Games Workshop wrote:If you're looking for a new challenge and want to show off your hobby skills at the biggest Games Workshop event of the year then read on. This year we are kicking off something to truly get your hobby juices flowing: Armies on Parade.

So what's it all about then?

Armies on Parade is your chance to plan, collect, model and paint an amazing new army, display it on a two foot by two foot board and show it off in all its glory in your local Hobby Centre.

All our Hobby Centres around the world will be holding a Parade Day where everyone in the store will have the chance to vote for their favourite Army on Parade.

Every store winner will then go on to proudly represent their community at Games Day, where all the winning boards from across the country will be on display and the ultimate Armies on Parade champion will be chosen. If you are attending Games Day, not only will you have a chance to see all the magnificent boards, but you will also get to vote for your favourite making the national winner the true hobbyist's champion.

What's the criteria for entering?

As long as you can fit your idea onto a two foot by two foot board then you can do it. All we ask is that the base and models are fully painted, the models are Citadel miniatures and from our Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000 or The Lord of the Rings systems, and that you include a General and at least 2 other units. The army you build doesn't even need to be a legal gaming army, it just needs to look awesome!

The best thing is that there aren't really that many hard and fast rules, so you can let your imagination go and create that army and landscape that you have always thought about; you can even add scenery to make your board stand out from the crowd. It's also worth saying that this isn't a painting competition. It's more than that: it's an all-round hobby competition where you get to show off your planning, collecting, modelling and painting skills.

If you're lucky enough to be one of the store or even national champions then you will become the proud owner of an Armies on Parade medal or trophy, which will be designed by none other than Alan Merrett. Alan is the Godfather of Golden Demon and I took the opportunity to ask him why he is looking forward to Armies on Parade:

Alan: When we decided we were going to run Armies on Parade across all Games Workshop Hobby Centres and Games Days this year we thought that it would be perfectly cool for GW staff to join in - after all the voting will be done by our customers so we couldn't be accused of any bias. Of course this meant that we, too, could take part. Hoorah!

So why am I am really looking forward to this? Well, there are a number of reasons. The first is that it's a great excuse to start collecting ANOTHER army. One can never have enough armies and starting a new one is always exciting. I am already trying to figure out which new army I will do. Will it be another Warhammer army to join my Warriors of Chaos, Daemons of Chaos and Lizardmen forces? I could revisit my original old favourite, the Dwarfs, but the new High Elves and Skaven are calling to me. Or will it be a 40K battle force? The new Dark Eldar are very tempting it has to be said. On the other hand I've always quite liked the idea of kitbashing an Ork horde. Too many choices really, which makes this bit of the process surprisingly difficult and lots of fun.

After working out which army I am going to do comes the process of planning, collecting, building and painting it. Now as enjoyable as these aspects of the hobby undoubtably are, one can never have enough help and motivation to spur activity. This is where I expect to get a lot of support and encouragement from my Hobby Centre manager as well as the other hobbyists taking part. Staying focussed and minimising distractions are really important when you are working on a project like a new army so having some milestones and deadlines that you can share with others can be very helpful indeed.

Next is the prospect of turning up at my local GW in a few months time to look at and enjoy a whole bunch of new armies and to cast my vote (and have my own humble efforts scrutinised). Even after many years of involvement with the hobby, I still get excited about looking at painted armies of Citadel miniatures. This may surprise some but for me it is one of the very reasons I love this hobby (and the job I do of course). I really do like armies with a strong theme or narrative, a clear aesthetic and clean presentation. I love studying the paint scheme, noting which colours have been used, how these have been applied to enhance the miniatures, examining the bases to see what flock and effects have been used and how these compliment the models. I'll marvel at the way the army looks en masse and at how cool individual models within it are. Studying painted armies and talking to the hobbyists that created them is a fantastic way to pick up all manner of tips and advice about the hobby. For me this is the best inspiration in the world for my own army building efforts.

The final thing I am really looking forward to is Games Day. This year I may in fact be visiting and/or taking part in four or five different Games Days - which would be a record for me I think. The idea that at each one we will have on display winning armies from each and every one of our Hobby Centres is thrilling. Add to this that everyone attending gets to cast a vote for their favourite army, and I think it is a terrific addition to the Games Day program.

Rob: Thanks, Alan. So you have the thinking behind Armies on Parade, you have the guidelines, how about a few examples for inspiration:

Matt Weaver works in our HQ in Australia and, even though he has been a hobbyist for longer than he can remember he was really excited by the Armies on Parade challenge. We kicked off today's announcement with Matt's fantastic display, so as well as asking Matt where his inspiration for building it came from, and how he made the display, we thought we would show you some more of it:

Matt: I was always a fan of the old Imperial Firebase... A Space Marine base of operations, where they stage sorties, patrols etc (when the speartip, or sudden strike isn't an option). I imagined these structures being dropped in pre-fabricated in regions of prolonged conflict, to be later repaired, packed up into bulk landers by hordes of servitors and taken to the next hotspot. I could see them having a real worn and weathered look, where the 'newness' was definitely long past.

Clay Williams wrote:Really GW ... "Buy an army, win a throphy"

battle Brother Lucifer wrote:

Clay Williams wrote:Really GW ... "Buy an army, win a throphy"

Can't you just SAY you bought a new army for it

H.B.M.C. wrote:The cynic in me says this is their way of advertising the RoB expansion...

Black Bear wrote:

H.B.M.C. wrote:The cynic in me says this is their way of advertising the RoB expansion...

yeah i can see that to. its also asking you to buy an entire army for this competition.... another marketing tactic me thinks?

Kanluwen wrote:This is one of the few times I actually wish I had a Hobby Center nearby. I coulda done something spectacular with my Guard.

If you are in North America then Armies on Parade will feel like an old friend to you as it has been a massive part of Games Day for the last few years. Here are just a couple of the display boards that were entered.

display it on a two foot by two foot board

H.B.M.C. wrote:
Anyway, isn't Romeo's display board 2x2?