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Ok we all do it when someone has taken the time to paint there figures ,any army/scale period.

Historical.regiments with huge bases and a thin line of figures on them, a bowling green of emptiness.

Very dark figures ( goth orks etc) with dark ground cover and sides of bases left black, just a big lump of blackness

Non metallic metal...hey guys there is no such thing, give it up.

Figures highlighted and shaded to hell and back, just looks stupid

15mm and 20mm tanks based on blocks of wood, sorry bases...do these idiots need a movement tray to pick up on model!!!!!!!

What have got dakka

We all do it? No, we don't. At least I don't.

If someone has put in the effort to paint a whole army (or whatever the equivalent is in your game of choice) so that there's no bare metal, plastic or resin to be seen, well, good on them.

As to the quality or personal aesthetic choices, that's not for anyone to comment on unless asked. It's their hobby, and they can paint stuff the way they want. Griping about someone having a fully painted army because there's something you don't like is kind of a dick move.

Some bizarre fixations, OP.

Ok for me, it's mold lines. And barrels that are not drilled out. Ok I know it takes time, and you can probably find mold lines on my models. but when I see a really nicely painted model with mold lines or undrilled barrels I just think " Dude! Why did you not spend a few more minutes sorting that out!".

It never bothered me until I started drilling my barrels, so I guess I'm just getting fussy as I get old. At the end of the day it's your hobby, so if you want your barrels to look awful, why not.

I'm with Loki. As a guy who has taken the time to paint a half dozen 2k armies, I understand how hard and long it takes. And I also know and keep in mind my own painting skills. When I see one done, I smile and think "Yeah, that guy did it too." Does that mean I like every army I see painted? No. Am I going to criticize a guy because he has one? No.
I find it more frustrating to find a guy who makes no effort. Not that I don't accept this--hey, the painting converting side is my interest, not everyone's.
All that said, you know what burns me the most in relation to this discussion? The guy who shows up and bags on a painted army...while his isn't and he's made no effort. I admire ANYONE who makes the effort, because the only real way to fail at something in the world is to not try. The guy who doesn't do but feels they can judge those who do? Lowest form of life. My least favorite conversation ever?
Random person: "That paint job looks like crap. Why paint them purple? That is lame! I could have painted them twice as good."
Me: "Oh? What color is your army?"
Random person: "What? Oh I've never painted an army. Can't decide on a scheme." (Or any of a dozen excuses that translate to I'm going to say I can do better at something I've never done.)
The hobby shouldn't be a contest, but a shared thing.
Now, constructive advice? Different. Help? Great! Saying: You might try a highlight in a contrasting color, excellent. Technique suggestions, I am all for. However...
People should stop trying to boost their ego or cover insecurity by criticizing others...because that IS what the majority of these types of attacks are, and when someone does it, they aren't fooling anyone.

Sorry...rant over. (and all that said...the guy with the spray painted monochrome army...so, no, I am far from perfect as well...)

Pardon, edited for poor typing skills...

Seriously?

OK. Being objective, maybe my son's first space marines were a fraction short of perfection, but he was 6 at the time.

Maybe I have looked at someone else's paint job and thought "Why....?" (And one or two of my own...)

Maybe I've only recently discovered drilled out barrels, which DO look better, but that doesn't mean that not drilled out looks terrible... and I challenge anyone to do a good job of drilling out a splinter rifle....

Fully painted and based takes effort. Appreciate it.

Some bizarre fixations, OP.

Unless someone has literally splashed paint randomly just so they can say its painted and ready for a tabletop, I'll give credit to anyone who gets through a fully painted TT army.

Yeah, I don't get annoyed by much as long as the army is painted. There are so many unpainted armies out there, anything that's painted and looks consistent is a good idea.

If there are any things, it's probably more to do with how the army makes me wary about the player, like...

- Inconsistent armies - the models are all painted, but all differently, with maybe different basing. Maybe they couldn't decide, or maybe they bought them all as painted models from different people. Either way, it's a bit of a let-down.

- Half-assed 'tournament' painting - Lots of tournament armies are beautiful, but there's always those few that are only painted at all because there's a painting standard. One colour spray and two colour guns, with no intention of ever doing anything else is the sign that you're gonna have a bad game.

- fething airbrush blobs - I know, some people like the style, but commision painters churn out these 'blobs of light' airbrushed armies by the dozen. Look at my tau with MASSIVE GLOWING CIRCLES. Look at my highlighted vehicles with MASSIVE GLOWING ARMOUR. etc etc. Just gets a bit boring.

- 'Accuracy' enthusiasts - I guess this is more of a Heresy Hobbyist type than an army type, but I'm always a little wary of people obsessed with accuracy in their models. I really like converting and having a unique army, and I know some people are much more 'collectors' than 'hobbyists', but I always look askance at Heresy armies that are too uniform. 60 MkIV Ultramatines in MKIV armour with the correct MkIV guns and every model sporting the correct MKIV Ultramarine specific helmet and shoulder pad upgrade set, their sergeants armed only with MKIV power weapons, all riding in identical Deimos rhinos or vehicles with the correct UM-specific doors, all painted in FW UM blue using the 'official' scheme. It's not the army per se, but the idea that this is the 'correct' way to do it, and mixing bits is some sort of inaccuracy that demeans the army. I have a similar feeling about players who obsessively update their army to latest released mini kits ('these models are OOP and thus WRONG').

I'm guilty of mold lines and non-drilled barrels. For me, my time is limited and the early stages of building/ painting an army can be demotivating. Once I get past the basecoating stage my interests get piqued and I can really pour myself into the paint jobs.

So, if I rush through the early parts of scraping mold lines, washing every single piece, rubbing it with holy oils, etc. that some modellers do - it's just me. Not something I enjoy doing

The only two things I grumble about are the fact that more people DON'T take the time to paint an army, and any time someone grumbles about someone who has gone out of their way to deploy a painted army ...

Mold Lines. Seeing pins in joins. Poorly assembled models. Basically, the mechanical aspects of our hobby.

I was asked to judge painting at a local event, and this guy had a fantastic, fully converted IG army. Every model had some kind of conversion or bit on it that made it unique. His painting though... I asked him how he painted the army, as I could not discern a single paint style. Some of it was dip painted. Some had an airbrush. Drybush was used extensively. Other parts, regular brush. It was just a real mess. Instead of a comprehensive scheme that tied all the conversions and army together, it looks like a lot of crap thrown together. Mechanically, it was probably one of the best 40K armies I've ever seen. Painting?

One of my biggest pet peeves would probably be bad decals. To really make good use of decals, you need to acrylic varnish the surface first, then use something like Micro Solve to "melt" the decal onto the surface, and then something like Micro Set to "fix" the decal onto the surface. Another layer of acrylic varnish and then it becomes almost impossible to tell if you have actually hand painted or used a decal on the model.

Interesting to see the things that bother others in this thread!

I'd like to see some pictures of the OP's brilliantly painted armies.

When people did not thin their paints.
Also, when people give their models names and paint the name on the side of the base. It detracts horribly from what otherwise could have been a well-painted miniature. Please write names on the underside of the base.
Also, bad paint schemes. Some colours just weren't meant to go together.

While I'm sure, like most people I may not agree with how a person paints their army (style, skill, etc.) I'll still take it all day over somebody with armless grey plastic being pushed around the table, chiding me for being a hobby snob that I prefer painted armies on a proper table.

Now, to be fair - if someone asks me what I think of the models, I'll give them honest feedback for good or nay.

Tycho wrote:
The only two things I grumble about are the fact that more people DON'T take the time to paint an army, and any time someone grumbles about someone who has gone out of their way to deploy a painted army ...

This^^

But, what I complain about when I see my own painted armies is, well, missed mold lines, the fact that I DON"T drill out barrels, ever, at all.

Seems disrespectful to gripe about other people's armies. I may not agree with their paint style or color choice or something, but that's their choice and really none of my business.

I get more disappointed in myself for not being able to paint at all.

 Geifer wrote:
Seems disrespectful to gripe about other people's armies. I may not agree with their paint style or color choice or something, but that's their choice and really none of my business.

Precisely! I trust that nobody would offer unsolicited criticism on another gamer's painting.

 Kapitan Montag wrote:
And barrels that are not drilled out.

I HATE it when I have a model with an undrilled barrel. I've been doing that with my minis since my start back in the dawn of time.

Despite near on two decades of doing that, I still haven't noticed ONCE when someone didn't do it on their models unless it was pointed out to me.

The op's objection to NMM is kinda weird though.

 Geifer wrote:
Seems disrespectful to gripe about other people's armies. I may not agree with their paint style or color choice or something, but that's their choice and really none of my business.

Indeed, I would never offer criticism on someone else's army unless it was specifically requested. I would much rather play against an army that looks like it was painted by a colour blind 5 year old than yet another grey horde.

 ArbitorIan wrote:
Yeah, I don't get annoyed by much as long as the army is painted. There are so many unpainted armies out there, anything that's painted and looks consistent is a good idea.

If there are any things, it's probably more to do with how the army makes me wary about the player, like...

- Inconsistent armies - the models are all painted, but all differently, with maybe different basing. Maybe they couldn't decide, or maybe they bought them all as painted models from different people. Either way, it's a bit of a let-down.

- Half-assed 'tournament' painting - Lots of tournament armies are beautiful, but there's always those few that are only painted at all because there's a painting standard. One colour spray and two colour guns, with no intention of ever doing anything else is the sign that you're gonna have a bad game.

- fething airbrush blobs - I know, some people like the style, but commision painters churn out these 'blobs of light' airbrushed armies by the dozen. Look at my tau with MASSIVE GLOWING CIRCLES. Look at my highlighted vehicles with MASSIVE GLOWING ARMOUR. etc etc. Just gets a bit boring.

- 'Accuracy' enthusiasts - I guess this is more of a Heresy Hobbyist type than an army type, but I'm always a little wary of people obsessed with accuracy in their models. I really like converting and having a unique army, and I know some people are much more 'collectors' than 'hobbyists', but I always look askance at Heresy armies that are too uniform. 60 MkIV Ultramatines in MKIV armour with the correct MkIV guns and every model sporting the correct MKIV Ultramarine specific helmet and shoulder pad upgrade set, their sergeants armed only with MKIV power weapons, all riding in identical Deimos rhinos or vehicles with the correct UM-specific doors, all painted in FW UM blue using the 'official' scheme. It's not the army per se, but the idea that this is the 'correct' way to do it, and mixing bits is some sort of inaccuracy that demeans the army. I have a similar feeling about players who obsessively update their army to latest released mini kits ('these models are OOP and thus WRONG').

All of this. Only thing I have to add that this me the wrong way is that plasma gun conversion, you know the one, where the SM is shielding his face. I despise it, it is such an un-SM thing to do and just sucks you out of the element.

An entire thread that showcases two things:

There are people that have become adults and those who remain children.

I seriously don't get the point of threads like this, it's an attempt to avoid rule #1 because no one is being specific.

How is this a topic?

How?

Well djones520 its a bit different to the usual threads slagging off GW while still buying £200million+ products a year from them!!!!!

I usually compliment their army, ask how long they been painting and try to answer any questions if any come up.
.
So flip it. Dude has a master class level painted army with all the trimmings. His Battle Forge list is all messed up, 120 pts over the limit, doesn't know what rolling for initiative is and complains every time he loses a model that the book said should of blown up the world.

I usually compliment their army, ask how long they been playing and try to answer any questions if any come up.

Come on guys, its a hobby. Not everybody is Tony Hawk on a skate board.

 Byte wrote:
I usually compliment their army, ask how long they been painting and try to answer any questions if any come up.
.
So flip it. Dude has a master class level painted army with all the trimmings. His Battle Forge list is all messed up, 120 pts over the limit, doesn't know what rolling for initiative is and complains every time he loses a model that the book said should of blown up the world.

I usually compliment their army, ask how long they been playing and try to answer any questions if any come up.

Come on guys, its a hobby. Not everybody is Tony Hawk on a skate board.

If only this was a consistent thought pattern in our hobby.

I usually look for something on their models to compliment or talk about. "Oh, that paint scheme on your knight - it reminds me of of the Imperial Fist one" or "That's super colorful!." Usually invites a good conversation.

that everyone, even wee spudlings, are better at painting than me...

I'm the only owner of fully painted armies in my group so I claim automatic moral victory for that.

Painted armies are great. No matter the standard. It's a little disheartening when you need to face off against a sea of grey plastic.