Unit-ed October: 2018 Community Painting Challenge. Also, Orctober/Orktober.

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Once again we’re hitting the final week of the month, so once again it’s time to announce the next month’s Community Painting Challenge.

And once again, it’s to complete (remember – complete – you don’t need to start-to-finish anything in the one month) a “unit” of some description.

As with the last time we did this, the objective is simply to complete a group of models that fit together thematically. This could be a squad or a unit. It could be a gang or a team (Kill-Team, Bloodbowl Team, Guildball Team). It could be a retinue or a bodyguard – with or without their leader. It could be a tank platoon or a trio of Dreadnoughts or a trio of Ninjas. It can be wargame models, boardgame figures, models that fit into a diorama – just use common sense and context and it should be pretty obvious.

I think a minimum of three models for a “unit” is fair enough. Even though Space Marine Veterans can legally be a pair, or heroes and monsters in many games can be distinct “units”, let’s still go with trios+

However, this month is a dual-challenge month, so people are welcome to take part in one or the other or both. More on that below.

As always, the biggest distinction between these challenges and many others are that I only care about you completing these units. It’s not a “start-to-finish” challenge set during a single month, so regardless of whether you just missed out on finishing that squad this month, last month, or six months ago – or you’ve got stuff that you’ve been chipping away at for six months – or, indeed – if you’ve got units that have been shelved for months or even years, feel free to dig them out and join in.

Similarly, if you want to go start-to-finish, then feel free to go right ahead. If you have a squad of five figures and two are complete while the other three are bare plastic or metal, that’s fine too. It’s about completing units. The challenge is designed to easily fit into your (and my) painting schedule and be flexible enough to encompass quite a lot, and hopefully just act as a bit of an impetus or inspiration to get this stuff completed.

Now, about that second challenge (if you hadn’t already guessed from the post title) – Since this coming month is also October, the traditional Pun is Orctober/Orktober, which even GW is on board with this year. Regardless of their choices, I’m also happy to include Orktober as a secondary challenge for this month. Simply paint some Orcs/Orks/Uruks/Goblins/Half-Orcs/etc or Wargs/wolves/dire wolves/boars – with or without riders (or chariots), or some Orks hardware like Walkers, Kans, Trukks. Or Trolls/Troggoths. You get the idea by now. Something Orc or Ork-related. Maybe even Diggas qualify. Why not?

I don’t know how well I’ll go, but at the very least, I’ve got some Squig Herders, some Savage Orcs and a trio of Killa Kans all needing to be completed. Any of those I manage to get done will get me something for the Unit-ed October Challenge as well as Orktober. I like doubling up, so let’s see how well I can do!

(Frankly, if I could get them done this month, they’d be Neglected Models!)

And if you really aren’t interested in Orcs, you could always do some green models as a pretend tribute! 😉

That’s pretty much it. If you might be interested, you’ve got a week for thinking about it before the challenge starts – though if you’re keen there’s also no reason you can’t be working on your models. Because it’s only about completing models in October! 😉

There’s also no special criteria as to who can or cannot participate. If you’d like to participate, then you can. Simples.

63 thoughts on “Unit-ed October: 2018 Community Painting Challenge. Also, Orctober/Orktober.”

  2. Nice one! I’ll probably use this for the Nurgle portion of the Rogue Trader box, and maybe the Tzaangors/Kairic Acolytes from Silver Tower if I don’t get them done this month.

    Also, even tho no one seems to actually be running Dreadtober this year, I think I’ll try to get my Redemptor painted up, just because.

    If I get really inspired, I do have a sprue of Boyz lying around, along with some Bikerz and a Trukk that were intended for the previous version of Kill Team, but never got past primer. Might actually do up an Ork KT.

    Liked by 3 people

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    • Yeah, I’m thinking I might try for the Voidsman part of the Starstriders as a little reward – finally to paint some new releases after doing so, so many old-school metal models over the past months. Along with some old-school metal models, of course…
      If you don’t get your Redemptor done in October, there’s always December or January coming. Possibly Decembruary again…

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  3. This might help encourage me with my own challenges for the rest of the year. PLUS Speed Freeks is coming in orktober as you know but I’m not sure if I’ll have time to buy that gear and complete painting it. However I do have some other Ork gear. So maybe my friend, maybe I’ll jump on this one.

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  4. how does one participate in one of these challenges? I have been watching these for some months and definitely could have contributed something. I am working on a unit of armed civilians for Operation Sea Lion that might be of interest to folks. I plan to finish it in October.

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    • Super easy, Buck. Just paint your models and post up pics on your blog (or friend/group blog, webpage, etc.) Then just link to this “challenge post” and/or post a link in these comments here. So between the two of them I can (hopefully) not forget to add your models – with a link back to your page – to the round up just after the month ends.

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      • Yeah, I have really wanted to get myself in a position to run the games that I do both for my nascent gaming club and for some cons. Barrage will be fun, but all the stuff you saw is mostly for that effort.

        BTW, I love that saying “bloody hell”. I can’t pull that off (though I may have tried from time to time). Works better with your accent, or a Brit’s, or even Irish. I’m trying to think of a corresponding one from New England:

        Wicked awesome…WTF…holy sh*t…whoa…unbelievable…no f*ing way…

        Choices choices!

        Liked by 1 person

      • Too bloody right, mate! (best said with an increasingly high inflection, – in pure strine for the most effective cringeworthiness.
        Your demo games have always looked good in your posts, but the new kit really bumps them up a lot in terms of visual appeal.

        I’ll also suggest that you check out the local pet emporium. I got a fantastic piece of terrain that’s designed as a fish tank piece a couple of weeks ago. It wasn’t cheap at AU$50, but it’s bloody nice – and even at that price it’s very competitive with GW/Armorcast/etc and needs nothing done to it, so no assembly or paint needed. I’ll get it posted in the next week or so if I can…

        Like

  5. Well as someone stuck in the middle of a challenge at the moment (to complete as many “Dungeon Saga” miniatures as possible in September, this is a godsend! as there is no way I’m going to finish them this month, I will be spilling over into October, so I’m in if this counts.

    Cheers Roger.

    Liked by 3 people

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    • Actually, boardgames like DS were a thing I had in mind when I laid out the “rules” for the unit challenges – Dungeon Saga is a good example – it’s literally filled with small “units” that would each count as a completed unit for Challenge purposes. Onward to victory!

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  8. Well, I reckon I’ll still have plenty of gobbos still to paint next month, plus various other squads that I could probably round out. Might even try to finish one of my Necromunda gangs if I’m feeling ambitious. Plus I was planning to paint some orks anyway, so chances are good I’ll manage something for this 🙂

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  10. Looks like September was a bust for me. So what I’ve been working on, is going to spill over into October. For some odd reason, I seem to be challenge worthy about every other month. Guess I’m twice as slow, as most folks!

    Here’s to Orktober, can do this!

    Liked by 3 people

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  15. Ok…. I’m trying to beat my Hobby Funk that has been a void in my efforts the last 6 weeks… So hopefully, I will have at least 1 thing for October’s challenge. -.-

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  27. I finished Ironskull’s Boyz for Shadespire, who had been on a hiatus since June. I also managed to paint two additional models for Orktober, an Uruk-hai warrior and a grot, both assembled roughly 15 years ago 😀 I did start working on a pair of Ork boyz too but couldn’t quite finish them in time..

    Ironskull’s Boyz:

    Uruk-hai warrior:

    Grot:

    *still no blog, sorry.

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