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I myself paint to an okay standard, slightly above tabletop. I have won several painting competitions in my local area as well. However, I've noticed that lots of these highly painted, fancy, showpiece models are lacking character. I can easily see that some of the gamers in my area have wonderfully painted armies, but they are not always fully painted. Some of my close friends as well as the kids who play 40k, have these badly painted models, but guess what?

Even though they are based (badly), painted (badly), they are all painted, and they all have names. I feel so much more involved with the story when I'm playing with badly painted models over improvised terrain, as long as whoever I'm playing really put a lot of time and dedication into the story and building of the army. I know this might bring horror and shock to all those elitist gamers out there, but I prefer the last stand of Badly Painted Ultramarine Sargent Johnny and his squad on the tin can factory against the Badly Painted Tyranid horrors, to flavorless miles of airbrushed tank treads and valkyries. (Even though I love imperial guard)

I'm not sure why I like this, but I think that there might be a nostalgia element to it. If anyone agrees with me please let me know, I'm just putting my opinion out there. If you really don't agree, then just stay away So really, is there anyone besides me that sometimes prefers badly painted miniatures?

I don't mind if they're painted well or painted bad, just that you can tell you've put at least some effort into it. Also that you don't try to hold it over others.

Some people just don't have the time to learn or to paint them to a higher standard. There's plenty of reasons for it, each just as fine as the last. Besides, after a while they'll be painting them much faster than the people trying to hold each individual model of a horde army to higher standards.

I love going against beautifully painted armies, because they're a joy to look at. Especially if they're done with realistic levels of weathering and so on. Like you, I also love going against someone who's put a lot of effort into their models, but may doesn't have the knack for painting that some do.

Not everyone is a painter, but it's much better to play someone who put the time and effort into their army and has it finished to the best quality they can manage, than to face a horde of grey shinies. When someone puts in the effort, it makes me feel good as their opponent because I know that effort will spread into the game itself. The level of immersion one gets from playing a dedicated opponent is awesome.

Having said all that, I do realize there's a difference between someone that simply hasn't had the time to finish up a new acquisition, and someone that simply doesn't care.

 Badger_Bhoy wrote:

Having said all that, I do realize there's a difference between someone that simply hasn't had the time to finish up a new acquisition, and someone that simply doesn't care.

Yeah I'm mostly talking about the people that try their best to paint, but simply can't. I don't like when people just don't care either

I for one have been guilty of just fielding the base + flight stand for my grey knights as a stormraven...as long as they have a physicaly represented model i could care less. Really nice paint jobs just seem to add to the overall look.

I don't "like" em, but don't mind them either. A good paint job is just a bonus in my opinion.

As far as I'm concerned, ANY paintjob is preferred to bare-ass plastic or metal. The bland greyish or metal horde where you can't tell what is what.

At least with a painted model, the player has put some effort into the job and effort is always worth support. Whether that support is better guidance on how to paint is a different matter.

I love those models that you can tell some kid was so happy to rush home and throw paint onto. I didn't start playing this game until I was in my mid 20's, and I still did the same thing. Sometimes I feel bad stripping horribly painted models I got off ebay/trades because I feel like I'm disrespecting the models machine spirit or something.

Well no matter what is the outcome of the paintjob I feel better playing against painted armies. If they are beautifully painted even better although I sometimes feel bad shooting the hell out of awesomely painted minis .

I don't really care how badly miniatures can be painted, I've played against too many people who are really good painters but can't be bothered. I'd rather see and play against people who are making the effort. There is something not many people seem to notice about painters that are still tring to get used to painting at a good level, and I think it benefits all of us. They take more chances with paint schemes than the rest who have been painting for years, we tend to get locked in to using a certain technique and forget how just to go and have fun(myself included), which leads to more ideas. And more importantly you can always find a new technique/idea that a newcomer does easily and yet you never thought about it. Ever.

Objectively, the paint job has absolutely nothing to do with the actual game or gameplay. However, it does elevate the experience when you have two uniquely painted armies (badly painted or otherwise) going head to head with nicely put-together terrain.

I don't like "badly" painted models, but I prefer an ok paintjob with finished basing to a nice paintjob on a plain black plastic plinth. I also prefer playing against an army completly painted to a basic standard than one with a few well painted units and alot of unpainted units.

That said, I'm very happy with my brush-dip-painted miniatures which are strictly tabletop quality, but every figure I play is completely painted and based.

I haven't played 40k for ages, but I prefer badly painted to half-painted. Having everything on the same base is important to me...

I paint my models by stabbing the paint onto them with a large splayed-out brush, and that gets the main colour of the model done quite quickly, and covers the entire model.
After that I pu effort into highlighting it with a complimentary colour (Basecoat in black,then cover in snot green, then highlight with boltgun metal [or whatever they're called now]), and the badly-paintedness turns out quite well in my army. Though I must admit I use a lot of nurgle in my army, so that may be why.