The Army Painter's first Adepticon has come and passed, and what an amazing event it was! The crown jewel of the American midwest for hobbyists, Adepticon is a humongous event, combining all of the best elements of a tournament (several tournaments, to be fair) and a more traditional convention, with a giant vendor hall, painting competitions, and hobby classes galore. While several members of our team have been Adepticon regulars for years, this marks the first time that The Army Painter has had an official presence at the con, and we made sure to leave a lasting impression!
Hands on with Warpaints Fanatic
Our home base was in the vendor hall, where we set up shop with plenty of displays, as well as a painting table for everyone to come and try out the new Warpaints Fanatic range or even the Speedpaint range if they were unfamiliar with it.
Loaded up with miniatures, primed and ready to be painted, this table was slammed with patrons for the entire event. There was barely a moment when one of the chairs was empty - in fact, we had to bring in extra chairs to fill any open space left at the table! It was an absolute joy getting to see so many hobbyists try out the Warpaints Fanatic range for the first time. Testing out the coverage, control, or even just trying out one of their favorite colour schemes with the new colours, there was nary an unimpressed hobbyist at the event.
Some were already waiting for their pre-orders to arrive back at their house, while others, so impressed with the new paints they made the plunge there and then, and ordered one of the box sets, such as the Fanatic Mega Paint Set, to race them home.
The Experts at Work
Not only did we have all the paints available to try, but we also loaded the table with our expert painters to demo what could be done with the range. Our Lead Studio Painter, Thomas Coltau, made the trek all the way from Denmark to show off what Warpaints Fanatic could achieve, whilst the entirety of our Factory Team, Sam, Uncle Atom, Eric, and Phil, were also present, putting their tremendous skills to use at the demo table.
On the Friday of the event, we even had several free seminars for hobbyists to attend, starting with a demo of the new Warpaints Fanatic presented by the all-star team of Bo, Thomas, and Adam, the minds behind the new range. Later in the afternoon, painting instructor extraordinaire, Caleb Wissenback, took the reins and taught two classes on how to work with Speedpaint and Fanatic.
Going for the Gold
We weren't only there to work of course. As avid hobbyists and painters ourselves, many of our members made sure to make the most of the event. From exploring all of the wonderful armies on display at the different tournaments, taking part in some ourselves, and just enjoying the overload of hobby joy that permeated the entire convention center - we were in hobby nirvana.
Some of us even entered several of the painting competitions that were being held, and all took home at least some level of award! Factory Team member and winningest American painter, Sam Lenz, continued his streak, taking home awards in the Golden Demon by Games Workshop, Path of the Worthy by Atomic Mass Games, P3 Grandmasters by Privateer Press, and the Resin Beast by Creature Caster - all with Warpaints Fanatic in his arsenal!
Thomas had four entries into the Golden Demon, netting himself two Finalist pins and two Notable Entry cards, whilst Tyler and Adam also both walked home with Notable Entry cards for their models. Needless to say, we've all caught the award bug and are excited to enter into even more painting competitions throughout the rest of 2024 and beyond.
To say it was an amazing event would be an understatement, and we can't wait to come back next year and make it even bigger and better!
This isn't the last event for the year, with more coming, so be sure to stay tuned for news on where we'll be next. Our events program, led by Kat Jackson, will only continue to grow and expand, and we can't wait to bring The Army Painter experience to an event near you. For all your event news and more, be sure to check back here, under the Events tab, and keep an eye on our social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and X (or Twitter, as most people call it).
