The Rules

Gentlemen

As we all know this is a painting/army builder challenge that is designed to last for 2013. The goal is to create a fully playable and painted army by the end of the year. The hope is that along the way you can create a list you grow to love, maybe write some fluff regarding it and get motivated by painting your armies, and play some gmaes too. With luck you will not only enjoy it, but you will improve as you go and want to go on to expand this army or story you are trying to tell.

The rules surrounding the army
- The army needs to be any army that is not considered your primary one - for example I could not choose vanilla marines nor Eldar, Hobo could not choose Orks etc...
- This army should be something you want to play. By that I mean that there may be a story you really liked and want to recreate it, there may be a power gamer list that has taken your fancy, you may wish to build a list around your favourite character, you may wish to paint this particualr scheme or convert in a particualr way. Whatever the reason is more than good enough - but you don't have to limit yourself to a "competitive build". This is for fun!
- This army has be playable. There has to be atleast 1 HQ and 2 troops. Other force organisation restrictions apply. You can include fortifications or allies if you wish (perhaps advised if you are recreating particular stories) but remember your points totals! You may also include Forgeworld rules and models. If you do, please remember to actually have the rulebook/pages printed along with the relevant FAQ to avoid potential confusion!
- Whilst your initial army list will be mainly static you will get one further chance to change units. For example, if the Guard bring out a new tank, SW bring a new flyer etc... This will be detailed else where.

The rules surrounding thr painting
- Each army has to be legally painted. By legally painted, I expect a minimum of 3 colours. This can include the primer colour but be sensible with it!
- The army has to be based. This can be any base you want but try to think of a theme in advance for your narrative. If you are a street fighting force and use rubble would that be appropriate on an ice world or a space hulk? Perhaps not..
- Each month, starting from 01/02/2013, you are required to paint something by the end of the month. Within reason the pledge should encompass one element of your chosen army. For example a marine squad or 3 walkers. This is a guideline more than a rule, as 3 war walkers costing £60 odd may be outside of the budget. Painting a Walker a month is perfectly acceptable.
- By the end of the first three pledges, I would expect everyone to have painted a HQ and 2 troop choices in their pledges. This is not compulsary but does make sense as you have your legally playable army done at the start.

The rules surrounding the Narrative
- the simpliest of all. The rules are there are no rules, except use your force!
- Name you characters
- Expalin what they are
- Explain what they are doing there
- This is certainly not mandatory but I think it might be REALLY cool!

The rules surrounding fighting.
I have decided not to interfere here at all. You can fight how you want to fight - kill points, kill team, challenges, patrols, as allies, narratives, campaigns, unbalanced etc....
- The only thing I will say is this. I would hope that at least 5 "battles" are fought accross the year of increasing size (unless a narrative) that have a winner or a loser.
- If a "tie" is involved please sort it out through character battles or somethign as I will simply toss a coin so that we can have a winner and loser colomn.

Updates
Simply put - if its not on the forum, in your own personal thread, it didn't happen. The expectations are:
- Your pledges and army list will be on your thread.
- Pictures of your completed pledges need to be on the thread. If you cannot update a picture for any reason don't worry. Text it to me and I'll add it myself.
- Any narrative should either be on this thread or the link should.
- Feel free to post more than the minimum - WIP, requests for opinions or help, additonal stories or thoughts, just add them!

How to score points...
Points are to turn this into a slight competition. I'm told this helps to motivate people. Not me of course as i am not remoteley competitive....

Points will be awarded as follows:
- 5 points for a Completed army list by 01/02/2013.
- 5 points per completed pledge.
- points awarded at the end of the year for most successful army in battles as calcualted by a win and loss percentage (see American sports...). Winner will get 10 points, 2nd place 8 etc...

BONUS POINTS
- Every 2/3 months I shall pick the best model I believe you have done. I shall then do a poll and we, as the community, will pick a best one. I will pick these models based upon army list, improvement in painting, theme etc... This will mean that painting quality will matter but not in a direct comparison - improvement is the key (and the path the awesomeness). In the event of a tie, Mrs Taff will choose. 5 points for the winner.
- Best overall model - The winners will go into the hat with 5 points being available (as you will have already had 5 points from winning the previous event).
- There may or may not be a one off event I am mulling over. I simply couldn't say...

NARRATIVES
narratives can take many forms - written, recorded, visual etc... Want to draw a comic? Go for it! Want to drawer your leader in combat or being all like a hero? Do it! Want to maint a diorama instead? Do it! At the end of the year the best one will win. There will be 5 points for this too.


End game
By my reckoning this makes the event out of 90. The chances of someone getting maximum points is slim, but it may add the edge people need or want.

And finally
jokers - you get two jokers between now and December. these jokers grant you a calendar months worth of time out. you do pick up where you left off, but your deadline is extended by a month!

REMEMBER, HAVE FUN! and point out any glaring mistakes please.....

Slightly edited the above - to confirm on the pledges -

the hope
- You paint 1 unit or army entry a month - a HQ, a troop choice, a vehicle.
- it is suggested you paint the HQ and troop choices first. This is likely to be over three separate pledges. Previously the rules implied it had to be done in one month. it does not. Although there is nothing to stop you from doing it in one pledge if you wish.

I'm really looking forward to getting down to this....

It's exactly what I needed to boost me to do my Necrons! Sure as hell going to be a challenge though....

I can build some models "off the clock" right and it not count towards any pledges - I'm fairly sure the scythes and monolith in my army will take me over a month start to finish - as there's going to be lots of hmmmmmm time - where I cut a massive chunk off and then get scraed to do anymore cos I think I've wrecked it :-)

I have a flying tyrant and 20 gants to finish before the 9th Feb though so I should probably stop thinking about this right now and focus on getting those done!

Also does anyone know a good place to get Flourescent yellow vase sand? - I can't seem to find it in the shops and the P&P on sand is disproportionate to the price of the actual sand. Okay wandering waaay off topic time to stop typing now....

no idea! i keep promising taff ill go to the new croydon non-GW model shop so ill have a look, though clearly odds are slim!

i too have a bunch of orks to paint - i want to finish my 2 bikers by month end, so i can make my pledge and plough straight into my wolves. im gonna keep my pledges reasonable, to give me time each month to whip out the old green paint and paint some orkses too!

oh and taff...yesterday i opened up a reply in the FAQ to write something, only to realise youd covered everything i could think of so good job!