Paint Roulette Invitational Round 4 Sign Ups Open!

My friends, it. IS. TIME! for the Paint Roulette Invitational, the PRI, gratefully sponsored by Fortress Miniatures & Games and Darkest Star Games. Fortress is a long-time sponsor of the PRI and the premier online, one-stop destination for all of your Battletech and other wargaming hobby needs. Darkest Star Games is the only place to get the hands-down coolest 6mm infantry models in the world, my very favorites, and a whole lot more microscale goodness besides. Show them both some love and check out their sites and socials.

Our Sponsors

Alumni, welcome back. For you new people the Paint Roulette Invitational is not so much a contest as it is an event, a challenge. No judges, just for fun and experimentation, hanging out on Discord or Facebook alongside other hobby heroes who are participating. In the event, you’ll get a random theme and a random palette to interpret however you want on the model of your choice.

Get it done on time, submit it, and get entered for a raffle prize provided by our sponsors. That’s it! We’ve got lots of great stuff coming, including BattleTech forcepacks and salvage boxes from Fortress, and a ton of spectacular metal infantry from Darkest Star. Note the raffle will be done publicly on a random picker app after the event is a wrap, and I am not eligible for any of the prizes. 

Sign Up Here!

If you want in, sign up today at this link: https://forms.gle/3UZBDuXtgSd7f1AU6

There is no fee to enter! I’ll email you back with links to the Discord and/or Facebook groups in the coming days afterward. Signups are open for the next 10 days from the time this post goes live, and I reserve the right to close them early if there is a torrent of people. The event will run for 30 days after the sign-ups close, plenty of time to finish one mini even at a leisurely pace. Participants and would-be participants, ask any questions in the comments section of the YouTube video or email me directly via the address at the bottom of the blog’s About page.

Rules and Guidelines

Below is everything you need to know about the proceedings:

1. Models. Chosen models are to be microscale and sci-fi themed. 10mm or smaller ideally, 12mm at the absolute max. Use any commercial, kitbashed or scratch-built mini you want. BattleTech or BT-compatible minis are traditional for the PRI, but you can use anything you want as long as it’s sci-fi themed. Mechs, robots, tanks, planes, ships, boats, infantry, whatever. Please don’t use a Lego man, or something made from cigarette butts or toenail clippings. Standards, people!

2. Finish it. Painted, based and basing done to whatever your personal standard is (base and basing optional for models that stand or sit flat on their own). Go as simple or as intricate as you want. Decals and additional markings are totally at your discretion, and such minority elements don’t need to conform to your theme or palette.

3. Theme and colorway criteria. There is broad latitude for your interpretation of your assigned theme and colorway. This is intentional. Example: Blocks could be big and chunky ala Berlin Brigade camo, or smaller digital pixels if you are a complete lunatic. Or something else entirely! See the notes by each on the assignment lists below for more insights.

4. Assignments. I will roll for each participant and let you know what your results are. You do not pick your own. There are no do-overs because an assignment seems hard or contradictory. That’s part of the fun! Roll with it, and ask fellow participants for inspiration. Assignments will be posted with your name in either Discord or Facebook once you get into the groups. If you do not participate on either platform, I will email them to you. 

5. Alumni re-rolls. In the interest of variety, if PRI alumni roll either of your results from the previous round, you can reroll one or both results if desired. The second assignment will stand.

6. Submissions. Once you are done, you must take 3 to 5 nice photos of your finished piece and email them to me. That will earn entry into the raffle drawing. Submission email will be provided to participants later.

7. Use of participant photos. I reserve the right to share photos of participants’ completed works here on my YouTube channel and elsewhere on the internet or in print to promote future events. I am happy to share any relevant socials or other contact info of participants in kind. See the relevant spot on the signup form to provide links to your socials if desired.

8. Sharing projects. Wherever you share your projects on social media, do me a big favor and please link to the channel and tag or mention “Paint Roulette Invitational” or “PRI”. Not mandatory, but I really appreciate it and it will help grow the event going forward. Note to alumni, there is no social media embargo regarding the deadline; share WIP or complete work at your leisure, go crazy!  

9. Interactions. Participation does not mandate interaction with other participants on social media platforms. If you do participate, mind your manners and keep all interactions focused on the event and projects at hand. Behave as if you were an invited guest in my home among other guests. Be constructive and supportive. Offer critiques of others’ works only if explicitly asked for. Take any off-topic inquiries to DMs or elsewhere. Groups will be monitored.

10. Coordinator veto. I will unilaterally disqualify any project or eject any participant that I consider inflammatory, subversive or disruptive, be it done deliberately or otherwise. Things that I consider patently inflammatory include but are not limited to real-world political or ideological statements during what should be a fun and pleasant event. It’s my island.

And that’s all you need to know. Head to that signup link if you haven’t already, or email directly with questions. I hope you all sign up, and I am looking forward to spending some time at the hobby bench with you!

Round 4 Themes and Colorways

Theme

Rolling on 1D12

1. Spots – Circles, dots, spheres, etc.

2. Fade – One or more colors shifting to others.

3. Blobs – Irregular blobs and patches of color.

4. Blocks – Squares, rectangles, cubes, etc.

5. Lines – Just what it says. One or more lines, parallel or not.

6. Camo – Just what it says. Pick or make a pattern and use your colors.

7. Dazzle – Eye-melting explorations of an evolutionary cul-de-sac in camo theory. I’m praying for you.

8. Animal Print – Wildlife-inspired patterns. Mammals, fish, birds, insects, reptiles, etc. 

9. Worn and Weathered – Beat and batter your model good and hard. Rust, grime, wear, streaking, scrapes, mud, burns, damage, etc.

10. Stencilled – Checkers, quadrants, tessellations, tri-color, bi-color and other liveries or distinct graphical embellishments.

11. Inked – Flames, bones, thorns, tribal motifs, and any other sort of pattern or iconography you’d expect to see on a reasonably tasteful if ill-advised tattoo.

12. Junkyard – Paint the majority of your model in the assigned colorway. Pick a few parts and paint them differently. Rusty, bare metal, different colors, etc.  

Colorway

Rolling on 1D12

1. Desert – Any colors suitable for use in desert environments.

2. Woodland – M81 and OD enjoyers rejoice.

3. Jungle – Emerald greens and other conceivably tropical tones

4. Urban – Grays, black, dusty brown, white, etc. 

5. Arctic – Frigid white, pale gray, frosty blue, anything that says “cold.”

6. Basic – Pick a color. Use only shades and tints of it.

7. Lore – Pick a major or minor faction of your choice, one belonging to the lore of your model’s game system or universe, IP and use those colors.

8. Two-Tone – Pick two complimentary colors. Use those.

9. Foundry – Chrome, steel, iron, bronze, brass, verdigris, aluminum. Molten slag. Anything that says “metal”.

10. Hazard – Think heavy equipment manufacturers. Vivid, contrasting oranges, yellows, greens, reds, etc. Tones that will say “danger” in every language.

11. Oceanic – Bright, clear beachy tones, or dark and unsettling shades from the briny deep. Blues, greens, white foam, tans, yellow, etc.

12. Galactic – A cosmic palette of black, deep blues, purples, silver, gold, etc. Or anything else that evokes the vastness and mystery of space.