Do you have a collection of miniatures you’d like to showcase in this year’s first-ever online edition of Armies on Parade? Of course you do! The trick is knowing how to get the best from your entry. So, to that end, we’ve created a six-point checklist to help ensure you’re on track for Armies on Parade success.
1. Create a Theme
Many of the strongest Armies on Parade entries have a specific theme in mind, which is reinforced by the miniatures that are featured and the board upon which they’re mounted. Showcasing a cool collection such as a Demi-Company of Terminators is one thing, but seeing them in a Battle Barge’s teleportarium chamber preparing to enter the fray is quite another! A great example of a fun theme is Warhammer TV painter Nick Bayton’s entry from a few years back – his Warhammer 40,000-scale Air Waaagh!, inspired by the madcap Ork pilots of Deff Skwadron roaring dangerously low through a ravine.
2. Finish Painting Your Miniatures
This may sound obvious, but you wouldn’t believe the amount of Golden Demon winners that have been finished off the night before (or even the morning of!) the event taking place. Of course, when it comes down to showing off an army, it’s a bit easier to manage your painting workload. If you’re not going to have time to do justice to a few of your models, don’t worry – just include the ones you have finished to a standard you’re happy with and no one will know otherwise!
3. Mount Your Models on a Gaming Board
Whether you plan on using one of the many 30" x 22" gaming boards (such as those found in Warcry: Catacombs and the Battlezone: Manufactorum – Vertigus set) or prefer to make a multilayered, purpose-built backdrop, your entry will always look better on a thematic board. Again, though, take time into consideration – you’ve got just over a week left, so if you haven’t started building a custom board yet, you may want to consider an easier and more readily available option!
4. Unify Your Basing
This applies whether you have a custom scenic board in mind or if you’re showcasing your miniatures on a flat one. No matter how varied your entry is in terms of the faction and units you use, they will always look stronger visually with a consistent basing scheme rather than a smorgasbord of different styles!
5. Add Some Cool Terrain
Whether you’re keeping things simple or going wild with your entry’s board, don’t forget to include some terrain to add dimension and help draw the viewer’s imagination into the setting. There are plenty of fantastic kits that are great options for kitbashing and adding to the theme of any terrain you use, such as the Cauldron of Blood and Monolith.
6. Take Good Pictures
This is arguably the most important part to get right. For the first time, Armies on Parade won’t be happening in stores, meaning that you’ll need to take photos of your entry. Even the best entry can lose some of its sparkle if the photography isn’t up to scratch. Thankfully, we’ve got a handy article that gives you loads of pointers for getting the best shots possible, so if you’re unsure, have a read.
Now you’ve got your checklist, it’s up to you to get cracking and make sure your Armies on Parade entry is as good as it can be. There’s no time to waste, though – all entries must be in by Sunday the 29th of November, so let’s see those paintbrushes in action! Once you’ve taken the best photos of your entry possible, send them to armiesonparade2020@gwplc.com – good luck!
