stigma attached to unpainted armies?

[hardman]

hi all, i'm finally getting back into the gaming scene after about a 5 year hiatus due to college.  I havent played a single game since the very beginnings of 4th edition and would really like to get some seat time.  is there a stigma or a notion that fielding an unpainted army is chintzy or cheezy?  painting will be going on as time allows, but with 6 classes, an internship, full time job AND getting back into the swing of gaming, it may be a slow process..

[Frosthydra]

For general / casual play, not at all.

For tournaments / big name games, it's usually frowned upon.

Hell, if that were the case, I'd never wind up playing a game... almost 200 Skaven left to paint!

[blantyr]

It depends a lot.

I remember one incident.  I was playing a casual game with a friend who generally expects to go home with the best painted award.  His army that night was a work in progress, most of them just primed or still grey, but he wanted to see how they fought.  Another regular walked by, saw all the grey, and sneered.  I took great pleasure in picking up one of the few prototype models that had been completed, and presenting it to the sneerer.

Hehehehehe.

Since that time I have made a point not to grumble about armies in 'Imperial Colors' (silver and grey) so long as a few more models are painted each week.  Any player who is trying to do it right shouldn't feel peer pressure to do it quickly.

On the other hand, I like the mega battle rule that everything has to be painted.  That is just a show.  What's the point in putting down a zillion points of models unless they're all painted?

So it all depends.  In general, I don't like the snob attitude of sneering at any player for any reason.  If we're going to grow the hobby, let's not try to drive people out of the store.

[Frosthydra]

Since that time I have made a point not to grumble about armies in 'Imperial Colors' (silver and grey) so long as a few more models are painted each week.  Any player who is trying to do it right shouldn't feel peer pressure to do it quickly.

That is my view, I do what I can, and always show up with new things done... but I want them to look great, so I don't worry about rushing it.

Bit by bit should be fine, and if someone gives you a hard time about it, ask them how long it took to paint their army, and explain that you've recently started <building> yours.  That should keep them off you for a bit.

[the_trooper]

hi all, i'm finally getting back into the gaming scene after about a 5 year hiatus due to college.  I havent played a single game since the very beginnings of 4th edition and would really like to get some seat time.  is there a stigma or a notion that fielding an unpainted army is chintzy or cheezy?  painting will be going on as time allows, but with 6 classes, an internship, full time job AND getting back into the swing of gaming, it may be a slow process..

Just ask Steve R. about it.  He takes pride in his unpaintedness.

While it's best to be painted, I am yet to hear of anyone being denied a game because of being unpainted.  Friendly jabs maybe said to keep you motivated though.

[hardman]

glad to hear it!  ive got about 1k of IG in the grays right now and will be purchasing my next 1k soon when i get my taxes back.  i would LOVE to have it all painted and ready to go for the megabattle when it comes time, along with a baneblade and scratch built titan >:]

[Henry R]

 I always appreciate someone who spends a lot of time on their models even if it takes them ages to finish a single one. Good luck and more importantly, have fun!

[Mad Dok Rob]

Painted minis are nice, but I just like being able to play against someone.  Heck, I just started my Orks...and even giving up Skyrim it still takes FOREVER to paint that many Orks.  And with the semester starting, I think I will be having mostly Black (primed) Orks for a while....but hey, I play Goffs so it fits.

Morale of the story, don't worry about it.  People will play with you no matter what.

[Chase]

Unpainted armies (or mostly unpainted armies) are common at both stores.

Feel free to field them in almost all of our events.

[Chase]

Morale of the story, don't worry about it.  People will play with you no matter what.

Correct.

[Benjamin]

Painting is just one of many aspects of the overall 40k hobby. If someone judges you on your unpainted space men, they just failed at life. Warhammer is a deep hobby; no one should ever be expected to master every aspect of it. But it's fun to try!

Some BG events such the Megabattle require models painted to a 3-color minimum. Player's Choice, a significant award at BG events, also factors in your army's paint. If your army is unpainted, you are simply less likely to win.

[GossWeapon]

I used to be that guy that said "I'll never paint these toy soldiers, they're lucky i assembled them!" But trust me over time you will find, as many others have, that you want to paint your stuff.  Be it at your own pace for personal interest, or a quick job to get ready for an event like a GT or the Megabattle.  Now, I'm by no means forcing you to paint, nor will anyone else, but eventually when you play enough people with nicely painted armies you will want to have one too.

Until then, just make sure everything is WYSIWYG and there will be no problems. Above all else welcome to our community and enjoy yourself.

[jfoodmaster]

hi all, i'm finally getting back into the gaming scene after about a 5 year hiatus due to college.  I havent played a single game since the very beginnings of 4th edition and would really like to get some seat time.  is there a stigma or a notion that fielding an unpainted army is chintzy or cheezy?  painting will be going on as time allows, but with 6 classes, an internship, full time job AND getting back into the swing of gaming, it may be a slow process..

Just ask Steve R. about it.  He takes pride in his unpaintedness.

While it's best to be painted, I am yet to hear of anyone being denied a game because of being unpainted.  Friendly jabs maybe said to keep you motivated though.

I am a friendly jabber.

I prefer painted all the time. I just think it adds to the look and feel of the game. Space Marines flying the chapter colors on sharp looking bases are awesome to see storming across the table.

Another thing I've seen is the people with unpainted models don't seem to care about my painted models. They knock my stuff over and jam their stuff too close. Maybe I'm snobby? I also think its at least half of the hobby and if you don't at least try then you're missing out.

[Rurouni Benshin]

I share a lot of Sean's (jfoodmaster) sentiments with playing against painted armies, although I don't jab nearly as much.  

Assembling/Converting/Painting your models is half of the hobby, and I feel that if you're going to invest the money into it, you should try to get as much out of it as possible.  When I first started playing, I never would've thought that I'd be spending so much time painting, but then realized that most of that time spent was due to my meticulous tendencies.  Now, I love painting my models, and even though they're not the best painted, I find a lot of gratification in seeing my models fully painted, based, and ready to play on the table top.

[Ed]

 Now, I love painting my models, and even though they're not the best painted, I find a lot of gratification in seeing my models fully painted, based, and ready to play on the table top.

Best Attitude for a Mini's gamer.