I would like to win 1st place w/ my armor dio. What are a couple of things that a judge would look for in a dio such as mine.

~Chip :-)

IF I were a judge, I may look for these

1. The model/dio must be in accordance to the theme of the contest.
2. The model should be eye-catching
3. NO seamlines at all or any stray objects like glue.
4. A good weathering
5. Special effects.
6. Presentation of the dio.
7. Painting and brush strokes and stray colors.

Your diorame should be realistic...

By that I mean the following:

* Your model an figures should not "hoover" above the ground. Military vehicles have a tendancy to be heavy, and should leave tracks on/in the ground..
* When using road signs and such, make sure they are correct.. I've seen my share of "Francois Verlinden" dio's (things like "now entering Germany" signs in dead-end streets and such)
* A dio should be an addition to a model, so don't overdo it. Unless you plan on using multiple models, than this rule does not apply.
* Seek reference in the neighborhood, on pictures,.. to get some more idea's or to check on accuracy....

Wanting to win 1st is a noble effort, but you gotta walk before you can run and you gotta run a lotta races before you win the marathon. I entered my first contest in 1979 and it was 1984 before I won my first 1st place.

Winning depends on the size of the pond your in, too. On any given day, some world class builder could show up and blow away the competition.

Generally speaking, a diorama is more than a model on a base with a bit of ground work. It tells a story, usually a bigger story than can be told with one vehicle. There should be interaction among the elements and the story should be clear to the viewer without a lot of explanation. The title should not be necessary to let the viewer know what's going on, even if the viewer doesn't know the history of the event being depicted. Being an artistic representation, there hould be more balance than even a photo of the event would have.

Below is a gold level diorama from AMPS EAST: (NOTE: It is NOT mine.)