Announcing the 2021 Build Something Competition, Theme and Rules

[Hammers]

Build Something Competition 2021, a.k.a. 'The Potato Cup'. ^*)


The theme for the BSC2021 is:

Difficult Terrain


GENERAL RULES

A child board has been set up in the Workbench section and all build threads must be started in this. A dedicated Gallery has been set up just for hosting contest images so please post your photos here:

Gallery for BSC2021

You can then add them to your build thread - any questions regarding this just let me know.

The official start date is 01:00 GMT Saturday 10th April 2021 and all applicants must notify their intent to take part on the registration thread by Saturday April 24th, 2021. They will then be listed in the registration post. The list of entrants will be in order of which their intent has been posted. Please let me know if your username is wrong.

YOU CAN START YOUR BUILD THREAD IN THIS SUB-FORUM DIRECTLY.

Please name your thread according to this pattern:

BSC2020 <member name> <build title>  - for example, 'BSC2021 Hammers Moroccan Bazar', where Hammers would be the user's forum name and 'Moroccan Bazar' would be the object being built (all those who've been *that* is difficult terrain).

If you change your mind, if Real Life intrudes or if you realise after some contemplation the theme is not to your taste - just let me know and I shall remove your name.

One entry per member (no joint contributions).

Finished entries must be submitted no later than midnight Sun 6th June 2021 and the voting will start shortly after. That should allow for plenty of time to build something.

The build threads of the entrants should include as many progress shots as possible, including sketches, sources of inspiration etc. NO PHOTOS OF THE FINISHED ENTRY SHOULD BE POSTED ON THE THREAD - painting in progress is not allowed, only primed entries are permissible on the build threads - if you are unsure then please ask. I would however turn a blind eye to small details which have to be finished before assembly (for example a pilot and controls in an enclosed cockpit). Keep in mind that the documentation of the build process has some impact on how people vote.

Depending on the number of participants, entries will be randomly grouped

The first entries must consist of either one photo OR a photo-montage of the finished piece. No photo manipulation will be allowed apart from cropping, white balance and contrast within reason. Again, if you are unsure then please ask. You may include one separate figure in the final entry photo to indicate the relative size of the entry.

Photo size should be 1000x1000 pixels and sent as a jpeg to 'bsc2021@tsome.com'

Depending on the number of entries, voting will take place in one or more group, and then, again depending of the number of entries, the top one or two entries of each group will advance to a final vote.

You will be allowed to enter new photos between rounds if you like. It has proven a good idea to keep interest up among voters.

For the last round you will be allowed to use your terrain piece in a "fully dramatized" setting, meaning on a game board surrounded with as many wargames miniatures you like.


A NOTE ON BIAS AND CONDUCT

I (Hammers) will, most likely be entering a build myself. I've done so in the past and I can pretty much prove the rules were not bent in my favour. I did not win, see, except once, and therefore it  doesn't count! .

While everyone is allowed, as per usual, to comment in progress threads, please keep things encouraging and constructive.

Although winners will be voted by the members collective of the LAF, if there is any sense of foul play the judges’ decision is final, although we would hope that it won't be necessary given the friendly nature of the LAF.

THEME RULES

The entry must include something that ties in with the theme of 'Difficult Terrain'.

Most miniature wargames include rules for difficult terrain, which has some impact on aspects like movement and visibility of miniatures in games. In a gaming context, difficult terrain is reasonably well defined areas on the game board, which ideally marks when a miniature is entered into or moved over said terrain. Typically there is some movement penalty involved as this is done

The theme of this years BSC should be interpreted as including all sorts of terrain pieces which can be used to define an area of difficult terrain on your game board. Some examples are (but not limited to) bogs, quicksand, minefields, asteroid belts, shallows, dense woods, scrap yards, "dead mans land"...

Keep in mind that wargaming rules typically make distinction between difficult terrain, obstacles and cover. Difficult terrain is, to repeat the above, something you move through with a penalty, while obstacles (hedges, barbed wire) is something you move up to and overcome while cover (walls, hedges) is something you seek shelter behind in combat or under fire. In this competition we would like you to, clearly, excel in making a representation of an area of difficult terrain.

Although we have in the past seen some quite remarkable entries you should not think of this as a diorama contest! The entries should be practical gaming board pieces. So rid yourselves of thoughts of fancy walnut veneer bases or artful backdrops.

Remember that the competition is run within the confines of the Workbench board: you have to build something. What singles out the Build Something Contest is that it is about construction of something new. The vast majority of the piece should be scratch built, and only 0-25% can be commercially bought items or figures. The rest must be handmade. If you have any questions either ask them here, to the above buildsomething email or via pm, but please label your email/ pm Build Something 2021.

The entries should be based for placement on a game board. You may enter up to six smaller individual bases. You are also allowed to enter a gameboard, as long as the build process has its focus on the construction of the difficult terrain section.  There is no limit to base size, nor the shape of the base, but remember that the larger the build, the more difficult it will be to detect details in the posted picture. Also make sure it is a practical gaming piece; even though it may be rough ground or water you should be able to place miniatures on it.

There is no minimum or maximum limit of figures in the entry as long as they are an integral part of it. The traditional single, individually based miniature for size indication will be allowed.

Any period or setting is allowed as long as it fits with the theme including sci-fi, historical, pulp, fantasy etc.

Just like last year, any amount of 3D printing is allowed but we ask you to be especially diligent in including images from design steps (3D design files) and of part printouts in the your progress thread.

Conversion of commercially-bought items is allowed also e.g. as long as it is a major 'refactoring'. Another example could be a plastic aeroplane kit: adding a couple of extra parts to the kit would not be sufficient to qualify, but having some of the parts from a sprue on an entirely new build would be fine. Again, if in doubt, please ask.

It's not possible to cover all the eventualities, so please use your common sense and play fair.

Good luck, and happy building to all - and don't forget to REGISTER YOUR INTENT and START A THREAD.

Post any rules queries and comments as replies.

^*) The name 'The Potato Cup' comes from an early run of the competition where a number of items where offered to the winner, among them a raw unpeeled potato. The winner picked the potato. Well, we thought it was funny at the time...

[tomrommel1]

Is it allowed to do several smaller terrain pieces? I am thinking of "difficult scatter terrain".

[OSHIROmodels]

Huzzah!

[Clach Umha]

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[beefcake]

Hmmm. Colour me interested.

[Dolmot]

Yes it is allowed. You should however think of this scatter terrain as pieces which can be used to reasonably clearly define an area of the game board as difficult terrain.

Who wrote what in that message? I'm getting confused.

Anyway, I spotted the "three bases" part too. Usually that would be more than enough for a basic build of "some thing". However, difficult terrain is a prime example of scenery that tends to benefit from high modularity to keep it playable. Three movable pieces sounds a tad low for that purpose.

So let's ask the same thing this way: is it still fine if there are, for example, six loose pieces on top of a base which defines the area? I'd say that's a common and handy way to represent such terrain in games. Or should I just do that and not tell anyone that the pieces are loose?

Or more seriously, does it even require a common base, thus making the "three bases" part moot? It looks like a copy-pasted rule which may not be particularly well suited for this year's theme.

[Hammers]

You’ ve got s point. I had had a notion that I should change it but forgot about it. I think I’d like to put some sort of cap on it, but I’ll give it some brief consideration before I do.

[Billchuck]

You’ ve got s point. I had had a notion that I should change it but forgot about it. I think I’d like to put some sort of cap on it, but I’ll give it some brief consideration before I do.

Perhaps "A multi-piece entry should form one cohesive area of terrain."  That would cover both a template base with movable/removable detail pieces and several larger pieces that are meant to fit closely together.

[Hammers]

Perhaps "A multi-piece entry should form one cohesive area of terrain."  That would cover both a template base with movable/removable detail pieces and several larger pieces that are meant to fit closely together.

Something line that.

[Clach Umha]

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[Hammers]

Fixed



& thanks for the pin Hammers

Sorry I must have hit the modify button insted of quote. 1000 pardons.

[Hammers]

Attention all participants! A small but important change has been made to the rules. Due to the nature of the competition you are allowed to enter up to six individual terrain pieces.

Let me remind everyone that the rules can only go so far in setting the boundaries of the theme. If you are unsure about the validity of your entry send me a pm.

Also remember that you will not win by what the rules say. Your entry will be elected by peers. It is safe to say that progress photos of the build phase is as import as the finished build. Techniques, consistency and presentation (among things) matters, and those things can’t be defined in the rules.

[Clach Umha]

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[Hammers]

Yes, but i the build phase you should leave out the fort (sketches and such) and the vote photos should leave the fort out of focus.

It is a great idea, otherwise, and judging from what I see so far an original one.

[Clach Umha]

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