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You can select multiple choices. For instance maybe you think the players and people in the store should both be able to vote. I am interested to see what you think is the most fair method to determine the best painted army.
G

an impartial 3rd party should pick the top 3, and players vote between those 3.

Unless you have like 20+ gamers, its normally pretty obvious which the 3 best painted are.

I think the poll may be messed up, since I really want to vote for the "Let one judge score them all" but it's listed as the title.

I really like the "a few people with a checklist" approach--2 points for basing; X points for primed and assembled; Y points for drybrushing, etc. If there's a tie, then maybe a vote is a good idea.

Aim to get as non-involved people as possible. I'd go so far as to try to recruit train modelers, doll house decorators, junior college art students or some such. Come up with some guidelines for them to know what we look for in things that need to be there (troop/company markings; chapter/army markings, etc.)

This would help avoid judging against an unpopular style based on use of the style alone. Small chance of favoritism, still possible; just less likely. It also avoids some level of model fatigue. This won't be the thousandth Marneus Calgar they've seen. They'll not score it lower for being overdone...just how it was done.

Of course, they will miss out on many of the subtleties. An incredible conversion will likely pass unnoticed unless it is, in itself, truly incredible.

It look like player vote is the most popular choice.

G

Use a checklist for the judge's portion, ie are all models based and based in a uniform manner. Are all models WYSIWIG. Unit symbols. And so on. Then add in players votes to get a final score. You can also limit the votes to only those armies they played against. And players choice votes are not included in the final standings, while the judges points awarded are.

Letting the players vote is NOT a good idea. I’ve been to tournaments before where the army that won best painted was CLEARLY not the best painted army but whose owner was merely the best painted army among his large group of friends who accompanied him to the tournament. The credibility of a tournament will drop faster than a stone by allowing players to vote.

The same issue can arise by allowing store patrons to vote – but worse, can be skewed by individuals who are drawn to an individual army type, color scheme, cool conversion, etc. I once attended a tournament that used this method and the army that won best painted was a demon army that looked LITERALLY like a shiny pile of poop won – but, for whatever reason, people were drawn to the high-gloss finish on the models.

The BEST way is for the tournament organizers to select a painting judge. This judge should be respected as a painter and thus possessing an understanding of what good painting is. This judge should be fair-minded and able to separate any personal bias he has from his evaluation of a well painted army consists of.

If no such individual is available, a group of 3 individuals who come close is the best alternative. They can convene for a decision on the final award.

I think three judges is best but not always practical in terms of finding qualified people. There might be a lot of pressure on one judge since it would be known it was their choice solely.

G

Green Blow Fly wrote:I think three judges is best but not always practical in terms of finding qualified people. There might be a lot of pressure on one judge since it would be known it was their choice solely.

G

I’ve taken on the roll of being an individual painting judge for a tournament. It can be a lot of pressure – especially if there are a lot of really nicely painted armies at the tournament. If someone can be found who’s up to the challenge, I think it’s the best way to avoid popularity contests.

Usually people who aren’t in the running for best painted awards know that their armies don’t compare to those that are so it almost always comes down to a decision between two or three armies. As a painting judge I’ve privately asked for opinions from other painters in the store whose work I respect and I felt I’ve always made the correct decision.

I like to think that people who believe their armies are in the running for a best painted award but do not win can usually feel confident that they lost to an army painted to a comparable or superior level of quality. People who are good painters usually recognize where their army painting could be improved even if most other people don’t.

Well said.

G