"What do you paint first?" Topic

When you start a new 40K army, which type of figures do you paint first?

* characters
* basic troop selections
* elites
* vehicles
* other (specify)

So far, the answer has been:
Basic Troop Selections

Since I don't have to get 30 termagants precisely correct, and can use quick techniques to get them on the board. When you make a big dent in the numbers of figures painted, it makes you feel like you're making huge headway.

Then, of course, there's the Big HQ (HiveTyrant) figures… which take just as long as the 30 troops, require a lot fewer mistakes, and more careful attention…

After I had my 2 troops and my HQ done, I painted one elite, then one small group of fast attack…

The problem I can see right now, is that if I don't paint a max-sized unit all at one time, I end up with some oddities in figures I paint at a different time, since I'm forever fiddling with washes and drybrushing. My Genestealers were painted in 2 batches, and even though they're all the same colors, they can be picked out as to which was in what batch.

Mostly basic troops. Unless I like a character and paint that character first and then decide to do an army. Or the basic troops that I want aren't released yet.

I mostly try to get a gameable force together as quickly as possible and branch out from there.

Characters tend to get painted first, though I often do 1 or more test pieces for the color scheme using a trooper model.

I'll get my armies core together to start cleaning and assembling it. When it comes to multi-part plastic models I find I can only clean a few at a time without getting extremely bored. As a result I end up with my characters cleaned and primed before I have a solid block of troops ready to paint. So I paint the characters first. This gives me a nice break between bouts of figure cleaning.

Basic troops first

Over the years I have a personal tried and tested method for getting an army started and on the table.

Generally speaking I try to paint a typical command at a time, depending upon the rules and command scale. For AWI and ACW this is usually a Brigade, for Napoleonics typically a Division.

1) All Generals first. I like to set the 'character' for an army and find this best by adopting a top down approach. Often with a new venture my painting is better at the beginning where I am less likely to cut corners and more likely to go the extra mile on the painting and basing.

2) Artillery crews, limbers, caissons and cannon. These are usually the most boring part of an army for me. I'm usually so fed up with these by the end that I am positively champing at the bit to paint something else, anything just not more artillery crews and limbers PLEASE..

3) Infantry. Often the most numerous component. After ploughing through artillery I'm usually so fed up that painting masses of infantry doesn't bother me as much. I'm just glad it isn't artillery.

4) Cavalry. My favourite bit. By this stage I've usually painted several hundred figures and were it not for the fact that I have this treat in store I might decide to not finish the army. I find painting cavalry very much a labour of love and whilst I might have cut corners on the infantry, I'll usually never do it on the cavalry.

Works for me.

…Oh. Don't do 40k. Sorry.

At least a unit or two of basic troops first, with a charachter or vehicle mixed in from there-on-out.

No worries, Fat Wally.

We'll start a rumor right here and now that the hot new army in 6th edition will be Napoleonicus Aedepticus.

Back to the Question-at-hand!

For WWII, I start with the Vehicles, then into troops.

Whatever I have at the moment.

Basic troops. I save the characters and vehicles as a reward.

When I did 40K, I started with the basic troops first then went on to the vehicles. After that, it was on to the elites.

Basic troops first.

Yup. Another basic/rank and file pic here.

None as I don't 40K

None as I don't 40K

So even when you paint other games you don't paint them because you don't play 40K?

Maybe you should take up 40K so you can paint. I am sure your opponents are getting tired of the bare metal and plastic army look.

I know the OP said 40K, but the question still works as a generic questions on painting new armies.

I don't start a new 40K army.

The OP was very specific.

Trying to think back over various armies and I can't see any pattern to the order that I painted them.

x42