We’re happy to announce a painting contest after a very long break. And when I say “very long”, I really mean it. The last contest we had here was in 2005, but if this one turns out to be popular – we’ll surely arrange more contests for you.

Now to the meaty details!

Chest of Colors and Two Hour Wargames announce that the Chest of Colors Arena is open now! Every warrior from the lands of fantasy is invited to enter and try their skills in the deadly combat on our arena. Just like in the Red Sand Black Moon game from Two Hour Wargames.

So what’s the deal with Red Sand Black Moon?

Red Sand Black Moon is a game of fantasy gladiatorial combat that can be played with any miniatures, from any manufacturer, in any scale. Two miniatures will be enough – you don’t really need a whole army to start playing, and you can get the whole duel played in about half an hour. You can enter nearly any fantasy warrior from any race – so it can be a dark elf, a dwarf, a human, a demon, an ogre, a troll, an orc, a skeleton, or even serpent man! And if your fighter is a human, he can be a knight, a soldier, or even a peasant.

If the word “gladiatorial” brought the image of ancient Roman gladiators to your mind, you will be surprised. Don’t be misled, RSBM fighters are not expected to be running an arena in loinclothes and fancy helmets, presenting their oiled bodies. Here it’s much more brutal – there’s no chance for mercy. You either win or die. RSBM combat is brutal, dirty and messy. These guys are expected to get all dirty, covered with gore and bleeding from multiple wounds. These are all-or-nothing fights!

Think more along the lines of pit fighting, illegal bets and fights, and dark backstreet fights. Of course, some arenas will be huge and elegant, but many will be nothing more than small clearings where fighters meet to try their skills in deadly combat, to win favors of the crowd or… to lose their lives.

And why are you telling us about it all?

Because the subject of this contest is painting a RSBM gladiator!

So go back to the previous section and re-read it. No, you won’t be painting a Roman gladiator. What this contest is about is painting fantasy warriors that represent these grizzled veterans of many a combat where no mercy is shown. These are not standard soldiers who need to obey some rules or to follow some smart strategies. These are brutal pit fighters, who risk their lives to earn a few coins by slaying one opponent after another.

Rules

We want to impose only as few limits as necessary, so here are the rules:

1. You need to be a registered member of Chest of Colors forum to enter your models. You don’t have to be registered now, only need to register before entering.
2. The subject is “fantasy gladiators“. In doubt re-read the section about RSBM above, to make sure that you understand these are not Roman gladiators but more like fantasy pit fighters.
3. An entry should be a single miniature in 25-32mm scale. Of course larger creatures like trolls or ogres will do, but only if the range of models they come from falls in the 25-32mm range.
4. Bases need to be standard gaming bases – shape doesn’t matter: round, square or hexagonal bases will do, size up to 50mm (you don’t have to use the same size or shape that was supplied with the model). These models just need to be “playable”, and not attached to any kind of scenic bases or display plinths. Of course you can model these bases, and modeling them to look like an arena will surely be great. And remember – arena doesn’t have to be all sand like in Rome, it can be a village market, it can be a tavern floor, a dock or a real stone arena. Get the idea? Any place where organized fights can take place.
5. There are no restrictions regarding weapons or armor in fantasy fights. These guys are not Roman gladiators, so use any combination of weapons and armor that you like.
6. All models must be completely painted. Remember to make your models look like gladiators – wounds, gore, tattoos, individual style, trophies – these will not be out of place and will surely make your models look more “in theme”.
7. You can only enter new paintjobs, painted especially for this contest. To prove that the model is new, please attach a photo of unpainted model held in front of the screen (computer, smartphone, whatever…) displaying this announcement. The model can be primed, but shouldn’t be painted. We will only use this photo to check if your model qualifies for the contest or not – it will not be included in the gallery.
8. You can enter up to 3 entries. It’s up to you to decide if you prefer to focus on one model or to try your chances with a larger number of entries.
9. Chest of Colors and Chest of Colors Painting Studio members can enter the contest and vote, but they cannot win the grand prize.
10. You can enter your models until the end of September 26th (GMT). Models entered after this deadline will be disqualified.

Voting

Voting will be done by all participants and members of Chest of Colors and CofC Painting Studio. Whoever entered at least one model that was positively qualified for the contest, will be allowed to vote for the best model. Participants are not allowed to vote for their own entries.

The model which collects the most votes will receive the grand prize.

If the winner is a Chest of Colors or Chest of Colors Painting Studio member, they are announced as the winner, but the grand prize goes to the next winner that is not a CofC member.

Voting will be open for one week. We are sure it’s enough to review all entries and to choose your favorite. While voting bear the theme in your minds.

Awards

Now to the cool things:

The grand prize is a Red Sand Black Moon rulebook. You will already have one fighter painted, so why don’t you paint an opponent and try their luck in a RSBM match?

In addition to the main prize, there are additional awards for random participants. These will be assigned by Two Hour Wargames to random participants, except for the main prize winner. Each entry entitles you to one chance to win such a prize. One participant can only win one such award though. So in case you win several such awards, one will be given to you and the additional ones to other random participants.

Questions?

In case of any questions – ask them in comments below. We’ll do our best to answer them as soon as possible. Use your imagination and open your minds. Think about all these nice minis that can easily represent fantasy gladiators. For example doesn’t Grimgor Ironhide look like one?

Submit your entry

UPDATE: We’re not accepting any more entries. You can see the entries we received in the Chest of Colors Arena gallery and voting post, and here’s the official winners announcement.

Enjoy the contest!

(PS – most images were used without permission and for hobby purposes alone. If you want your picture removed from this article – contact us about it, please.)