Ladies and gentlemen,

My apologies for the delay in making this announcement - we have been having a lot of discussions about the OR Awards behind the scenes and, when you read the following, you'll understand why it's taken so long.

Firstly, and most importantly, we are changing the competition to run only once a year. The reasons for this are simple. We want to make the competitions something extra-special, and running them annually can help this - it gives everyone a chance to really focus on the awards and give it their best shot.

By making this change, we are able to offer first and second prizes in each category, including the Master Craftsman. We are also able to take away the rule that winners of the previous competition are not eligible to enter the next one.

So when will they start then?

June 1st will be the time that the entries will begin being accepted, and entries will close on 30th June, with voting to commence on the 1st of July for a period of 2 weeks.


Master Craftsman Changes
But we need to make a change to rules for the Master Craftsman category - mostly to try to encourage people to really excel. So the Master Craftsman category must now include the following:

• It must be a diorama and have a terrain element in it.
• There must be more than one figure in the entry, unless it is dramatically important to the scene to only have one.

Each year, the theme of the Master Craftsman will be chosen from a selection of chapters from Tolkien's books. We will list several chapter titles that you use to can draw inspiration from. The entry must be themed to a scene or inspired by a passage form the chapters mentioned. The chapters will be in sequence (and you should be able to work out what the next year's chapters will be too). If you've never read the books, then the equivalent phases of the movie are also acceptable.

This year's theme

• A Long Expected Party
• The Shadow of the Past
• Three is Company
• A Short Cut of Mushrooms
• A Conspiracy Unmasked
• The Old Forest
• In the House of Tom Bomdadil

Hopefully, this will be the last significant change to the competitions. The intention is to make them into the best online competitions in the world, so get your paintbrush, grab your hobby knife, and make a special effort. There are great prizes up for grabs!

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Dagster

This is excellent news! Definately something I can aspire to then! So is the assumption that the current awards which were going to be taking place in 19 days has now been canceled?

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Available for commission painting, PM me if you're interested.

Great decision competition commitee! Now I have time to prepare something for all categories. Cannot wait!

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Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
Jake

Some serious rereading required then, and must put on the Thinking Cap. Making it an annual event with more scope and more prizes - good idea.

Hang on a moment. Hmm. I foresee at least 2 stunning Bag Ends being entered...

Just kiddin'

It might be 3...

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Published ebooks:
Instrument of the Empire
A Note of Defiance
Phantom Ships, Ghost Flotilla
More to come!

Good Job Alan, It seems these changers are really for the better. Now I have some time to do some planning...

And it is lovely to see the counter of impending doom reset as well.

These all look like great changes.

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And now… perfected. My fighting Uruk-hai!

Hooray! Brilliant changes, committee-folk! Long may they last for the site!!

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"Mustard the Rohirrim! We've got to ketchup with those Uruk-fries before they capture the Hornburger!"

There is no way they will be finished in time for this year's competitions and by the time mine is finished, the theme will have moved on out of the Shire.

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Dagster

What are the qualifications for each category?

Rob

The subject matter must look like the title Simple really

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"Mustard the Rohirrim! We've got to ketchup with those Uruk-fries before they capture the Hornburger!"

Hmm... not sure if I understand what you mean? Want to clarify your question a bit?


I have some questions too. The new rules for the Master Craftman category state that "it must be a diorama" and "have a terrain element".
So, my question is, what exactly counts as "terrain element" then?
A building? Can it be a partially built building (like just a façade or something)?
A stone wall, a garden, a tree, a table and some chairs, even just some rocks, for instance, are enough to be considered on their own?

I think I understand what the rules intend to... make sure that the entries are not just a couple of ace painted minis put together, or just a terrain piece, but more than that: a diorama, as it says.
As I see it though, a diorama doesnt always need a whole building, or any building at all, but other elements like trees, ponds, walkways, etc. Im guessing that those count too, but I would like to see this clarified.

Thanks.

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Tell me... Do you bleed?
You will!
Chewy, we're home!

Looks like you've been forgotten Mig

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Hmm... what would a chair look like if your knees bent the other way?

The intention behind the new rules for Master Craftsman is to avoid the situation where a single painted model is submitted. While the painting might be superb, it's not enough I'm afraid. We want to see you combine your skills of painting with terrain making and storytelling.

The scene must have a terrain element (i.e. something more than just the ground covered with static grass) and the examples you give would all be acceptable. So yes, your understanding is correct - it can be a part of a building or just a part of the interior, or trees, or a waterfall, or part of a bridge or whatever.

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Dagster

*baha, knew that if I'd post someone would realize *

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Hmm... what would a chair look like if your knees bent the other way?

Out of curiosity, how do we submit our entries

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Available for commission painting, PM me if you're interested.

I was wondering the same...

And Alan, is it OK for me to enter a mini everyone has seen? Its just that I painted this mini for the march awards, but then it was changed...

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My WiP Thread

Yeah, I was also wondering both those things...

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Ole Blood'n'guts...

Probably via the 'Submit Entry' button. A bit like the last time the awards were running.

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Studio gaarew; Gaming armies, by gamers, for gamers.

It's not there...

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My WiP Thread

LMAO! Oops, sorry guys. Must've broken that with the revamped website design. I'll fix it ASAP.

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Dagster