Playing with Unpainted Minis...a sin?

[beowulfthehunter]

Over in the Warmachine Forums there has been much discussion as to the subject of playing with unpainted miniatures. This discussion has gotten to the point every thread on the subject is locked. The various schools of thought on the subject are as follows:

I will only play in painted only tournaments or against Painted only oppenents (this person is deemed the Paint-nazi).

The other end of the spectrum is the player who thinks they don\'t need to paint to play, and if a painting rule was ever created they would get out of the game quick.

The offical PP stance is they plan never to have a painting requirement for their tournaments. As a result they have yet to show pictures of the main tourney winners as they don\'t have painted armies.

I am more to the Paint Nazi side. I feel painting models is a nessary function of this hobby and should be embraced.

Comments people?

 

[Evil Dave]

Maybe the winners should have their army painted by the Privateer Press crew as an alternate prize.
I know I\'d love to have a Fluffy miniature or a Mike McVey mini.
But it boils down to this:
No amout of paint will help you if you suck at the game.

 

[Ogrebane]

I paint and I play. I have never fielded an unpainted mini at a tournament yet!! I have palyed against players who dont paint.

Personally I paint cause I like to paint. Some people play cause they like to play.

I would enforce an undercoat rule (Im allergic to lead) and a WYSIWYG policy but why should people be force to do something they dont want to do.

 

[Evil Dave]

Isn\'t the point to have fun?
Odd as it may seem, some people do not like to paint.
And being a wargamer from Rouge trader days I can tell you, some armies are better off unpainted.

Edit:
I\'ve thought about this some more.
Did you paint the Monopoly pieces to play?
Did you paint all those little green army men when you were a child to play with them?

Warmachine is a game. Games are meant to be played. Painting is optional. It\'s generally why the tournaments and the painting contests are seperate events.

 

[Ogrebane]

Well I did paint the pieces for \"The Simpsons Cluedo\" but in my defence they were supposed to be colored (Like Rev Green etc)

But you are correct some people shouldnt paint they should just play.

 

[james sequeira]

i only play with painted mini in tourny\'s may it be due to rules or it just looks better and more professional (\"lol\")
but in store game i play with what ever just because it\'s fun to have a game with your mates simple

 

[Evil Dave]

We had a rule at our local tourney\'s that all miniatures had to have at least three colors on them.
One of my friends being a smartass, took his ork army, spray painted them neon orange and polka dotted them with red and green spots.
He followed the rules and kicked everyone\'s butt.
But man what an eyesore.

 

[Swordwind]

Well the way I see it the miniatures came first and the wargames were added in later. I prefer painting more than gaming so I\'m biased.

Those who do not paint thier minis must be purged. PURGED!!!


I know some people dont like painting but thats because thier army affects that. They want to get all thier men done in time for thier next game so they go through them in huge chunks. This is boring and so makes painting seem boring. If you do it slowly without any rush to get them finished its very relaxing.

 

[Evil Dave]

Originally posted by Swordwind
If you do it slowly without any rush to get them finished its very relaxing.

It\'s also a good way to never play.
I spent four years on an Eldar army this way, by the time they were done all my friends had quit 40K.
Forgive me, but did not the players pay for their own armies? Who has the right to tell them how they can or cannot play with them?
As I see it, if Privateer Press never plans on having a painting rule, then painting is entirely optional.
The Paint Nazi and yourself don\'t have much of a choice unless you choose not to participate.

 

[DrEvilmonki]

Originally posted by Evil Dave

Originally posted by Swordwind
If you do it slowly without any rush to get them finished its very relaxing.

It\'s also a good way to never play.
I spent four years on an Eldar army this way, by the time they were done all my friends had quit 40K.

It\'s also just plain wrong. Some people hate painting figs and unless they happen to have a mate who can speed paint for them they would never have paint on a figure.

I used to be of the opinion that no paint = no play; but that I think is because I didn\'t actually like the games just the painting. Now I am in agreement with the it\'s just a game crowd.

 

[No Such Agency]

Originally posted by Evil Dave
We had a rule at our local tourney\'s that all miniatures had to have at least three colors on them.
One of my friends being a smartass, took his ork army, spray painted them neon orange and polka dotted them with red and green spots.
He followed the rules and kicked everyone\'s butt.
But man what an eyesore.

...especially considering what he paid for that army, only to turn it into hideous blobs of colour. At that rate one might as well play with cardboard tokens, not finely-detailed metal miniatures.

Originally posted by Evil Dave
Maybe the winners should have their army painted by the Privateer Press crew as an alternate prize.

Unlikely - imagine the cash value of that prize!

 

[Evil Dave]

Originally posted by No Such Agency

Originally posted by Evil Dave
Maybe the winners should have their army painted by the Privateer Press crew as an alternate prize.

Unlikely - imagine the cash value of that prize!

Heh, I\'d settle for a one hour speed paint job from Fluffy

 

[QuietiManes]

Well I think painting and playing are parts of the hobby. I like to paint. I like to play. I dont really see the need to mix the two however. I\'m perfectly fine playing with little pieces of card with unit names on them. Miniatures is better, painted even better, but not a big deal either way. I\'d much rather have something painted well than have it painted with polka dots. If PP wants to show pictures of the winners they should add in a painting score to the equation for the winners. Unpainted armies will not win so often then and it still wouldnt be a requirement. They could have seperate prizes, best painted, best general, best overall. Ya know, like how Games Workshop does their thing.

 

[marineboy]

I\'ve always felt that GW\'s policy about no non unpainted armies was a marketing ploy --people who buy the minis also have to buy the paints.

Smart marketing? Yes. Necessary to the game? no.

Right now I\'m painting up a set of 40 original genestealers for Space Hulk, 20 termies after them, with the minis from Doom: The Boardgame to follow. Why? I like the minis better painted. I\'ll play with anything though.

That minis must be painted for playing is no cardinal rule, just personal preference.

 

[freakinacage]

i don\'t game so i say paint them!! actually, thats not true. as it has been said, it\'s a game and shouldn\'t be inforced. i just feel that if you are going to spend that much money on a mini, the least you can do is give it some block colouring to make it stand out a bit more. otherwise you might as well just not bother with the minis and use bases with the names on them

 

[vincegamer]

My gut reaction is that you don\'t have to paint them. I come from the cardboard counter gaming background, so minis are just representational pieces - imagination is key.

But I have to be honest with myself. I acquired an unpainted/partially-badly-painted high elf army more than a year ago. I still have not played the game because I have not painted the army. I realize that I want to wow them when I show up with my stoner army.
I think maybe I should now just throw down the base flesh and maybe a primary color where appropriate and go play.

 

[supervike]

What are these games you speak of?




It does seem unfair to REQUIRE people to paint the minis. Especially if they are interested only in the gaming aspect.

Of course, I come from the other side of the coin. I would to prefer to only play with painted miniatures. I mean I don\'t have my PC set on Black and White when I play a video game, the colors are part of the attraction!

 

[Sand Rat]

Originally posted by Swordwind
Well the way I see it the miniatures came first and the wargames were added in later.

Chicken vs Egg Argument

Yes, there were some large scale toy soldiers being manufactured at or around the end of the 19th Century Early 20th century - but they usually came painted from the manufacturer.

Then a slightly deranged English Gentleman by the name of Herbert George Wells wrote a little book called Floor Games in 1911, followed by Little Wars in 1913 - and is seen as the father of Modern Wargaming for writing them.

Both are available from Project Gutenburg - and Little Wars comes with the earliest set of rules used by the English army for \"wargaming\", Kriegspiel.

 

[supervike]

Um, and sorry to sound ignorant, but is that Herbert George Wells the same as HG Wells...sci fi author?

 

[Sand Rat]

One and the same.