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

[Vykes]

Only 'cause it's you Semper.

 

-deletes other reply-   

[DuskRaider]

IT IS THE WILL OF CHAOS.

[Kilofix]

Suspense

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

I mean, I don't want to brag, but I did put up 82 points for the AM team. 

[DuskRaider]

Everyone who participated won, in a sense. You were able to band together with your fellow hobbyists and put your creativity and artistry to good use. If you finished models that, let's face it, you probably wouldn't have without the help of the ETL then congratulations, you won.

 

But in all seriousness, Chaos had two forums with a 100% completion rate so we automatically win.

[Chaplain Raeven]

But in all seriousness, Chaos had two forums with a 100% completion rate so we automatically win.

[Captain Semper]

B&C-20

THE INNER CIRCLE PRESENTS:

+++ETL VII - THE FINAL REPORT+++

Captain Semper woke up in dread!

That dream again… The same dream he’s been having for the last three months, as the battles in the planet below were raging.

He dreamt that the Dark Angels were winning the day. They were winning but at a great cost, utilizing the very last of their reserves, moving forward with faith in the Lion’s truth and the benevolence of the Emperor…

They brushed aside other Chapters, the dream went on, Chapters of great importance and honour. They could not stand in the way of the Unforgiven fury, not when such vengeance and such prize was at stake: The prize of being the finest army in this significant 20^thAnniversary of the Great Forum, where all Chapters could meet in peace and discuss their agendas – even the mortals and the Xenos… even the Traitors.

The Dark Angels, the dream went on, locked swords with the denizens of the Eye and even their blasphemous minions could not stop them! It took great effort, a great deal resources but they emerged victorious again. The Mortals and the Xenos tried to stop them but they hardly caused any delay. The Prize was there for the taking!!!

And as Captain Semper raised his hand to grub it, a ghost-like figure, an apparition of truly ancient power armoured Knights of Old, the true Loyal Servants of the Emperor that stood alongside him on the buttresses of the Imperial Palace all these millennia ago did not allow him passage… The Dark Angels, the dream went on, were denied the ultimate prize, that was claimed by the Army of the Loyal Emperor’s defenders coming out from an Age of Darkness!

Only, this time, Captain Semper realized, it was not a dream, it was the bitter, bitter reality!

AGE OF DARKNESS-LOYALISTS: E TENEBRAE LUX VII CHAMPIONS!!!

The Final Report consists of several Sections and for ease of access, each Section will be in a different post. Please see below the links to each section

Section 1 - Overview

Section 2 - ETL VII Magister: the Factions' Performance

Section 3 - ETL VII Primus Inter Pares: Forums' Performance within each Faction

Section 4 - ETL VII Dominus Exercitus: Forums' Performance across Factions

Section 5 - Custos Fidei and Oathbreakers

Section 6 - Badges of Excellence: Forum Champions

Section 7 - Badges of Excellence: Faction Masters and ETL VI Martyr

Section 8 - Badges of Excellence: Artificer

Section 9 - Captain Semper's Notes

[Captain Semper]

Section 1 – Overview

THIS WAS UNPRECEDENTED!

ETL VII was the second ETL in the 8^thEdition and coincided with the 20^thBirthday of the B&C. As such this was a very special ETL, and extra kudos to this year’s winners, both on an individual and on a collective basis. It was also the ETL with the highest completion rate, underlining the commitment and the competitiveness of this year’s participants! On the negative side, we had lower levels of participation for a third consecutive year, something that may be cause for concern for the future… but that is a discussion for a later date.

I would like to say, that despite the fact the DAs failed to win this one (albeit coming very close) I’m happy that the AoD had its chance – a chance that was denied during the heyday of the setting’s popularity due to unbelievably strong CSM performance. But this year, with unprecedented levels of commitment and with a Martyr leading their effort, they managed to emerge victorious. Furthermore, the AoD Faction came second after the Astartes winning a moral victory as the first position, dominated by the Astartes, remains unassailable on a Faction level.

So, here are some headline numbers that encapsulate the “savagery” of this year’s event:

· 346 participants (vs. 409 last year)

· 367,597 pts pledged

· 289,710 pts completed before penalties

· 286,158 pts completed after penalties (yes, only 3,552pts of penalties)

· Completion rate of 77.8% (vs. 69.7% last year)

· Total ETL Score: 222,761. That is higher than last year’s total score! This has never happened before: a higher SCR with fewer resources (players and points pledged)

· 6.2k posts across 20 Outposts

What we saw this year was effectively a smaller group (still c. 350 strong mind you) but with considerably higher levels of commitment and focus. The fact that we had 4 Outposts with 100% completion rate and another 5 with north of 90% just shows the determination and drive of this year’s lot! And last year a re-vowing rate of 90% was a big thing but this year? Anything less than 100% did not even make the news; and the Tyranids hit 200%! This I think is the best way to celebrate the B&C 20thBirthday: Share our love for the hobby through our internet community, which is the best out there!

Now a few highlights:

Let’s start with the winners of the ETL this year, the AoD-L. Here there were a number of interesting characteristics: a moderate following that reflects the relative decline of popularity for the setting on one hand but on the other it means that those who remain interested in HH are the most hardcore bunch! And, it turns out, that the combo of high value vows and high completion rate is unbeatable. A special mention should go to our ETL Martyr this year, TheStatusJoe who painted 14.5k pts and to a very high quality too. So, kudos to him and a very special badge for the Martyr of ETL VII! Well-deserved sir!

But he could not have done it alone. If it weren’t for a proper support from other, equally committed AoD-L enthusiasts, that provided hefty vows (both in points and model-count) it would not have been enough. So, bravo for the teamwork and congratulations for a truly heroic victory!

Now, I’d like to mention the DAs. They managed to achieve unprecedented high completion rate for a major Forum of 91%! That’s more than the BAs had last year when they became Champions – and we were all in awe! And it must have been a big letdown to see the AoD-L surge forward, literally in the last two days, and snatch victory though their fingers. I guess, high completion rate and high participation did what they could, but ultimately, the lack of a few high-point vows were enough to thwart the effort. The average vow of 400pts proved to be too low…

I would also like to highlight the carnage that took place in the Xenos Forums. In 5 Forums we had two 100% completion rates, one 95% and one 77%. This literally played out to the last day… Congratulations to the Necrons for going the extra mile – not only for achieving the mythical 100% completion rate but also for pledging more points than any other Xenos Forum. I have to say it was a joy to watch – if a bit tense!

Lastly a brief mention of the Titans for this year: we had 3 Titans one of which was a Nemesis! All of them got completed and that’s a great source of pride for the ETL! Congratulations to the Princeps’ and a cool badge awaits them!

So now it’s time for the familiar results table:

E TENEBRAE LUX VII – FINAL RESULTS

Faction/ForumParticipantsVowsPoints pledgedAvg. Vow Completions (net) CRSCRAdeptus Astartes 152 274 148,746 543111,764 74.1% 81,692 Space Marines 538749,283 566 36,037 73.1% 26,351 Blood Angels 38 69 41,537 602 31,044 74.7% 23,202 Dark Angels 37 83 33,398 402 30,435 91.1% 27,735 Space Wolves 24 35 24,528 701 12,717 51.8% 6,593 IFOR 58 100 45,286 453 36,148 79.8% 28,854 Adepta Sororitas 6 17 11,324 275 4,165 89.1% 3,711 AdMech 11 17 11,324 666 10,530 93.0% 9,792 Astra Militarum 21 32 16,097 503 12,188 75.7% 9,288 Imperial Agents 6 13 6,624 510 5,97590.2% 5,390 Grey Knights 5 6 2,634 439 783 29.7% 233 Deathwatch 9 15 3,933 262 2,507 63.7% 1,598 Realm of Chaos 78 142 67,733 477 47,561 70.2% 33,397 Chaos Space Marines 73 130 60,584 466 40,412 66.7% 26,956 Chaos Daemons 3 9 5,472 608 5,472 100.0% 5,472 LatD 2 3 1,677 599 1,677 100.0% 1,677 Xenos 32 69 32,970 478 28,295 85.8% 24,283 Aeldari 4 7 3,477 497 1,106 31.8% 352 Necrons 8 16 9,619 601 9,619 100.0% 9,619 Orks 5 10 3,100 310 3,100 100.0% 3,100 T’au Empire 7 12 8,221 685 6,349 77.2% 4,903 Tyranids 8 24 8,553 356 8,121 94.9% 7,711 AoD 27 51 72,862 1,429 63,921 87.7% 56,077 AoD-L 14 28 41,668 1,488 35,629 85.5% 30,465 AoD-T 13 23 31,194 1,356 28,292 90.7% 25,660 Total ETL VII 347 636 367,594 578 286,158 77.8% 222,761

And below you can see the Weekly progress of ETL VII. You can see that after Week 5, there was not a single week that did not add at least 10k its to the total. And then of course you have Week 13 where all hell breaks loose!

Now let’s see the results on a Faction level:

[Captain Semper]

Section 2 – ETL VII MAGISTER: Factions’ performance

As shown in the table in the previous post, here’s the Factions’ rankings:

1. Adeptus Astartes – 81,692

2. Age of Darkness – 56,077

3. Realm of Chaos – 33,397

4. Forces of the Imperium (IFOR) – 28,854

5. Xenos – 24,283

It is an established fact that the Adeptus Astartesis the dominant power in the ETL. The Astartes are the most popular faction in 40k in general and of course the B&C crowd is skewed towards the Marines given the site’s legacy as a predominantly Space Marine Forum (and yes, then it became a “Power Armour” forum, the and “Armies of Humanity” forum and then a “General 40k” forum – I know, I know…). Now the superior resources were backed with the usual determination (completion rate of 73% vs. 72% last year) which, in itself, is not spectacular within this year’s context but it is sufficient to propel them to a clear victory.

But having said that, and despite the 40k dominance in general, the HH setting is still very strong, with the AoDcapturing the second position, which is a position of great honour, as the first place is virtually unassailable. And they did so by a comfortable margin, driven by an 88% completion rate – the highest among ALL the ETL Factions this year, thus compensating for their lack of high participation – the lowest among all Factions at just 27. The AoD showed huge determination and this paid off, and more so on a Forum level. Good show!

To be fair, Realm of Chaosshowed an equally determined performance as last year (CR of 70% vs. 71% last year) but this year, well, it was an 80%+ world… This was enough to send them in third place and, in fact, their distance from the AoD was similar to the distance between AoD and Astartes… Which is kind of a pity given that the two smaller Chaos Forums returned 100% CR – both of them! But with the CSMs at 67% CR, the Realm of Chaos could not really threaten the crazy drive of the AoD despite their enormous resources, being the second most popular Faction after the Astartes… Be that as it may, Realm of Chaos remains a strong presence in the ETL, although raw numbers must be accompanied with CR to make a winning formula in the future. If that happens, I wouldn’t be surprised if they threaten the Adeptus Astartes themselves!

IFORmanaged to secure 4^thposition as, in a last-minute attempt, all the constituent forums aligned to produce high CRs. When I say all, I mean all but the GKs that had the worst performance in this year’s ETL… Still the overall CR of the Faction stood at 78% - higher than the Astartes and the Realm of Chaos – so there is no question on the drive of the Faction overall. But, as its participation levels were nowhere near the two aforementioned Factions, it meant that it could not threaten either of them – certainly not by having the lowest average vow. Still the performance was good – especially as it only suffered 364pts worth of penalties – the lowest among the top 4 Factions. The 5^thFaction however, the Xenos, managed zero, yes zero, penalty points…

And speaking of Xenos, they suffer from limited participation levels, but this year they adopted a more aggressive stance: a CR of 86% compares favorably with last year’s 71% showing the huge jump in the determination by the Frater! The two out of five Forums managed a 100% completion rate, another managed a 95%... Now that’s manic, just manic… We’ll get into a Forum by Forum analysis in the next section, but the competition for the top position here was the most savage – and the most fun! But, speaking on a Faction level, limited participation was again a major factor that could not be overcome despite insane dedication; This inescapably resulted in the Xenos taking 5^thplace. Hopefully next year their ranks will grow but their dedication will remain undiminished! If that happens there is nothing stopping them climbing the rankings!

ADEPTUS ASTARTES: ETL VII MAGISTER

All participants that vowed for any of the Adeptus Astartes forums (SMs, BAs, DAs and SWs,) and managed to complete ALL their vows are eligible to wear the ETL VII Magister Badge in their signature.

[Captain Semper]

Section 3 – ETL VII Primus Inter Pares: Forums’ performance within each Faction

Moving from the Faction level and zooming-in into each Faction, it’s time to see the relative performance of each Forum and who wins the Primus Inter Pares in each one!

Adeptus Astartes Faction:

1. Dark Angels – 27,735

2. Space Marines – 26,351

3. Blood Angels – 21,991

4. Space Wolves – 6,593

PRIMUS INTER PARES ASTARTES: DARK ANGELS

All participants that vowed for the Dark Angels Forum and managed to complete ALL their vows are eligible to wear the Astartes Primus Inter Pares Badge in their signature.

Well here we had a very strange situation where a Forum with relatively low (actually very low) average vow, has managed via hectic re-vowing and VERY high completion rates to not only become Primus Inter Pares within its (very competitive) Faction but to almost become Dominus Exercitus – i.e. the highest scoring forum among all ETL forums. The Dark Angels were leading until mid-day of the last day of the event. In the end, not even a CR of 91% and zero penalties could override the low average vow, relegating the DAs into second position overall. However, they did manage the first position within their own Faction beating the SMs and the BAs that both had more participants (although the BAs only one more) and both having way more points pledged leading to higher average vows. If only they had a few high-value vows in there…

In fact, the Space Marines were at many points of the event in the overall lead and they had the resources to prevail – all they needed was a substantially high CR to make sure they bring their superior numbers to bear. As it happens 73% sounds strong, and definitely way better than the mediocre 61% of last year, but unfortunately for them, this was an 80%+ year. So, despite having an excellent mix of high-value and low-value vows and a strong following, they could not beat the DAs. They did of course manage to get more points done in absolute terms but, adjusted for completion rate their SCR got penalized. Still they secured 2^ndposition within the Faction!

The CR impact was even more pronounced for the Blood Angels. With a completion rate of also 73% but on a smaller pool and with fewer participants than the Space Marines they could not threaten the Dark Angels (or the Space Marines for that matter) virtually at any point during the event… This is a pity as last year showed what a high CR can do – it effectively made the Blood Angels ETL Champions. But last year’s 87% is very different affair from this year’s 73% and on a smaller participation pool and lower average vow. Still, in the last days of the event, the BAs showed exceptional momentum but was not enough to secure them the lead. So, they had to stay in third position within the Faction. I’m sure that next year their resolve will return, and the CR will go again in the 80s or even higher.

Lastly the SWs… They had one of the most difficult ETLs that I can remember. Very limited participation, very low completion rate and, on top of that, the most penalty points than any other Forum in the entire ETL. The quality of the output was great but low participation and more importantly the low CR made the 4^thplace inescapable. I sure hope that next year they will have higher participation and, more importantly, a higher completion rate to give that much needed multiplier effect…

Imperial Forces (IFOR) Faction:

1. Adeptus Mechanicus – 9,792

2. Astra Militarum – 9,228

3. Agents of the Imperium – 5,390

4. Adepta Sororitas – 3,711

5. Deathwatch – 1,598

6. Grey Knights - 233

PRIMUS INTER PARES IFOR: ADEPTUS MECHANICUS

All participants that vowed for the Adeptus Mechanicus Forum and managed to complete ALL their vows are eligible to wear the IFOR Primus Inter Pares Badge in their signature.

Well, the IFOR had a... different trajectory this year with the AdMech gaining first position with only 563pts difference from the traditional IFOR leaders: the Astra Militarum. Here we had a great distribution of points: a mega vow of a Nemesis Titan, a couple of large 1k vows and a number of smaller ones. As it happens the overall CR of the AdMech stood at a VERY impressive 93% - a percentage that made first position possible. And it had to be that high really, anything less than that and it would be doubtful if they could beat the Astra Mil that was close behind. But 93% guaranteed them victory so kudos to the AdMech and all glory to the Omnissiah! A special mention here to Kilofix for completing this most challenging of projects, a Nemesis Titan, and for doing so in a timely fashion!

The Astra Militarum on the other hand had a more… traditional CR, a CR than in another year might be even considered high at 76%. However, this year, 76% is not high and cannot guarantee you a top position unless it is coupled with huge resources. And although the Astra Militarum resources were strong (the strongest within the IFOR context), they were not that superior to the AdMech to lead to the top without putting in significant effort. Yes, they had virtually double the people but only 75% of the AdMech average vow. That led to a close result but ultimately the first position escaped them. I guess that’s food for thought for next year as it underlines the importance of the completion rate, because in absolute terms the Astra Militarum had more points completed than any other IFOR Forum.

The Agents of the Imperium also made their presence felt this year with a respectable completion rate of 90%. What they lacked was participation levels and/or higher average vow. In short, they just did not have the resources to threaten the top position within their Faction, but their performance showed dedication and a strong desire to not only finish their individual vows but to also see the IFOR in a good placement on the Faction level. I really hope that next year we’ll see massed Custodes armies, Inquisitors, Assassins, et al and many more participants to drive the Agents where they belong: right next to the Emperor at the top of their Faction!

But in my mind, the true heroes of the IFOR if not the entire ETL was the Sisters Forum. Here we had a forum that has ancient minis, no real support for ages and a pre-announced imminent release of new gorgeous plastic minis, a new Codex and rules within this year! I expected ZERO participation here as naturally people would rather wait for the long-awaited new stuff. Instead we got as many participants as the Agents and more than the GKs and with a dedication that is totally unexpected: the CR reached 90% vs. 43% last year and with zero penalties! What can I say, these guys really like their SoBs and now that the new (plastic) stuff is coming out in November, one can only guess what will happen next year!

The Deathwatch manage 9 participants, so participation was not their main problem – low average vow was. In fact, the Deathwatch had the lowest average vow in the entire event by far, thus limiting their chances for a better placement within the IFOR Faction. And as if this was not limiting enough, they also suffered a 364pts penalty – the only IFOR Forum to suffer one… Thus 5^th position in the IFOR Faction was inevitable

Lastly, the Grey Knights had a really weak presence this year: low number of participants and low average vow (although not as low as the Deathwatch) and the lowest completion rate in the ETL at below 30%. I agree, they are generally not considered very competitive an army but the minis rock (in my opinion anyway) and as this is primarily a painting competition, I assumed people will at least go for a high CR even if re-vowing would be limited. Alas, it was not to be… GKs hold the lowest score in the ETL this year, but congratulations to those who completed their tasks: your Custos Fidei is well-deserved!

Realm of Chaos Faction:

1. Chaos Space Marines – 26,956

2. Chaos Daemons – 5,472

3. The Lost and the Damned – 1,677

PRIMUS INTER PARES REALM OF CHAOS: CHAOS SPACE MARINES

All participants that vowed for the Chaos Space Marines Forum and managed to complete ALL their vows are eligible to wear the Realm of Chaos Primus Inter Pares Badge in their signature.

Here there was little contest… The Chaos Space Marines are so overwhelmingly popular that leave little room to really be challenged by the other two much smaller Forums. Yet the little Forums managed to achieve the mythical 100% completion rate. Yes, both of them! Now this is drive and dedication and all the Custos Fidei’s are well-earned! The CSMs on the other hand had a weaker performance than last year with only a CR of 67% - some 10 percentage points lower than last year’s achievement. Apart from securing the top position in the Realm of Chaos (obviously) that was not enough to make them overall Champions or even put them in the second place overall. And this despite the good average vow and the highest participation than any other Forum. Bottom line: CR is super important!

Xenos Faction:

1. Necrontyr – 9,619

2. Tyranids – 7,711

3. Tau – 4,903

4. Orks – 3,100

5. Aeldari – 352

PRIMUS INTER PARES XENOS: NECRONTYR

All participants that vowed for the Necrontyr Forum and managed to complete ALL their vows are eligible to wear the Xenos Primus Inter Pares Badge in their signature.

Well the this was literally savage! At some point Necrons, Tyranids and Tau had similar points pledged and similar completion rates and that made this the competition to watch! As it turned out the Necrons not only achieved the mythical 100% CR but also managed to pledge the most points vs. any other Xenos Forum. There was no way they would come anything but first. But this was not clear even on the day of the deadline so it was all about the completion rate on one hand and whether a last-minute vow (and there were several) would move the needle one way or another. And, at the end of the day, the Necrons managed to prevail, becoming Primus Inter Pares for the Xenos Faction.

The Tyranids, that last year had a SCR of below 1k, with only one participant completing any vows at all and achieving a CR of 55% whereas this year they managed a SCR of 7.7k, and CR of 95% and a very respectable second place within the Xenos Faction. This was really a great performance and one that, if repeated, can even lead to the top position. A note of interest: my intention is to keep the Tyranids and the Genestealer Cults on the same Outpost in the years to come – so no need to fear a split!

The Tau on the other hand, last year’s Xenos Primus Inter Pares, had a good start but ultimately their main issue was CR: at 77% is was just not high enough for this ETL. Crazy? Tell me about it! Still, they had enough resources that even with a 77% CR they secured 3^rdplace. Truth is, as things turned out with the Necrons pledging more points and completing them all, even a 100% CR would not be enough for them to win this year. You can take solace in that…

Now Orks! A fantastic performance with 100% CR! Unfortunately, this was not enough to secure them a better placement as their resources were rather limited, but spectacular work nevertheless! If only the Ork sub-community was to grow, I’m sure that even with lower CR (but not very much lower) they could threaten the top position. With Orks it’s all about momentum: once they get it, it’s an all-out attack! Waaagh!

Lastly the Aeldari… Well, here we had different trends. Much like last year they have the lowest SCR in the Xenos forum, although not the lowest in the ETL (that goes to the GKs) due to very low CR. Yes, participation was low (but not that low) and average vow was low (but again not that low). But with a CR of 32% it sort of leaves no room for maneuver. Congratulations to Ace Debonair and ShatteredRose for their completions – their Custos Fidei are well-earned!

Age of Darkness Faction (AoD):

1. AoD-L: 30,465

2. AoD-T: 25,660

PRIMUS INTER PARES AoD: AoD-L

All participants that vowed for the AOD-L Forum and managed to complete ALL their vows are eligible to wear the AoD Primus Inter Pares Badge in their signature.

Well, this faction only has two Outposts the Loyalists and the Traitors. And around the mid of the event, it was unclear which of the two will prevail, but soon the Loyalists managed to put some completions under their belt followed by consistent re-vowing giving them the edge. And then in the final weeks, a Martyr rose among their ranks carrying even greater part of the burden and whereas the pledged points of the two Outposts were roughly equal and it was really a matter of higher CR, the Loyalists started to take off… This was reflected in the re-vowing rate (100% for the Loyalists vs.77% for the Traitors) but most importantly by the increase in the average vow resulting to a 10k gap in pledged points. And although the Traitors got a 90% CR, the Loyalists with 86% managed to not only come on top but did so by absorbing a hefty penalty of more than 1k points! So, kudos to them!

[Captain Semper]

SECTION 4 - ETL VII Dominus Exercitus: THE ETL VII CHAMPION!

Apart from the strongest Faction and the strongest Forums within a Faction, the ETL recognises the strongest Forum overall which is awarded the glorious badge of the Dominus Exercitus: The Champions of ETL VII.

So, with 20 Forums participating and competing for the top position, in a year where 4 forums achieved the mythical 100% CR and another 5 managed a CR of 90%+, in a year where the B&C celebrates its 20^thBirthday, ALL GLORY GOES TO:

AGE OF DARKNESS-LOYALISTS: DOMINUS EXERCITUS, ETL VII CHAMPIONS!



All AoD-L participants who completed all their vows are eligible to carry the Dominus Exercitus badge in their signature!

The AoD-L had a CR of 86% and a total score of 30,465pt after the penalties. This was a clear victory as the difference with the Dark Angels that got second position was more than 2.7k pts. There is no question that the AoD-L was greatly aided by the ETL VII Martyr, @TheStatusJoe but it was also greatly aided by an avalanche of super vows form other AoD-L participants. Hearty congratulations – a heroic effort and a well-deserved one, as the AoD for years was in high positions never managing to secure the top one! And yet now, in the B&C 20^thBirthday, and playing against very determined rivals, that commanded way more resources, at least in the opening stages of the event, they managed to see this through and come on top!

This is doubly important as both the AoD Outposts showed immense dedication countering their lack of human resources as the setting overall has been overshadowed by the 40k 8^thedition (HH still being in 7^th) and the support from FW and other sources has waned. But the Heresy diehards are still here, and they made their presence felt! Congratulations to both!

Their main rivals this year were the Dark Angels that showed unprecedented tenacity for such a populous Forum, who managed a 91%+ completion rate and captured the second place quite easily… And until the end of the event, it was not clear which one will win as the penalties were to come into play. Well they did, they affected the AoD-L and STILL they managed to come on top! A big let-down for the DAs because of the huge effort and commitment they put in this, but ultimately, the lack of a few large-ish vows made the difference. Second position it is then…

The Chaos Space Marines were also in a good shape to threaten the top with the largest pool of participants (73 vs. 14 for the AoD-L) and with a decent average vow too - at least in the opening stages... That said they did not bring their firepower to bear, and with a completion rate of 67%, well, they could not come near the AoD-L Outpost. Interestingly the CSMs completed more points than anyone else in absolute terms but, unfortunately for them, they lost on the CR adjusted figure. This just shows that delivering on the promise is the single most important thing in the ETL.

Lastly, I would like to note the Space Marines. They also had significant participation levels (53) and a significant pool of points pledged: more than the AoD-L and only second to the CSMs. But again, their CR, although much higher than in past ETLs (and this should be recognised), did not allow for them becoming a real threat to the AoD-L. The funny thing is that the Scores of DAs, CSMs, SMs and AoD-T all came within a range of 2k pts from each other. This is a very narrow band and it means that their relative position could have changed literally at any point and by the completion of a single vow… If this is not savage, I don’t know what is (for ETL standards obviously).

But the AoD-L stood above everyone else and with a clear difference of 2.7k pts form the second grabbed the title of ETL VII Champion! CONGRATULATIONS!

[Captain Semper]

SECTION 5 – Custos Fidei and Oath breakers

The ETL does not only reward collective effort but individual effort as well! It doesn’t matter if your Forum / Faction did not perform well, as long as you have delivered on your promise, no matter the size of your vow, you will receive the fabled Custos Fidei – that most prestigious award, a proof that you successfully participated in ETL VI!

The Custos Fidei is available to all participants who completed all their vows during the lifetime of the event and even distinguishes the amount of vows that each participant made. If on the other hand, you have failed to complete even one of your vows, then the Oathbreaker Badge is for you, and you are required to wear until the year-end. Truth is, the Oathbreaker badge is quite nice, and many people wear it long after the required period!

So, with no further ado let’s award the Custos Fidei and the Oathbreaker badge (participants are presented with alphabetical order):

IMPORTANT NOTE: IF you think your name is in the wrong place, feel free to take the badge you deserve and notify me to change the location of your name

Participants with 5 vows completed:

Almagor

Azekai

Brother Haim

Chaoeself

Commander Dawnstar

Dasanaman017

Deadman Wade

Dracpanzer

Dwango

Freakshow668

Gederas

GreyRavenC

Grotsmasha

Halandaar

Jack Burton

jerethdatiger

Leonaides

librisrouge

Lieutenant Arkley

Lord Blackwood

Lostrael

MajorNese

oldschoosoviet

Reinhard

Rogue

TheStatusJoe

TiguriusX

Tyriks

Zujara

Participants with 4 vows completed:

Ace Debonair

Apocalypton

Celtic_Cauldron

Chaplain Lucifer

Closet Skeleton

Dr. Ruminahui

I Am Forsaken

Krakendoomcool

MrYellow

Semper Fortis

Spyros

Zeke

Zephaniah Adriyen

Participants with 3 vows completed:

Arakos The Corruptor

Baron Sebas

BlackSky

Boyadventurer

Brother Argent

Chris521

Cleon

Dread

Eldrick Shadowblade

Florida_Omegon

gianlucafiorentini123

gilt_imp

Hintzy

jeremy1391

Konnavaer

Kythnos

Magos Takatus

Majkhel

MarshallRigaud

Mordas

Mordian Glory

Obsidian Quacker

phoenix01

Preliminary Bombardment

Reclusiarch Jolemai

RolandTHTG

Scion

Slave to Darkness

Sneakybamsen

Spacecow

tdemayo

Thoridon

Vykes

War Angel

Participants with 2 vows completed:

Akylas

Altis

Angel of Solitude

Brother Cambrius

brother_b

bushman101

Captain Semper

CaptnRussia

CausticCossack

Chaeron

chainsaw89

Chazzmos

Colonel Bindoff

Daimyo-Phaeron Lenoch

Derelinqueren

Disruptor_fe404

Dreager

Dusktiger

elmo

farfromsam

Filkarion

Focslain

G8Keeper

golfdeltafoxtrot

Gore Crow

Greenz

Henimann

Iron Bars

Isengrin

Isual

Jud Cottrel

Kenzaburo

Kierdale

Lhorke the First

lionofjudah

Lysimachus

MaliGn

Metzombie

Mithrilforge

Mr4Minutes

Of the night

PeteySödes

Phatsquirre1

Prot

RikuEru

Sgt Blank

Shaneos

SnorriSnorrison

Spaced Hulk

spagunk

StruManChu

Studio Silvernale

Tallarn Commander

toaee

tremblant

Trokair

Vel'Cona

Viridia

Warbringer

Zebulon

Participants with 1 vow completed:

Aias

Alphastryke

Angarox

Arkaniss

Arkhanist

Ascanius

Azaiel

BitterSilence

Black_Knight

Black_Star

BluejayJunior

Brother Callidan

Brother Carn

Brother Casman

Brother Chaplain Kage

Brother Cristopher

Brother Handro

Brother Lemartes

Brother Pheidias

Cadorn

Canadian_F_H

Celebrandas

Chaplain Matthias

Charlo

Chaz Sexington

Codicier

Dahkness00

Dantay VI

Darmor

Demoulius

dice4thedicegod

Dracos

DuskRaider

Eberious

EL_duderino

Eternal Despair

Excessus

Falcongek

Galloway

Gr'Flur

Grand Master Belial

Green_Horror

GuardDaddy

guardian31

HandsWithLegs

Hoots

ImperialSquishiness

Indefragable

Interrogator Stobz

Iron-Daemon Forge

Iron Father Ferrum

JAG Templar

JaM_naf#6121

jaxom

Jbickb

JeffJedi

Jevsa

JGeils81

JJD

JJ-McGuinness

keeblerartillery

Khornehunter57x

Kilofix

LameBeard

Ldorte

Leonite

Leviathus

lokkorex

longjohnsilver

Machine God

Mactire

Marit Watery

Marshal Vespasian

Master Ciaphas

Mechanicus_Adept

MegaVolt87

mercbat

Midlight

Moostick

Morovir

Mostwanted

Nicodemus Doloroso

Noigrim

NovemberIX

NTaW

Nusquam

okonomiyakimarine

Oxydo

Papewaio

Putrid Choir

Quantum

Raychu

Razblood

RedemptionNL

Reigart

Scourged

ShatteredRose

Slothysaur

Snakechisler

ST.Lazarus

stuka06

Sviar

TheFinisher4Ever

TheOneTrueZon

thewarriorhunter

Toxichobbit

TrawlingCleaner

Ultrad81

undeadsoldier

undivided_apostle

VulkanLives

Waking Dreamer

Wakkomaster

Warhead01

Warrior Fish

Xin Ceithan

Yoyo ninja

Oath breakers

Aasfresser

AdmirableGoal

Aeternus

AHorriblePerson

Aqui

Atia

Augustus b'Raass

Blackheart1223

Boshea

Boytoy

Brother Azrael

Brother Quixote

BrotherAetherick

Burias-Drak'shal

Burni

burningsky25

Chaplain Corvid

Chaplain Dosjetka

Chaplain Mollusc

CMDR_Welles

codyrstuart

Coldfyre

CommDante

DanPesci

Dark Rage

Dark_Master

Darnok

Darthalibert

DeRome90

Doctor Perils

Dont-Be-Haten

Dragonlover

Dredgen Yor

Endova

Glaucs

h0U5e

hammer grimblood

Hopelesst

Icosiel

IronHeretic

Jam Master Flex

Jarl Kjaran Coldheart

jkoczan42

Kaese

killersquid

KJB

Kleomenes

KrautScientist

Larkyn

Lord Commander Eidolon

Lord Marshal:

Lord Ranulf

Lynnean

Magpie Knight

Malus Trux

Marshal van Trapp

Mechanist

moric

Nemerax

NocturnalAnimal

Ornithologist

our_baz

planefall

Primarch83

Private Jenkins

raeho

Rednekkboss

redshadow

Rizara

robofish7591

Rune Priest Ridcully

Sabadin

Sagentus

sarabando

Seneschal of the Seventh

sfPanzer

Shard of Magnus

Silas7

Skorp

Soldier of Dorn

SonofCarnelian

Surreal Cruelty

Teetengee

Templargdt

The Weeping Angel

The4thHorseman

TheBlackPumpkin

TheLitheTiger

ThePenitentOne

Triszin

tvih

UniWolf

Waldwolf

WITCHKING501

[Captain Semper]

Section 6 - Badges of Excellence: Forum Champions

Awarding the Custos Fidei is not the only distinction the ETL bestows on the participants. Some have delivered above and beyond the call of duty and therefore are eligible for badges of excellence.

The Forum Champion:

Each Forum has a Champion, i.e. the individual with the most points completed. Of course, those individuals must have completed ALL their vows, so participants that have outstanding vows at the end of the event are not considered (the order of the Champions mirrors the order the Forums are stacked in the main B&C page).

Space Marines Champion:

Halandaar – 5,889

Blood Angels Champion:

Mr. Yellow – 3,674

Dark Angels Champion:

Zujara – 3,355

Space Wolves Champion:

RikuEru – 2,287

Sisters of Battle Champion:

Studio Silvernale – 1,707

Adeptus Mechanicus Champion:

Kilofix – 5,000

Astra Militarum Champion:

gilt_imp – 4,321

Agents of the Imperium Champion:

librisrouge – 2,344

Deathwatch Champion:

Chris521 – 766

Grey Knights Champion:

Waking Dreamer – 545

Chaos Space Marines Champion:

Iron-Daemon Forge – 3,522

Chaos Daemons Champion:

Closet Skeleton – 2,112

The Lost and the Damned Champion:

DuskRaider – 1,122

Aeldari Champion:

ShatteredRose – 802

Necrons Champion:

Boyadventurer – 3,003

Ork Champion:

Chainshaw89 – 1,181

T’au Empire Champion:

Commander Dawnstar – 3,922

Tyranids Champion:

oldschoolsoviet – 2,621

Age of Darkness – Loyalists Champion:

TheStatusJoe – 14,487

Age of Darkness – Traitors Champion:

Altis – 7,620

[Captain Semper]

Section 7 - Badges of Excellence: Faction Masters and ETL VII Martyr

The Master of the Faction:

From among the Forum Champions of each Faction, the one with the most points completed is proclaimed the Master of the Faction! So, five Factions, therefore five Masters. These are (the order of the Masters mirrors the order the Factions are stacked in the main B&C page):

Master of the Adeptus Astartes

Halandaar – 5,889

Master of the Forces of the Imperium (IFOR)

Kilofix – 5,000

Master of the Realm of Chaos

Iron-Daemon Forge – 3,522

Master of the Xenos

Commander Dawnstar – 3,922

Master of the Age of Darkness (AoD)

TheStatusJoe – 14,487

The single individual with the most points completed in the event, the Champion of Champions, the Master of Masters will be awarded the Badge of the Martyr of ETL VII – the highest award of Excellence based on points! And here it is:

MARTYR OF ETL VII

TheStatusJoe of the Age of Darkness – Loyalist Outpost with the amazing total of 14,487pts

Congratulations TheStatusJoe, you can wear your badge with honour and pride!

[Captain Semper]

Section 8 - Badges of Excellence: Artificer and Master Artificer

This is the badge that is awarded for impressive painting and modelling. Whereas all previous Badges of Excellence related to the quantity of the output of the participants, the Badge of the Artificer rewards quality. Unfortunately, this is subjective and based on the consultation of a most secret Committee of the Inner Circle. The only objective criterion, as you might have guessed is that the miniatures must be complete with basing an’ all and that the participant must have completed all his vows.

As such the Badge of the Artificer will be awarded to 10 individuals, representing different styles of painting. There is no bias on larger or smaller models and no bias or whether it was part of a big or a small vow. The only criterion is whether it has a wow! factor – again based on subjective criteria.

However, only one Artificer will be awarded the title of Master Artificer. This will happen as a result of voting in a poll that I will set-up in the WIP Forum, allowing the B&C community at large to decide – not just the ETL participants – which is the participant that deserves the title of Master Artificer.

With no further ado, you can find below the names of the participants that will be awarded to the Badge of the Artificer (alphabetically):

MaliGn

Hidden Content

Baron Sebas

Hidden Content

ShatteredRose

Hidden Content

Kenzaburo

Hidden Content

keeblerartillery

Hidden Content

Prot

Hidden Content

Iron-Daemon Forge

Hidden Content

Lostrael

Hidden Content

Major Nesse

Hidden Content

Chris521

Hidden Content

All the above are entitled to the Badge of the Artificer. Congratulations to all!


Now you all be contacted with a PM - the Conclave of the Artificers where you'll be asked to provide the best pics you can take of your vows (make them large-ish) so I can set up the poll for all the B&C members to vote. They do not have to be pics of the entire vow - it could be a select few models or even one model that you are most proud of! In fact, I'd rather you do that, and get a clear image of your best work in the ETL VII than try to cram everything in a pic and lose focus. Just make sure it's work you did during the ETL!

In case you do not provide me with any pics, then I'll use the ones you posted in the completion declarations of your vows. But please make the effort - it'll be fun, and your work will be presented closer to your liking.

Lastly a special mention to our Princeps. This year we had four Titans joining the ETL:

Mr. Yellow

Hidden Content

lionofjudah

Hidden Content

Altis

Hidden Content

Kilofix

Hidden Content

All three may carry the Titanicus Badge in their signature:

[Captain Semper]

Section 9 - Captain Semper's Notes 

Well, the ETL VII is over. This was the second ETL in the 8^th40k Edition and it had the special honour to be the one taking place in the B&C 20^thBirthday. So, here are a few thoughts about the current ETL and about its future:

 

First of all, I was extremely glad to see the Xenos forums getting involved and with such passion. True, their participation is still small, but it’s better than last year and their output was way better than last year too… Hopefully this trend will continue, and although realistically I don’t see them challenge the Astartes or Chaos, I don’t see why they couldn’t challenge the IFOR or the AoD. 

 

Secondly, I was really happy with the AoD performance (both Outposts). Personally, I remain a big fan of the Heresy and I’m saddened by the decline in support over the past three years. So, I’m really excited to see that, although the following has declined, the community is still vibrant and productive – and a little hardcore too! In my eyes, the AoD deserved the first position in the ETL years ago, but always something hindered them (completion rates most likely). Yet, as the group became more compact, teamwork prevailed, and the result was very rewarding indeed! Unfortunately, that meant that the DAs missed their opportunity to become Champions again, but c’ est la vie!

 

Now going forward I think there are a few things that need to be addressed. The first is the decline in participation levels. In the last three years participation went from almost 500 to 350. This may be totally coincidental and next year we may witness a jump to higher levels again, or it may be that people may want a tweak in the mechanics of the ETL. 

Despite various changes over the years, the core mechanics of the ETL have been virtually the same since 2012 and possibly people may want to see a shake-up! I have some thoughts, but I’m also open to suggestions. 

 

A last point I would like to make is that there were quite a few satellite events this year – two for the DAs and two for the CSMs (I’m not counting the Beauty Pageant as this was really a pure fun thing). I think these events have a positive impact on the output of the Firums affected and maybe it will be something worth expanding upon in the future…

 

Now I would like to take this opportunity to thank @Grotsmasha, the Inner Circle’s Master of the Arsenal for his immense patience when working out the ETL VII imagery! I know I did not make your life any easier 3^rdMaster, so thank you very much for delivering, time and again, and often at terrible short notice! And not only that, he also run a satellite event, the Hunt for the Fallen, in the DAs forum to support our effort! A true Master of the First!

 

I would also like to thank @Grand Master Belial, the Inner Circle’s Master of the Lore (and an actual B&C Codicier when this used to be a thing back in the day) for running the first ever fan-fiction event that’s linked to the ETL. A satellite event for the Liber if you like! Thank you GMB, hopefully this would be the beginning of a long-running series!

 

Furthermore, I would like to thank , the Inner Circle’s Master of the Unseen Ritual, that true to form supported the DA effort through his continuing encouragement of the DA brothers and by running a satellite event, the Crossing of the Rubicon – for the DA Primaris, before that went in Vogue with WD special articles… 

 

Last but by no means least, I would like to thank @Interrogator Stobz, the Inner Circle’s Warden of the Rock for assisting me in Secret Council of undisclosable purposes… Thank you Warden, Lion’s Justice be with you!

 

And with that, the ETL VII is over. The Poll for the Master Artificer will take place in a couple of days, while a compilation of the stories of the Mark of the Liber will follow suit! 

 

Until the next time,

 

Captain Semper

Member of the Inner Circle

The Master of Recruits

[Kilofix]

Thank you Captain Semper for all that you’ve put into this and for being the mainstay of this event year after year.

[Ranulf]

*Offers Aquila salute to Captain Semper*

 

You've outdone yourself once again, thanks and gratitude for the stupendous amount of work that went into running the event. 

 

Congratulations to all who took part! 

 

Time to add that Oathbreaker badge to my sig once again. 

 

-Ran

[Azekai]

Great event as always, Cap! Thanks for all the time and effort you spend tabulating vows and pushing us to finish our goals!

[Majkhel]

I'm gladly joining the thanking circle for Captain Semper and his master crew - fantastic work!

 

See you next year!
Cheers :)

[Spacecow]

Thanks captain semper. Impressive final report!

[DuskRaider]

The only objective criterion, as you might have guessed is that the miniatures must be complete with basing an’ all .

 

*Grumble grumble*

 

Thanks for another great event, Cap! I look forward to the next one!

[Spyros]

Wow, fantastic performances! Well done all!

Excellent performance from the Dark Angels, they were scary. And our last year's rivals, the Heretic Astartes are as strong and tenacious as ever.

 

The Blood Angels did their duty at ETL6.

Congratulations to the true Loyal Servants of the Emperor for winning the Battle for Terra this year!

 

And many thanks to the Captain and the staff of B&C for this great organization!

[JJD]

Thanks Captain Semper.

 

On a side note I tried to add my new badge today and there was an issue. I know I have seen a post before about zig problems but as I am usually in mobile view I didn’t notice.

[WarriorFish]

It was great to see such a low penalty rate, that's a real achievement! It'll be difficult to beat next time but that only makes it a more worthy goal

 

Congratulations to all who completed - those who failed in their duty must make suitable amends... Special thanks of course to Semper for running it, with any luck I'll have some more time for a bigger contribution next year! Now to find some room in my sig :P