Painting vs Playing...

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**Celtic Warrior**

I have never learned how to play but own respectively large Ork and Space Marine forces in the hope I will. I currently enjoy painting and displaying my minis and buy for this purpose alone.

C.W

**darkcloak**

I strike a 50/50 balance.

Almost all my 40k projects are completed, just started on a Nurgle army. Probably gonna take a good crack at them again tonight. My 40k stuff usually doesn't go unpainted for too long.

My Warhammer Fantasy Battle armies? Hmmm, well about a month or two ago I kind of lost interest in my Elves and Skaven. Its hard to say exactly why I don't feel compelled to paint Fantasy minis anymore... LOL!!!

**TheManWithNoPlan**

I can't stand fielding a grey army. I paint as much as I play (With a few exceptions), and that's about it.

**Talys**

Buttery Commissar wrote:
Frankly, I'd rather see a proxy than an unpainted mini on the table.

With being new, I always ask if folk are okay playing my half painted gear. Those that see me often, know that it's an active WIP that's actually headed somewhere. I think a lot of people are used to the same folk turning up week in week out with no progress, which can feel a little disrespectful at times. Even I roll my eyes at the lads I know who've been playing 40k since 5th and don't own painted armies.

Due to this, I've stopped taking on more units until I'm done. My stuff is either partly painted (about 50%) or fully painted by the previous owner and needs stripping (30%) or some combination of being stripped or basecoated.
A squad snd transport that I don't field are waiting for serious bodywork that would take disproportionate time compared to the amount needed to simply paint the rest. I really look forward to doing those as a reward.

At the moment I'm catching up... In all honesty, I bit off far more than I expected by starting a Guard army, and buying bulk lots to jump right in at 1500.
..,80 Mordians, 80-90 Tanith, plus psykers, enginseers and two tanks...
I have completed painting:
Almost half of a commissar.

Oh, I have no problem with a new player putting out stuff that's WIP

Or anyone else, if they REALLY want to field it -- I was just saying, I'm happy to see a reasonable proxy while the real deal is worked on.

My only caution is that if you prime your model and play it, you'll get oils onto it, and then it won't be all nicely primed for painting anymore. And it forces you to fully assemble before painting, which sometimes makes things harder (for example, tracks on a land raider).

**Buttery Commissar**

Aye. In my case I'm possibly a bit over cautious due to seeing all the "I won't game unless my opponent is..." Dakka posts.
Quite honestly I've not met anyone who cares explicitly as long as it's assembled.
The rudest response I've had was completely unrelated to paint. (Someone stopped me picking up my own army to move it, on the rather strange assumption it wasn't mine)
There's a lot of respect regarding handling, thankfully. I'd rather not game half painted either, due to oils, scuffs and chips. But my friends allow time for me to gently pick up things by the bases and plop defeated units away into the case at the end of the turn. Feth heaping them up on the game board like some folk do. Nope nope nope.

**dpal666**

I've learned over the years to not let things get piled up on me. Now I only buy when I'm almost done painting my latest thing.

So, voted other, I only play painted, and never have more than 1 box of minis unpainted.