ETL VII =][= E Tenebrae Lux VII =][=

[Captain Semper]

B&C-20

THE INNER CIRCLE PRESENTS:

Captain Semper sat at his command throne in the Lion’s Will Strategium looking at the array of screens in front of him. He heard the heavy boots of Interrogator Chaplain Javert approaching. Simultaneously, the stern voice of the Grand Master came alive in the vox:
- Has the Master of the Arsenal arrived yet, Semper?
Captain Semper looked nervously at Javert who in turn nodded. He returned to the vox.
- Yes, Grand Master, he’s has.
- So, you got your reinforcements as you requested. Good. That’s all. Carry on.
The vox went silent. Semper turned to Javert once again.
- So, he’s here then?
- The Master of the Arsenal is indeed here my Lord
- You know Javert, his troops call him the Smasher of Grots. Did you know that? Emperor knows how many of those little pests he has exterminated…
- The Grot Smasher’s reputation precedes him Lord Captain. We are all well aware of who the 3^rdMaster is.
- OK, Javert, let him wait no longer. Invite him in and let the carnage begin!

WELCOME TO ETL VII

Welcome to ETL VII!

This is the 7^thincarnation of the event and since neither the 40k hobby nor the B&C structure has changed structurally since last year, the ETL also remains largely the same. I would like to take this opportunity to mention that @Grotsmasha, the Inner Circle’s Master of the Arsenal is responsible of this year’s fantastic imagery. I think his work does credit to the illustrious history of the ETL and we’re proud to have him on board!

This year we’re also celebrating the 20^thAnniversary of B&C – yes, it’s been 20 years already and things are looking even more promising for the future!

B&C: 20 years and going strong!

Suffice to say the glory to be gained for winning this ETL will be unparalleled and will be forever written in the annals of the ETL! In short, this is BIG!

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To make reading the rules, a less intimidating affair, I’m organising them in distinct posts, so frater can easily access them and refer to them throughout the event.

You can find the links to individual topics below:

OVERVIEW OF ETL VII / THE TIMING OF ETL VII / THE RULES OF ETL VII: INTRODUCTION
RULE 1: FORUMS & FACTIONS
RULE 2: VOWS
RULE 3: AWARDS
CAPTAIN SEMPER’S NOTES
APPENDIX A: LINKS TO FORUM OUTPOSTS
APPENDIX B: IMPORTANT STUFF
APPENDIX C: FAQs
APPENDIX D: THE SPIRIT OF THE ETL

[Captain Semper]

OVERVIEW OF ETL VII

E TENEBRAE LUX (ETL) is an open-for-all event that aims to motivate the frater to build-up their armies in solid blocks in an environment of friendly competition while cultivating frater interaction within individual forums as well as on a cross-forum level. ETL is designed to play down the inherent disadvantage of low traffic for some forums, setting a number of goals to keep everyone motivated and levelling out as much as possible the chance of victory for all.

The challenge is to paint, to the best of your ability, game-legal units for your preferred army over a three-month period.

The rewards come in two broad categories: personal and collective ones. On a personal level everyone who completes his/her vows will receive the “Custos Fidei”, the ETL badge of honour – a glorious distinction as veterans of previous ETLs can testify as well as other badges of individual achievement. On a collective level, there are a number of rewards with the most eminent one reserved for the Forum that has the highest ETL score which will become “Dominus Exercitus” i.e. the ETL VII Champion!

For the newcomers, brace yourselves for the juggernaut that is the ETL, and for the grizzled veterans: welcome back!

THE TIMING OF ETL VII

OPENING DATE: June 1^st , 2019

DEADLINE FOR ENTERING: July 1^st , 2019 @ 17:00 GMT. Participation is declared by submitting your first vow.

ENDING: September 1^st , 2019 @ 17:00 GMT

All participants MUST make their first vow by July 1^st (17:00 GMT) the latest. People that have not submitted a vow by July 1 ^st cannot participate in this year’s ETL except as an out-of-competition entry.

It goes without saying that the final deadline will be strictly observed, so make sure you get your final touches done on time, to avoid disappointment.

IMPORTANT NOTE: SET YOUR CLOCK RIGHT: Please note that GMT does not change from winter to summer time. Also note that deadlines will be strictly observed and the only clock that counts is the B&C clock!

THE RULES OF THE ETL: INTRODUCTION

Before we start I would like to mention a few things:

1. All 40k units pledged in the ETL must have updated 8^thEdition data sheets.
2. All Horus Heresy units pledged in the ETL must come from the FW official publications (experimental PDFs in FW’s site also count).
3. Points discrepancies between Horus Heresy and 40k for similar (or even the same) units is a hard fact of life and nothing can be done about it.
4. Participants must choose a single Forum and stay with it for the entire duration of the event and they can never change it. Once the decision is made, that’s it, there is no looking back!
5. All Forums are grouped in larger groups called the “Factions” based on theme, B&C structure and ETL traditions (not to be mistaken with the official 40k factions).

There are only three (3) simple rules to follow:

1. RULE 1: FORUMS & FACTIONS
2. RULE 2: VOWS
3. RULE 3: AWARDS

Please read carefully, seasoned ETL veterans and newcomers alike are advised to have a thorough look.

[Captain Semper]

RULE 1: FORUMS & FACTIONS

FORUMS

The Forums are the interface between real-life and the B&C internet community. B&C forums, that relate to the ETL, generally correspond to a Codex, although in some cases many armies are grouped together based on theme or discussion traffic as, in some cases, it may not justify an individual forum for them. We’re going to refer to those Forums as “multi-army” ones.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CHOOSE ONE FORUM FOR THE ENITRE EVENT

Participants will have to choose a Forum and stick with it until the end of the event. Participants cannot change Forums during the event for any reason! All the points derived from their vows will be allocated to their chosen Forum – all of them. The Progress of each Forum will be recorded on a weekly basis i.e. the “Weekly Report” and will be linked in the Outpost threads (see “Forum Outposts” below).

Forum Outposts

Each Forum has a dedicated ETL thread called the [Forum] Outpost. This is where vows for each Forum are placed, progress pics are posted, advice is offered and received and even some friendly banter and espionage may take place. More importantly, this is where completions are declared and weekly updated will be posted.

In the Outpost threads there will also be a detailed catalogue of army lists containing the Units that can be used by any particular Forum.

FACTIONS

Factions are groups of Forums put together based on theme, B&C structure and ETL tradition. These are the “Big Teams” of the ETL. The performance of each Faction will also be recorded on a weekly basis in the Weekly Reports which will be linked to each Forum Outpost for quick reference.

There are five (5) Factions in the ETL:

• Adeptus Astartes
• Forces of the Imperium (IFOR)
• Realm of Chaos
• Xenos
• Age of Darkness (AoD)

Here’s a list of the Forums within each Faction and the links to their “Outpost “threads:

+Adeptus Astartes Faction+

This Faction consists of the following Forums:

• Space Marines
• Blood Angels
• Dark Angels
• Space Wolves

IMPORTANT NOTE: STANDING ARMIES & AGENCIES

We have taken the view that Grey Knights and Deathwatch are more akin to Imperial Agencies rather than the standard, “against all-comers”, Astartes Chapters given their narrow mandate and close links to the Inquisition. Furthermore it bides well the tradition of the ETL and the history of the B&C back in the day where the Inquisition forums were around. As such, and for the purposes of the ETL, Grey Knights and Deathwatch will be in the IFOR Faction (and boosting IFOR is never a bad thing).

Details of what Units are available for each Forum can be found in the relevant Forum Outposts (links provided above).

+Forces of the Imperium (IFOR) Faction+

This Faction consists of the following Forums:

• Adepta Sororitas
• Adeptus Mechanicus
• Astra Militarum
• Agents of the Imperium
• Deathwatch
• Grey Knights

IMPORTANT NOTE: THE MIGHT OF THE IMPERIUM

Participants who pledge for any IFOR Forum (called: “Forum of Preference”) will also have the option to pledge units that correspond to any other IFOR Forum. However, the units from other IFOR Forums may never be more than the units stemming from the Forum of Preference. It goes without saying that participants may never change their Forum of Preference and all the points of all their vows will count towards the total of the Forum of Preference (i.e. will NOT split points between Forums on a per unit basis).

EXAMPLE:

Participant A chooses the Astra Militarum as his Forum of Preference and pledges a Leman Russ. He also wants to pledge a unit of Custodes and promptly adds a unit of Custodian Guard in his vow. Now he also wants to pledge a unit of Adeptus Mechanicus Sicarian Runestalkers. He may not do that unless he adds another unit from the Astra Militarum. So Participant A adds to his vow a Heavy Weapons Squad (from the Astra Militarum Codex) and then he’s free to add the Runsestalkers too. However, all the points of this and any subsequent vow will count towards the Astra Militarum Forum (and by extension to the IFOR Faction of course).

IMPORTANT NOTE: AGENTS OF THE IMPERIUM

“Agents of the Imperium” is a multi-army Forum. A multi-army Forum allows participants to choose Units from any army covered by said Forum freely with no allocated quotas.

EXAMPLE:

Participant B decides to pledge for the Agents of the Imperium Forum. She chooses to include in her vow an Inquisitor, a unit of Sisters of Silence and a Vidicare Assasin. That’s perfectly fine because although the Units come from different army lists they are all covered by the Imperial Agents Forum.

Details of what Units are available for each Forum can be found in the relevant Forum Outposts (links provided above).

+Realm of Chaos Faction+

This Faction consists of the following Forums:

• Chaos Space Marines
• Chaos Daemons
• The Lost and the Damned

IMPORTANT NOTE: THE MAELSTORM OF CHAOS

Chaos Space Marines is a multi-army Forum. A multi-army list Forum allows participants to choose Units from any army covered by said Forum freely.

EXAMPLE:

Participant C decides to pledge for the Chaos Space Marine Forum. He chooses to include in his vow a Biologus Putifier and a unit of Khorne Berzerkers. That’s perfectly fine because although the units come from different army lists they all belong to the Chaos Space Marines Forum.

Details of what Units are available for each Forum can be found in the relevant Forum Outposts (links provided above).

+Xenos+

This Faction encompasses the following Forums:

• Aeldari
• Necrons
• Orks
• T’au
• Tyranids

IMPORTANT NOTE: THE BLASPHEMY OF THE XENOS

Aeldari and Tyranids are multi-army Forums. A multi-army Forum allows participants to choose Units from any army covered by said Forum freely.

EXAMPLE:

Participant D decides to pledge for the Aeldari Forum. He chooses to include in his vow a unit of Howling Banshees and a Troupe of Harlequins. That’s perfectly fine because although the units come from different army lists they all belong to the Aeldari Forum. The same applies for Tyranids and Genestealer Cults.

Details of what Units are available for each Forum can be found in the relevant Forum Outposts (links provided above).

+Age of Darkness (AoD) Faction+

This is a Faction that corresponds to a single Forum, namely the Age of Darkness. However, we are artificially splitting this single Forum into two Outposts. The only reason for this division is to create some friendly competition within the AoD Faction:

• Age of Darkness – Loyalists (AoD-L)
• Age of Darkness – Traitors (AoD-T)

Participants for the AoD Faction are invited to choose sides and pledge for either Outpost AoD-L or Outpost AoD-T. All the points each participant earns will count towards their Outpost’s total no matter what they choose to paint (either thematically or choice of colours).

Obviously, the points of both factions will be added together to work out the total score of the AoD Faction – so no harm done there.

IMPORTANT NOTE: THE COLOURS OR LOYALTY AND TREACHERY

The only limitation is that participants of the AoD-L Outpost cannot choose units explicitly labelled “Traitor” and the participants of the AoD-T cannot choose units explicitly labelled “Loyalist”. Other than that, there is no other restriction. You can paint whatever Legion or other HH sub-faction you like in either Outpost provided you respect the condition above.

IMPORTANT NOTE: TITANS ARE TITANS

It is a fact that the AoD Faction will suffer from a discount in points vs. 40k for similar units. This is not viewed as an overwhelming handicap in general, but we believe it is especially unfair for Titans. As such, for Titans and Titans only, the AoD faction will be using the 40k points, i.e.

• Warhound: 2,000pts
• Reaver: 4,000pts
• Warbringer Nemesis: 5,000pts
• Warlord: 6,000pts

Details of what Units are available for each Forum can be found in the relevant Forum Outposts (links provided above).

[Captain Semper]

RULE 2: VOWS

Participants must commit to paint game legal Units from their Forum of choice by making official declarations known as “Vows”.
Each participant must make at least one and up to a maximum of 5 vows.

Vows limitations

• Each Vow must contain Units with legal configurations and correct WYSIWYG as per 40k 8^th Edition data sheets or, in the case of AoD, the official Horus Heresy lists
• There is no limit to the number of Units in each Vow
• There is a cap of 15,000 points per participant – how you split those points between Vows is a personal choice.
• Vowing is sequential: You can never make a new Vow while the previous one remains incomplete
• Vows cannot be altered once officially submitted, unless there are factual mistakes that need to be corrected.
• Models should be at most at undercoating stage (any colour) at the time of vow submission.

IMPORTANT NOTE: FAILING ONE IS FAILING ALL!
If you fail to complete your second or any subsequent vow, all previous vows you may have completed are lost too and will count for nothing. All your vows will be nullified! In that case you will receive the Badge of the Oathbreaker, and you’ll contribute no points to your Forum and, therefore, your Faction. Additionally, you’ll be harming the Forum’s and Faction’s ETL scores by lowering the respective completion rates. So, think very carefully before stepping-up your commitment.

Evidence of progress
A Vow must be officially submitted in each Forum’s Outpost and will require at least two pictures: one “before”, upon vow submission, and one “after” when declaring the vow complete. Participants are of course encouraged to post as many WIP pictures as they want in the Outpost threads, but the two (“before” and “after”) are the minimum.

The “before” pictures should depict all the pledged units of the vow in an undercoated stage at most (whatever colour).
The “after” pictures must show all the units completed and PLEASE say so clearly in your relevant post. Don’t leave me guessing with phrasing such as: “here’s my dreadnought”, rather say “here’s my completed dreadnought”

Vow format
You can see below the standard format of the vow:

I [DisplayName] rise to the challenge of E TENEBRAE LUX on the side of the [insert name of the Forum] and vow to complete [insert units’ description here] of total value [insert total points’ value of the vow here] on or before September 1st, 2019. Success will bring me eternal glory and failure will doom me to wear the Badge of the Oathbreaker until the year-end

Obviously, participants may use other, more colourful, format for their vows but always make sure that the items in brackets above are clearly mentioned.

IMPORTANT NOTE: LATEST POINT VALUES
The point values are oftentimes revised either through official FAQs, Errata, the yearly “CHAPTER APPROVED” publications, the White Dwarf magazine or when a new Codex comes out. Make sure, when you value your units, to use the latest points’ value and if in doubt feel free to ask in order to avoid unnecessary confusion.

[Captain Semper]

RULE 3: AWARDS

All participants are eligible to wear the Oath of Moment badge found below (in three formats to suit your signature size):



The ETL rewards both individual and collective performance. To this end, we present awards for both individual participants, Forums and entire Factions.

On an individual level:

Badge of Honour: The Custos Fidei
Participants who successfully complete ALL their vows, will be eligible to wear ETL’s ultimate Badge of Honour the glorious Custos Fidei, irrespective of size or number of vows or their Forum’s or Faction’s overall performance. This, most prestigious badge, certifies that the participant delivered on his/her commitment and will also depict the total number of vows that he/she saw through. Wear it with pride!

Badge of Shame: The Oathbreaker
On the other hand, if a participant fails to complete a vow (even if he/she has completed one or more vows before the failed one), he/she shall receive the Badge of the Oathbreaker which will have to wear until the year-end in boundless shame! (or not, Interrogator Chaplain Javert has quite a following over the years…). Oathbreakers do not have access to any other kind of ETL award – individual or collective.



Badges of Excellence:
Apart from the Custos Fidei and the Badge of the Oathbreaker there are also a number of other badges, collectively called the Badges of Excellence, to reward actions of individual achievement above and beyond the call of duty and will be awarded to participants who fulfil certain notable feats. These are:

Badge of [Forum] Champion: This badge is awarded to the participant with the most completed points within each Forum – so each Forum will have at least one champion, and in case of equal points, more than one.

Badge of [Faction] Master: This badge is awarded to the participant with the most completed points within each Faction! Each Faction will have at least one Master, and in case of equal points, more than one.

Badge of the Martyr: This badge goes to any participant who makes the maximum 15,000pts. If no one makes 15,000 points then it goes to the participant with the most points in the event.

Badge of the Artificer: This badge goes to various entries that impressed the Inner Circle in terms of painting quality and modelling complexity. It is based on subjective criteria and can be claimed by out-of-competition entries as well. We plan to award at around 10 to 15 such badges. I would like to point out that although bases are not compulsory for the ETL in general, they are definitely a requirement in order to claim the Badge of the Artificer. Then there will be a poll (yes, a poll) for the entire B&C community to decide their preferred Artificer to become the Master Artificer with the appropriate badge of course!

IMPORTANT NOTE: BADGE OF THE ARTIFICER AND SUBJECTIVITY
There was a lot of internal debate as to whether we should abolish the Badge of the Artificer given its subjective nature – any decision will be open to dispute. But, we think that high quality painting should be recognised to balance out the awards for quantity. So, flawed as the process may be, we will still go through with it as described above.

On a collective level:
In order to determine winners on a collective level, we introduce the concept of the “ETL Score (SCR)”.
The SCR aims to reward the quantity and the commitment of the participants of each Forum and to even-out (as much as possible) the imbalances of absolute numbers. As such we bring into play the “Completion Rate (CR)” which is defined as:

CR = points completed / points pledged
Points completed: All the points of all the completed vows pledged for a Forum. If someone failed to complete a second or any subsequent vow, then any previously completed vows are nullified and will not be added to the total.

Points pledged: All the points from all the vows pledged for a Forum.

The total ETL score (SCR) of a Forum is the number of total points of the Forum, net of those who failed to complete a subsequent vow, multiplied by the CR.

SCR = total points (net) x CR

EXAMPLE:
Forum A has pledged a total of 82,000 points and completed 63,000 points (CR= 77%). The SCR of Forum A will be 63,000 x 77% = 48,402
Forum B has pledged a total of 65,000 points and completed 58,000 points (CR= 89%). The SCR of Forum B will be 58,000 x 89% = 51,754

In this particular example Forum B will win over Forum A despite having fewer completed points on a nominal basis because it showed higher level of commitment thus getting ahead on a modified basis!

And this is also how the SCR for each Faction is calculated, i.e. total points after penalties of all the participants of each Faction times the completion rate of the Faction – pretty straight forward!

The following Badges of Honour will be bestowed in recognition of a collective effort:

Primus Inter Pares: Will be awarded to the Forum that obtained the highest ETL score within their own Faction. All participants who contributed at least one completed vow to this Forum and failed none are eligible to wear it.

Dominus Exercitus: Will be awarded to the Forum that obtained the highest ETL score among all Forums in the ETL across all Factions. All participants who contributed at least one completed vow to this Forum and failed none are eligible to wear it.

ETL VII Magister: Will be awarded to the Faction that obtained the highest ETL score among the five Factions. All participants who contributed at least one completed vow to this Faction and failed none are eligible to wear it.

IMPORTANT NOTE: PERSONAL SIGNATURE SPACE
Many Frater already display a number of badges that make for very large signatures. Before you add more, make sure you comply with the B&C signature rules. For optimizing the signature space, the Inner Circle will provide the awards in medallion form as well as in larger sizes. Feel free to contact me for any clarifications.

[Captain Semper]

CAPTAN SEMPER’S NOTES

This is ETL VII, the B&C 20^thAnniversary Edition. For 20 years the B&C has been our hobby’s internet home and the fact that it still goes strong today is a testament to the solid principles it was founded upon: all-inclusiveness, egalitarianism, adaptation and tight but fair moderation has made the B&C the premium internet forum for the 40k hobby.

Special thanks go to Argos, the owner of the site who, despite serious personal issues, has continued to uninterruptedly support the site as well as Kurgan and Brother Tyler that are administrators of the site since time immemorial. Also special thanks go to the series of past Administrators for their contributions over the years including the most recent addition, Warrior Fish, as well as the entirety of the Moderating team, past and current! These are the people in the everyday trenches, that have the difficult task to be friendly and stern at the same time, to keep the peace and vehemently enforce (but also adhere to) the B&C rules.

Indeed, much like the hobby itself, B&C has gradually grown over the years, from a strictly Loyalist Space Marine forum to a Power Armour Forum, to an Armies of Humanity Forum and, most recently, an all-in 40k Forum. Currently any and all aspects of 40k, 30k and all the satellite games set in the 40k/30k Universe are covered, and people that are interested in any of these games can find a vibrant sub-community to discuss every aspect of their hobby. After 20 years, it’s my firm belief that B&C is at its pinnacle due to its formative values and the dedication of its stuff – especially those who are on board since the earliest days.

THANK YOU B&C, HERE’S TO THE NEXT 20 YEARS!

Now the ETL has a shorter history – but also an illustrious one. What started off as a crazy idea back in 2012, it is now in its 7^thincarnation, and although it also changed over the years along with the hobby and the B&C itself, it still has a very strong following of more than 400 participants per year – at times it reached almost 500! This is beyond question the most popular event of its kind in the internet! And I argue it could have not happen anywhere else but only within the hallowed walls of the B&C!

This year there were no fundamental changes in either the 40k hobby or B&C – both are structurally very close to where they were last year. As such the ETL is also close to last year’s structure – which is for the best as it will be easier to follow the rules for most people – especially last year’s veterans.

The structure of the event remains the same with three levels of competition in order to give every forum and every individual participant motivation and a fair chance to achieve a specific goal. So, we have Forums competing against other Forums within the same Faction, Forums competing against other Forums across Factions and Factions competing against Factions. And that is not counting the individual achievement rewards!

Also this year, we’ll run the Master Artificer competition via a B&C-wide poll, much like last year. This proved to be popular so it stays!

I would particularly like to thank the Inner Circle’s Master of the Arsenal @Grotsmasha who supported this year’s ETL by doing the imagery. He had to work under strict deadlines, had to interact with @Captain Semper more than it is healthy for anybody and on top of that he had to be creative! Well he did it and the result is hugely rewarding! Thank you Master of the Arsenal, this would not have happened without you! I would also like to thank @The Shadow Guard who although could not help with the imagery this year due to his very heavy schedule, he’s an integral part of the ETL, ready to offer advice and discuss the finer points of the event. The ETL would not have been a thing if it wasn’t for him! Thank you Grand Master!

Well, this is it from me, time to get painting!

Captain Semper

Member of the Inner Circle

The Master of Recruits

[Captain Semper]

APPENDIX A: LINKS FORUM OUTPOSTS

ADEPTUS ASTARTES FACTION

1. Space Marines Outpost
2. Blood Angels Outpost
3. Dark Angels Outpost
4. Space Wolves Outpost

FORCES OF THE IMPERIUM FACTION

1. Adepta Sororitas Outpost
2. Adeptus Mechanicus Outpost
3. Astra Militarum Outpost
4. Agents of the Imperium Outpost
5. Grey Knights Outpost
6. Deathwatch Outpost

REALM OF CHAOS FACTION

1. Chaos Space Marines Outpost
2. Chaos Daemons Outpost
3. The Lost and the Damned

XENOS FACTION

1. Aeldari Outpost
2. Necrontyr Outpost
3. Orks Outpost
4. T’au Outpost
5. Tyranids Outpost

AGE OF DARKNESS (AoD) FACTION

1. AoD-L Outpost
2. AoD-T Outpost

[Captain Semper]

APPENDIX B: IMPORTANT STUFF

Conversions
ETL wants to encourage creativity so conversions are generally accepted. One has to keep in mind though that the conversion should be easily recognizable as the unit it is supposed to represent. Remember WYSIWYG must be preserved.

Scratch-builds

Following the above line of thinking and for the sake consistency, scratch-builds are not valid entries and are not allowed. Although some might be excellent representations of the GW originals others might be completely off and, with no intention of passing judgement on modelling ability or aesthetics, it’ll introduce an element of subjectivity that would be open to dispute. Such disputes we can do without and therefore we disallow scratch-build items altogether. See “Out-of-competition entries” later on.

“Count-as” units

“Count-as” units are allowed and could be the ticket many of you need in order to paint stuff not included in your selected army list. When making a “count-as” entry, the point cost of the unit will be taken from the Codex’ army list while the model itself could be something different. However please note that this is not a window for gaining easy points or paint whatever you want… It could be OK to paint a BA Librarian Dreadnought that counts-as a DA venerable dreadnought for example provided it is painted in a fitting way (as the models require roughly the same effort and they are both dreadnoughts after all) but you will not be allowed to paint a standard Marine that counts-as a Contemptor – or even a Space Marine Primaris for that matter! In fact, participants must be prepared to end up worse-off in the value-to-effort ratio but never the other way around – not in a significant manner anyway...

Special Characters and “count-as” Special Characters

Special Characters are kind of a problem for ETL. They usually cost more than normal characters of similar stature due to their special rules or stats – both of which have no bearing in the ETL. However, such Characters exist in all Codices, so the effect is averaged out while the extra detail on the miniatures themselves ensures the effort to paint them is worth the premium. But what about Special Characters that do not have an official miniature out or what if participants want to make their own version of a Special Character that may already have an official miniature out?

In that case we expect people to play in the spirit of the ETL (see: “The spirit of the ETL” ) and do the extra effort to present a miniature that will unmistakeably represent the Special Character in question. Kit-bash/convert the mini to the best of your ability not only with the correct loadout but with the extra attention that will make them stand out as true heroes of their faction. You also need to comply with the “irregularities” that certain Special Characters have. For example, a DIY Azrael is expected to have the Watcher – apart from a combi-plasma and a cool sword. If in doubt, feel free to raise the issue with me before you commit.

Out-of-competition entries

There could be cases that what people want to build/paint cannot be reconciled with the ETL rules. It’s just one of those things. For example, some might want to do crazy conversions or scratch builds; others might want to paint miniatures for other B&C compatible gaming systems (BFG, Necromunda, Adeptus Titanicus, etc.) or some might miss the deadline for joining in. It’s also a possibility that people might want to paint rival Factions’ miniatures.

We would like to offer motivation for those who want to work on non-ETL compatible projects by allowing out-of-competition entries. These entries would be recorded in the progress tables, they can be freely shown on the ETL official threads and will be eligible to carry the Custos Fidei if they meet the deadline or carry the badge of the Oathbreaker if they fail. Out-of-competition entries are treated exactly like normal entries but no points will be awarded for them and therefore they would not contribute to any Forum’s or Faction’s score (SCR). But other than that we welcome all members of the community to join the party – no matter how crazy their project may be!

Penance vows & challenges
Sometimes participants set self-imposed tasks or issue challenges to either other frater or other Forums or entire other Factions. These challenges usually take the form of a self-inflicted penalty on the challenger if a condition set in the challenge is not met. For example, it may be something along the lines “if my Forum delivers fewer points than Forum A, I’ll paint a special character from Codex A’s army list”. This special kind of vow is called “Penance Vow”. These vows, although welcome, because they are fun, are totally unofficial and they have no bearing on the mechanics of the ETL. Furthermore, failing to uphold them has no impact whatsoever (i.e. I’m not going to record nor police them). It is left up to the participants to uphold it.

[Captain Semper]

APPENDIC C: FAQs

These are the FAQs based on previous years’ experiences and of what else I could think of at this point. However, it is possible (inevitable?) that new issues may arise that would require a ruling. In that case, once I make a ruling I’ll add it here so all participants can be updated simultaneously. So, before you ask a question check here first – it might be already answered.

Q: How do I post pics in a thread?

Well, there are many ways to do that: If you have already uploaded it in an image-hosting site, you can copy the image url address and then paste it straight to your post using the “image” tool at the menu of your post editor.

However, we always recommend you use the B&C gallery. If you’re not familiar with this feature, you can find a quick walkthrough below. Feel free to contact me should you have any questions.

Uploading pictures from your PC to the B&C Gallery

Step 1: go to Gallery. The link to the Gallery can be found in the top menu of B&C home screen.

Step 2: Once in the Gallery click on the red “upload” button that can be found on the top side

Step 3: Youget the option the either create a new album or select an existing album or select category. Assuming you’re a first time user of this feature click on “Create a New Album”

Step 4: Name your Album (e.g. ETL VI) and if you want you may add a description (e.g. miniatures painted for the 2018 ETL event). You may then assign it to a specific category to reflect the theme of the content or just leave it at the default “The Bolter & Chainsword”. You can further customise this by allowing/disallowing comments and/or ratings.

Step 5: Once you’ve created the album you may start uploading the pictures from your PC. To do that you click on “Choose File” button and then select the pics you want to upload from your PC. Make double sure that the pics a B&C appropriate.

Step 6: Once the pics are uploaded, click on the “Review & Publish” button located at the bottom right of the screen. Here, for each picture, you can add tags, rotate the image add a tittle and a description. Once you’re happy with it, click the “Finish and Publish” button at the bottom of the screen. The pictures are uploaded to your gallery!

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Posting picture from your gallery to a thread:

Step 1: Go to your gallery and select the album that contains the pics you want to post (e.g. ETL VI)

Step 2: Select the picture you want and double-click on it so it will become enlarged. By right-clicking on it you will be offered the option to select size. The options are “Thumbnail”, “Small”, “Medium”, “Large”. Select the size you want (e.g. “Medium”).

Step 3: You then can copy the image straight (or copy the image address) and paste it in your post (or use the the image function in your post editor to paste the image address). Now you should have your picture visible in your post.

Q: Are dedicated transports legal entries in their own right?

A: Yes, they can be entered as standalone entries for the points mentioned in the relevant section of the Codex or other lists.

Q: How far do we go with WYSIWYG?

A: As much as you can. Equipment that goes at the basic price of the mini is not really required (but they are most welcome - I love those frag grenades) but everything from the options list MUST be represented in order to count.

Q: What about mixing units from different Forums within the same vow assuming they share the same Faction?

A: As a general rule you cannot. What defines the units you can pledge in a vow is the Forum. Sometimes Forums allow for more than one Codex or army list and sometimes it only allows a single Codex. Be that as it may, you should visit your Outpost thread to see what units can be used with each Forum.

Q: Can I vow alternative load-outs and earn the extra points for them?

A: No. You must pledge a particular configuration – so choose carefully. There is no benefit from magnetizing, not gluing or blue-tacking alternative bits on the mini. If you intend to do alternative load-outs, you may as well pledge the most expensive configuration (in terms of points) so you’ll get the maximum benefit.

Q: Can my second vow include expansions of units completed in my first vow? For example if I vowed and completed a 5-strong SM tactical squad can I then vow for another 3 to bring it to a total of 8?

A: No. Each entry should be a standalone game-legal unit from the list of your choice. No add-ons on previous vows.

Q: Why a limit of only 5 vows?

A: We believe 5 vows to be adequate to capture the zeal and to deliver the points that the participants plan to complete. Also (and this is important) the limit of 5 vows creates an additional strategic consideration. Participants need to think ahead, discuss with each other, review their stash of miniatures and decide on their commitment when the time comes. I think this adds another dimension to the ETL! Also having people making tons of single miniature vows in the closing hours of the event, is NOT a pleasant experience for me.

Q: Why a limit of 15,000pts per participant?

Past experience has shown that the average vow of the ETL is ca. 600 - 700pts. However, there were cases where the points’ value of a vow diverges significantly from the average and we had cases where people were vowing in excess of 5k pts per vow and in some cases more than 10k pts(!) with the record being more than 17k pts in a single vow!!! Now this was the 7^thEdition point system, which generally allocated lower points for the same units than 8^th.

Although the ETL cannot be won by any frater singlehandedly, the painting daemons amongst us can influence the performance of a given Faction disproportionally. As such the Inner Circle decrees that there will be a limit imposed on each individual participant of 15,000 points in total for all 5 vows!

We believe 15,000pts per participant to be more than adequate to sate the thirst of the painting daemons among us in this new 8^thEdition environment while retaining the focus of the ETL on mass participation and teamwork.

We also want to encourage people to focus on quality rather than quantity, as improved standard is always preferable to painting huge amounts with no tangible impact on painting quality.

Q: Why was the limit changed from 3,000 pts per vow to a total of 15,000 points cumulatively for all 5 vows?

The answer is Titans! Under 8^thEdition 40k rules Reavers cost 4,000pts each, Warbringer Nemesis cost 5,000pts and Warlords 6,000pts each. That meant that and in case they were to be pledged with no adjustment to the pts/vow limit, then an automatic haircut to the nominal value would have to be imposed. This seemed blatantly unfair. I mean if someone buys such the expensive model (both cash-wise and points-wise), and one of (if not the) most complicated ones at that, goes to the trouble to build it (a huge undertaking in itself) and then paint it, it would seem petty (and somewhat stupid) from my part to deprive them of their in-game point value based on some technicality…

I considered many alternatives, but this strikes the best balance of keeping it sane while allowing people to paint those behemoths. Now if someone wants to paint 3 Warlords or 4 Reavers, then I’m afraid he/she will be limited to the cap of 15,000 points.

Q: Got a “count-as” from another manufacturer (not GW/FW). It’s roughly the same size – can I enter it?

Yes. If it’s a 28mm scaled mini there is no restriction of using non-GW models – provided they can easily be recognised as belonging to the 40k Universe and WYSIWYG is observed to a reasonable level…

However, if we are talking about models of tank of even Knight / Titan size, then a more case-by-case approach will be required to take into account the relative complexity of the models and the effort involved in completing one. For example, if the model in question is of significantly lesser complexity vs. the GW/FW equivalent (even if it’s roughly the same overall size) you should expect a (sometimes severe) haircut in the points’ value. The idea is to keep this as fair as possible and if someone is making the effort to paint up a hugely complex model he should be awarded the full points – whereas someone who opts to go with a less complex “count-as” then he/she should be prepared to give-up some points.

Q: Why introducing the completion rate to determine the ETL score?

A number of reasons played into taking this decision. Firstly, I wanted to give an extra boost to the Forums/Factions that have lower traffic but display a great enthusiasm for the ETL yet are unable to threaten the top positions. Well now they will have an extra incentive. Staying true to the cause and deliver high completion rates will have a tangible result (as well as the implied honour of delivering on the promise). Secondly it means that participants will be incentivised to pledge more manageable vows to begin with and those who overextend themselves will feel the added pressure to deliver as, in case of failure, they will not only be depriving their Faction of their pledged points for this and any previous vows they might have completed; they would also be penalising the chances to win by lowering their Forum’s/Faction’s overall completion rate. So you feel like vowing a huge amount? You’d better be confident you’d deliver!

Q: But what if real life intervenes and I fail to complete due to no fault of my own? Everybody will hate me!

Nonsense. Real life happens to all and always takes priority! Furthermore, this is the B&C – no one will hate anyone on the basis of something happening in his/her life that prevents him/her from painting little plastic miniatures. It’s called reality!

Q: What happens when an existing army list gets updated?

If an updated army list comes out during the life of the event that invalidates a pre-existing one (e.g. a Codex that invalidates an Index list) then all units that have already been vowed (either completed or still in WIP stage) will still be priced according to the value points and configurations of the pre-existing list. Once a vow is made it cannot be changed (provided it’s factually correct at the time of submission). Units included in vows made after the release of the updated list must be configured and priced according to the updated list with no option of going back to the pre-existing list.

Q: What happens when a totally new army list is released?

In case a totally new army list is released during the life of the event (e.g. a new Codex of a never seen before army) then:

• If B&C decides to allocate the totally new army its own Forum and this happens before the cut-off date of the event (July 1^st in the case of ETL VII) then participants who have not pledged for any Forum yet can choose to pledge for the new Forum. If the totally new army comes out after the cut-off date of the event then it is irrelevant for this year’s ETL – it’s just too late. Participants that have already vowed for a Forum cannot change sides.
• If the totally new army is allocated to an existing Forum participants who have pledged for that Forum will be able to use it – even if it shows up after the event’s cut-off date.

Q: What happens with Units from the old Index books that did not make it into a Codex? GW allows them as legal!

And so does the ETL.

The original Index lists that came out at the dawn of 40k 8th Edition as an interim solution until the Codices rolled out (not to be confused with the White Dwarf Index series that started in Jan. 2019) are largely invalidated and Codices are now the norm. However, a few units have not made it to the Codex and Games Workshop still accepts them as legal in the Index form. These units constitute legitimate entries to an ETL vow and their points’ cost should be taken from the relevant Index. However make sure that optional equipment is “priced” from the latest publication. A bit confusing I know, but thankfully these are only a few units so I do not expect them to be too disruptive…

EXAMPLE

Let’s assume that GW releases Codex: Kroot before July 1^st. If the B&C decides to give Codex Kroot its own Forum, then participants who have not pledged for any Forum yet can now choose to pledge for Kroot.

If however B&C decides to integrate Codex Kroot in the Tau Forum, then only participants pledging for the Tau Forum may use it, and they may do so even if the army is released after the ETL cut-off date of July 1^st.

Q: When you say that minis can be undercoated when pledged what do you mean?

OK, let me make this as clear as possible: When pledged, a miniature can be at any stage from still on the sprue up to fully assembled and undercoated. By “undercoated” I mean painted in any ONE colour. In case of Knights and Titans it is acceptable to undercoat the metal skeleton in some metallic undercoat and the carapace in another colour – but that’s it.

Q: Have you put all the Astartes in one faction? Have you lost your mind?

I know many of you may be taken aback by the grouping together of all Astartes Chapters. Well, don’t panic. It is true that the Astartes do vow big – but they also hold one of the lowest completion rates historically. Furthermore, Space Marines is the most popular Faction in the B&C by far. This must be acknowledged by the ETL and also create a benchmark for other factions to beat!

[Captain Semper]

APPENDIX D: THE SPIRIT OF THE ETL

Here are some thoughts that will describe the spirit of the ETL – these are some high-level principles, which cannot directly translate into rules, and therefore I will not be policing them per se. It is left to the individual participant to abide by those principles and try to get the most out of the ETL experience! The list below is not exhaustive – just indicative and hopefully it will convey the feel and purpose of the ETL.

+Tame your enthusiasm+

During the ETL there is a lot going on: people are frequently interacting, there is a strong team-building element and a common goal to achieve. Also, competition spirit is on the rise, the score changes all the time and sometimes it’s too close for comfort. There is also an element of immersion and in-Universe feel. All these are fine and welcome. Indeed, they are an integral part of the ETL and help motivation – which is what the ETL is about at its core.

However, it is easy to become over-enthusiastic. By that I mean that you may want to aggressively try to recruit people that may not be interested in the event. This can be perceived as harassment or coercion. We definitely don’t want that! So please refrain from invading other Frater’s blogs or threads asking them to join your cause or sending them PMs to that effect. People know the event goes on – it’s impossible to miss. If they have not shown up it’s probably because they don’t want to, or they are not ready yet. We need to respect that. Even if someone has declared interest initially and has then gone AWOL, it is NOT OK to start PM’ing them thus applying unwanted pressure. We need to respect people’s boundaries and not make them feel obliged or guilty to play along. And certainly, we do not want to make them angry! The B&C continues to exist during the ETL months and is open to all, ETL and non-ETL enthusiasts equally.

The reputation of the ETL as a friendly and fun event is way more important than whatever points one might think can be gained by sending PMs or invading other people’s threads asking for participation. Even a carefully worded post can create the wrong impression (this is the internet after all) and we want to avoid that at any cost.

A way to make sure you’re not intruding is to keep the ETL discussion in the ETL-related threads. Those are the official threads of course (the main rules and the Outposts threads posted by me) or unofficial threads, created by others that clearly mention that they are ETL related either in their title or in the tags. Actually, this is an excellent opportunity to make extensive use of tags that make it easy for people to identify the thread as ETL-related. Just add ETL or ETL [XXX] in the tag line (or the thread’s title of course). So, if you want to recruit people to your cause and there is not a relevant thread already in your Forum of interest, by all means create one. If there is one already, you may use it to call people to arms – or rather brushes. Just don’t invade other people’s threads and don’t PM them.

By the same token, if you do start an ETL-friendly thread, make sure you tag it properly so people can be informed. If you do nothing, the default is, that this is a thread unrelated to the ETL and therefore ETL-related discussion should be not take place .

Just to make it clear, if there are people involved actively in the ETL and want to discuss things via PMs that’s fine. What we want to avoid is harassing people that have no interest in the event.

+Paint to the best of your ability+

An important thing to remember is that the ETL is an opportunity to develop your skills, asking and giving advice and generally improve your painting regardless of your skill level. What I mean is DO NOT COMPROMISE your skill – it’s better to do a smaller vow painted to the best of your ability than double the points with a sub-par job (according always to your own personal standards of which you are the only judge). A good example of that is basing. The fact that doing bases is not compulsory in the ETL is for the benefit of those who do not yet possess the skill of doing proper basing and I don’t want them to feel excluded – not in the least! If, however you do possess the skill and you will not consider the model complete unless you base it then it is expected that you do base it. I want people to look at their minis and proudly say: “look, I did this during the ETL” instead of “look what that stupid ETL made me do”… We always encourage quality over quantity if it comes down to that choice.

+“Count-as”: do not abuse it!+

Although all entries are supposed to be as WYSIWYG as possible, the purpose of the ETL is also to encourage creativity and imagination. As such it is possible to see some unorthodox painting/modelling like Chaos assault troops “counting-as” Blood Angels’ Death Company (because that particular Successor Chapter is on the verge of falling to Chaos) or loyalist-looking Chaos Marines since that particular army may represent a recently fallen Chapter – not yet mutated or warped. All these are totally welcome and well in the spirit of the event, provided participants go into the trouble to convey the message correctly. Painting green Blood Angels Successors is fine, painting Dark Angels and naming them Blood Angels is not.

Also, if people are using the “count-as” rule to just paint totally unsuitable models (using Space Marines to represent Flamers of Tzeentch for example or normal Space Marines “counting-as” Primaris) it works totally against the spirit of the ETL. Sometimes it’s a blurred line and one that’s easy to cross so it is left to the fraters’ self-restraint to do the right thing. Remember, you can always do what you want as an out-of-competition entry.

As a last point, you need to keep in mind not to exploit the “count-as” rule to benefit you in points. It’s OK to say this plasma gun “counts-as” melta gun, but it is not OK to say it’s a lascannon.

+Points costs: play fair+

Another element is how to price your units. Some points’ optimization is to be expected (especially by those who, like me, paint for the sake of it and don’t think much about table-top efficiency) but please avoid overdoing it. For example, painting a Space Wolves’ Wolf Guard terminator squad and claim there are five Wolf Guard Battle Leaders in Terminator armour just to reap extra easy points is just not cool (thankfully this has never happened with the SWs – it’s just an example). But if on the other hand you really want to paint five Battle Leaders then of course it is cool. Just paint what you intended to paint anyway. And, as mentioned above, you should not abuse the “count-as” in order to gain a points’ advantage.

+Don’t get a head start+

Another point (that is actually part of the official rules) is that it is expected that you start work on your entries AFTER you submitted your vows and not before. Models can be assembled and primed but that’s it. If someone was not aware that the ETL was coming and he/she has applied a base colour on a few minis in a squad I’ll probably let it slide but generally speaking nothing should be entered if it is worked on above primer level. I have limited ability to police this (I do have some) but it is expected, and I’m stating the obvious here, that people will not cheat. If you’ve started work on something before the ETL then it is not a legitimate entry (unless it is presented as out-of-competition). If you want to prepare your mini for the event, use a single colour of your choice as a primer – not two or more. We need to keep things level for everyone.

+Be polite and considerate+

Lastly the ETL is an opportunity to paint your army while having fun interacting with other frater within our community. There is an element of friendly competition – which is intended and welcome, and friendly banters are not only tolerated, they are expected. Having said that, this is still intended as light-hearted fun. Please keep that in mind in your exchanges and also that there may be a language barrier or people can be at a different wavelength. Make sure you use appropriate tone and don’t forget the smileys – they go a long way to give context. And remember: B&C and The Forge rules ALWAYS apply.

Hope the above give the frater an idea of what the ETL stands for and hopefully those who choose to participate will endorse the spirit as well as follow the rules.

[Captain Semper]

DO NOT POST YOUR VOWS HERE - PLEASE GO TO THE APPROPRIATE OUTPOST!

YOU CAN FIND THE LINKS TO ALL OUTPOSTS HERE

[RolandTHTG]

Looking forward to this, even if I still have to put together my first vow.

I love seeing the various outposts fill up the most recent topic previews for each forum.

Capt Semper, as a suggestion, creating a Other Games outpost (even if you don't monitor it) as a place for people to post their specialist game Out of Competition vows, might help those frater feel more involved.

Edit: Yeah, that's the stuff.

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

Always impressed with the amount of work you put into this, Semper, and this year is definitely no exception. 

[Majkhel]

Here we go again!

Fantastic preparations effort Inner Circle Team!

[KrautScientist]

It's always such an inspiration to see you doing this, Captain Semper, when we can all only guess how much work it must be behind the curtain, so to speak! Massively appreciated! :)

 

One quick question, if I may, seeing how counts-as models are always a slightly delicate subject for the reasons you mentioned: Would you consider this to be an appropriate counts-as representation of Huron Blackheart?

 

 

 

[Atia]

Me approves :) - he just needs his little cute pet!

[Captain Semper]

Thank you all - it's a lot of work but highly rewarding as the community embraces the event! :)

 

@ Krautscientist: Duh... YEAH!!! It looks better than the original! Hamadrya? 

[Lord Raven 19]

Where would Imperial Knights go?

[Dreagher]

Now I can start painting all my stuff!

 

On the subject of count-as, would you consider my version of the macrocariod explorator acceptable, or should I do it as out-of-competition? (the correct weapons will of course be added)

http://bolterandchainsword.com/uploads/gallery/album_13007/gallery_94103_13007_902201.jpg

[DuskRaider]

Where would Imperial Knights go?

Any forum under Imperium, filthy loyalist.

 

(They can be vowed for any Imperial faction, same with Chaos Knights and Chaos factions).

[jaxom]

-- DuskRaider's post went live while I was typing -- 

[longjohnsilver]

Thanks Captain Semper and the Inner Circle team. Hope the Dark Angels have a prosperous Hunt this year.

 

Last year's event was great fun. I'm about to take photos of the 'before' for my first vow so I can post it as soon as possible.

[Kastor Krieg]

Do Black Templars get an official count or do we have to keep our own as we're an "inside-SM-codex" chapter?

[longjohnsilver]

I think the Codex marines need the Black Templars, if you can stand fighting beside psychic witches.

[Captain Semper]

Where would Imperial Knights go?

 

All Imperial Forums can have them - Marine and non-Marine. Similarly all three Chaos forums can do Renegade Knights and of course the Xenos have their own Knight-sized units. Same applies for Titans.

 

Now I can start painting all my stuff!

 

On the subject of count-as, would you consider my version of the macrocariod explorator acceptable, or should I do it as out-of-competition? (the correct weapons will of course be added)

http://bolterandchainsword.com/uploads/gallery/album_13007/gallery_94103_13007_902201.jpg

 

Unless I miss something, this is a scratch build, so I'd say OOC. PM me if I got this wrong so we can discuss.

 

Do Black Templars get an official count or do we have to keep our own as we're an "inside-SM-codex" chapter?

 

What really matters is not how you paint your Marines or what Chapter Tactics you use when you play them, but what source you use to "price" them from. Black Templars are a part of the SMs Codex - they get the same treatment as all Chapters mentioned in the Codex. So they are Space Marines and you should post your vows in the Space Marines Outpost.