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I was just curious what everyone's minimum standard is for playing a game with your own miniatures. I know everyone probably also has a minimum for playing against but that is another matter.

Explaining the poll options:

Just bases are fine- As long as it's clear and my opponent is ok with it, I would play with bases

Must at least be assembled- I would only play with assembled models

At least primed- I would only play with at the very least primed and assembled models

As long as there is progress- As long as I make reasonable progress on painting models above simply primed

3 color minimum- All models must at least be 3 colors and simply based

Fully Painted- All models must be above 3 colors and based at an advanced level

I voted "Must at least be assembled", but if I was facing someone who had literally just bought new models and wanted to use them before having time to build them, I'd make an exception.

I allow bases/proxies when my friends or I want to try out new units or armies before buy overpriced miniatures, but otherwise I prefer to play with and against at least assembled minis.

I've been playing with partially assembled minis recently as I'm painting pieces before I assemble them and even that is lessening the "coolness" of the game. I've never had a fully painted army, but a fully painted army vs another fully painted army would be amazing.

I used to play with primed models, but now I only want to play with my toys if they are painted. I don’t really care what the other guys models are as long as they have models.

"As long as there is progress."
It does mean I play against Great Unpainted at times, but a better-looking army later means getting more variety of games now.

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.

I'm long past the point where I'm content playing against someone's empty counts-as bases. It's too confusing and screws up my own game, not knowing what's there on the table and needing a 5 minute explanation at the start of each phase.

A few bases are okay if someone is testing a new list. If that's how they play their army, no thanks.

As long as a model is assembled I'm good.

Other people can play with whatever they want. Personally, when I pick up a new game I'll play it assembled until I have my army fully painted, then I'll only play with/add new things to it once those are painted up.

Minimum should be an assembled model in my eyes. Though I would make an exception for my opponent if the model is being painted in sections or something.

However, that said - I would like to see some progress towards getting the models completed each time. As long as I am seeing progress between games I am totally fine.

Proxy models are totally fine for me if someone wants to try out a new unit before purchasing.

Playing with JUST bases? No thanks. Why even bother? Come back when you are ready.

I typically play with fully painted armies (some I painted, others I had commission painted). Occasionally I may have a unit or model that is in stages of being painted or even just primed if I just got it. But the next time I play with that model you will have seen at least some progress on it.

Once you start playing with fully painted armies - it is VERY difficult to go back imho.

I actually very much like playing with a new unit I just bought that has not been primed yet, because typically I get solid motivation to paint someting by playing with it.

Because then I want to see it do the thing again, but this time with paint and a pretty base.

I won't use a unit that's not fully painted, based and weathered.

So long as it's assembled, I'm barely happy to play with it myself. However, I want that stuff primed as soon as possible, and I won't be at all happy with myself until it's got at least the base coats of 3 different colours done. By that point, it's so close to done, I usually finish it off completely before playing with it. So, in short, I feel bad for a while, then feel good about myself.

It really depends on how excited I am about the unit. If I really want to play it ASAP, assembled is fine. But otherwise I prefer 100% finished.

I feel guilty for my opponent if I don't have at least some sort of 3-color tabletop painting done.

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

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.

Voted 3 colour min and based.
But I'm between that and fully painted. As I prefer to keep my painting simple and basing simple.
So it is fully painted...but basic...otherwise I start losing interest doing complex painting.
Unless it's on metals. I love painting metals.

But otherwise I refuse to have bare plastic/metal on the table and won't play against others who are happy/proud of putting zero effort into their stuff.
It's why I mostly stick to historical gaming. Everyone has everything painted without 100 excuses each day

I'm more Wysiwyg obsessed than paint obsessed, and I like the kit bashing and converting aspect of the hobby the most. I try to have everything primed at least, and usually after a Base coat, layers, and washes I move on to another project. Usually there's a new Character or a unit I want to build so there's never a shortage on WIP projects.

I just put together a Commisar Ork Runtherd to force Gretchen into battle!

Fully painted and WYSIWG.

I may have a test game with a new army that I'm unfamiliar with in case I want to make equipment changes before I paint.

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

As long as the bases are Citadel bases, it's legal, thus imho the minimum needed.

I have played, and would play again, against pennies.

Why would I ever choose not to play a game I love when there's an option to play?

 techsoldaten wrote:
I'm long past the point where I'm content playing against someone's empty counts-as bases. It's too confusing and screws up my own game, not knowing what's there on the table and needing a 5 minute explanation at the start of each phase.

A few bases are okay if someone is testing a new list. If that's how they play their army, no thanks.

As long as a model is assembled I'm good.

I didn't even know this was a thing.

Might as well play with coins, that cardboard box is my land raider.
Who am I kidding no one uses land raiders

I’ve recently played my first game at my FLGS and was rather disappointed that the guy I played against had an army of unpainted models. I’d spent 2 years painting mine to the best of my ability and to come up against a horde of grey miniatures was rather disappointing and quite different to what I’d imagined before I arrived at the store.

Years ago I bought a model in a blister pack, cleaned it up and stuck it together, as the store manager started a 3rd ed game this little rat shouted across the table that I couldn’t use it because it wasn’t painted.
I went to the paint table and slapped some paint on it as it was an ultramarine, I painted one shoulder pad, the chest eagle and the bolter.

He then said it’s not based and I’m like WTH so I ran back and put a circle of goblin green between the feet, I wasn’t happy but I did get to use the model even though I ruined it

Have to have at least built the model. I'm not playing against empty bases or half complete models.

I rather play smaller games and have everything painted to a basic standard than large games with masses of half assembled grey.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Not saying I have never used models with no paint or missing a couple of guns either though.

I never play my models until they are at least fully block painted, washed with basic highlights and based at least with a textured paint with a drybrush and edge cleaned up. I prefer to do all of my edge highlighting and base decoration with all of the army in front of me. For me it makes it easier to keep them all uniform through to completion.

Although I like playing against painted armies, as long as my opponents stuff is WYSIWYG, I am up for a game. But my stuff will always be painted to a good tabletop. Because everybody knows unpainted models die first!

I’m pretty much a 100% painted, based and WYSWYG guy these days.

I’m also very lenient about what my opponent puts down. I’d like to see some effort, as part of the hobby is seeing two well painted armies face off. But I’ll take my games where I can get them and not comment against grey legions.

I do prefer they keep the proxies to three or less. More then that I spend a lot of time asking for reminders about what’s what.

It takes a lot of time and effort to get these minis on the table, so will happily play against and with grey models. I'll often do it to work out preferred load outs or variants on kits.

A lot of questions on Reddit are from people who only play with fully painted forces wanting to know what to build or buy because they have no idea of how the game works.

But on the other side it's so much better to see the spectacle of two fully painted armies fighting. It's what 40k is all about, win or lose. If you're working towards that then I'm tottally cool.