This post was originally published on the HMGS site on July 19, 2019.

Once again I entered the Wargames Illustrated painting competition at Historicon.  For the first time ever I entered two pieces that I had painted (and in one case bought) just for the competition.  I entered another six categories with things from my regular gaming kit as well.  After my unexpected success last year I was hoping to once again take best platoon in the Flames of War Category and move on up from third place in the Flames of War Objective Marker category.  I painted an ASPB from the Vietnam range for my platoon and Audie Murphy on an M10 for the objective marker.  As my ASPB was jungle themed I was also hoping I might win Best of Theme.

Sadly I fell short in all my goals.  The ASPB took third in the Platoon Category, I still languish in third for the objective category and I didn’t take best of theme.  I’d like to pan the judges as talent-less hacks but that would be an outright lie.  I brought in my entries at 9:30, only thirty minutes after opening and there were already more entries this year than last.  My first thought on seeing the entries was “well guess, I’m not making any of my goals!”  There were many other excellent entries and I knew instantly I was punching above my weight class.  Last year I won best Flames of War Platoon and the Iron Cross for a Sherman platoon that I’ve been gaming with for years which made me think “I’m better off just entering things from my gaming bag!”  In retrospect this isn’t quite true.  Upon reflection I painted to my standard level of painting and didn’t push myself.  I should have pushed the ASPB’s highlights a lot more.  As it is they just didn’t pop as much as they should have for a winning piece.  On the objective marker I was going to attempt some OSL from the .50 caliber machine gun but essentially chickened out and didn’t push it anywhere near as far as I should have.  I entered gaming pieces in a painting competition and it showed.

I’d like to thank the judges for volunteering to judge the painting competition.  It’s not an easy job so their dedication is appreciated.  I’d really like to give thanks to Judge Brett Abbott.  Back in 2017 he gave me some good advise which I followed to victory in 2018.  He gave me some postive comments this year on a few of my other entries that will be considered and hopefully help me next year.  (I was disappointed that I didn’t have time to remove the plastic plants from my Lizardman entries and replace them with something better prior to the show, but I was pleasantly surprised to find out they were in the running for placing in the Fantasy Single figure and Fantasy unit if I didn’t use them!)

As a minor victory I saw that there was only one youth entry so I asked my boys if they wanted to enter the painting competition with a figure from Hobby University’s Paint and Take.  Both of them jumped at the opportunity and entered their figures, placing 2nd and 3rd which really made me happy.  There were only three entries but my 2018 Flames of War objective won 3rd out of 3 once again proving Greg’s maxim “You can’t win with any miniature not entered!” Oh and I’d say Steven won the whole show with his entries name: Winner. The judges loved it too!

You’ll see me again next year painting competition and you may see a pair of 8 year olds too!

-Wachtmeister