It's been a really tough competition this year with a bunch of really well painted models entered, but it's finally time to announce the winners!
I'm not kidding when I say this was tough competition. It was definitely not easy for me to pick who should win in each category, and even harder to determine the order of first, second, and third place. There were several minis that nearly almost made it into the top three in each category.
Here's a quick recap of the prizes up for grab:
- The first place winners for each category receive a Plague Base from Black Swan Miniatures.
- The People's Choice winner will win a plastic Skink Starpriest courtesy of Doc's Games Store and a model of their choice from Full Borer Miniatures.
- The overall winner for the entire competition will receive a $15 voucher to Secret Weapon Miniatures as well as a model of their choice from Full Borer Miniatures.
Without further ado, here are the winners, starting with Large model.
Large Model
Third Place
Warpfire Dragon by Exorre
I really like the contrast of the bright poisonous looking green against the starkness of the black on this dragon. The little bits of warp stone scattered around it are painted with a perfect glow effect as well. Every part of this model is done very well and I think the only thing I would have liked to see more of is a little more contrast with the colors on the base.
Second Place
Skaarac by Elford
Man, the colors on this guy just pop right out at you! I never would have thought to paint this model with such light skin, but it gives it a really unhealthy look that's just perfect for Chaos. The reds and brass are a great ruddy and subdued color that complement the skin perfectly. They are just the right level of darkness and look pretty darn realistic. The amount of blood and gore added to it help highlight the Khorne aspect without overdoing it. I think the base is done very well too, with a nice scenic touch added to take up some of the space on such a large base.
First Place
Dwarf by KH Miniatures
Well what more can I say other than that the painting on this guy is pretty flawless. The transitions are smooth and the highlights crisp with nice and realistically subdued color choices. The purple is unusual for a Dwarf and when coupled with the red it creates an interesting dynamic. This was definitely painted as a display piece and it shows. Congrats to KH MIniatures for taking first place in Large Model!
Single Miniature
Third Place
Cassandra by Rust and the City
The color choices on this are really nice. The blue coupled with the black and the blonde hair play off of each other in a great way. The part that stands out the most for me is the blue. It's so rich and saturated and it really adds a great focal point for the mini. It's painted in a style perfect for Malifaux miniatures.
Second Place
Doof-Goblin by KujoPainting
First off, I just love this mini. It's a perfect goblinoid rendition of the Doof-Warrior from Mad Max. Ok, now that that's out of the way, I'll move on to the painting, which is flawless. Perfect blending with bright, in your face colors. I love every part of this guy. It has a very 'Eavy Metalesque painting style to it. Seriously, the shades of green and red used in him are lush, and those warning stripes, great job.
First Place
Forsaker by KH Miniatures
This model is really evocative in its color choices. The dark skin tone along with the purple, white, and red are amazing. Everything is smooth and crisp with some great details like the white tattoos on her skin. The base, while as creepy as I would expect from Kingdom Death, is a great color choice to complement the model. This just looks like a comic book cover brought to life for me with all of the intensity that implies.
Unit
Third Place
Ultramarines by Hazel Slope
Let me start off by saying that this category was the toughest for me to judge. At one point or another almost every entry was in first, second, or third place as I grappled with the choice, so Ming, your Hellstriders were very nearly in here. Now on to these fantastic Ultramarines. These seriously look like they were painted by the 'Eavy Metal team. Everything is insanely crisp and perfect, and to find out those legion symbols were painted freehand is even crazier. The hair on the crest, the scratches on the armor, the worn look to the leather, seriously it's all fantastic. These guys could very easily by box art.
Second Place
Morghasts by Bleep Bloop
The painting and color choices on these are great. The red and bone go really well together and are perfectly complemented by the ghostly green colors. The amount of contrast between the darks and the lights on each color is pretty insane, and it's all done so perfectly. It's definitely a stylized look but it looks great and makes the models pop and grab your attention. The level of intensity with the colors, and reflective highlights, and the contrasts between light and dark within such small spans are what secured these guys the second place spot.
First Place
Infinity Models by KujoPainting
What can I say about these minis that they don't already say about themselves. The camouflage pattern is super impressive on it's own, but the reflections on the black armor and weapons are what put it over the top. Everything is smooth and crisp and incredibly insane when you consider how tiny Infinity models are. These are another great example of minis that could easily be used as box art by the company that produces them. They are painted in such a realistic manner, with such realistic color choices, that I wouldn't have known these were even sci-fi models if I didn't double check. They almost look like they would be right at home fighting in the armed forces of today. Great job on these KujoPainting!
People's Choice
Morghasts by Bleep Bloop
With 23 votes between Twitter and Facebook, Bleep Bloop took home the coveted People's Choice award. It was a really close race with several other entries coming in at around 18 or 20 votes. They are definitely super striking miniatures and well deserving of the award!
Overall Winner
Infinity Models by KujoPainting
Again, these are fantastic miniatures, and I hope these close ups reinforces that even more. I would definitely be excited to see even more of these minis from KujoPainting. Congrats on taking the overall top spot in the competition!
Again, a big thank you to everyone who participated, and I really wish there had been more spots to award. Bleep Bloop, KH Miniatures, and KujoPainting can get ahold of me to claim their prizes by emailing me at tylerm@mengelminiatures.com.
You can find the rest of the entries in a Facebook Album on Mengel Miniatures here, and I highly suggest you do if you haven't already seen them. I would also like to thank Secret Weapon Miniatures, Full Borer Miniatures, Black Swan Miniatures, and Doc's Games Store again for supporting the competition.
Because the People's Choice competition was so close, here are the next few runners up in no particular order who nearly took home the award, just so you can see some of the other fantastic entries.
People's Choice Runners Up
Magmadroth by Amy Snuggs
Imperial Fist Sicaran by Vidpui
Helstriders by Ming
Dark Eldar Succubus by Scott
All of these came within a handful of votes of winning. Like I said, it was some tough competition this year.
Until next time,
Tyler M.
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