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It’s that time of year again. As the paint dries on “Final Boss” and we wrap up another season of the painting challenge, let’s look back and see how we’ve all done!



Overall not a bad year for me. My volume of models was down slightly from the last year, 34 vs. 36 last year (and 39 the year before, my highest). Pretty good variety. This was helped with 3 of my entries being duels, where I painted both eldar and imperial units in the same month. But also cleaning random projects off the back bench in the form of the dryads and the zoat.

I think my work is a bit neater then it has been in years past. Making progress there. New techniques this year included the addition of contrast paints. Which work like mostly like glazes, something I’ve been doing for years. But enough subtle differences. I’m enjoying them. They were key to the dryads, which was my highest rated entry (unless pure nostalgia makes up for the mediocre work on the zoat and it pulls ahead) My undead always poll well, and took second. I’ve got a couple more years of them at this rate before I need to do something else in October or buy more.

I’ve been polling higher overall, with less 1s and more 2-3s. As my goal every month is “not last” this is a good thing. I’m either improving, or gathering a loyal cadre of friends who always vote for me. Either option works!

Overall my favorite work is probably the chapter champion, followed but the bonesinger and the reivers. I’m most unhappy with the zoat and the terminators.

--

So let’s hear it folks, how do you feel you’ve done over the last year? Progress? Thoughts?

Some great looking models there Nev, congrats on another successful full year in the painting challenge. My favourites are your Dryads, Dreads and Bonesinger.

It was a pretty good year for me too, with an entry in every month:



Some were a little rushed on deadline day so the quality dropped a bit (something to work on for next year). My favourite models of the year were my Grey Knights, arcoflagellant and Ravenwing biker, though my best scores went to other models.

My target for the year was to try and make the top ten - I don't have the skills for the big scores so my only hope was to get something in every month, quantity over quality you could say. Currently just scraping into the top ten, we'll see if I can stay there after this month's vote...

Best things about the challenge for me are that it forces me to get things done (I never would have finished the assassin as it was a bit too fiddly and would have gone back on the to do shelf, and made me have a go at crystal blades for the grey knights, something that had stalled them as an army years ago) and, of course, seeing what everyone else comes up with each month - many awesome and inspiring models. Looking forward to seeing next year's entries

Well, that was the year that was:


Managed another year of every month entries, though still on the bottom of the pile of every monthers, and actually slipped in the ranks. On the other hand, total score was higher, and it was mostly from more people entering, which isn't a bad thing. Favorite was probably the shrews, honestly. The dragons both just dragged, and the cannon was just a nightmare to get to everything, though I think my yuan-ho for space marine was my actual worst.

Honestly of nev's, my two favorites would be the dryads, and actually the zoat--the scales and skin came out pretty good. Maharg's ravenwing would probably be my pick, but the Slaaneshi demon prince for February and the skin on that dwarf are both pretty nice as well.

Good luck to everybody in the next year.

10/12:



In terms of favorites, and pieces I found extremely enjoyable to work on, I would have to say Robogeisha, Nagash, and the Bane Crew are my top 3 (in that order).

So one of the challenges I had this past year was having a plate that was always too full. Between work, school, and army projects, I never had an abundance of free time to focus on show-pieces. As a result, I would typically enter this Challenge out of opportunity more than intention, and I think that was reflected in a lot of my entries with 7/10 of them being for armies I was currently working on (Deredeo, Chainghasts, Coach, Bane, Bane Crew, Stalkers, Valdor). Nagash was an exception; despite being for an army, I deliberately painted him up to a very high standard because he was meant to be an army/collection centerpiece. There were a couple of months (March and July) where I wasn't working on projects that were in line with the challenge topic, and so I just didn't enter.

Thankfully my MBA is winding down (I graduate in August, and the summer term looks to be very light (intentionally planned)), so with clearer horizons and a curious lack of motivation to really work on endless army projects, I've resolved a few things:

I will enter every month

My entries will be intentional, rather than opportunistic

My entries will not just be (my) tabletop standard

Take better photos

This is in line with some of my hobby goals for the next year or two, where I want to switch back to quality over quantity. Outside of finishing my Infinity and my OBR, I don't expect that I will be taking on armies any time soon (or at least until Dec/Jan 2021, when I prep for Adepticon again), and I want to focus on pushing my display painting. Plus while I'm not deliberately aiming for top 3, I am pretty competitive, and missing 2 entries this year put me out of running for the top. @Modock, I'm coming for you next year!

The League table is complete (2 small mistakes I've noticed, positions for me and Bell are wrong way around and missed blanking previous challenges for the new joiners on this challenge but not enough of a mistake to redo it)

https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/732117.page#9481149

I'll work on the bonus stats

Okay, I guess I should do one of these too. Kind of cool to look back and see what I painted for the last 12 months of challenges. Here they are:

March 2019: Space Marines
My entry: Blood Ravens Captain and Squad (Space Marine Heroes models)

I'll be honest, these might be my most "meh" entry for the year. Had to rush them at the end, and it shows.

April 2019: The Art of War
My entry: Daemon Prince of Khorne

This was one of my best models of the year, and certainly one of the most fun. I love an excuse to get the Blood for the Blood God paint out!

May 2019: To the Death!
My entry: Ravenwing Black Knights

Another one I think I could have done better on. I just have a hard time with bike models for some reason, like they aren't fun to paint even though they look good in the end.

June 2019: Mad Science
My entry: Tau XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuit

I had a ton of fun with this one, and I'm pretty proud of how I did, regardless of how few votes I got. Tau suits are usually a blast to paint, at least to me.

July 2019: Wild World
My entry: Space Wolves Wulfen

Another one that I'm pretty happy with overall except for the faces. I think I didn't thin my paints enough when I painted the skin, so some of the facial detail was lost. Mea culpa. I'll probably get some more of these guys at some point if and when I expand my Space Wolves army, so I'll see if I can do better then.

August 2019: Metal and Wheels
My entry: Tau XV8 Crisis Suit Team

I feel like these turned out okay. Pretty basic as far as being interesting goes, which is probably why they didn't get many votes.

September 2019: Up, Up, and Away!
My entry: Dark Angels Suppressor Squad

Had a blast with these, although I freely admit they are not my best work by a long shot. I've only used them in one game, but that's GW's fault for not giving them better rules.

October 2019: Fright Night
My entry: Blackstone Fortress Chaos Beastmen
DID NOT FINISH
The month kind of got away from me, and I was busy with other projects, so this killed my efforts to enter all the challenges for the year. Oh well.

November 2019: Heroes and Villains
My entry: Celestine, the Living Saint

I think I did okay on a fairly busy model. Not my best work, but far from my worst if I do say so myself. Really put me in the mood for plastic Sisters!

December 2019: Open Round
My entry: Dark Angels Primaris Master
DID NOT FINISH
Again, got busy with other stuff and didn't get it done.

January 2020: Not as Clumsy or Random
My entry: Amallyn Shadowguide (Aeldari Ranger from Blackstone Fortress)
DID NOT FINISH
By now, I had just lost all motivation for the painting challenges and didn't even care if I finished. Both this one and February saw me going through stuff in my life that just left me with no will to do hobby things.

February 2020: Final Boss
My entry: Sisters of Battle Repentia and Repentia Superior
DID NOT FINISH
See above.

8/12 completed, all told. Missing the October one really let the wind out of my sails, as it ruined my chance to finish all of them. Going through personal issues didn't help either, but thankfully I'm over all that so I should be good to go now. Lots of cool stuff in here from the rest of you guys; good job to anyone who did what I could not and got something in every challenge!

So, what did I do this year?

March / Space Marine - Black Legion Heretic Astartes (Blackstone Fortress)


April / The Art of War - Ultramarine Tactical Squad


May / To the Death! - Commissar (Victoria Miniatures)


June / Mad Science - Spindle Drones


July / Wild World - Kroot Knarloc Rider (Cold One conversion)


August / Metal & Wheels - Blood Bowl Dwarf Death Roller


September / Up, Up and Away! - Aeronautica Imperialis Thunderbolts


October / Fright Night - Ur-ghuls


November / Heroes & Villains - Inquisitor Eisenhorn


December / Open Round - Zone Mortalis Necromunda Terrain


January / Not as clumsy or random - Escher Bounty Hunter & Juve


February / Final Boss - Ultramarines Chaplain (Jump-pack conversion)


Overall, I'm pretty happy with this; I managed to get an entry in every month (although it was close a couple of times due to lack of time or motivation). Almost everything was something I wanted or need to paint anyway, the only one where I had to scratch around was the last round for Final Boss, but I think the Chaplain fits pretty well with the theme. Also my photography skills have improved somewhat, although still struglling when I use a white background. I either need to figure out a new method for that, or just stop doing it!

Highest entry this year was my Zone Mortalis terrain, which I'm really pleased with. I think it's come out looking great, particularly as I deliberately use a very simple method to paint it, so most definitely best "bang for buck"!
Second place tie between the Spindle Drones and the Death Roller; the Death Roller is a very characterful model that is an absolute pain in the ass to build! That was the first time I'd used Blood for the Blood God technical, and I think it's really set it off nicely. The Spindle Drones are probably my favourite model of the year; the drones themselves came out really well, but I'm particularly please with how I did the bases. It really helps build the immersions when playing Blackstone Fortress.

So it appears I've done almost every single month of Year 5 and my goal going forward is to complete every single month of Year 6!


Month 1: Space Marines

Blood Ravens Techmarine




Month 2:The Art of War

Space Marine Characters




Month 3: To The Death

Last Stand diorama



Month 4: Mad Science

Did Not Enter


Month 5: Wild World

Savage Orcs



Month 6: Metal and Wheels

Ork Trukk




Month 7: Up, Up and Away

Blood Ravens Assault Marines



Month 8: Fright Night (Halloween Edition)

Librarius Conclave




Month 9: Heroes and Villains

Blood Ravens Captain





Month 10: Open Category

Blood Ravens Kayvaan Shrike Conversion








Month 11: Not Clumsy or Random

Brother Lorian, Champion of the Blood Raven's Fifth Company



Month 12: Final Boss

Death Guard Lord of Contagion

Seems the best place to put this! The final League update for the year, and the reveal of our winner!




After a very closely-fought battle over the whole year, our podium is occupied by:

In 3rd, DV8
In 2nd, queen_annes_revenge
in 1st, Modock



Special congratulations as well to the following entrants that made it in every single month this rotation:

queen_annes_revenge
feltmonkey
chris56
Captain Brown
Midget Gems
Maharg
Nevelon
Jadenim
Dukeofbeer
vejut


A super year for the challenge, so well done and thanks to everyone who took part, whether in one month or many! See you this time next year!

Congratulations and thanks to you too Para, you also made every month (although thanks to some intense badgering from the rest of us in one case!)

You should be really proud of the community you’ve created here and don’t underestimate how good a motivation it is to get gak done!

Well done Modock and Congrats to all the top 3, you guys have all had a pretty incredible run of entries, any of you could easily have won. I'm happy to be painting in the same competition as you all

My entries for this year

A few cool conversions in there but really its been a tail for me just about getting entries finished, 2 small children and a lot of time away with work has meant i'm now very limited in what I can do. Without the challange I don't think I would have even manged half of these models this year