Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I'm pretty sure this has probaley come up on numerous ocations. But I'd thought I would ask

The question is in the title

It has, and I have always avoided putting unpainted models on the table myself.

heres my mine. I don't mind, A game is a game, painted armies are better in the long run though because gaming looks a lot better and you can sit down and say "I painted all that!"

My step dad hates it when people dont paint their models.

I have played a few times with unpainted models. At The time I was building the army and just got started. But even now as I am repainting my army. I will not use them till they are fully painted

When I played GW stuff i always ended up with unpainted minis. I didnt have the willpower to resist buying new things til models were done!

Now that I've moved on to Malifaux (which has between 6 - 12 models a side) I have belong to field only Painted crews, and I must say, it is enormously satisfying to play with a fully painted crew/army!

I mainly play with well painted models - but I don't paint them best of both worlds

Happy to play against unpainted - prefer if they are actually made though even if proxies.

Tonight I will field a fully painted 40k army for the first time ever. Been in the hobby since '98

Some people are just gamers, they play the game and are not into the modelling side. So I have no problem with that. I was like that myself at first, but the bug got me and nowadays I rarely play with unpainted minis.

I'm playing with mostly unpainted minis, becuase I keep buying more models. However, I am now refusing to buy any more models until I have my 2K of Word Bearers fully painted, because I want to be able to field a fully painted army. Thanks go A D-B for the inspiration!

EDIT: damnable typos!

I don't mind either, I do like the look of painted models more but I'd rather take my time a little and not rush them.

i never put an unpainted model on the tabletop.

Occasionally as I buy new models I'll try them out, unpainted, but they annoy me, so I paint them quick. Try to play fully painted at all times as I really appreciate the visual aspect of two painted armies on a good quality battlefield. I enjoy the games more, even if I get beat. I don't mind playing against unpainted models, do so regularly at a club I play at.

I hate people who hate people with unpainted models

Seriously, I don't like painting its really boring, I make plans to paint and sometimes I get everything out and ready to start painting and then just put it all away again. I would rather play with a painted army, when I borrowed a friends army (happened twice actually, different people different army as well) for a tournament that was painted models only, It looked much nicer. But It didn't make me sit there and think oh I really need to paint my stuff look at all these people here who have spent so much time on painting. But I would still like to play with a fully painted army.

Its YOUR hobby, and it really annoys me when people tell you what you should and shouldn't do (well sometimes they need to, but with things like painting your warhammer models...) It happens in loads of hobbies, watching football for example. The amount of people on the NCFC forum I go on who moan about people not singing at games is annoying, you can't force people to sign at the game if they don't want to, if they want to sit and enjoy 90 mins of Football then so be it, up to them.

I do put some effort occasionally into painting, I've even got into a couple of projects (especially my Trygon, which my friend has now damage leaving it in a box to get battered about, loads of chipped bits Luckily it wasn't the most wonderful paintjob, and still needed finishing anyway).

Wargaming consists of 3 aspects in my mind: Hobby, Gaming, Fluff. (They can then be split down further, like games into tournament play etc) and if your in it just to play games, or just to paint thats absolutely fine. And to be honest, surely its the people who think otherwise who are in the wrong?

lord_blackfang wrote:Tonight I will field a fully painted 40k army for the first time ever. Been in the hobby since '98

Same here, but still have no fully painted army

My opinion on the matter is that I will quite happily play with and/or against unpainted armies, but that does not then justify NEVER painting the army.

For me it creates a wonderful cycle, playing games makes me want to paint my minis, and painting my minis makes me want to play games with them

The consensus is that people who play with painted models and refuse to play against unpainted models are the refined gentlemen of the 40k Hobby. They play grand games of chess-like intensity where the slightest tactical mistake is reason enough to disinherit your children, give up your material possessions, and live a life of solitude in the desert. But for these paragons of tactics, such mistakes are more rare than a unicorn showing up at the back door asking for spare change. The conclusion of a well-played tactical event is cause for celebration: the donning of monocles, sipping of brandy from enormous snifters, and chuckling at the misfortunes of the lower classes.

For those of us in said lower classes, who sully our dignity by playing against someone with unpainted (or *gasp* unbased!) models or those who slink to the depths of society itself and actually field unpainted models, we're simply happy to get in a game.

So I've really got no problem with unpainted models on either side of the table.

Unpainted models distract and aggravate me.


There's also the argument of contrast: It is far easier to discern painted troops for what they are, or what they carry.

Trueplastic plastic is something I will not play against on a regular basis.

Exception being: When someone tests out a unit, or somesuch, and I know him for painting his stuff up in general.

I would rather play with fully painted, based, pristine models, but I dont mind unpainted minis. Unless we are playing on a really beautiful table

ParatrooperSimon wrote:I'm pretty sure this has probaley come up on numerous ocations.

Monthly it comes up.
Here's a couple recent threads that may interest you:
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/400622.page
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/308803.page

However, I'm rather passionate about the glories of playing with painted miniatures so I'll chime in. Rather than quoting, I've underlined a few sections that might counter some of the stereotypes in earlier posts about folks who don't play with unpainted miniatures.

I only play with painted models, the exception being that once in a great while I'll play with a figure that is mostly painted that I haven't quite had time to finish. Additionally, if I have no other option, I might accept a game from someone with unpainted minis, but I go out of my way to only play against individuals with painted forces.

My gaming club all feel the same way . We so enjoy the "Spectacle of Painted Armies" that we only use painted miniatures at club gaming meetups and we always have extra painted models to share with gamers who want to play but don't have painted models. It does help that we mostly play generic (rules that can be tailored to any miniatures) skirmish gaming (8-25 models per side) and we are not "Competition-Focused" gamers who have an impetus to get certain units to the table immidiately.

Most of us have collections of painted minis that are as numerous as 3 or more 1500 point 40k armies, so it's not as though we are slacking off of painting by playing smaller games. The main factor for us is that we're all reasonably busy adults who only wargame every week and or two and we all feel that "Life's too short for visually uninspiring gaming!"

Not surprisingly, some folks have already tossed around terms like "hate". For us it has nothing to do with hating on other gamers. Rather, it's simply that we have a standard and style of gaming that we really enjoy and we stick to it. Folks who like our way of gaming are welcome to game with us and those who don't can go elsewhere. Luckily (as proven by the tables at our FLGS) for those with different gaming priorities and standards there are plenty (perhaps the majority of gamers) who are happy to play games with grey hordes.

I don't care what you use to play the game. If you wanna proxy a whole space marine army with WFB high elf spearmen, go for it. If you want to spray prime your blood angels red and leave em like that forever, that's fine too. If you never, ever paint your army because you hate painting or you just don't have time, that's great too. I just care about playing a fun game That said, it is more fun to play a game where both armies are fully painted, but I know can be a rare thing and I'm not gonna hold it against someone if they don't paint stuff.

For my own armies, I used to be the type that wouldn't field any models that were unpainted. But, as I got older and busier that philosophy slowly changed, now most of my armies are half painted. I could go 2 years without buying anything new at all, and still have stuff to paint on a regular basis. I just don't have the spare time I used to when I was younger :(

I'm ok with playing with un-painted models. I just don't have the time between school, work, girlfriend, friends, and the like to paint my army extremely quick. I've been playing for about 6 months and have my army 80% painted but I can barely find the time for warhammer, and most of that time i'd rather be playing rather than painting.

I paint.

You don't have to.

Eilif wrote:

ParatrooperSimon wrote:I'm pretty sure this has probaley come up on numerous ocations.

Monthly it comes up.
Here's a couple recent threads that may interest you:
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/400622.page
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/308803.page

Yeah. It's been covered repeatedly. However, here is a copy/paste of my opinion from one of those threads.

I appreciate a well painted army but I understand if people don't like painting as much as I do. My army certainly isn't 100% painted, but I make sure that a new miniature or unit has been painted since the last time I played. The first time I put a 100% painted army on the table was very satisfying for me.

kronk wrote:

Eilif wrote:

ParatrooperSimon wrote:I'm pretty sure this has probaley come up on numerous ocations.

Monthly it comes up.
Here's a couple recent threads that may interest you:
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/400622.page
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/308803.page

Yeah. It's been covered repeatedly. However, here is a copy/paste of my opinion from one of those threads.

I appreciate a well painted army but I understand if people don't like painting as much as I do. My army certainly isn't 100% painted, but I make sure that a new miniature or unit has been painted since the last time I played. The first time I put a 100% painted army on the table was very satisfying for me.

And this is how the hobby supposed to be. I do not expect a fully painted army every time I play a casual game, but I always praise those people that make the attempt of getting their army fully painted, even it is a couple of models per month. A fully painted army is not hard to do. You simply have to put yourself on a simple schedule that you keep. Besides as other people have posted, two painted armies sure do look good on a good game table.

Stormcallers wrote:I'm ok with playing with un-painted models. I just don't have the time between school, work, girlfriend, friends, and the like to paint my army extremely quick. I've been playing for about 6 months and have my army 80% painted but I can barely find the time for warhammer, and most of that time i'd rather be playing rather than painting.

That is part of life my friend but at least you are trying to get a painted army out and that I commend you. Keep doing what you can and make sure you got your priorities right. Friends and Family always comes first

Again this is what I have stressed about painting. Everything is subjective. If you are happy on how you painted your army then that is the way you should go. I do not pass judgement on how people paint as I rather have the art style continue than to have someone leave the hobby because some LoZer who has no life besides 40Crack making comments about other people's skills. Enjoy painting. In my case it is a great stress reliever as well as continuing to create items and things.

What is exceptional about Dakka is that there are so many talented people who paint and create and are willing to share their ideas with others, and give advice
to those that will listen and try to improve their skills if they wish too.

kronk wrote: Yeah. It's been covered repeatedly. However, here is a copy/paste of my opinion from one of those threads.

I appreciate a well painted army but I understand if people don't like painting as much as I do. My army certainly isn't 100% painted, but I make sure that a new miniature or unit has been painted since the last time I played. The first time I put a 100% painted army on the table was very satisfying for me.

This is exactly the view I take. I am mainly in the hobby for gaming purposes and competitive play, so although I could field at least a 2000 point fully painted/based army (very enjoyable and a great sense of achievement the first time I did this), my 1500 point armies are not usually fully painted because my list changes on a 3/4 monthly basis depending on meta and what I deem to be most competitive at the time. That said I also do try to get 1 new unit painted in between battles, as this is generally a very good way to motivate yourself to paint and you can then enjoy a new model every time you play.

I don't know if this is just me, but I really hate playing against very badly painted armies and would actually rather play against unpainted miniatures. Its not like I am an awesome miniature painter or anything, and its probably very arrogant of me, but it really just cheese grates my face when someone has just slopped paint onto a model.

I've never been able to field a fully painted (decent) army in more than a 500 point game. I'm determined to get my whole Dark Eldar Force painted before I allow myself to get another army though, it will take a LONG time.

I don't care about what my opponent uses though, I have a hard enough time getting a game in at the moment without being picky about paintjobs.

lord_blackfang wrote:Tonight I will field a fully painted 40k army for the first time ever. Been in the hobby since '98

Welcome to real 40k. A badge is in the post ...

Rather have painted but I don't mind if people are building their first army. Sometimes it's helpful to know weather to paint the ravagers or the mandrakes first (incase you're noob enough not to realise that ravagers > mandrakes!)

I have no problems playing against or playing with un-painted models if its just a friendly game at a store.

For a tournament, however... Painted 100%.

Also, for friendly games... I have no problems with unpainted as long as you are slowly painting your models.

Copy and Paste from the previous dozen threads on this weekly subject:

I strive to 100% paint and base my armies with my own average hobby skills. I don't require this of my opponents but I do encourage them if I see them trying to do the same. If I have a choice between two equally pleasant people to play against at the FLGS, I'll choose the one with the painted army as a significant part of the pleasure for me is the eye candy of painted armies going at it in the grim dark future. If I going to a tourney and am paying to play, I choose to only attend events that either preferably require or, at a minimum, reward painted armies in the overall score. Painting is an important part of the hobby and experience but it isn't absolutely necessary to enjoy it.

While I like to see painted armies, I have no issue with people who do not have them. Honestly, I do not understand the elitist attitude of those who refuse to play against unpainted armies. its one thing to prefer painted armies, but to completely refuse a game due to the army not being painted is just foolish. There are many reasons to not have a painted army and to limit people for this is just elitist attitude that excludes people for no good reason.