I am with the group that thinks that dipping is a technique, just like any other.
I do think it points out a problem with judging in general but I\'m not sure it\'s a big problem. A good mini is a matter of detail, detail, technique, detail, detail, technique and pop.
If you want a good mini you need the detail and the technique, but the pop which is relatively simple to do can really make a mini stand out. In that sense dipping is a good pop technique. It works well for armies because of two factors, it\'s quick and when you have an army sometimes you don\'t pay attention to the individual trees when you see the entire forest.
Actually all mini painting uses a subtle form of cheating. My grandfather used to do a lot of \"paint by numbers\" in his day. He got quite skilled at it and even started to use blending techniques in his later works but there are those who say that paint by numbers is not real painting. But just like paint by numbers every mini comes with its own form sculpted into it.
I got my first high score by slapping brown ink on light brown paint. Why? Becasue it was a mini of wood and the wood detail in the mini caused to really pop and look fantastically real.
So when you paint your award winning mini, dont\' forget to give a little kudos to the sculptor.