all Challengers a few days prior to the event with further details on submitting your entries.

All participants must have an entry submitted within the first four weeks of the event (i.e. January 21st). Failure to do so will result in being dropped from the Challenge roster.

I will participate, but my score will have no standing in the Challenge (except to serve as a rather lame beginning pace car for participants).

The Scoring

Below is the scoring that will be used for the Challenge.  

6mm foot figure = 0.5 point
6mm mounted figure, artillery piece or crew served weapon = 1 point
6mm vehicle = 2 points

10mm foot figure = 1 point
10mm mounted figure, artillery piece or crew served weapon = 2 points
10mm vehicle = 3 points 

15mm foot figure = 2 points
15mm mounted figure, artillery piece or large crew served weapon = 4 points15mm vehicle = 8 points

20mm foot figure = 4 points
20mm mounted figure, artillery piece or crew served weapon = 8 points20mm vehicle = 15 points

28mm foot figure = 5 points
28mm mounted figure, artillery piece or crew served weapon = 10 points
28mm vehicle = 20 points

40mm foot figure = 7 points
40mm mounted figure, artillery piece or crew served weapon = 15 points
40mm vehicle = 25 points

54mm foot figure = 10 points
54mm mounted figures, artillery piece or crew served weapon = 20 points
54mm vehicle, limber, etc. = 30 points 

Other scales, miscellaneous models/figures will be scored on a submission-by-submission basis. 


Terrain Submissions

We'll retain our imperfect-but-it-works  6" cube format. Briefly, if your terrain piece (or collected terrain pieces) fills a 6" cube, you get 20 points. If your terrain would 'fill' multiple 6" cubes, then multiply 20 points for each cube of volume. 

Terrain filling the 6" cube on the left would be worth 20 points. The composite group on the right, made up of eight cubes, would be worth 160 points.

Example 1: I've painted three 28mm barrels and six trees. They would roughly fill a single 6" cube. I would get 20 points for this. 

Example 2: I've constructed and painted a large 28mm manor that is approximately 12" wide, 14" long and 10" high. All in all, this would roughly take up 8 cubes worth of volume. This would give me 160 points.

Submissions of terrain should be sent in with a picture illustrating the scale of their work (a ruler laid alongside should do the trick). This will give your hard-working Minion a basis for scoring. Extra points for extra detail, scratch-built insanity, etc. will be left to the Minions to adjudicate as they see fit.  


Changes to the Challenge

Okay, Here are the list of changes to the Challenge program:

1) The participant cap is set at 90(ish). 

Covid has put a damper on all of us in getting together with friends, so I'm increasing the participant cap this year to allow more people in on the fun. 

For all those wishing to participate please send me an email, providing: 

1) your full name,
2) your country of residence
3) your blog address (if you have one), and
3) your points target for the three months of the event.

My email address is:
curtcampbell at mac dot com 

I will post a comment below when the roster has been filled and will follow-up with an email in a couple weeks detailing the specifics of the event.

2) Back to Scheduled Submission Dates

We're going to return to our traditional scheduled submission dates, with participants being assigned a day of the week when their draft submissions will be scored and posted to the blog by our friendly band of Minions.

 

3) The Theme this year is... 

With Sidney Roundwood's help we've departed the terra firma of Challenge Island, and The Chambers of Challenge, to give you 'The Challenge XII Sector'!

Welcome to 'The Challenge XII Sector'!

Those doughty Challengers who wish to to test their mettle can explore 'The Challenge XII Sector' by tackling the mind-bending assortment of hobby tasks to be found in that dread star system. Remember, participants do not need to embark on this journey of madness to enjoy the Challenge, it is a voluntary diversion for those wishing to try some theme-based challenges.

The constellation of planets will feature a varied assortment of locations which participants can explore by completing a themed hobby task. Once they finish their task at a location they get bonus points and will be allowed to travel onto the next location. Each 'orbit' requires that four planets be explored before continuing to the next orbit. Ultimately participants will make their way to the planet 'Challenge XII' to face their final task!! 

In the next week or so I'll followup with another post laying out the specifics of 'The Challenge XII Sector', its final layout, its rewards and a more detailed map. (Yes, I am awaiting the return of that Rogue Trader, Sidney Roundwood, who is still acting as our vanguard, charting the system for our travels and travails.

The Minions

Keeping to form, I will serve as the Dungeon-Master-of-Ceremonies / Tormentor-in-Chief / Dread-Dork-Lord, etc. etc., but I will also have a happy group of 'Minions' to keep this adventure moving along. Here are the wonderful folks who have 'volunteered' to assist me for this year's Challenge:

• Monday: PeterD

• Tuesday: TamsinP

• Wednesday: GregB

• Thursday: Barks

• Friday: DaveD

• Saturday: Millsy

• Sunday: Curt

Personal Targets and Duels

Upon signup, I ask that each Challenger provide me with their name, nationality, blog and declare his/her points target which they hope to achieve by the March 20th deadline. 

Many participants have found the personal points targets to be a great incentive in maintaining their pace over the three months of the Challenge. I encourage participants to pick a target that is just beyond your comfort zone, but still achievable. As a rough benchmark, 300 points is considered a manageable amount for someone who is new to the the event and/or has a busy work/life schedule. Also remember that a significant amount of points can be secured by adventuring in 'The Chambers of Challenge' (more on this in a later post).

Relating to the points targets, many folks have a lot of fun issuing 'duels' to other participants in order to race to meet a declared target, paint the most figures for a specific period, etc. I leave this to the participants to dream-up, organize and keep track of.

The Cost of Entry

In past years I've asked that Challengers offer a donation to charity of their choice. This year I would like to see our generosity felt on one specific organization. Accordingly, the cost of entry to the Challenge is a donation (in the amount of your choice) to the Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation, a charity based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan which provides a safe place for injured and orphaned wild animals to grow and mend until they can return to their natural habitat, while also encouraging public tolerance and understanding of wildlife. 

If you can, please make note in your donation that you are a participant of the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge. Thank you!!

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Challenge XII starts at 12:01am December 21st!

Now, sign up, and get some miniatures prepped - I'll see you at the start line in a month!