Paint Your Army                                                          

 

“Warhammer 40k, at its heart, is about story. Sure, it’s a game where things move and we roll dice etc… but we don’t have simple pieces with limited actions. Nor do we play on 2 dimensional boards. You remember when Sergeant Atticus, the last of his squad, took the last wounds off a Hellbrute with his powerfist and won you those points, because you created him! He took time, and effort, and a learned and practiced skill to create. This is how we at Arc40k feel about painting and theme. We have to have a granular system to mark and score your art, and we're sorry about that. But know that we are looking for the Sergeant Atticus’s in your forces. We want to see the love and attention to detail that you saw in whatever first drew you, your mates, hell, all of us, to playing this game in the first place.”  - Damien, Head paint judge.

 

Creating, painting and presenting a theme with your Army is a significant part of preparing for, and participating in, an Arc40k weekend. Your points for Painting and Theme are added together and contribute to your Overall Arc40k Event Score.  So, both are important for where you will find yourself on the final overall placings.  We recognize 3 ‘Best’ awards for Paint and Presentation: Best Painted, Best Player’s Choice, and Best Theme.

 

Painting - 50pts  

This year as always we will have a team of Paint Judges who will complete the process of checking your force against our Army Painting Scorecard. 

 

We've made it easier for our team to review your efforts and they have more options to choose that will then impact on the points you can accrue towards your total Painting Score. They will be using the following criteria.

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All models must follow the ArcFest Model Policy.

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Battle Ready Paint - 5/10/15 Points

3 colours/Techniques  - Tick this requirement off to earn 5pts. This should be, and is, the minimum requirement for competing at Arc40k.

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4 Colours/Techniques – Tick this requirement off to earn 10pts. Every model in your army has an extra step or two above the 3 colour minimum. It could be an all over wash, recess shade, overtop drybrush, or edge highlighting.

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5 Colours/Techniques – Tick this requirement off to earn 15pts. Your army is a labor of love, and has had five or more colours and/or techniques of paint, shades, washes, glazes, blends, or highlights applied to it.

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Parade Level Painting - 10 points

Tick at maximum 5 of these off to earn 2 points each.

Edge Highlights - Multiple stage Highlights - Blending

Shades - Multiple Shades - Glazing -Decals - Painted Decals

Freehand - Weathering - Battle Damage

A single awesome Conversion - Loads of Conversions

Other techniques like OSL

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Basic Bases - 3 points

Tick off both of the following to earn 3 points. No plain black bases allowed here at Arc40k

The Edge of all the bases is the same colour.

There is a texture of some sort that has been added to the base.

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Parade Level Bases - 6 points

Tick at maximum 3 of these off to earn 2 points each.

Fine Sand - Gravel - Rocks

Rubble - Ruins - Debris

Flooring/tiles -Flock - Multiple flocks used

Pigment Powders - Poured Resin — clear or cloudy

Plants - Other Bitz not mentioned above

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Army Cohesion - 5pts

It looks like an army. Does the theme of the force shine through when they are on display.

• More than a collection of colourful figures.

• Units might look different, but they still work together and say ‘team’.

• The models and bases are cohesive, and contribute to the overall story.

• The same patterns, numbers, conversions, or extra something, is consistent across all my models.

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Display Board - 4 points

I’ve made the extra effort to create a thematic display for my army. Regardless of size, or level of lavish effort, if you have a display board that adds to the overall story of your force, you will get these points.

 

Sometime shortly after your army has been checked, your score will be made available via Arcscore.

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Top 15 Armies

By making an effort in preparing and presenting an army everyone can score 43 points for Army Presentation.  Our Painting Judges will confirm players' self assessments so if you haven’t got it on 75% of the models in your army then don’t tick the box.

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The best armies will earn extra points for demonstration of exceptional talent, skill and hobby mastery. If you scored 43 points and you think you have brought that extra level in skill, creativity, or effort, and believe your army should be considered for the Top 15 Best Painted Armies then tick that box on Arcscore.

 

Our Judges will choose and place the top 15 Armies; this is entirely subjective. Placed armies will then earn bonus points:

1-5         will earn a bonus 7 points for extra/outstanding skill or effort

6-10       will earn a bonus 5 points for extra/outstanding skill or effort

11-15     will earn a bonus 3 points for extra/outstanding skill or effort

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Army Theme - 10pts

If you’re a truly immersive hobbyist you’ll be looking for your army to be more than a collection of painted miniatures that are put down and moved about the battlefield.   

There are those of us who believe a Arc40k army is at its best when it also strives to tell a story. 

That’s why we reward Arc40k participants who take that extra step and create a theme for their army - and then use it to create a narrative for everything they do.  

We’re talking about a background or story that influences everything that goes into how you choose what’s in and out of your list, convert and build the models, the scheme and how you paint them, and finally your choice of the display on which they stand and fight.

Here’s how we will reward participants for the theme they use in creating their army.  You can score a maximum of 10 points for theme - but we’ve given you a load of different ways to be acknowledged for your application of a theme:

 

Presenting a Theme  -  3 points

You’ve created a fancy looking list or presentation of your army list that is on display during the Player’s Choice Presentation. Heroes have names Units are identified and the list is there for everyone to see. There is some kind of imagery on the list.

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Forged to the theme - 2 points

The choices made in your army where influenced by your theme? 

Units, characters, detachments have been chosen because of that theme.

This is about what you’ve chosen in your list. Like not including non-veteran units in an Ultramarines First Company, or not including any Grav vehicles in your Salamanders, Scouts and Reivers in a 10th company marine army…

You’ll need to explain the why in your army list - it’s not our job to guess!

 

Fabricated to theme - 3 points 

Does the way you’ve painted/modelled your army help tell the story of your theme?

This might include the correct company colours on your Space Marines, Tyranid trophies on your Orks from the Octarius War, or even extensive weathering on your underequipped Astra Militarum soldiers. It could also include the bases your models are on, and a display board that shows a scene from the story you’re telling.

Again this needs to be supported with some text/copy/words explaining that in your army list when it’s lodged at registration.

 

Forging the Narrative - 2 points

Have you put some words together to explain something about your army and its background?  Have you told us

– Where are they from in the 40K universe?

– What are they doing right now?

– Why do they fight or what are they fighting for?

We’re not looking for Black Library level material, just tell us a little of the background of your army. As long as anyone reading it can quickly get a feel for what makes your army special.

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Living the Theme - 4 points

Have you gone above and beyond the call of duty in the name of your theme?

There are no limits to your creativity in adhering to and demonstrating your theme. 

Have you made a full sized chapter banner, or relic weapon for your chapter? Maybe you’ve written out your own Book of Lorgar, or you’ve come dressed as a Kelermorph. Perhaps your army list is engraved in ‘wraithbone,’ or you’ve put together a cool animation that shows your Warboss doing what he does best: krumpin’ heads.

In short, what we’re saying is ‘blow our socks off!’ 

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We’re likely to choose our Best Theme winner from among those who score more points than we can actually add to their overall score.  But that’s what theme is all about.