"Do you paint your soldiers?" Topic

I've seen a number of web sights in which gamers don't paint their figs--they just play with them as they are out of the box. You can certainly save a lot of time (and money, if you have them painted) if you game this way. It kind of takes you back to being a little kid again. I use painted figs, but would consider unpainted or minimally painted figs. How about you?

If its not painted it doesn't go on my table.

Always play with painted miniatures.

When I was a kid playing with plastic Airfix WW2 figures and Rocco Minitanks out in the garden, I did not paint the figures (other than the occaisional black marker or green marker). As an adult, I always use painted figures.

I would consider using 20mm plastics unpainted to play test rules or a new period, such as the Punic Wars or the Great Northern War of the 30 Years War.

For toy gaming with plastic army men (the larger 54mm style figures) I have no problem using unpainted though I prefer a basic toy soldier style paintjob on them.

not only must they be painted, they must be mounted and flocked.
anything less demands an apology.

For toy gaming with plastic army men (the larger 54mm style figures) I have no problem using unpainted though I prefer a basic toy soldier style paintjob on them.

Yeah, that's what I'm asking about--54mm plastics.

What? Pure heresy!!!

I will use unpainted plastic troops when developing a set of rules. No sense investing heavily in something until you are sure you are going to like it.

Other than this; my stuff is always painted -- often to the 9s.

mjc

combatpainter – What is "pure heresy"? Toy gaming, plastic army men, toy soldier style paintjobs, or anything unpainted?

mjc – I couldnt paint to the 9s under any circumstances but even with my limited skills I have yet to find a really durable finish for plastic army men so I usually paint them in a very basic fashion.

79thPA – Dont take my advice, Im a heretic in many ways including gloss finishes for my other miniatures.

I use unpainted army men for Combat Storm…but that's the flavor. Plus I use them as Green and Tan plastic army men instead of US vs MEF.

Allen,

Plastic figs can be painted and preserved very successfully.

Without question the best clear coat spray is water based Varathane. They use this stuff to coat roller skate rings.

polyclay.com/flecto.htm

Varathane does not yellow. All other polyurethanes will yellow over time.

I did PLASTIC Airfix figs with this stuff back in the early 70's that look as good today as they did then -- no paint flaked from the muskets.

Now those old Airfix Napoleonics were very soft plastic and bending the musket was a sure fire way to get the paint to flake.

If you really go to town on a musket coated with varathane, the varathane coating will crack and I suppose with some effort you could get it to fall off.

But with 'normal' use. My results with Varathane have been grand.

Sadly Varathane no longer makes a dull coat. Satin is about as dull as you can get and some (including me) find this too shiny. So . . . I spray with Varathane first and then about 10 minutes later, before the Varathane dries, I hit it again with Testors Dull Cote.

Keep in mind, Testors Dull Cote is soft and will not adequately protect even metal figs, IMO.

If you mix the two, you get the best of both worlds. Varathane tough; no yellow; Dull Cote dull.

That my friend is the BEST you can do -- and what I do routinely.

mjc

Plastics? Not anymore. I've gone to metal and paint those.

However for a Crossfire project I'm working on I am using 1/72 plastics for some new players, even new to gaming, and the plastics will remain single color mounted on the appropriate sized bases. I'm keeping this project simple.

Mike

Painted minis is soo decandently bourgeois !

Post modern freestyle miniatures is in. Vallejo is too much last century.

Heh,

I've ordered up a bunch of the Conte plastic Vikings to use for skirmish gaming. I won't be painting them at all. I'm making the terrain to look sort of toyish, like the old Marx stuff, to go along with the minis. I want the players in this game to have the best of both worlds: a good set of "beer & pretzels" rules (which I am writing) and the feeling of playing with toy soldiers again.

I'll likely be getting a few boxes of the Conte Saxons as well. They make a GREAT "Stamford Bridge" playset with much potential.

Patrick,

Painted minis are 'Elitist'. That's what I get when I broach the subject locally.

I don't know what it is, but if I take the trouble to paint up troops and put together a really nice table, it really bugs me to have someone show up with raw metal. I guess I am elitist if that's what being elitist is all about.

Really, If they just spray painted them with a primer in the basic color of the uniform it would be tolerable. If they paint at least three colors in addition to the primer -- I got no gripes.

mjc