GENERAL INFORMATION

For 2027 we are combing the traditional Theme Award with the Tank of Year for ONE BIG award!  This year's Theme/Tank of the Year is the Stuart Lite Tank and variances, more commonly the M3, M5 and M8 HMC.  One model will win Tank of the Year - any scale, any era any country.  If you have questions, please ask.  ALL PARTICIPANTS IN THE 2027 TANK OF THE YEAR challenge will be awarded a Winterblitz bottle opener.

1. Winterblitz Outstnading Modeler Award - Sponsored by 
2. Tank of the Year - The 38T and 38T Variants - Sponsored by 
3. Best of Show - Sponsored by 
4. Museum of the American G.I. Award - In tribute to the Museum, an award will be given to the entry that best salutes the spirit of the American G.I.  We will invite the Museum to help the judges pick this one. Sponsored by The Museum of the American G.I.
5. Best Fully Tracked - any vehicle, any scale, any era.  Must be fully tracked. Sponsored by
6. Best NOT Fully Tracked - any vehicle, any scale, any era.  Must NOT be fully tracked (includes halftracks). Sponsored by 
7. Best NOT Tracked - any vehicle without tracks - think wheels, skis, etc.  No tracks.!  Here is a chance for all soft-skins guy to win a special award! Sponsored by
8. Best Figure - figure judging experts will pick the very best figure.  Military or what have you. Sponsored by 
9. Best Diorama/Vignette/Scene - the best diorama - base, groundwork, figures and vehicles will carry equal weight.  We have recruited a dedicated team for this one as well.  Call it what you want dioramas big and small. Sponsored by 
10. Best Camouflage/Creative Paint - let's recognize that one modeler who really demonstrates an amazing camouflage or some other form of creative paining on a vehicle or figure.  Sponsored by 
11. Best Tamiya - Yup, Tamiya is still the go to model kings and we would like to celebrate that by recognizing the BEST Tamiya build at the show. Sponsored by Tamiya.
12. Head Judge Award - Our head judge DOES NOT judge.  He manages the process by mustering, corralling, motivating and sometimes threating (LOL) all the generous judges who volunteer for Winterblitz.  We felt it was appropriate to give the Head Judge the chance to recognize a winner. - Sponsored by 
13. Silk Purse from a Cow's Ear - not all kits are good.  In fact, some are horrible.  Here we recognize the best build that started with a bad kit.  It does not have to be an old kit, just a bad one and you have to do it justice - Sponsored by 
14. Her Majesty's Service Award - The BEST model in service to Queen Eliabeth II (1952 - 2022).   Something for the folks who like to dabble in British Armor!  - Sponsored by 
15. Best Miscellaneous - Something unusual, something not fitting in that deserves a shout out - maybe it flies or maybe it floats?  Coud be an unusual armor piece? Sponsored by 

100 - Youth (younger than 18) (all scales all eras) - 

200 - Classic Kits – (kits before 1979) basic build -Tamiya

300 - Artillery (all scales and all eras) - 

400 - All Things Towed (all scales all eras) - must have BOTH "tractor and trailer" - 

500 - 1/48 scale (allied) - 

600 - 1/48 scale (axis) -

700 - 1/48 scale post 1945 -  

800 - 1/72 and smaller (all eras) - 

900 - Fully Tracked Origins to 1934 – (all scales) - 

1000 - Fully Tracked Self-Propelled Vehicles 1/32 and 1/35 (Open Top) (all eras) - Brandon Jacob

1100- Fully Tracked WWII Axis 1/32 and 1/35 (Closed top) - 

1200- Fully Tracked WWII Allied 1/32 and 1/35 (Closed top) - 

1300 - Fully Tracked Post WWII Thru 1990 (Korea, Vietnam, Cold War) 1/32 and 1/35 (Closed Top) -

1400 - Fully Tracked Desert Shield to Present.  (1991 - 2022) 1/32 and 1/35 (Closed Top) - 

1500 - Paper Panzer/Fictional (all scales) - 

1600 - Halftracks (all scales and all eras) - Ken Burke

1700 - Armored Cars (wheeled) (all scales and all eras) - 

1800 - Soft-skins (all scales and all eras) - 

1900 - Self Propelled Flak Vehicles - (all scales) -  

2000 - Misc. Military Vehicles and Support Vehicles (all scales and all eras) - 

2100 - Fully Tracked Full Interior (all scales and all eras) - 

2200 - Larger than 1/32 (all eras) - 

2300 - Figures (all scale scales and all eras) - 

2400 - Dioramas/Vignettes (all scales) - 

2500 - Helicopters - any and all military helicopters - 

2600 - The P51 Mustang Challenge - USA P51 (all scales) - 

2700 - The A-10 Warthog Challenge USA A10s (all scales) -  

2800 - Small Military Watercraft - Landing Craft, Brown Water Navy, etc. (all scales) - 

2900 - Maschinen Krieger Armor Suits (all scales) - Any armor suit in the theme of Maschinen Krieger (Ma.K) sci-fi series. - 

3000 - Winterblitz Hall of Fame Shoot-Out - 

SPLITS - We are fully prepared to split ALL categories., however for Winterblitz 2025 we expanded certain categories that should reduce the amount of splits on game day.  Splits will occur depending on the number of entrants per each category. 

SWEEPS - Yes, if someone is good enough to sweep a category, we will gladly recognize them.

Category 200 - Classic Kits. The spirit of this category is to see what builders can do with a classic kit (produced before 1979).  The intention is to limit the builds to basic build - ie: the entry is allowed to be manipulated as long as NO aftermarket parts are added.  As example would be a classic Tamiya kit whereas the builder cut out the molded screen on the engine deck and replaced with "mesh" of some material, this i okay.  After-market parts are a NO NO.  After market decals are okay.  Instructions are not necessary, but are encouraged.  When in doubt, think....would you have been able to source the kit and the additional bits if you were building this project in 1979 or earlier.

Category 400 - This category is All Things Towed and was born with the spirit of artillery/tow vehicle, BUT has been expanded to include ANYTHING towed just as long as you have BOTH the TRACTOR and the TRAILER.  A good example might be the Tank Recovery Vehicle (Dragon Wagon).  This does NOT tow artillery, but would be the place to enter.  A German 8-ton towing a 88mm flak is a good example of the artillery piece to this category.

Category 1500 - Paper Panzer/Fictional.  If it was ever produced (including prototype), it is not eligible. Must be a subject that was designed and never produced OR something that could have been designed or produce (fictional).  

Category 1900 - Self Propelled Flak Vehicles - all scales and all eras.  The vehicle must be self-propelled: fully tracked, halftrack or no tracks and the original designed purpose of the vehicle is to shoot down airplanes.  

We have secured 16 super-hot kits for you to hopefully win.  Raffle tickets will be $5 each or $20 for 5 chances.  The success of Winterblitz hinges on raising a few extra dollars and your participation in the raffle will help big time!  Plus - you may win a new, modern, possibly yet to be released and never opened kit.  Some of the raffle items we have secured are pictured throughout this web-site.  PLEASE SUPPORT WINTERBLITZ!!!

Bring a kit that you do not want and exchange it for one that you do at the Swap Meet table.  The spirit of the Winterblitz swap meet is to provide a opportunity for participants to exchange out an unwanted kit.  The swap meet table will be open all day.  You simply leave ONE kit and take ONE kit.  No junk, missing parts or otherwise unbuildable closet stashes please.  There is no limit to how many times you can exchange kits, as long as you leave ONE and take ONE.

7:00 am - Setup and vendors access 

9:00 am – Museum opens to participants of the contest - the Museum is enabling us to get started early and only those individuals participating (entering at least one model) in the contest may enter at 9 am.

10:00 am – Museum opens to non-participants and general public - yes, the Museum is 100% open to the general public on January 20th and we are excited about that.  The entry fee for non-participants and general public is the standard daily entry fee (see Museum for details). 

11:00 am – Contest registration closes - earlier than many shows, but we want to get on with the judging. We understand participants may be coming from afar and we are prepared to be flexible on cut-off for our out-of-town friends. Registration is a hard 11:00 am cut-off so that judging can begin.

11:30 pm – Judging begins - The model room will be open during judging.  Please respect judges.

3:00 pm – Judging ends (we mean it!).

3:00 pm – Door prize and raffle - as judges wrap up the tally.

3:30 pm - Awards Ceremony

NOTE - We will kick off door prizes and raffles this year at 3 pm so that nobody misses out.  As always, IF we draw a raffle number and no one claims the ticket, we WAIT until the end of the raffle to make sure the winner was not "out to lunch".  If the ticket is not drawn then, we do a redraw.  Nobody misses out this way.

Door Prize/Raffle/Awards Order of Battle: 

1. Grand Door Prize - all those who have entered the contest are automatically entered. 

2. Genral Raffle - buy a ticket(s) and take the ride. We draw your ticket and you claim your prize.

3. Up-coming show announcements.

4. Acknowledgement and thank you to our sponsors.

5. Sponsor Drawing - all who have sponsored a category are automatically entered.

6 Youth Awards.

7. Hall of Famers

8 Awards to winners of 15 BEST OF awards - winners will be called up to receive award. 

9. Closing.

* Medals for the Main Category will be placed on tables as judging concludes for each category. We encourage all entrants to leave models on tables until after the awards, but it is NOT mandatory.  If you have to go, then you have to go. We will recognize main category winners by having all winners of 1st, 2nd or 3rd place medals stand.  Youth will be judged Gold, Silver Bronze and all youths entering will be called up to receive their medals.   

This is the order of battle and we will try to stick to it, but you know how things happen.....