Oath Season 10 - X marks the spot! - The Something Awful Forums

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Zark the Damned: Mar 9, 2013

SA Oath Thread Season 10
Welcome to the Oath Thread, a place where we can all get together and paint our stuff!

Useful Links:

Galleries:

So, What�s this oathing thing about?
Simply put, each month participants will post an oath stating what they�re going to paint, and hopefully by the end of the month it�ll get done and we�ll all get to see a bunch of nifty painted minis! We�ve found it�s a great way to get motivated, regardless of whether you�re a veteran painter sitting on piles of unused plastic and metal, or a newbie just getting started with the hobby.
As we go along there are bonus monthly challenges designed to get people to experiment with new techniques or paint something you otherwise wouldn�t have gotten around to, plus a set of overall achievements which can be earned any time.

How does oathing work?
Oathing is pretty simple. You just need a digital camera (ones built into modern phones are generally fine), a place to upload your pictures (like Imgur or similar), a computer screen showing the date (more on that later) and of course your models. You�ll then make an Oath post - this should be made during the current Oath month (e.g. for May's oath, post it during May):

Set up your screen of choice to show the Current Time in American Samoa.
Lay out your chosen miniatures around / in front of the screen. Miniatures may be assembled and undercoated (including zenithal priming) but otherwise painting must not have started on them. See the FAQs below for more details.
Take a picture of the lot! Make sure the screen is clearly visible (the important parts are the Date, Time and the American Samoa title) and that the miniatures are countable (it�s fine if they are a bit out of focus so long as we can match them with your oath). If you�re oathing a lot of stuff it�s fine to take multiple pictures.
Your oath does not have to be fully assembled, so it's fine to post a pic of minis on sprue or still in their blister etc. However the minis themselves should be visible, don't just take a picture of the box they come in.
Post in this thread with your picture, the contents of your Oath and a sentence akin to �I, <username>, Oath to paint the following for <month>�. This post should be made within 3 days of the picture being taken, ideally on the same day.
Optionally, let us know the manufacturer(s) and scale(s) of the miniatures you are painting. It's not needed but it can be interesting to see trends

That�s it! You�ve now made your oath, and can start painting. Usually within a few days to a week one of the management team will notice your Oath, add it to the Spreadsheet and post to approve your Oath, but you don�t need to wait for approval to get painting.

Once you�ve finished painting your Oath, you�ll need to make a Completion post:

Take a picture of your completed miniatures. It�s fine to take multiple pictures if you�re painting a bunch of stuff or just want to show it off from several angles.
Optional: Make sure your forum name is clearly visible on the pictures - either you can include this when taking the picture (e.g. on a bit of paper or a screen in the background) or you can edit it onto the picture afterwards.
Post in this thread with your picture(s), the words �Oath Complete�, and any Achievements or Challenges you are claiming (see later). Make sure this post is made before the end of the month in American Samoa (see the countdown timer).
It�s that simple!

Earning Points
Completing oaths will earn you points! In previous seasons this meant prizes, but in this season they�re mostly for bragging rights. You can earn points in the following ways:

A successfully completed Oath will get you 3 Points.
If you have remembered to add your name to at least one of your completion pictures you get 1 point and that picture will be submitted to the gallery for judging.
If you complete the month�s Challenge you get 1 point.
For each Achievement you complete you get 1 point (possibly more!).
Extra points are available for impressing our celebrity Judges!

You still get credit for your completion if you miss out your name, however these pictures will not be submitted to the Gallery and therefore cannot earn bonus Judge points.

Challenges
Each month will feature one or more themed challenges. Simply paint up something to match a challenge, claim it in your completion post, and earn a bonus point! Note that in order to get this point you must state which miniatures match it - e.g. if you painted up a bunch of wizards, one of whom is throwing a fireball, you might write something like �Fire mage for the OSL challenge�. It�s best to make your claims bold so they�re easy to spot!

If a month has multiple challenge options and you complete several of them this is still only 1 point for 'completing at least one challenge'. When claiming the challenge state which option you have picked.

This season�s monthly challenges are:

May - A smooth start
Your model should include a blended gradient between two or more colours. This could be yellow to red, black to white and back, or a full blown rainbow!
June - I don't know whether the weather will be nice
Heavy Rain - Your model should include environmental effects. Possibly they're being buffeted by high winds, struggling through a heatwave, or being drenched by a sudden downpour.
Heavy Damage - Your model should include weathering effects. Maybe the paint's taken a beating from a sandstorm, a gun's discoloured from overuse, or your hero's been wading through a swamp.
July - Feel the Burn
Your model should feature flames of some kind. This could a soldier firing a flamethrower, a dragon roasting some unfortunate adventurers or a spaceship at full thrust, so long as there's fire! OSL isn't necessary but may help get the point across.
August - Obligatory Conversion Month
Roll your own - Your model should be non-standard in some way. This could be a head or weapon swap, or you could go the whole hog and scratch built or sculpt your own miniature. If you're doing a simple conversion, show a 'standard' version of the model for comparison.
Adapt, Improvise and Overcome - Your model should have swappable parts. This could be different guns that plug in, magnetised arms with different equipment, or maybe something stranger like different coloured LEDs for different shields! Showcase the different configurations in your completion post.
September - This is an Art Attack
Your model should feature a freehand design. This could be some nose art on a plane or spaceship, some wicked tribal tatoos on a berserker, or arcane patterns inside a wizard's spellbook.
October - Fight of the Century
We have a winner! - Your model should feature the spoils of their battle. This could be a grisly trophy, kill marking or purloined wargear.
A loser is you - Your model should be battered and beaten, showing heavy damage, scarring or other general battle damage.
November - You ain't from around here
Your model should reference another universe. This could be a fantasy football player in a real life sport uniform, Captain America leading your WW2 veterans, or a Slurm vending machine in your Star Wars diorama. Point out your reference in your completion post just in case we don't 'get it'.
December - Through thick and thin
Thick - Your model should feature heavy texture, such as fur, hair or chainmail.
Thin - Your model should feature fake texture, such as painted on wood grain, stone or marble.
January - First, draw a circle
Take at least three work in progress pictures of your Oath (or part of it). If you want to include more that's fine, but you should put them in a gallery somewhere to not clutter up your completion post.
February - A pattern for success
Standing Out - Your model should feature a bright repeating pattern such as hazard stripes, checks or tartan.
Hiding Away - Your model should feature a camoflage pattern or be somehow hiding away, e.g. activating a stealth field.
March - Time to Shine
Your model should feature really shiny. This could be a meticulously polished suit of armour, an all-seeing crystal ball, or a handful of magical gemstones or coins. You could use some gloss varnish or an NMM technique to make it stand out.
April - Fight or Flight
Fight - Your model or models should be mid fight. This could be a measured duel, a bar brawl or a chaotic battle. You don't have to include all participants so long as your figure is clearly in action.
Flight - Your model should be in flight or have the ability of flying, such as as a jetpack or magic carpet.

Goals / Achievements
In addition to challenges, you can also earn Achievements to gain points. Unlike challenges, these can be earned at any time in the season. Achievements are split into two categories: Automatic and Manual. Unless otherwise stated they are all worth 1 point.

Manual Achievements
These require claiming in a similar fashion the Challenges (e.g. Claiming �Need 4 Speed for the Inquisitor). Some require a bit of extra set up or additional work - check the descriptions carefully!

Stay awhile and listen: Write a story about one or more of the figures you have painted. How did they get those scars? Why are they wielding a variety of golf clubs? What makes them get up in the morning? Post your story alongside your completed pics in addition to your claim.
Need 4 Speed: Paint up one or more of your figures in 24 hours! To do this you need a before and after picture with timestamps (use the American Samoa time as usual; your before pic can be the same as your oath picture). You�re free to post the after picture as soon as it�s ready but make sure to link to it in your completion post so it's not missed.
A faithful replica: Paint one of your miniatures to match the manufacturer�s �official� scheme. When you post your completion, include a picture of the original you�re copying. This also includes painting something to mimic a real life person or object, e.g. if you paint up a historically accurate tank or a tribute to a TV show character.
Get the Crystal: Paint up some game aids as part of your Oath. These could be objectives, status markers (like a vehicle wreck explosion), loot counters or even a customised blast template! State in your completion post what they�ll be used for (e.g. Get the Crystal: Treasure counters for Frostgrave).
Spic and Span: Tidy up your painting space. Post a before picture of the terrible mess your painting area is (this can be with your Oath in the month) and an after picture with everything neat and tidy with all your paints and tools back in their places.
The Daily Double: Paint a figure that matches the challenges from two different months other than the current month. State which challenges you�re doing in your completion post (e.g. Claiming The Daily Double for the helicopter using April and December�s challenges). Alternately if a month has multiple challenges, paint a figure (or figures) which match all of them.
The Mr Tryhard Award: Complete all 12 challenges (one from each month) in a single oath! This can�t be combined with The Daily Double (you�ll need a different figure for that) but can be combined with the usual challenge for the month. This achievement is worth 2 points! Doing multiple challenges from the same month isn't worth any extra credit but is extra try-hardy! Note: you don't need to do all challenges on a single figure, though it's more in-character for the achievement.
Take one for the team: Paint up a group of at least four related miniatures, such as a Frostgrave Warband, a squad of Space Marines, a Guildball Team, a Dropfleet, and so on. There should be a unifying theme behind the minis such as a logo or colour scheme so they don�t just look like a bunch of random guys.
A recipe for success: Include a list of the colours and techniques you used to paint your figure. If you�ve done a fancy base, include the materials used for it. Basically anything to help other people copy your masterpiece!
Rescue Ranger: Finish painting a figure you�d started but never gotten around to completing. This is an exception to the �undercoated only� rule - when posting your Oath featuring a rescue model, state that you are rescuing it and show it in it�s current state. You can�t claim Need 4 Speed on a Rescue model. New for this season, you can also apply this to already painted minis, e.g. ebay 'rescues' and the like. Your oath post should show the mini in it's initial state, i.e. before stripping and re-undercoating.
All together now: This can only be claimed during April. Post a picture of everything you have painted for the current Oath season - you may be surprised at how much that is! Optionally, summarize what you�ve painted in the post (e.g. this season I have painted 127 infantry and 3 tanks). In the case of people who aren�t painting anything during April you can still claim this achievement by making a Season Complete post with the picture and description as above.

Automatic Achievements
These are granted automatically upon the completion of the stated goals. You don�t need to claim them as the magic of our Spreadsheet does it automatically!

Getting Started: Complete your first Oath.
Apprentice: Complete your third Oath.
Journeyman: Complete your sixth Oath.
Expert: Complete your ninth Oath.
Master: Complete all twelve Oaths this season!
Platinum Trophy: Complete all of the other achievements. This achievement is worth 2 points!

The Gallery & Judging
Each month�s pictures will be entered into the Gallery for that month.
Only pictures with your name on them will be submitted to the gallery. Additionally, WIP shots and initial Oath pictures will be excluded, what should end up here are the final pics of your oathed miniatures.
The gallery will then be submitted to our panel of celebrity judges who will award bonus points to their favourite 3 oaths (3 points for 1st place, 2 for 2nd, 1 for 3rd), plus an additional point to the one they feel best exemplifies the monthly challenge (this can be one of the above).
Once again we are invoking the Bachtere Clause - anyone who receives 1st or 2nd place in a month can only earn a maximum of 3rd place in the next month from that Judge. This has no effect on the �Best Challenge� points.
Unlike previous seasons, Judges are allowed to participate in Oathing. However they may not choose their own oaths when performing judgment!
This season's judges are Electric Hobo, Dr. Gargunza, ijyt and Duct Tape

Competitions
From time to time Goons may post their own competitions in the Oath thread - usually these will be extra challenges or require painting specific types of model. These competitions are entirely separate to the main Challenges and Achievements and don�t affect your points, although it may be there�s an overlap between them anyway.
It is up to the individual Goons running the competitions to specify the rules and requirements of their competition along with any prizes, although we do ask that at least a month�s notice is given before any such competition is started.

Other Important Info & FAQs
Terrain
Pieces of Terrain may be oathed, pretty much everything that applies to miniatures also applies here.

Bases
As not all miniatures and gaming systems use bases, they are an optional part of the Oath. If you wish to make a fancy base your Oath, that�s fine so long as you state this! Otherwise it�s fine to use pre-painted bases, or even no bases at all, so long as the miniature that will be going on the base is fine.

Coloured Primers
It is fine to use a coloured primer (e.g. red) when submitting your Oath pictures. What�s not OK is pre-shading using an ink wash or similar, with the exception of basic Zenithal priming and shading.

What happens if I fail an Oath?
Not much, you won�t get any points for that month and won�t go into the Gallery. It�s possible that someone could feel bothered enough by this to buy you an Oathbreaker avatar but it�s pretty rare unless you make a habit of it!

Can I make more than one Oath in a month?
Yes, it�s perfectly fine to do this so long as you follow the same rules as the initial Oath. They are usually labelled as �Oath Additions�. However, you need to make sure that all your oaths get completed and are included in a single Completion post, otherwise it counts as failure!

I forgot to post my Oath picture before starting to paint!
We understand that sometimes life gets in the way and people will get distracted between taking pics and posting their Oath. If you have a valid (date stamped, unpainted) �before� picture it�s OK to post it outside of the 3 day window. However, participants who abuse this leniency frequently may have their Oaths rejected, especially towards the end of the month (i.e. don�t take the picture at the start of the month, then post it just before your completion at the end of the month once you�ve done the painting! This is against the spirit of Oathing and will not be looked upon favourably).

Zark the Damned fucked around with this message at 21:24 on May 11, 2020

# ¿ Apr 29, 2019 14:55

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# ¿ May 21, 2024 04:17

Zark the Damned: Mar 9, 2013

The first three challenges are now up. I'm still working on the rest and will try get them up soon!

# ¿ May 1, 2019 21:22

Zark the Damned: Mar 9, 2013

KingMob posted:

I, KingMob, Oath for May...

Hellboy, Johann, Liz and Abe for the Hellboy Boardgame by Mantic.

Thanks for setting up another great oath thread!

Grey Hunter posted:

I, Grey Hunter, Oath 31 Soviet Infantrymen, 28mm Warlord Games

LazyAngel posted:

I, LazyAngel, oath for May, Dad of Boi, by Klukva Miniatures (around 30mm)
Resemblance to a Sony-copyrighted video game character is, of course *entirely* incidental.

Approved! LazyAngel, how was the casting quality / cleanup on that guy? I've been eyeing up Klukva for a while...

Asmodai_00 posted:

Ah poo poo, I forgot to get a primed mini shot. This is after one color and one wash, and I swear on goon honor I just started him tonight.

I, Asmodai_00, oath for the month of May

One ghoul character/conversion thing.

I hope this is okay to submit

e: Assuming this is accepted; I'd like to call Oath complete.

I was on a bender since this was due for a local competition and wanted to get this proof done before I forgot again. This model needs some more love photography wise but I don't have access to a real setup at the moment.

Unfortunately I have to reject this, the oathing rule is primed, no painting done yet. However it's still early in the month so you have the chance to make another Oath!

# ¿ May 4, 2019 14:04

Zark the Damned: Mar 9, 2013

OK, the rest of the Challenges are now up. Hopefully they're clear enough, if anyone has any queries post them up. Have a good season everyone!

# ¿ May 4, 2019 19:52

Zark the Damned: Mar 9, 2013

I, Zark the Damned, Oath the following for May 2019:

10 Escher Gangers from GW, 28mm

# ¿ May 8, 2019 18:58

Zark the Damned: Mar 9, 2013

Oodles posted:

I Oodles oath one squad of tactical marines. This is my first oath in 7 years. And I apologise for the late upload, I’ve got 4 children and barely have time to poo.

gameraMan posted:

I, gameraMan, oath 1 Griffon for May!

Heartbreaker Miniatures, from 1993 Earthdawn collection. Will do color blending for A smooth start

The last couple seasons of Oaths have really helped keep me motivated to get painting done, thought it would be great if I didn't procrastinate and have to rush things right at the deadline! Still just the total amount of painting I've done as a result has helped me a lot in terms of brush control and maintaining paint consistency. Plus there's a whole lot more painted figs for me to display now! Thanks all -

LazyAngel posted:

Oath Addition! 3 Rashaar slaves, from Carnevale

Zark the Damned posted:

I, Zark the Damned, Oath the following for May 2019:

10 Escher Gangers from GW, 28mm

Ugleb posted:

Curse you KingMob, those are gorgeous!

I Ugleb hereby oath for the month of May, Liz Sherman, Abe Sapian & Johan Krauss with their character busts from Hellboy the Boardgame, by Mantic Games.

Cat Face Joe posted:

I, catfacejoe, oath this spitfire Deva from Corvus Belli for May.

Brock Samsonite posted:

I, Brock Samsonite, Oath some Spooky Ghosts for May

schwein11 posted:

I'm pretty new to the hobby - just started last November and have been working on a 40k Orks army since. I've been eyeing the oath thread since then and want to give it a go.

I, schwein11, Oath to paint six Ork Barricades from Games Workshop for May 2019.

Mikey Purp posted:

I, Mikey Purp oath for the month of May: one Seraphon Bastiladon with Solar Engine from Games Workshop.

Duct Tape posted:

I, Duct Tape, oath for May a Sydonian Dragoon and eight Servo-automata. The Dragoon and Games Workshop and the Servo-automata are Forge World. I'm trying to up my game for model painting this season, so I hope to blast these out and get some addons going.

Ashcans posted:

I, Ashcans, Oath this Reaper Bones Eldritch column for May

Galaspar posted:

For May I, Galaspar, oath a Biologus Putrifier, a Master of Executions and a Plague Surgeon, all by GW

Approved! Welcome to the hobby scwein11, and welcome back to the hobby Oodles.

Also a special announcement, we welcome to Season 10 our fourth judge, Duct Tape, who has now been added to the spreadsheet (which should now be up to date).

# ¿ May 12, 2019 11:43

Zark the Damned: Mar 9, 2013

Ilor posted:

Dammit, Zark, I wish I could quit you. I told myself I was going to take a break from Oathing once the last season ended, but here I am.

I, Ilor, do Oath this unit of ACW Union Cavalry (15mm, Battle Honors):

Grizzled Patriarch posted:

Just finished my first mini and found this thread, so why not! I, Grizzled Patriarch, oath 1 Umber Hulk from Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures in 28mm for the month of May.

Ugleb posted:

With varnish drying, and game night drawing near, it's time for a...

Oath Addition!

Coat-wearing Hellboy, Horny Hellboy, Sweet Pancakes little Hellboy and bust(y) Hellboy! All for Hellboy the Boardgame by Mantic Games

Duct Tape posted:

Oath addition: I oath an additional five Fulgurite Electro-priests for May. These are your standard 28mm scale Games Workshop models.

Doorknob Slobber posted:

I, Doorknob Slobber, Oath to paint the following for May. Amallyn Shadowguide from Blackstone Fortress.

Approved!

Weirdo posted:

I Weirdo Oath 4 Minitaurs from Reaper's Bones 4 KS. The paper shows my planned artistic references.

Approved, I hope you brought some Tartar sauce

# ¿ May 19, 2019 16:36

Zark the Damned: Mar 9, 2013

Oath Complete!

And the gang all together! Claiming A Smooth Start for the various hair blending and the leader's whip, plus Take One for the Team as they're a full gang!

# ¿ May 29, 2019 22:13

Zark the Damned: Mar 9, 2013

OK, May is over, onwards to June!

quote:

June - I don't know whether the weather will be nice
Heavy Rain - Your model should include environmental effects. Possibly they're being buffeted by high winds, struggling through a heatwave, or being drenched by a sudden downpour.
Heavy Damage - Your model should include weathering effects. Maybe the paint's taken a beating from a sandstorm, a gun's discoloured from overuse, or your hero's been wading through a swamp.

# ¿ Jun 1, 2019 12:03

Zark the Damned: Mar 9, 2013

NTRabbit posted:

I CAN STILL MAKE IT

I, NTRabbit, oath to paint in the final hours of May

1 Dragon Hatchling Blue by Reaper (28mm)

Also check it out, worldtimeserver got a facelift

Duct Tape posted:

Another Oath addition: I oath one Corpuscarii Electro-Priest (GW, 28mm) for May. Have a free day today, so I plan on blasting this out in 24 hours for the Need 4 Speed achievement!

LazyAngel posted:

Oath addition! One Rashaar Magus, and two Lesser Ugdru, all from Carnevale

More time than I thought this month.

Mikey Purp posted:

Oath addition: 3 seraphon ripperdactyl riders from Games Workshop (pic was taken last night but I just got around to posting it...hope that's ok).

Doorknob Slobber posted:

Oath Complete:

I'm pretty new to the hobby, but man big pictures really bring out all of your mistakes and things you may not like when you just set it down on the table .

Oath Addition:

ur-205 from Blackstone Fortress is next on the chopping block

Approved (for May). The spreadsheet should now be up to date, please take a look and let me know if I've missed anything! https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nuMunESXXQIzRSQ6ZNeY2ljrNLwtbeKiNemdg8UHDHw/edit?usp=sharing

I'll get the album set up by next weekend, give it a week for people to check if their pics are missing, then it'll be sent for judgement!

# ¿ Jun 1, 2019 15:22

Zark the Damned: Mar 9, 2013

I, Zark the Damned, Oath the following for June 2019:

One Giant Cyclops, 28mm from RBJ Games
6 Dwarf Battle Statues, 28mm from MOM Miniatures

# ¿ Jun 1, 2019 16:22

Zark the Damned: Mar 9, 2013

Speed Painting proof for the Battle Statues. I'll take better pictures when I've completed everything.

# ¿ Jun 2, 2019 00:05

Zark the Damned: Mar 9, 2013

Arson Fire posted:

Been a while since I've done an oath, and I was just about to start on these terminators. So why not.

I, Arson Fire, oath for June six Aquilon Terminators, 28mm, from Games Workshop.

Brock Samsonite posted:

I, Brock Samsonite, For June am Oathing up one hefty lad, a King's Hand from Wyrd Miniatures

Mikey Purp posted:

I, Mikey Purp, oath for the month of June: a Lord Kroak, 32mm from Games Workshop.

spiderbot posted:

First time oathing!

I, spiderbot, oath for June Sonnia Criid and Samael Hopkins, by Wyrd Miniatures, and a converted Purifying Flame (Warhammer skeleton combined with a Reaper fire elemental), all for Malifaux.

Galaspar posted:

For June I , Galaspar, oath Inquisitor Grayfax, plus nine assorted pipe and chimney pieces, two small towers, a large tower, a dome and a bridge

Grey Hunter posted:

I, Grey Hunter, hearby oath 31 WWII Germans, 28mm by Warlord Games.

Ugleb posted:

I Ugleb, hereby oath for the month of June, Rasputin, 'Ragnarok' Rasputin, The Tentacles of Sadu Hem & Giant Frog Monster. All from Hellboy the Boardgame by Mantic Games.

gameraMan posted:

I, gameraMan, oath 1 fireplace and log fire for June!

Reaper bones fireplace.

Including the monthly I don't know whether the weather will be nice, 'heavy damage' for heavy use as a blackened, stained fireplace... that counts, right?

Ashcans posted:

I, Ashcans, oath one Reaper Bones Frost Giant Raider for June