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I have always been a painter/modeler first and a gamer second. I spend countless hours/days/weeks getting all my models exactly how i want and when I add a new squad/model to the display case I can spend days rearranging the display so everything is perfect....

Now my problem, I have been invited to play a few games of 40k at my local store and my first reaction was "oh crap! Ive actually got to expose my much loved army to the world outside the glass" and am a little nervous about them getting damaged or dirty etc.

I was wondering if anyone else has this problem and how you got around it.

Thanks

Floyd73 wrote:
I have always been a painter/modeler first and a gamer second. I spend countless hours/days/weeks getting all my models exactly how i want and when I add a new squad/model to the display case I can spend days rearranging the display so everything is perfect....

Now my problem, I have been invited to play a few games of 40k at my local store and my first reaction was "oh crap! Ive actually got to expose my much loved army to the world outside the glass" and am a little nervous about them getting damaged or dirty etc.

I was wondering if anyone else has this problem and how you got around it.

Thanks

Seal your mini's. a few layers of varnish will protect the paint job. As to drops, just be a bit careful with them.

Also, be mindful of transportation. Can't tell you how many horns and similar appendages have snapped off from a hurried pack-up at 2AM after a long game. My nids suffer terribly from it.

I think if you're like me and love gaming and modelling/painting equally, then you have to be prepared for the inevitable wear and tear that some of your models may take. I try to be as careful as I can with my models, but something getting knocked over, dropped, paint chipped off etc. is probably going to happen sooner or later. Yes, it does suck, but you should try to be mentally prepared for this and know that some models over the years will need slight touching up or re-gluing if some paint gets chipped or something snaps off. There are ways to help prevent this, as RivenSkull mentioned, you can use varnish to protect paint from chipping off. I don't have much experience with this though. I mostly just try to be careful and prepare for the worst.

Take pics of them, print them out and use the cutouts to play!

Good transportation (like a foam case from Battlefoam, KR, Sabol, etc) and gentle handling during the game, is all you need. Preferably some varnish/sealer on the models themselves, but if you're not gaming super often, you can get away without it. You likely will get wear though, so be prepared to fix the odd chip in your paint job.

When they're on the table, ask people to be gentle. Most people aren't made of thumbs, so they won't be dropping a metal Dreadnought on your stuff. Just ask people to be careful if your stuff is precariously perched on terrain and not to 'pile in' models in an assault.

Surprisingly, a lot of gamers are just as protective of their stuff. People who paint their stuff all put in the long hours, and dislike seeing damage.

Yeah kr cases are what I try to keep my painted models in to keep them safe.

What really helped me was putzig lead into the sockets of my minis, prevents them being knocked over

Oh god.
I don't like moving my necron army, because at least 6 gauss flayers snap off my Arks whenever I do.

Just had a look at your gallery. Shame on you for denying your would-be opponents the chance of facing such nice minis!

But in all seriousness, so long as you excercise proper care you shouldn't have a problem. Barring a hyperactive kid once knocking a box of my models to the floor (luckily nothing broke too badly, thanks to the foam) I've been taking my minis out for years and not had any problems with them deteriorating in any way; most of your fellow gamers will have the same concerns you do about their own models, so will treat yours properly.

 RivenSkull wrote:

Floyd73 wrote:
I have always been a painter/modeler first and a gamer second. I spend countless hours/days/weeks getting all my models exactly how i want and when I add a new squad/model to the display case I can spend days rearranging the display so everything is perfect....

Now my problem, I have been invited to play a few games of 40k at my local store and my first reaction was "oh crap! Ive actually got to expose my much loved army to the world outside the glass" and am a little nervous about them getting damaged or dirty etc.

I was wondering if anyone else has this problem and how you got around it.

Thanks

Seal your mini's. a few layers of varnish will protect the paint job. As to drops, just be a bit careful with them.

Seconded. Sealing with a matte spray varnish (i like testors, but there are many) will really help protect against incidental chips and dings from normal movement (it will not protect from drops, as an FYI, more than likely.

Also, invest in figure transportation - Sabol makes a bag called the Platoon bag that is reasonably priced, and you can get foam for it that you can pluck by hand to fit the minis you intend to transport.

Good luck!

Thanks for the help and advice guys. I do seal all my minis with 2 coats of testors varnish but i feel like handling them will wear away the thin highlights.

I think its just going to be a case of take a few models out just to proove to myself nothings going to happen and theyll still be fine after gaming. Ease myself in to it

Unless those highlights were done with binderless pigment, the two coats of varnish were the lightest possible dustings, and your hands are made of sandpaper, your highlights are safe from normal handling. Many hobby paints (VGC, GW, etc.) are designed to be hard-wearing, on their own. Throw some lacquer-based varnish on top and they're quite well protected. Ease into the idea however you see fit, but you've already taken the reasonable precautions. Your little spess manz will be fine.

I'd start with a smaller game so you have transport less. That way you'll also be able to see that everything is okay without feeling like your risking a large amount of your collection.

Varnish is really tough stuff. I do brush on Pledge/Future floor finish as my gloss and then a vallejo matte to cut the shine. The future is made to be walked on. And it's not nearly as tough as your typical lacquer or urethane based spray varnish.

Also, since you are just starting out as a player, you have a chance to establish good gaming habits.

Consistently pack your minis in an appropriate case (not a cardboard box, etc.)

Find a safe place to put the minis at the venue (not somewhere someone will trip over them or knock them off).

Practice consistent miniature discipline. Take them out when you are putting them into play, and put them away right when you remove them from the board. Minis sitting on the table edge waiting to be deployed and minis sitting on the table edge after casualty removal seem to get battered about quickly in my experience.

Also, from my own bad habits, don't wear baggy long sleeve shirts or sweaters. Your limbs might not kill your minis, but your clothing can be ruthless.

Many gamers get into these bad habits from playing with unpainted or primed minis (or worse, partially assembled ones) and then keep them when their army is painted. You have an opportunity to start off on the right foot.

Also, you should know if you have some particularly fragile or wobbly models. Don't bring those to a game until you know the venue and the terrain. There''s no point in bringing top-heavy models (looking at you, old metal Chaos Raptors) if the store/club has a lot of uneven terrain.

Pack them well for transit, as stated here. Most important step, as things happen more to the cases full of models than they do to the models on the tabletop in my experience.

First off I know exactly what you mean, have exactly the same issues as you and have suffered some breaks and scratches in the past but nothing that couldn't be repaired.

Secondly i would hope that any players in the store are aware of gaming etiquette, which is that you should never, ever, pick up somebody's minis without asking first, and that they should only ever be picked up by the base.

You will find the majority of players are well aware of this and will respect it but don't be afraid to point it out to anybody who doesn't seem aware of it. However playing in a store has its pit falls and one of those is visitors to the store who may not game that may not be aware of this "unspoken compact". I find that just keeping an eye out is fine though and haven't ever had any major issues.

In terms of the practicals I think all of the above posters have covered things but there are a couple of pointers I will add in that haven't been mentioned - food and drink.

Unfortunately I have learned that I mustn't consume any alcohol when gaming, as much as I like to have a casual beer or two whilst out and about.

This might be UK (or London) specific but all my regular gamer mates that play at clubs or stores will either have a beer whilst gaming if we're in a club environment or have a couple of beers at lunch.

I avoid this because even if I only have a pint or two I find I get slack with my models and don't pack them away at the end of the day as well as I should.

Also no fizzy soft drinks near models either. I had a beautifully painted Cadian Chimera ruined by a small child and a spilled Coke in a GW battle Bunker once.

And make sure if you have any snacks or food whilst gaming that you wash your hands before handling your models, especially with things like salty or greasey food, as it will mess up your models.

That may sound ridiculously paranoid I know but it has served me well when taking my precious man dollies out of the cabinet.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
One last point is to pack casualties back in the case as you go rather than leaving them at the side of the table.

If someone grabs one of your models without asking, it's totally okay to say "Excuse me, it's best to ask first before touching other people's miniatures." Likewise, never touch another person's miniatures without asking first.

OP I understand the problem.

I like crazy gluing lego after assembly.

If you bring your prized models, first hang this up at the front of the store:


Then, ensure this is attached to your carry-case:


I would then suggest bringing an attractive girlfriend / daughter / wife so they look at her instead of your miniatures.

Keeping an X-acto knife in your off-hand ready may help.

Failing all that: wrap each miniature in cling-film?
Bubble-wrap if you are terrified of them being dropped.

Even better: make an army you "do not care about" and field them!

Oddly, I find this terribly therapeutic.

Good Luck!

Thanks guys! Yeah im a bit of a compulsive hand washer anyway so the thought of picking up my models with dirty/greasy hands brings me out in a cold sweat haha.

One good thing about all this is that its making me want to continue with my raptors chapter marines to use as a gaming army. I drybrush those as i feel the gritty look suits them better so are quicker to paint and I wouldnt mind these getting damged anywhere near as much as my blood angels.

Ha ha, you're like me then, I never touch my models until i have washed my hands at least twice.

Just to add that gaming in a store is very different to gaming in a club or tournament setting, and you might find either of those more preferable.

Not saying all stores are the same or that they are not a nice playing environment but more suggesting that clubs and tournaments tend to be only filled with gamers who will know all the "dos and don'ts" when it comes to minis.

That said it doesn't matter where you are playing, if it's away from home then makes sure you pack your case properly.

It's fine to be a bit nervous, but you'll be fine. Just remember to put each model away as soon as it is killed and you'll avoid the pile of figs sitting at the edge of the board waiting to be knocked off.

Above all, have a good game!

 Floyd73 wrote:
I have always been a painter/modeler first and a gamer second. I spend countless hours/days/weeks getting all my models exactly how i want and when I add a new squad/model to the display case I can spend days rearranging the display so everything is perfect....

Now my problem, I have been invited to play a few games of 40k at my local store and my first reaction was "oh crap! Ive actually got to expose my much loved army to the world outside the glass" and am a little nervous about them getting damaged or dirty etc.

I was wondering if anyone else has this problem and how you got around it.

Thanks

Nope, quite the opposite for me. I love the story of a miniature, I appreciate the artwork, I enjoy assembling models, I enjoy making conversions, and I find satisfaction in painting; but I am a gamer first and a modeler second.

There is always that moment when you finish a beautiful conversion and belatedly realize that it will be an utter nightmare to translate or push around the tabletop.

Its a good point Floyd.

Personally i paint 'display models' which are put in a display cabinet (mostly these are Hasslefree's excellent minis that i've painted up for my wife), and then...there are 'gaming pieces' - minis i paint to a lower table top standard for actual play.

I don't see much point in investing hours Golden Demon standard (i wish) paint jobs for mins that are going to get bashed, fall over, handled, broken, etc.

As others have mentioned, a good varnish and careful transportation is a definite necessity.

I also generally try and play against people that have put in at least a cursory effort of painting/modelling with their own troops, as they tend to be more careful with them and yours by extension. A couple of incidents spring to mind, of an unpainted metal dreadnought with no arms bouncing down a hill and crushing an assault squad that was probably two weeks work, "sorry mate" before just picking up said dreadnought and immediately moving to another unit without another thought about it.

Also when you get people trying to balance heavy units in places where you can tell the laws of physics won't allow, and despite you trying to tell them that you know where the model is intended to be (and really, yes you don't have to balance that ogre-sized metal miniature on the corner of that cardboard building) and the groan as it comes undone and a nice chip on your multiple layers of highlights..

Actually, writing this makes me not want to play with painted stuff