ROUND 1 Gro?artige Helden des Drittes Reiches vs Sturmgruppe Wotan

[Captain Blood]

[Heldrak]

Yowsa! 

[Vanvlak]

Good grief! fantastic work.
The really disturbing thing is that I know someone who's the twin of the cigar-chomping chap! 

[Hammers]

@Westfalia Chris and Driscoles: thanks for the help. Dr. Mabuse has unfortunately been institutionalized (long overdo) and Herr Krautkopf is missing after a dust up in Rotterdam with Union Jack.

[Malebolgia]

Absolutely love both of them. While the second one is probably the best painted entry of this round, I love the first entry more. The miniatures of the second one just doesn't match too well IMO. Absolutely stunning painting though.
In the end I voted for the first one as it has so many cool and different elements. It's like the cast of a really cool pulp/weird war movie in one shot. Top job.

[argsilverson]

Both are good.

2nd looks better, but I do not like the minis!

[Mr.J]

Who makes the kaiser miniature in the second?

[gamer Mac]

I much prefer the second one great figures, painting and I think they make a good group.
My problem with the first picture is that they are not a group but individual figures even though nicely painted. I don't want to be to picky (I know everyone says this when they are going to be picky) but did the rules not state a single group photo. A single group photo would have brought the first group together better.

[Plynkes]

You are correct about the rules, Gamer Mac. I had to modify some of my plans when I saw the clause about that.

I pity the fool who runs into the painting Juggernaut that is El Almirante. Tough break there, Hammers. 

[Admiral Benbow]

Who makes the kaiser miniature in the second?

Well, it's not a Kaiser miniature at all, but it looks quite like him ... The mini came from the Foundry "German Staff" set from their Franko-Prussian range.

The Sturmgruppe miniatures are from Scibor's Miniatures; resin kits, much work to get them together, but such great characters ...

[Pil]

I voted for the second entry because I really had not seen anything like it, and also because the first entry was a collage of different pictures, which really spoiled the effect for me. The characters in the first entry do look good but they look too much like single models and might have worked better when posed as a group. The second pic is just top quality

[Ray Rivers]

Master brushwork there Admiral!

The shading is absolutely fantastic.

[Captain Blood]

Yes, it's true to say that Hammers' entry is in contravention of the rules which state that there should be a group shot, to which some close-ups, different angles or individual shots can be added.

On the other hand, I know Hammers had some issues getting his entry together in time, and as the luck of the draw would have it, he's getting whupped anyway 
So I'm letting his entry stand as a one-off.

But yes please, all entries for future rounds should have a group shot at the core.

[Hammers]

There are rules which should be read and understood? ;-)

I think Blood pitched me against Benbow just to punish me. Joking aside: if Alex is reading this, what is the purpose of the rule which prohibits composite pictures?

[Westfalia Chris]

There are rules which should be read and understood? ;-)

I think Blood pitched me against Benbow just to punish me. Joking aside: if Alex is reading this, what is the purpose of the rule which prohibits composite pictures?

If I may answer this, IIRC, it is part of our "no thorough digital manipulation" rule. We deemed it a bit harder to do some "corrections" in a group shot with an environment. And vignettes just look better. Adding captions is ok, though.

To quote the respective paragraph:

The entry picture may NOT be a collage of individual pictures, but should be a "group shot" of the complete team, possibly in a decorated environment, or in front of a plain backdrop. You may, however, add some closeups of small aspects, like faces, equipment, etc., but the main focus of the image must clearly be on "the team".