$10,000 top painting prize at Adepticon!

[RebelGrot]

There I am, spending an evening browsing and *BAM* something genuinely surprising happens!

CoolMiniOrNot are running the 'Crystal Brush Awards' at Adepticon next year. Top miniature overall gets $10,000.

Don't know about you but I'm a bit amazed by that! On the other hand (i.e the hand not thinking about £££) having a big, international, non-branded painting comp can only be an excellent thing, especially followin all the fuss/complaints from some top painters after this years GDUK.

What does everyone else think? With that $$ at stake the standard will almost definitely be absolutely amazing!

Link: www.coolminiornot.com (http://www.coolminiornot.com/) www.crystalbrush.com (http://www.crystalbrush.com/)

[rle68]

big whoop.. sorry man but these types of events only bring out the in it for money painters that dont even play the game the chick that won at gamesday one year painted her dark angel leader in acryllics you couldnt even touch the model she admits she only paints for money

thats not what the game was meant to be just my opinion

[BuFFo]

Agreed.

This is a highly subjective contest, and I hate those kind of contests. The kind of contest where you have no control over how well you do, nor do you know what to do to get the top spot.

What is the criteria for the scoring? Is there a mathematical way you can become the winner? Or is it just on the whim of judges?

This is why I never got into bodybuilding. It is a sport that you have zero control over, no matter what you do.

[scadugenga]

As I've seen the Golden Daemon awards mature from year to year, it becomes more and more obvious that the painters who win top prize are just that--painters.

They aren't gamers.

[RebelGrot]

Each to their own gent's.

Not sure if I'm missing something with the "couldn't even touch the model"; I doubt any comp standard painter wants everyone picking their work up. Also, the in it for the money folk would come out for any competition type with a £$ reward - if next years BoLSCon had one then the same statement would apply - that doesn't invalidate the competition though. Most painting comp's reward with a trophy and 'prestige'/bragging rights/some miniatures, that's why $10,000 is a big deal.


What is the criteria for the scoring? Is there a mathematical way you can become the winner? Or is it just on the whim of judges?

It'll apparently be a combination of judging panel scores and public vote across the three days via the CMON website. The model with the highest combined score wins overall. The public vote part could prove iffy - competitors low scoring each other, dunno how that'll all work.

Anyways, the point was the level of mini's that'll go up for it will be well worth checking out whether you're a competitive painter or not (I'm not one either). We're all fans of various miniatures and I'm pretty sure this'll result in some very impressive displays.

[BuFFo]

I am more interested in seeing the paint jobs of hobbyists who play the game, i.e. my local gamers. I have zero interest in 'professional' painters. Golden Demon type tournaments is just not my thing....

Are they going to force a comp score? Will the models be scored on how well they can kill each other? how about sportsmanship? How do you score that for painters?

[Old_Paladin]

My only problem is how easy it is to win through lies and falsehoods.

Look how often people get a painting award/trophy/Golden Daemon, and it turns out that the winner had nothing to do with actually painting anything.

This ranges from the "failing to tell people you didn't paint it" and winning the award through popular vote of people that played against your army. All the way to "I'm going to buy an army from a world-class pro painter and enter it as my own."
If people do this for a nice piece of paper or a little statue; just think of how many people will do it for a very large sum of money.


While I do believe in 'soft scores' or otherwise recognizing every aspect of the hobby. I do agree that it is much harder to fake your playing ability/generalship to a prize (and impossible to have a surrogate player).

[lobster-overlord]

big whoop.. sorry man but these types of events only bring out the in it for money painters that dont even play the game the chick that won at gamesday one year painted her dark angel leader in acryllics you couldnt even touch the model she admits she only paints for money

thats not what the game was meant to be just my opinion

Ummm... most of us paint them in acrylics. (all citadel, vallejo, reaper, etc paints are acrylic based paints).

But honestly, painting the minis is ONE aspect of the hobby. Gaming is another. I'm a model builder and painter. I play on occasion, but I don't see why you have to be everything in the hobby to participate in some of the events (which is why unpainted armies are/should be allowed at all levels).

John M.

[rle68]

Ummm... most of us paint them in acrylics. (all citadel, vallejo, reaper, etc paints are acrylic based paints).

But honestly, painting the minis is ONE aspect of the hobby. Gaming is another. I'm a model builder and painter. I play on occasion, but I don't see why you have to be everything in the hobby to participate in some of the events (which is why unpainted armies are/should be allowed at all levels).

John M.

Sorry she might have used an oil based paint all i know is one of the judges went to move her model and she about beat him senseless told him screaming dont touch my model the paint doesnt dry. that was a violation of the rules right there you have to be able to play with the model anyways she won but who cared

golden demon paint comps ony bring in the companies to win a trophy so they can up their prices saying golden demon winning painter

and a 10k competition is not for the gamers but for the schemers

[fuzzbuket]

hmm i can see that the problem now is that a lot of current painters started painting years ago so once you've gone past 16/14 its the same people who win every year... now it not uncommon to find someone with 10+ GDs with people picking up 3 per GD
im going to say more age related categories or fun painters tourneys?


the cheating thing probs wont work because the painter will probably enter anyway.


and about scoring over CMON: when at small painting comps i'll often praise the other entries to see what i can improve on and others are generally not too competitive...

if its on teh inetawebz and tehrs $100000 monies... well i can see trolls and the guy with the most ip adresses winning -_-

[Lerra]

I'm fine with a painting-only competition. Many people enjoyed looking at the competition models at Adepticon last year, and imo, it's all about the models. I don't care who painted it or why they painted it. I'm just happy to see the world-class models on display.

If you want a painting competition for hobbyists, there are tons of smaller competitions or tournaments with all-around scores. Most local tournaments around here have a prize for best painted army or best painted model, and it's only hobbyists who enter. For a huge event like Adepticon, it's not surprising that you'd have a lot of people who only paint.


(and impossible to have a surrogate player)
Actually, I saw a lot of this last year at Adepticon. >.> It's not like people check for photo ID before they play.

[emperorsaxe]

The problem here with this kind of competition is that there is MONEY involved and when you introduce a monetary prize it takes away from the spirit of competition and it brings out the win at all costs type of attitude. If you think for a moment that there are all powerful army lists that show up local torneys introduce a money prize and wait and see what happens. the sportsmenship or spirit of gaming goes out the window and it leads to some ummm rather interesting situations.
I've got two GD trophies on my mantle from '96 and I've not competed since then because there are no guidelines that separate the amateur from the professional. It also IMHO impacts the noobs who come into the hobby because they see these pro painted minis and say to themselves I could never paint like this so why should I even try to. End result is an unpainted army on the tabletop. Painting is just one aspect of the hobby and while we all like looking at nicely painted minis I think that IMHO it sends the wrong message on the painting of minis. Just my twobolter rounds worth tho'.
Respets, Emperorsaxe

[sukigod]

big whoop.. sorry man but these types of events only bring out the in it for money painters that dont even play the game the chick that won at gamesday one year painted her dark angel leader in acryllics you couldnt even touch the model she admits she only paints for money

thats not what the game was meant to be just my opinion

Would there be a difference if someone hosted a wargaming competition with a $10,000 prize and no painting needed? Imagine how the painters would complain about not being at the same level because "they only paint"?

No, not really. They just wouldn't enter.

Also take into account WHO is footing the bill for this part of Adepticon. Cool Mini or Not. It's a miniatures painting site, NOT a wargaming site. There are a lot of miniatures on the site that are used in wargaming but usually they're there because of the quality of the sculpts.

I disagree that seeing well painted miniatures puts people off from even picking up a brush - for me it's what keeps me picking that blasted thing up. If it weren't for places like CMoN, I would most likely never have started painting my armies, it's what inspired me many, many years ago. It's what still keeps me going.

[rle68]

if you want to view minis only painted by people to pad their pockets be my guest have a great time... id rather talk to a player who painted his own army and didnt buy it from poland or some such nonsense