+++E Tenebrae Lux+++

[Captain Semper]

E TENEBRAE LUX

THE DARK ANGELS PAINTING CHALLENGE

http://fortressofunforgiven.homestead.com/DA_Challenge_vs_AM.jpg

THE CHALLENGE

Lords of Mars, Servants of the Machine-God,

Your service to mankind is the greatest of all. Your commitment to the Imperium’s domination of the stars unparalleled! But now, here, can you raise your time-honored war machines? Can you bring forward the TITANS? All eyes have turned to you – will you deliver?

+++THUS DO WE INVOKE THE MACHINE GOD. THUS DO WE MAKE WHOLE THAT WHICH WAS SUNDERED+++

Welcome to E TENEBRAE LUX, the Dark Angels Painting Challenge. This Challenge aims to cultivate faction loyalty and tighten the relations of members of the various forums while getting miniatures painted at the same time. E TENEBRAE LUX is structured quite differently compared to the LPC that many of you might be familiar with. It is designed to play down the inherent disadvantage of low vow-count (that some forums seem to suffer from), evening out as much as possible the chance of victory for all. It also allows for the development of strategies such as to who’s going to paint what, under the coordination of moderators or other active members of your sub-forum. Even a last minute hero might tip the balance!!!

THE RULES

1. ELIGIBLE FORUMS: This challenge involves all the sub-forums that are associated with a Codex officially released by GW. See eligible forums in the “Important Stuff” section below.

2. VOWS: Each participant MUST declare the sub-forum (and hence the Codex to be used) in his/her vow. That’s how his/her allegiance will be defined. You cannot pledge for the Blood Angels sub-forum for example and use Codex: Space Wolves units as your vow. One has to make a choice. This is different from the LPC where people can paint whatever they like and pledge it for whichever forum they like. Here it’s about faction loyalty! So make your choice and support your preferred faction to the bitter end!

3. LEGAL ENTRIES: Each vow should be a legal unit from the chosen Codex. It can be upgraded with any legal upgrades but WYSIWYG is required. An exception is made for dedicated transports that can be entered individually as if they were standalone entries in any Codex. Furthermore Special Characters that are used as squad upgrades can also be entered individually and are worth the “upgrade” points. If in doubt of whether your vow is legal or not, feel free to raise the question (publicly or through PMs) and you will receive the ruling of the Inner Circle before you commit.

4. THE TWIST: EXPANDING THE VOWS: Here is the twist: once the vow is complete, a new vow with additional units can be added but they should also be legal entries from chosen Codex as described above. This new vow must be clearly made according to the same format of the original vow. It should be stressed that the participant is liable for all the vows he makes. Failing one is failing all. So think carefully before stepping-up your commitment, if you fail on the second or subsequent vows all is lost!

5. THE WINNER: The sub-forum with the most points (as per relevant Codex) in the end of the event wins. As simple as that. Those that complete their vows successfully will get an amazing banner declaring their success in the Dark Angels Challenge while those that vowed for the winning forum will get the “Dark Angels Challenge Champions” banner that can wear with pride until the end of their days! Those that fail will be branded with the banner of shame until the year-end!

IMPORTANT STUFF

Timing of the event:

E TENEBRAE LUX opening: May 15th
Vow submission period: May 15th until June 15th at 22:00 GMT
E TENEBRAE LUX ending: August 15 at 22:00 GMT.

The format of the vow should be:

“I [insert name here] answer the challenge of the Unforgiven and vow to complete [insert unit name here] from Codex: [insert Codex name here] of total value [insert point value here] on or before August 15. Success will bring eternal glory to [insert Chapter/Legion/Warband] and failure will doom me to bear the sign of damnation until the year-end”

Eligible Forums:

• Black Templars – Codex: Black Templars
• Blood Angels – Codex: Blood Angels
• Dark Angels – Codex: Dark Angels
• Index Astartes – Codex: Space Marines
• Liber Astartes – Codex: Space Marines
• Space Wolves – Codex: Space Wolves
• Ultramarines – Codex: Space Marines
• ALL Chaos sub-forums – Codex: Chaos Space Marines OR Codex: Chaos Daemons
• Ordos Inquisition – Codex: Grey Knights OR SoBs PDF.
• Adeptus Mechanichus – IMPERIAL TITANS ONLY! (more on that in the Forgeworld section below)

Forgeworld: Forgeworld entries are legal provided it is clearly stated that the unit can be used in the chosen Codex in the 40k context. They worth the points as depicted in the relevant Forgeworld publication. The only exception here is Imperial Titans. For people that want to have a go with Imperial Titans they can legitimately do so if the vow is pledged for Adeptus Mechanicus. That’s the only non-Codex entries that are legal in this Challenge and the only vows that can be pledged on behalf of the Adeptus Mechanicus.

Only two pictures are required – one in the beginning (minis unpainted or primed or in very early stages of painting) and one for the finished vow. You are of course welcome to post as many pictures as you like in your WIP thread – but just two (one at the start and one at the finish) will suffice!

This thread is the “Chapter House” for this event. All vows of this sub-forum should be posted in this very thread in order to be valid. This is also the place to declare vow completions and/or vow renewals. Finally posting your WIP thread links in your vow post will be tremendously helpful! This is a big event guys, so making life easier for me, will help avoid confusion and backs ‘n forths…

You can also use this thread to gauge the progress of your forum (I’ll update often) and compare it with other forums in their respective threads. It will also be a good place to talk to each other as how to go about it, and organize your forum effort.

I am Captain Semper and the Inner Circle has given me command of this event. I’ll be glad to answer any questions as we go along and I will keep track of all forums’ efforts. So I’m the person you need to talk to for anything regarding the procedures of this competition but Moderators still have full control of the Meltas, Flamers and Blades of Reason. And they will gladly use all of them given half a chance...

May the best forum win!

[Captain Semper]

E TENEBRAE LUX – 1st WEEK UPDATE

http://fortressofunforgiven.homestead.com/DA_Challenge_vs_AM.jpg

This is the first weekly update of the ETL Challenge. In this update (and the ones that will follow) I’ll try to compile the overall picture of the ETL and how it’s developing so all can have a quick understanding of the overall situation. So with no further ado and as at 16:00 GMT here’s the situation:

E TENEBRAE LUX – WEEK 1

Black Templars	18	6,451	358
Blood Angels	17	5,878	347
Dark Angels	27	12,020	445
Index Astartes	8	2,075	259
Liber Astartes	3	1,325	442
Space Wolves	12	7,225	602
Ultramarines	5	1,994	399
Chaos	16	4,281	268
Ordos Inquisition	5	1,203	241
Total	111	42,472	383
-	-	-	-
Codex Space Marines	16	5,394	337

Some early comments:

The Dark Angels have the highest number of vows and the highest point-count with significant difference from the second (currently the Wolves). This raises the stakes for the competition. Obviously it’s completed points that will win the day but number of participants also carries significant weight to achieve that. So people need to flock to their favorite forums/Chapters and pledge vows – it’s still early on, everything can change!

The Wolves have highest points/vow ratio and currently they are second in total points pledged. That means that those committed have done so with big vows (in true Wolfish manner), which also entails big risks. It also means that if they maintain their average at 600 they’ll require another 8 participants to reach the pledged points of the DAs (assuming no more DAs submit vows – yeah right!)

Black Templars mean serious business. With fairly high points/vow ratio and some serious commitment they have managed a very respectable 3rd place for far. Look forward to see what else they have stored for us – one has to remember their strong performance in the LPC to realize they are a force to be reckoned with! Well done guys (so far :tu:).

Blood Angels are also strong in the game with the third largest amount of vows. However their points/vow ratio is lower than the Templars and it shows on the total point count. But here we have the Champions of two consecutive LPC’s and a Chapter known for its artistic inclination – so I think there are some Aces in their sleeves yet. What they basically lack is a couple of hefty vows (close or above the 1,000pts mark) to tip the balance.

Chaos is also putting up a fight with 16 participants but they also lack a couple of super vows (something close to 1,000 mark) to bring them at par with the other forums. As it happens is has lowest points/vow ratio among the big players.

Codex Space Marines forums are showing a significant lack of vows among them although from what I’ve seen there is no lack of talent. LA sports a fairly high points/vow ratio but with only 3 vows so far it can be misleading. On the other hand if all the C:SM forums were put together as one the picture would be much more competitive: 5,394pts and 16 vows between them – they are certainly not far from the other forums. Hmmmmmm… see where I’m going with this? ;)

Ordos Inquisiton has an aura of heroism about it. Only 5 vows but very brave to face the challenge of the other mega-forums! Kudos to you purest of soul! You make all of us proud!

Before I conclude this first update I need to make a special mention to the two participants that already completed their vows, namely ZAChos from Index Astartes and Yogi from the Chaos forum. Furthermore ZAChos renewed his vow making him the first participant to raise the stakes! Congrats to both of you guys [but ZAChos is still in the game – so be careful mate! ;)]

[Captain Semper]

E TENEBRAE LUX – 2nd WEEK UPDATE

http://fortressofunforgiven.homestead.com/DA_Challenge_vs_AM.jpg

E TENEBRAE LUX – WEEK 2

Black Templars	24	10,931	455
Blood Angels	26	12,279	472
Dark Angels	33	16,991	515
Index Astartes	16	6,655	416
Liber Astartes	7	5,043	720
Space Wolves	19	12,731	637
Ultramarines	6	2,709	452
Chaos	19	5,625	296
Ordos Inquisition	6	1,633	272
Total	156	74,597	478
-	-	-	-
Codex Space Marines	29	14,407	497

Comments:

The Dark Angels retain the highest number of vows and the highest point-count however the difference with the rest of the forums has narrowed. Still they retain a fairly high points/vow ratio but it is evident that their leading position is challenged from all fronts. They increased their point-count by 30% in the week (5.0k pts).

The Wolves made an impressive effort last week keeping the second position in terms of pledged points increasing last week’s levels by 43% (5.5k pts). They also retain one of the highest points/vow that increased even more compared to last week. This is mainly because of the relatively high density of super-vows (>1,000pts). It appears that the Wolves have an affinity for entering high value vows and they are also very vocal about it! It seems to be a genetic thing... Maybe something that should be looked into?

Blood Angels are the heroes of this week. From a fairly weak position (4th or 5th if we count the Codex Astartes forums together) they climbed to third place overtaking the Black Templars and only a handful of points separating them from the Wolves (around 450pts where the average vow is 470 – so just a vow away from second place). Congratulations guys – the Angels of Blood showed resilience that I guess is a signature trait... Well done. Just to get the measure of effort the Blood Angels increased their pledged points by more than 52% on the week adding 6.4k points the biggest addition of any single forum!

Black Templars continue with their systematic approach to the challenge staying in touch with the top positions but slipping to 4th place with a good 1.3k points behind the Blood Angels. Given their average points/vow it means that, roughly, at this stage they are 3 vows behind... Certainly an easy to cover distance if they don’t slip further -or indeed if the Blood Angels don’t take-off. Still they managed to increase their point count by 41% on the week but adding only 4.4k points. Sorry guys – you need to step-up the effort!

Index Astartes and Liber Astartes are doing a fantastic job! They have increased their vows by 69% and 74%(!) over the week and also increased their points/vow ratio to 416 (from 259) and to 720 (from 442) respectively. However, individually they have a fairly low number of participants (pledged vows). If new blood comes in with vows close the current averages I wouldn’t be surprised to see a change in the top three positions – and a nasty surprise to the “traditional” powers! So guys don’t hold back! Go Liber! …and Index :D

Ultramarines are really lagging. They only added 1 vow in the past week and total points pledged are the second lowest. However the points/vow seems to be at par with the leading forums so again we have lack of numbers not commitment! Someone needs to explain this to me. How come Ultramarines lag in numbers? Seriously guys, pick up your brushes and stand by the XIII Legion!

However if one is to measure the relative weight of the C:SMs in the ranks of B&C one should look at the Codex Space Marines forums as one. In this case, after the second week, they are the 2nd (!) in points pledged; they increased their vows by 62% w-o-w adding a stunning 9k pts the largest addition among all forums and with more than 1.5k pts difference to the Wolves!!!

Chaos has two conflicting characteristics (well a million actually but I won’t go there right now :D) . in terms of vows its right there with the Wolves. In terms points/vow... VERY low!!! (less than 300). What Chaos lacks is a few super-vows (>1,000pts). Without them, their best chance is to wait for others to fail and keep renewing their own... Not a very sound strategy if the leading forum has currently pledged 3x the points they have. So more high-value entries should be the order of the day!

Ordos Inquisiton continue to try to purge the Galaxy on their own! A noble cause and something for all of us to aspire to! Good luck Brothers – continue upon your path of righteousness!

No Titans yet... :(

So now we enter week 3 of the competition. Good luck to all and remember: After June 15th NO NEW ENTRANTS will be allowed. The teams would be set! So take the vow now or stay on the bench to watch your Brothers fight it out!

Good luck to all!

[Captain Semper]

E TENEBRAE LUX – 3rd WEEK UPDATE

http://fortressofunforgiven.homestead.com/DA_Challenge_vs_AM.jpg

Well, this is the conclusion of the third week of E TENEBRAE LUX! So far all forums combined have vowed in excess of 100k points between them with almost 200 participants so far. We’ve also seen some vows getting completed already, but it’s still very early in the challenge to draw any meaningful conclusions. Now that we enter the last week before the gates are closed I would like to alert people to that fact. So:

THIS IS THE LAST WEEK FOR NEW ENTRANTS! AFTER THAT THE TEAMS OF EACH FORUM WILL BE SET – NO NEW REINFORCEMENTS WILL BE ALLOWED!

This is very important guys. The more people each forum has in its arsenal the higher the chances of victory! Even if individual people complete tons of points, ultimately all of us have limitations stemming from real life obligations, money, and drive/morale reserves… And when one might think has done his bit for his faction after say, three vows and 1,200 points, another guy from another forum that has kept silent all this time might tip the balance with a single mini entry of 140 pts… :) Trust me, it will happen! :)

So join the ranks now while new entrants are still allowed, even with small vows – just to make sure you will be there when your Chapter/Legion/Warband calls for you!!!

Another significant topic I’d like to raise:

ALL THREE “CODEX: SPACE MARINE” SUB-FORUMS (IA, LA, UM) WILL BE TREATED AS ONE WHERE TOTAL POINTS ARE CONCERNED. IN EFFECT THEY WILL BECOME ONE FACTION FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS CHALLENGE

How will this work? First of all let me say that each forum will retain its standalone identity and I will continue to monitor their progress individually. This way the relative weight of each C:SM sub-forum within the new structure will be immediately visible and honor will go where it’s due! The total points of each C:SM sub- forum will be added together in each weekly report (pretty much as is the case now) and it is this amount of points the other forums must compete against. In case they win, all participants that have completed their vows successfully from all three sub-forums will earn the right to carry the badge of the E TENEBRAE LUX Champion!

I believe this is the fairest way to show how strong the Codex: Space Marines is within the B&C community. It will also give a real fighting chance to IA, LA and UMs to win this – and probably increase participation! ;)

So with no further ado here are the 3rd Week standings:

E TENEBRAE LUX – WEEK 3

Black Templars	26	33	14,171	429
Blood Angels	33	35	16,736	478
Dark Angels	44	46	24,016	522
Codex Space Marines	36	37	19,822	551
Space Wolves	23	24	17,792	741
Chaos	25	26	8,097	311
Ordos Inquisition	11	13	4,146	319
Total	198	214	104,780	529
Index Astartes	17	18	7,430	413
Liber Astartes	9	9	6,438	715
Ultramarines	10	10	5,954	595

Please note that following the deadline of June 15th the above table will also start to show completed points per faction for easier track record. Until then the amount of completed points will be mentioned in each forum’s individual comment below:

Comments:

The Dark Angels retain first position in pledged vows for the 3rd week running, increasing their point-count by 30%. The most important feat though was the increase of vows vs. the second largest forum (Codex: Space Marines) from 4 last week to 9 this week. They also had the first couple of small completions totaling 235pts. So far Dark Angels appear to be in the best position overall: more vows, more total points, average point/vow! The latter is important as it shows that their effort is not overly reliant to super-vows but risk is more spread out.

The Wolves made an even more frantic effort in increasing their point total (+28% w-o-w) and a small amout of completions of 275. However they continue to suffer from relatively low numbers and this is reflected in their monstrous points/vow ratio of 741!!! The means their reliance to super-vows is high and unless they build up their numbers (more vows that is) they run a serious risk of running out of options in the final stages of the Challenge. So c’mon Space Wolves, bring in the full might of the Rout before it’s too late! Remember: one week to go before the gates close!

Blood Angels also increased their point-total by a substantial 27% this week and sport a respectable 33 participants. They also managed to complete a few more points compared to the DAs and the SWs at 1,565. However if they want to challenge the Dark Angels in the long term (this is a challenge, remember?) they have to do more on the new entrants front. They are in a good position right now but this last week would be critical in order to close the difference. What they need is add new vows that will bring their total points/vow ratio closer to the average that currently stands at 550. So any new vow (by new I mean totally new not renewed) should come at above their current average of 478. No need for super-vows here, anything in the 500-600pts bracket will do! You guys stand a good chance to win this – don’t run out of steam now!!!

Black Templars have gone into a completion frenzy! With 7 completions (some in their fourth vow already) they managed 1,995pts this week. Good, I hear you say. Well, not really... We are still in the phase where forming the final teams is more important than scoring completions and on this front the Black Templars seem to have run out of steam. With only 2 more new vows this week and the total of pledged points increasing only 22% (mostly on renewals of existing participants) the BTs are in a precarious position. Having their average point/vow slip by 26 points (the only forum where the size of the average vow declined w-o-w) does not help much either as they now face the real possibility to be left behind. Unless you guys can continue to complete vows with your current rate until mid August, you’ll really need to bring in new blood! Think of it. 7 completions produced a bit less than 2k pts. The BAs with only 3 managed almost 1.6k. Food for thought.

Codex Forums have the second largest amount of vows and points pledged so far. The biggest contribution is made by the Index Astartes forum (37% of total points vowed) and the smallest by the Ultramarines forum (30% of total points vowed). More interestingly their avearge vow is virtually spot-on the average of the whole Challenge which means the Codex forums are not overly reliant to few super-vows but (much like the DAs) have diversified their risk. They sport only 85pts completed so far but this early on this is of secondary importance. However adding vows in the last week is of crucial importance in you guys want to remain on top! A moment of laxity... you know how it goes...

Chaos is seriously behind in total points, number of vows and size of average vow (the latter is the lowest in the challenge currently). I think that the dated CSM range combined with recent rumors of imminent release of the new Codex (and minis) is making people less inclined to commit big at this time. The answer to that is: commit small!!! Forget about average points or indeed total points – just focus on total vows – that way you will have an army of painters standing by. What do you have to lose? To paint an old style single mini? A small basic squad? Nothing important. But if your new Codex is released within the life-time of E TENEBRAE LUX then you will be able to vow again – this time with tons of stuff – reversing the fortunes of war when the rest of the forums least expect it. But for this to work you need the adequate resources i.e. manpower! If you do not have the number of vows, come what may, you will never threaten the leading forums. So... FOR THE DARK GODS!!!

Ordos Inquisition have increased their points by 61% (!) the highest among all forums although admittedly from a low base. Still they managed to have good representation for both GK AND SoBs despite the expensive in $ terms nature of the latter. Keep going guys – your lonely path to the Emperor’s light is an inspiration to all!!!

Still no Titans yet...

Overall, at the end ot the 3rd week of the Challenge we have almost 200 participants and 105k points pledged! This is great guys. Now remember:

THIS IS THE LAST WEEK FOR NEW ENTRANTS! IT’S NOW OR NEVER


Good luck to all!

[Captain Semper]

E TENEBRAE LUX – 4th WEEK UPDATE

http://www.fortressoftheunforgiven.com/DA_Challenge_Sands_of_Time_Hi_Res.jpg

So now with the 4th Week of the E TENEBRAE LUX behind us we are approaching the crucial point of June 15th. From then onwards no NEW entrants will be allowed. The teams in each forum will be set. No reinforcements will be forthcoming and the brave warriors that took the oath will be on their own until the end on August 15th. So to those of you that are hanging on the balance, make a step forward, reveal yourselves, make the vow and support your brothers that have already committed in this Challenge! Only a few days left… Come Friday the doors will be closed – never to open up again!!!

Another thing to take into account is that no modifications or changes of any kind on existing vows will be allowed after June 15th, no withdrawals and no changing of sides. Those that are in are in for the duration of the Challenge and are liable for their vows. Failure to complete will warrant the Badge of Shame! New vows will allowed provided previous vows are declared complete.

So come Friday the situation would have crystallized, people will know who is on their team and strategies might start to form. There are the fast painters and those that have substantial stash that could add new vows at will. Those that have vast vows that will probably keep them busy to the end of Challenge in mid-August and those that can step in with quick ones to give the edge to their faction!

Also a reminder:

ALL THREE “CODEX: SPACE MARINE” SUB-FORUMS (IA, LA, UM) WILL BE TREATED AS ONE WHERE TOTAL POINTS ARE CONCERNED. IN EFFECT THEY WILL BECOME ONE FACTION FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS CHALLENGE

While the progress of each forum will be monitored individually their total completed points will be added together and this would be the amount of points other forums will have to compete against! Should they win all three forums will have the honor to carry the badge of the Champion!

So here are the 4th Week standings:

E TENEBRAE LUX – WEEK 4

Black Templars	31	39	17,580	451
Blood Angels	39	41	21,187	517
Dark Angels	57	61	31,992	524
Codex Space Marines	43	44	26,594	618
Space Wolves	29	31	20,595	664
Chaos	30	33	12,447	377
Ordos Inquisition	12	15	4,611	307
Total	241	264	135,036	560
Index Astartes	21	22	11,752	534
Liber Astartes	11	11	7,463	678
Ultramarines	11	11	7,379	671

Please note that following the deadline of June 15th the above table will also start to show completed points per faction for easier track record. Until then the amount of completed points will be mentioned in each forum’s individual comment below:

Comments:

The Dark Angels really set new standards this week adding 13(!) new vows and almost 8k points. This puts them firmly in the lead of the Challenge with some clear distance from the second. Completions are still sparse with only 755 points completed so far. However they certainly have the edge right now because the main issue until June 15th is to get new vows in. And the DAs excel in that!

The Wolves also tried to add new vows with some success (+6 on the week) and also increased their completions to 1,380pts. But in the big picture they are in dire straights. With only 29 vows the weight upon those that have committed is too heavy. Their very large vows and monstrous points/vow ratio manage to keep in the game (4th in terms of points pledged) but small vow-count will show its ugly face in the later part of the Challenge. Will they manage to increase participation before the doors close? Or will the few carry the honor of the many on their shoulders? You have enough time to get people in – but you need to move fast. If you manage to get just 10 more people in combined with your legendary high point vows victory will be within your grasp!

Blood Angels are currently among the favorites. Plain and simple. Only third in vows and points and fairly close to the second place they are very well positioned to jump forward as the Challenge gradually matures… But be careful – if you do not maintain a flow of new participants it’ll be very easy to run out of steam come July and then it’ll be almost impossible to reverse the situation. You really need to add as many new entrants as possible before Friday’s deadline so you’ll get more options later on! The BAs managed to complete 1,920 pts so far.

Black Templars have managed to reach 31 participants in total (+5 on the week) but are now in a challenging position. Unless they bring in reinforcements in the form of new vows (at least 10 more), they’ll have to significantly raise their points/vow ratio to above Wolf levels – and that is saying something. Then again accepting challenges is what the BTs do for a living so maybe that’s for the best. :lol: But seriously the more new vows you bring in your chances increase exponentially! Focus on new recruits while there is still time and leave completions for later! On the positive side, the BTs currently sport the highest amount of completions at 2,260pts

Codex Forums continue their proud trajectory to the top! They have the second highest amount of participants, the second highest amount of new additions and the second highest amount of pledged points. They appear to be are doing alright on all fronts, but will it be enough? There is only one Champion and the second best is as good as last! Also the BAs are closing in aggressively so there is certainly no comfort in their position. The last few days may prove enough to topple them from second place unless they secure it by maintaining momentum in terms of new additions. Keep the engines running guys! The only completions so far is 220pts, but at this stage this is of fairly low importance. This week Index Astartes retained the largest contribution to the combined effort with 44% of total points pledged with the other two forums equally contributing 28% each.

Chaos stepped-up its effort in line with the SWs and the BTs retaining similar levels of vows. In terms of points however they are significantly behind, a phenomenon that is attributed to the expectation of the rumored new Chaos Codex. However, if this proves to be false, you guys will be missing out on the opportunity to support the Dark Gods in this challenge for no reason… If on the other hand it proves correct and you have not committed by Friday you will again miss the opportunity to participate – only this time you’ll probably have new fancy minis and huge appetite to start new projects. So play safe, join the ETL with small vows if this is how you feel and you get the option to raise the stakes later! If you’re not in by Friday, you are not in at all! Chaos had some completions already as well to a total of 1,601 pts.

Ordos Inquisition added another participant this week and another renewed vow. Their total completions are a 693pts and they stand defiant in the face of the First Legion! They follow their lonely path to the Emperor’s light and woe to those that will stand in their way! Keep walking guys – you’re making all of us proud! :(

The Mechanicum remains silent.

So the 4th week is over… The total participation has been breathtaking so far and more is yet to happen! Overall there are 241 participants having pledged almost 135k points so far! This is fantastic and very promising for the later parts of the Challenge where competition is expected to climb steeply!!! :P

As we approach the deadline I would appreciate if all participants check that their vows are correctly entered and make sure they make any final adjustments. Recall that after the 15th NO CHANGES IN THE VOWS WILL BE ALLOWED. One can always make new vows ONCE the previous ones are declared complete but no change in the vows will be allowed once it is submitted.


THIS IS THE LAST OPPORTUNITY FOR NEW ENTRANTS! ON FRIDAY THE DOORS WILL BE CLOSED FOR EVER


Good luck to all!

[Captain Semper]

E TENEBRAE LUX – JUNE 15TH UPDATE

http://www.fortressoftheunforgiven.com/DA_Challenge_End_of_Time.jpg

+++ IN THE GRIM DARKNESS OF THE FAR FUTURE THERE IS ONLY WAR+++

E TENEBRAE LUX has just completed its first month in what can only be described as a resounding success. With almost 300 participants and more than 165k points pledged so far between all forums this is a moment for all of us to feel proud! Congratulations to every one for your commitment and enthusiasm! Now the number of participants is fixed, the teams for each forum are formed and those that have committed carry the responsibility to drive their faction to new heights of glory and honor! Remember that from now on NO NEW ENTRANTS AND NO MODIFICATIONS TO SUBMITTED VOWS ARE ALLOWED!

So the initial enthusiasm must now gradually give way to reflection and longer term planning so that each forum maximizes their chances to come on top. Some forums (BTs, BAs & SWs) have already threads in place that discuss the recruitment phase; now these same threads could continue to serve as Strategiums where each forum will be discussing their strategy, allocate specific tasks to team members and share intelligence from other forums strategies and progress. I strongly recommend that all forums utilize such methods as not only they’ll help on a practical level – they also help to maintain moral and ongoing drive in what is essentially a marathon – not a sprint!

To be a bit more specific, here is the situation as it stands now in the form of the familiar table of the previous weekly updates:

E TENEBRAE LUX – JUNE 15TH

Black Templars	53	64	29,911	467
Blood Angels	46	51	26,997	529
Dark Angels	65	69	36,102	523
Codex Space Marines	47	49	30,309	619
Space Wolves	36	40	25,654	641
Chaos	36	39	13,819	354
Ordos Inquisition	13	17	5,061	298
Total	296	329	167,833	510
Index Astartes	23	24	13,267	553
Liber Astartes	13	14	9,663	690
Ultramarines	11	11	7,379	671

From the table above one can easily see the relative sizes of the teams for each forum. However the number of participants is only one parameter for the final success. The commitment of the various forums will now be reflected in the size of the average vow (as new vows will be coming in) and of course the completion rate, i.e. what percentage of the pledged points that are completed! These two metrics will be crucial as people will be able to decide on what sort of size of new vows they should be aiming and how far behind (or ahead) each forum is in achieving its maximum potential! This is going to be interesting as there are no constants! Both the number of vows and the number of points are variables so get ready for a lot of fun!!!

In order to monitor the situation better, and since the number of participants is now fixed, I’m going to introduce a new table in the weekly updates (next one will be coming in next Monday or Tuesday) the format of which can be seen below:

E TENEBRAE LUX – JUNE 15TH

Black Templars	64	29,911	467	3,821	13%
Blood Angels	51	26,977	529	2,925	11%
Dark Angels	69	36,102	523	755	2%
Codex Space Marines	49	30,309	619	220	1%
Space Wolves	40	25,654	641	3,078	12%
Chaos	39	13,819	354	2,116	15%
Ordos Inquisition	17	5,061	298	1,563	31%
Total	329	167,833	510	14,478	9%
Index Astartes	24	13,267	553	85	1%
Liber Astartes	14	9,663	690	135	1%
Ultramarines	11	7,379	671	0	0%

So now the average vow and the overall completion rate will be visible each week. Furthermore the first page table will be updated frequently (the aim here is to have at least one daily update) so people can see completions and calculate rates on their between the “official” weekly updates.


Comments:

The Dark Angels appear to be in a good position. They have the largest team which certainly gives considerably more options especially as the Challenge progresses. Their average vow is slightly above the average of the ETL denoting that they are not overly reliant on few super-vows adding to their flexible outlook. This combined with the highest amount of pledged points puts the DAs among the favorites to win. Where they obviously lag at the moment is completions as their completion ratio is a meager 2%. Given the early phase of the Challenge this is not too worrying... yet!

The Wolves present the opposite picture. The second lowest participation (AT PAR WITH Chaos) and the highest average vow mean a high reliance on super-vows and makes for an unstable mix in the long run. This means that a few braves will have to tirelessly continue to vow even after their first (huge) vows are completed! The fairly high completion rate of 12% this early in the challenge also underlines the effect of the high point average vows... Do they have the stamina to keep going? Well, if not the Wolves then who?

Blood Angels have made a very decent appearance. With 46 participants and an average vow of close to the competition average they are excellently positioned to make a serious attempt for victory. They have a relatively high completion rate for this stage of the Challenge of 11% which means they are a formidable opponent. Add to that their legacy as the painting forum (twice LPC Champions is not to be taken lightly) and you have a solid contestant for the Champion title! Well done guys!

Black Templars went crazy. Let me explain: They have the second highest number of participants (53) of which 22(!) pledged a vow after last Tuesday’s weekly update. These are the most vows added in a single week by any forum, and it was not even a full week – rather 3.5 days is more like it... And that’s not all. They have managed the most completions (some of them are in their 5th vow already) and have a respectable completion rate already at 13%. Their average vow is lower than the average though which means they will have at some point to pledge more, Emperor’s Champions alone won’t cut it...

Codex Forums are a strange mix. Their total participants match those of the BAs which is very encouraging but their average vow is significantly higher than the Challenge average – that means many participants and many with high value vows as opposed to the Wolves that have few participants with high value vows. As a result, at present, the Codex forums have the second highest points value pledged. This is going to be the most interesting faction to watch because it can go both ways: either people get tired of their large vows and lose momentum, or their high participation will kick in and win the day! Hmmm... We just have to wait and see.

Chaos made some last minute additions but the bottom line is they are few (at par with the Wolves) and with a very low average vow. Frankly they will have to do something if they want to challenge the title of the Champion. And since bring in more participants is no longer an option they’ll have to significantly raise the value of their vows... If rumors of an imminent new Chaos Codex prove correct it might be the catalyst they’ll require to really get their engines going!

Ordos Inquisition is the outsider. They are few but they are committed! They currently sport the highest completion rate with an astounding 31%! They sure are a source of inspiration for all! Keep it up guys!

The Mechanicum declined the challenge altogether.


So remember: NO MORE NEW ENTRANTS, NO MORE MODIFICATIONS ON VOWS!


So until the next weekly update, farewell and good luck to all!

[feifei]

Sorry , i don't understand what you said.

[Captain Semper]

Hi feifei,

 

I just saw your post. Let me explain to you briefly what's going on:

 

On May 15 a painting competition was launched by the Inner Circle - a shadowy organization of the Dark Angels forum. This Challenge was issued from the DA forum to all other forums that have an official Codex associated with them. Each participant must "vow" to paint a unit or units from the Codex of their preference and add-up the points value. In the end of the Challenge (on August 15th) the forum with the most points win! You can find the rules in the first post of this thread.

 

The Adeptus Mechanicus forum does not have a Codex associated with it. There are however models provided by Forgeworld that are Machanicus, namely: TITANS! So in order to be all-inclusive, we decided to allow the Adeptus Machanicus forum to participate too, but only if they are to pledge Titans. Note that no other sub-forum is allowed to enter Apocalypse-only units.

 

Now, participants had until June 15th to declare their commitment (i.e make their vow). Those that didn't make it are not allowed in anymore (we left a month open for sign-up period :) ) and since noone from the Mechanicum forum vowed to get a Titan done, I chose the dramatic words that Mechanicum "declined" the Challenge.

 

Frankly I did not expect anyone to take a vow to build and paint a Titan in 3 months so i'm not really surprised. Other forums made significant commitments though and you can see the developments in my weekly reports or visit the E TENEBRAE LUX threads in each forum (remember only in those forums that have a Codex associated with them are involved).