Looking back in my diary at March 2020 was an interesting experience. It’s largely a collection of entries about different daily Lockdown rules and restrictions announced by the UK government, but just a few days before the big 'everyone in stay inside' announcement there was Hammerhead 2020. The Newark (participation game special) show crept in just before the harshest of the Coronavirus restrictions, and in that year we had 30 entries in the Wargames Illustrated - Hammerhead Painting Competition. The year before we had a similar number of entries. This year (March 2023) we had just shy of 100, that’s pretty good going, a massive increase in participation, and a reflection of the healthy and growing appetite for painting comps in our hobby. We never had grand designs that the Hammerhead competition would become one that mini painters would set their sights on as a ‘must win’. The victorious entries generally go on to appear in more 'prestigious' competitions later in the year and tend to do quite well but what was interesting this year was the discovery, while talking to entrants, that they like to test the waters at Hammerhead. It's is the first painting comp of the year and by entering their miniatures in our competition they get a chance to grab some feedback and the opportunity to scope out the opposition. I have to admit that this early fixture in the painting comp calendar has come about more by luck than judgment, but we have reaped the benefits of this happy coincidence by getting some excellent entries this year, previously, and hopefully in the future. As a predominantly historical magazine, we always make a particular fuss of the historical entries into the competition, and although you will get to see the best of the best from all the categories in the May issue of Wi, I thought I would show you the fantastic winners and runners up in the two Historical categories here. Feast your eyes. 1st Place Historical Single – Paul Mackay’s Perry Miniatures Richard III. 2nd Place Historical Single – Fet Milner’s Paulus Miniatures Prehistoric Shaman. 3rd Place Historical Single – Matthew Leggett’s Warlord Games Vercingetorix, Gallic Celt Chieftain. 1st Place Historical Unit – Eddie Bermingham’s Victrix Chasseur à Cheval. 2nd Place Historical Unit – Paul Mackay’s Warlord Games Winged Hussars. 3rd Place Historical Unit – John Savage’s Perry Miniatures British 1870 Line Infantry.
