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morgoth wrote:

 Grand.Master.Raziel wrote:
It's more fun to set up against a painted army than against bare plastic. The only issue I can see is if you go to a tournament where painting scores are awarded, either for an individual painting award or as part of the overall score. In those cases, let the TO know you didn't do the painting.

I understand why some people wouldn't want to lose a trophy to an army painted by a professional, but why should someone be penalized WRT overall score?

Why would you discriminate against people who choose to use another path to the same result?

It's like you believe your preferred road is more deserving or something...

I personally think people who painted their own armies deserve to score better than people who had them painted by someone else, but I'm not a TO. It might matter to TOs, it might not. If it doesn't, no harm done. If it does, then resenting someone beating you out for a prize because they painted their own army and you had someone else do it is kind of churlish.

morgoth wrote:
What is wrong with entering them in painting competitions?

I've seen it done time and again and I don't see why not.

Because to put it bluntly, it's an donkey-cave move, you are literally paying to win in a skill based category. Nothing wrong with having a pro painted army, but to try and get money and wins from someone elses work is really low.

morgoth wrote:

 Elbows wrote:
If you're entering a competition, it should state what its rules are. Either the entrant must have painted their stuff, or not. If not, I still think it's a bit douchey to "win" a trophy for something you didn't do (as far as the spirit of the hobby is concerned). However, this is common practice in other hobbies (show cars, etc.) so whatever. Your choice. Personally I wouldn't be able to accept a trophy that way.

If the entrant has to paint the stuff and someone sneaks in a pro-painted army, you're just a douche who's cheating, simple as that.

Of course, cheating is bad mkay.

How are most GT's best painted awards done?

I would think someone commissioning a beautiful army and display board totally deserves to get a prize for bringing something nice to look at.

After all, were it not for the vision, direction and money, there would be one less really nice thing to look at.

Then the trophy should go to who did the painting, not the person who brought it along. Buying an award like that is a poor move to the other people there and to who actually took the commision as well because you're basically stealing credit for their work and potential sales they may have got from others seeing the nicely painted army and being directed to them.

Why would I look down on someone for fielding a painted army?

I save that for the grey-legion players.
Tournaments that I used to run had "best painted" awards, but they did not have to be self-painted (and we had one guy storm off because his pro-painted army came second in the player's choice award - to one self-painted by one of the other players. ).

It had a much cooler and more cohesive theme and many small customised bits to add extra character. The other guy's army was just exceptionally well painted (but more or less stock model assembly). He got pipped by a single vote and he acted like I'd boiled his only child in oil and was serving it up as tapas.

I always drool on pretty models of my opponent. I'm not a very good painter myself. I do however like to paint, try to learn from others, and don't field new units until they are at least coloured in (details like highlights and shades might come after that). As long as you would let me take a look at your models from up close, I would love to play against pro painted army!

 oldzoggy wrote:

morgoth wrote:

I believe that comparison is flawed.
I also believe the only thing I care about is playing against nicely painted armies, I don't really care who painted them.

Painting competitions are a skill challenge, and they try to honor those who have the greatest skill.
Just buying some painted mini's would be like paying somebody somebody else for his answers in a math competition.

I don't think it's a skill challenge.

I'm pretty sure that's an opinion.

Best painted army != best army painter.

cosmicsoybean wrote:

morgoth wrote:
What is wrong with entering them in painting competitions?

I've seen it done time and again and I don't see why not.

Because to put it bluntly, it's an donkey-cave move, you are literally paying to win in a skill based category. Nothing wrong with having a pro painted army, but to try and get money and wins from someone elses work is really low.

You are wrong, so wrong. As Queen Amadala says "You assume too much." Unless the competition is BEST SELF PAINTED ARMIES there is nothing wrong or prickish about it. People are assuming it's suppose to be "self painted". After all we are buying already made miniatures and haven't made them from scratch. So what's the difference if someone else already made it? So it's OK not to mold or make the miniatures ourselves but it's not ok to have someone else paint them?

A lot of these "competitions" are best painted. Where does it say or mean that it has to be the person who is entering the miniatures has to be the one who had to do it. Also the prizes for "best painted" is usually not that much, and I am sure anyone who is buying "pro painted" is not getting their money back from "winning".

I agree, taking credit for something you don't do is not right and is wrong and is basically cheating then. But if someone says, "I am entering these minis for best painted even though I didn't do them." there is nothing wrong. After all they are best painted. The person is not taking credit for doing the work and there is nothing wrong with that at all.

As we've mentioned several times...it's not technically or "legally" wrong given the wording of the painting competition or tournament scoring.

However, someone is not wrong because they think this is lame.