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I prefer seeing my opponent have painted models because the table looks real nice when setup but I won't refuse them a game. I'm in this for the hobby primarily and the game is a distant secondary. I know it's a bit narcissistic but I only play to show off my models and see a beautifully setup table. Someday I'll complete a full diorama. I put as much attention to my regular boyz as I do with centrepiece models. Multiple layers, dry paint, wash, weathering details, hand painted checkered dags etc.. nothing missed. I even do most painting before assemby so someone can even pick up one of my regular Boyz along with a flashlight and see that the other side od the shoota is still meticulously done including the part of the boy it's covering.

I literally will not field a model if it is not done. I want to field an army of my dudes, not a mess of gray.

Yeah. I don't want to show off a grey unpainted model. It's just not going to happen.

Almost always fully painted. I played with unfinished models a couple times last year as I was trying out my Tyranids, but thats the only exception I can think of. My marines, for exaple, are always played with fully painted models.

At least assembled.

I understand people may not have the time they want to spend on their hobbies so I don't rigidly enforce this. However if I know my opponent has had a trukk unassembled for a year then I might frown a bit at proxies.

If its not done I HATE fielding it. I think it adds to the enjoyment of the game along with cool terrain and a scenario.

I usually tell myself: Yeah. Good enough. Ill touch it up later.

And never....do....

3 colours is fully painted...

I prefer my models to always be painted. 40k is a hobby for me... However, I don't care how anybody paints or plays with their models when i play games.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

The_Real_Chris wrote:
3 colours is fully painted...

Maybe he means pro mega super painted.

I paint my models a base colour, shade them and then highlight them once. Add in black and silver for the weapons... They're not amazing but table top standard and I'm proud I did it. But a lot of people tell me to add more highlights, layer the colours more, etc... but I'm not a pro and don't plan on becoming one. It's just very relaxing to paint 40k models.

Crazy Jay wrote:
When I first started, I’d assemble, then paint. Now I tend to paint in sub assemblies. So I don’t play anything unpainted now because it’s not even together.

I go on the principle that if I can't get a brush in to apply paint you'll never be able to see it.

Asmodios wrote:
The question needs more context.
Is it a practice game?
game against a friend?
Pickup game?
Tournament game?
What i will play against differs greatly depending on the relationship i have to the person or what setting it is in

A game's a game for me. Everyone's entitled to the respect of playing against a painted army.

 AndrewGPaul wrote:
I don't understand the difference between "3-colour minium" and "fully painted". If all the bits of the miniature are painted, then it's fully-painted, That model could be a Necron Warrior, and only two colours (silver, and black for the gun) used and it would be fully painted.

I'll accept playing against other people's unpainted models, but I don't like it so much, and I try not to do it myself.

Having said that, if I was ever so unhinged as to enter a Warmachine tournament, I'd consider getting some 30mm, 40mm and 50mm-diameter wooden dowels cut to an appropriate length and write the model's name on the end. The table setups there don't deserve anything better.

3-colour minimum usually refers to armies/models that have three colors on them to make them tournament legal, but aren't actually fully or well painted. Examples of this would be priming your marines in white, air brushing/dipping the top half in blue and the base and feet in red, without even trying to pick out any details. Or just painting two details (usually gun and squad marking) and then dipping/washing the rest. For orks you often see green heads and lead belcher choppas, without any wash, while sluggas, arms and everything else remains black. Another option is just brushing your entire army to look like fire/ice/smoke or similar, even though you're playing space wolves. Those usually look pretty cool, but aren't exactly painted miniatures.

Basically any kind of paint job whose primary goal is to have be able to call your miniatures "painted" without actually painting them. A WIP army that just happens to have applied the first three colors kind of falls into this category as well, though there is obviously a different intention behind it.

If you are playing black templars or ravenwing, I doubt most models will have more than 3 colors on them - I would still consider them fully painted if they have properly painted details and not "3 color minimum".

Generally i try painted but i have big backlog and want to try different things. So sometimes i have unpainted or part assembled models(knight shoulderpads etc that i paint separately).

Good news painted models do increase all the time

Painted. Not too fussy about opposing armies, but mine will be painted. Have used a base once, to make up a unit - but the base was painted and textured :-)

Unpainted is fine. Painted is better.

I'll play armies that are just assembled and I'll play against armies that are just assembled. I even played against my friends new army (it was not finished) that was mostly just bases. I wouldn't do just bases though as a rule for myself ever unless I somehow misplaced my models and required them in my list and had nothing to proxy and even then I might just play points down.

Finished models on finished terrain. Not just mine but both sides of the table. And no unpainted laser cut mdf terrain with it's brown facings and burnt edges. Models and terrain fully done.

For 40k and AoS, we really are in a rare time where the games work well at lower sizes. It's an absolutely great time to work through painting an army while playing games growing in size. I get that some people are only interested in playing games as if they were always in a tournament, but so much of the game contents goes unused that way and people miss out on some cool stuff using smaller armies.

Progress.

Some people paint slower than others (I'm in this category), some people don't like painting so do it occasionally. As long as there is consistent progress so that it shows they care, that's good enough for me.

Though note that this is at the club. For a tournament I would definitely want fully painted. I will only take fully painted models to a tournament and expect such, as it is more of an experience that a gmae with a friend at the club.

Fully painted + base decoration.

I'll play with assembled models for pickup games, a lot of times someone (including myself) has just bought something new and is trying it out. However, I won't go to any formal game (including tournaments) without fully painted models

I'll happily play against bare metal or plastic, after all it can take a lot of time between purchasing and being able to paint everything.

I doubt I'd play against just bases unless there was a great reason, but half built or unpainted is fine for casual games.

In high school, my friends and I barely had time to paint anything so we would play 40K with all manner of un-assembled models. My favourite was when we literally used paper airplanes to proxy as Devilfish.

Now though, I take a lot of pride in playing with painted models so I try to only field models that are fully painted. For the first time in my life I have two fully painted armies since 8th started!

People that don't even attempt to paint are just lazy, they ruin the fun.

 Delvarus Centurion wrote:
People that don't even attempt to paint are just lazy, they ruin the fun.

I find the fun is in the game, and don't really like painting.

I won't argue that it's better with painted models, but it's nearly as good without a paint job.

There's nothing wrong with exclusively playing with (and/or against) painted models, but don't say your one way is the only way to have fun.

 JNAProductions wrote:

 Delvarus Centurion wrote:
People that don't even attempt to paint are just lazy, they ruin the fun.

I find the fun is in the game, and don't really like painting.

I won't argue that it's better with painted models, but it's nearly as good without a paint job.

There's nothing wrong with exclusively playing with (and/or against) painted models, but don't say your one way is the only way to have fun.

I also don't enjoy the painting so much as the game's but even then I still can't get behind the playing with half assembled models. Which in my case means painted as I'm old school and paint models in sub-assemblies otherwise even with an airbrush I always find that fully assembled models before painting tends to end up with some of the model being unpaintable.

I said three color, but it is closer to fully painted. I won't field it unless I consider it "table ready" which is where I stop, but is before fully painted...many of mine don't have eyes (or just black dots) for instance, because I don't feel I can do them well. They are all simply based as well (Painted bases with a texture added (Flock, rocks, something)

I won’t put a mini on the table unless it’s fully painted or I’ve made progress towards it being fully painted since my last trip to the flgs

My personal requirement is fully painted. I've played against everything, but generally I won't play against bases, soda-can tops, etc. Even proxying you should be trying your best to simulate the right unit.

Luckily the group I play with is all about the same standard (the painting standard varies within the group, but "complete" models are the goal more or less). The same with terrain, we actually put in the time/money./effort to do proper tables.

To me, even as a kid, the goal was always...ALWAYS...to emulate White Dwarf pictures.


Despite what people say, the nature of the game - the purpose, is to field cool painted and assembled miniatures on a beautiful table top to produce a stunning visual - that's why we even bother with miniatures. If not, let's play board games or chit-based wargames, etc.

I've said it before, but my personal preference is that I want to provide the best experience for my opponent, so I will only bring fully painted/finished models. I want to carry my weight for the "team" so to speak. I also feel that it shows my opponent that I respect them enough to put in the work, time, effort and money to give them a good looking game.

While I can't force other people to change their habits, and I understand schedules, time, money, etc...seeing people who game for months or years with the same unpainted, half-assembled stuff....I don't bother playing folks like that.

Now, we're not aces and rockstars, but here are pics from three of my last games - one of them features a bizarre kitbash my buddy did which was unpainted, but beyond that...it's the level we strive for:

 Marmatag wrote:
Lately with my backlog the way it is, my units have to earn their paintjobs by performing well in a game.

I've done this as well. I'll also prioritize stuff that's for tournaments.

As long as I made progress on the model I'm fine. I prefer my opponent to have made an effort as well, same grey army every week then no game.

I'm mostly blind, so, while painting can make things look amazing when you pick up the model to examine it, it's so much work for something you rarely see when playing.

I'm fine with all grey, painting is an epic task for me, and I'd rather play the game, than paint.