By now, most of us have seen the photo of a judge at IPMS Nats holding a Char 1B aloft like it’s fucking Simba in the Circle of Life.
This has generated a lot of heated discussion about the lack of respect for the builder’s work, the absolute unnecessity of looking at the bottom of tanks, and the impropriety of picking up models unless absolutely necessary – much less holding them aloft to introduce them to all the prey animals that worship you as their god king.
It’s also generated a lot of IPMS huffiness. Huff! You have to judge the entire model! Huff! You filthy peasants should just be happy people even volunteer to judge! Huff!
Look. We all know that IPMS won’t do a fucking thing about this. There’ll be hue and cry on the socials for a few days or weeks, and then it’ll be kinda forgotten about.
I want to change that. So here’s my idea.
Flip Your Shit.
For Madison 2024, bring (or send) entries of tanks that are either flipped on their sides or upside down.
Bring so many of the things that they have no choice but to split out several categories for flipped tanks.
Flood the tables with them. Fuck, do it for aircraft, too. Why not? Hell. If someone enters a capsized ship, I’ll give you $20.
This isn’t limited to any specific category. Broad based insurgency, people. Even if it’s poorly done. Even if it’s slapdash. Even if it’s on it’s side for no reason and is just a tank on a plank. 1/35 open top AFVs? Flip it. 1/35 Axis light tanks that are mostly tan and have long guns? Flip it. 1/72 basic kit build? Flip that shit. And flip it good.
This could be one of the funniest things that’s ever happened at a Nats. So what do ya say?