Wow… we’re finally on that last leg of our journey and to wrap it up I get to write my reflections on this year’s ArcArmy Challenge. It was so far away for so long but Arc40k is so close - 4-5 March 2023. I certainly didn’t think there would be so much to share and so much said in recording the key moments in building an army for the event.
The ArcArmy Challenge Articles have showcased the journey of three tabletop gaming enthusiasts, Sam, Tim and myself, who back in October embarked on the task of building new armies for the upcoming Arc40k 25 year anniversary event and agreed to write about it along the way.
I’ve certainly enjoyed seeing their armies and articles come together over that time. I’m looking forward to giving each a slap on the back to congratulate them for working hard and being so inspiring when we all catch up this weekend.
As for my journey, I have been building the Leagues of Votann Army, and to think it all started with the inspiration of the cheese-like appearance of the rock outcrops on the bases of the Champion and Khal. To then see that channeled into working out how to create an asteroid or moon landscape for every model and then carried over o finish the display base - well the project took on a life of its own.
A feature in one of the articles was showing how I used an online CAD program to design those unique base toppers that were then 3d printed and added to each and every model in the force.
There’s also a fair amount of focus across some of the articles about the hours spent and processes used for refining the paint scheme and building the army.
In the most recent articles I was able to show that drawing inspiration from the background text in the Codex and the Ancient Core of the Leagues pointed me to how my narrative and even my backing board artwork could be created. I’ll chalk those both up as wins to AI.
The army's theme and scheme have been an essential part of the journey, as they dictate how the army was built, armed, and painted.
Throughout the journey, I have shared that planning and preparation are critical, particularly in scheduling time to share progress through these articles as well as allowing me to add more to the army in a short period. Thanks to some last minute changes because of the new Arcs of Omen detachment - but even my first article pointed out to expect those unexpected challenges right?
The process has been both challenging and rewarding, and I have enjoyed every step of the way.
Let me say that the journey has been a load of fun, with its share of challenges and rewards. I hope that some of you have enjoyed following along and maybe been inspired to try something different or learning something new!
It has once again shown me the importance of planning and preparation, and most importantly, it has reminded me of the joy of building an army with a focus to be played in a tabletop gaming event - rather than adding to the collection.
I can't wait to see all the armies on display at the upcoming Arc40k event, and I am excited to showcase my Leagues of Votann Army - it will be on display some where or other most of the weekend.
Time to pack it carefully with all the other gear I’m hoping to bring down. The board will flat pack into a suitcase as checked baggage, while the army in a single figure case will be part of my carry on. But there’s a load of event related lighting, camera, and computer gear - way more than I’d normally bring to an Arc40k. But it is the 25th anniversary year, a painting Challenge has been added and it’s shaping up to be massive.
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