"Do you paint both sides?" Topic

Our group had a dynamic where each member has his own interests. Let's face it, not everybody can paint EVERYTHING.
Yet, we can want to play everything.
How to do that?

When I was first bitten by The Hobby, I was already a boardgame player, with Avalon Hill and SPI, etc.
I started out in WRG Ancients, where you could concentrate on one army, and your regular opponent did someone else.
However, I was soon THE guy. When I introduced miniatures to a mixed group, I supplied all the figures. Others soon got their own armies, even with unique contributions like doing Airfix American Indians as Classical Indians.

I soon branched out to AWI (both sides), Zulu colonials (both sides).
As I found like minds, I supplied both sides, until the others branched out themselves.

I dropped out for 10 years, and wehn I resurfaced, I got into clubs that had established gamers in different periods. None of them matched mine!

As we have evolved, I still paint both sides in periods that interest me.

What this means is that most of the time, we play games that I painted nothing for, and 20% of the time, I painted everything.

so, I have no need to paint 15mm SYW or Napoleonics. I have no need to paint 15mm ACW or Great War. I have no need to paint Ironclads or Wooden Ships.
ditto 25mm TSATF, but I have contributed in the past, adn am painting the Boxer stuff.

What I do supply is 25mm AWI and FIW, in both skirmish and regimental scales.

We do have projects, like War of 1812 and GASLIGHT where everybody contributes, and FOW scenario gaming much the same.

Basically, in our group, each person has his own interests. HE volunteers to run a game and furnishes everything and runs it. Sometimes he plays too!
Do you do it this way, or do you split responsibilities and "assign" armies?

I'm in a group that is pretty much in the same mode. If there is something that someone really has enthusiasm for, then that person paints both sides to get it going. If it catches on, then others jump in painting what interests them in that period. Brief discussion does occur to prevent over laps, but some do occur to help with larger armies.

I always paint both sides, sometimes in association with others, more often not.

I paint both sides because it is rare that anyone's interests coincide with my own. I have so many periods that I couldn't play a game of each of them in a year, enough to bring a different period almost every week to history club during a school year. And I paint both sides.

Mostly I paint both sides, as do most others in my group. Periodically we have something where we each do a piece, but there is usually somebody (the driving force in starting) that gets both sides started and enough to run a game on his own.

Some periods, like Napoleonics, several of us have both sides (French and a different OpFor) that we can combine for big games.

Another, like 15mm SF a number of us are inspired and doing small forces (multiple) that we can supply both sides or fight each other.

I've had too many orphan armies in the past not to do at least a small OpFor for anything I'm interested enough to paint.

Phil

Ahhhh…John…..

I will paint what I have to. I paint both sides for 1812 in 25mm, because MOST people I play games with want to play in 15mm….

I have all my group's 1/600th ACW navals. Because I want to run them with BAPI rules…

It's the "Project Manager" mentality. If YOU want to run it, then start the thing, maybe some will help… or not.

:-)

Eric

I do and always have painted both sides of the armies and periods that I enjoy whether other players have them or not

I am in a constant recruiting phase, as interest in ancients doesn't seem to be too big locally. So I TRY to paint both sides. Often I run out of energy/interest, but minis don't expire and eventually I'll get back to them…

Damon.

Normally I paint both sides. at least a small force. There's a few periods where I haven't gotten to the point of the second side.

Mostly I paint both sides but if another guy will do one side, I'll consider doing another period/system.

Yes, almost always.

I collected both sides for War of 1812 because there were no other people into this theatre of conflict. I used to only collect Napoleonic French but recently branched out to a British/Spanish/Portuguese force, and the start of a Russian force.

I paint both sides. I try to be reasonable and paint one 'command' for each side, whether that 'command' be a brigade, division, corps, etc. This allows me to keep it balanced, and grow in equal measure. I started out painting one side, but then found myself with a painted army and nothing to fight against, so you might say that I've evolved.

My current project is SYW Spanish and Portuguese. My dad already has the British, so this is an easy fix. However, even without the British, I could field both sides in a game.

Being a solo gamer means I always collect and paint both sides. Unless there are more than two sides.

The only period that I do not have both sides for is the Italian wars. For that one I did two sizes: 15mm and 28mm.

I've always painted both sides mostly for my sons and I can play a game anytime. Other members of our group paint some figures with same interest, but I typically paint the bulk of the forces.

P.

Always both sides. I was burnt twice in college by members of the club not finishing their stuff and stranding me with figures with no opponents, so never again,

Yes, but sometimes I BUY one side first, then the other at a (occasionally much) later date.

I started out doing both sides because it was just me. Once I joined a group, things changed. Almost all of us had colonials, mine are now somewhat unbalanced, as I found various odd colonial forces I wanted. Several periods I didn't have were popular with the group, and I made an effort to provide a contribution: I have Saxon Napoleonics, while others painted both French and Austrians or British. I only have Union ACW, because the others painted up plenty of Confederates. I have cowboys, though not really enough for much of a game.

A few years ago, I moved and joined another group, where one of us would provide whatever was needed for a game. I was into Vikings, and then Anglo-Saxons and Welsh for them to fight. This has recently changed as several of us have gotten into Saga.

Grelber

Everything USED to be Group Projects, where everybody fought over which force they would get to buy and paint. That was back in the good ol' GW days and it was heaven.

Then as our interests began to branch out it started to be mainly my buddy Whitemanticore and me doing the collecting and painting (and his schedule and finances made it so it was about 40-60% him/me). As his life got more hectic I found it was usually me doing all the buying, painting, hosting, and GMing. The guys will come over and play whatever I put on, but it feels burdensome sometimes.

Tonight was a nice change since another buddy brought over all his War of the Roses stuff and ran a game of Warhammer Ancients Age of Chivalry for the gang. Unfortunately I was still catching up on caricature work after all the time spent mourning and dealing with my Dad's estate the last three days so I wasn't able to play. But it was great having everybody over and it cheered me up a lot just being with good friends while I worked.

Next week it's back to WW II and supplying both sides…

Generally I paint at least something of both sides.

VR
James Mattes

Any and all sides.

I don't know, that's an awfully personal question…

In general I paint both sides. I usually play the less mainstream stuff and expecting my club to follow me is unrealistic. On top of that I am an 1/72 fanboy for a number of periods which is a light few of us have seen so far :o) On the other hand the lower costs of 1/72 enable me to build both sides more easily.

On rare occasions I have started in a popular period or game system like WAB where everyone takes part in and just painted my side. So I have a huge 28mm Carthaginian army and a huge 28mm Celt army but no Republican Romans.

I paint and purchase both sides. Too many times in the past I would choose one side and a friend the other only to find I had painted mine and he had lost interest and was on to something else. If I have both sides I can at least have a game.

Paint both sides? That makes is sound like I have a choice. I paitn whatever my Gamer OCD/ADHD tells me to paint…

I paint both the front and the back, but I try to avoid having to the inside!

I often do end up collecting and painting both sides as often my tastes are a bit obscure so at least I'm guaranteed a game if i can offer to bring everything along. I also then have some control (in a slightly control-freaky way!) of scale, basing size etc.

Well, when I do things in a scale not often used by others I expect too. Usually my 1/72 scale armies are all done by me.

Thanks,

John

Yes, started as I moved on posting every 2 years so never new where I would end up and what eras would be played,

Tally Ho!

I paint "all" sides.

:)

I always paint both sides (e.g. Romans & Celts, Swiss & Burgundians) or sometimes more armies in a period(WW2 Germans, Russians, Americans and British)

If it's not something established in my area I paint a small army of each.
Sometimes that leads to me paint more of just one side, sometimes that I keep painting all for scenarios I referee, and sometimes to me stopping painting because noone else is that interested.

I've pretty much got both sides for every period I play. Apart from my 28mm Napoleonic French I cannot think of any of my forces that do not have an opponent in my collection.

I think it is because I am a prolific painter as a club we often set off on projects that many of the others start but don't complete, I tend to pick up the spare figures and paint both sides.

Ever since my friend David from school moved away and I was left with an unopposed army of Napoleonic French, I have painted both/all sides for any conflict which interests me.

I also play with other peoples stuff, and sometimes we mix and match.

So pretty much what the OPs group do.

Yes, always both sides.

Inside and out!

Yes, everyone in our group does so as well.

Depends… of course.

Small games, including things like Skirmish, WoW or X-Wings:
Usually one bloke has enough to start and get us interested, we all then get a few figure/ships etc to have our own band because we like the pretty toys and it's an inexpensive outlay.

Large scale period specific games with scenarios:
1 person has both sides and provides all the toys for a game with perhaps a few spare from others.

Exception – Rules that allow disparate armies from periods or theatre to fight for points based games that are non-scenario specific, such as FOG, DBM, HOTT, FWC (or any sci-fi rules):
We each have multiple armies to enable arrive and play.

Always paint both sides.

Everything USED to be Group Projects, where everybody fought over which force they would get to buy and paint. That was back in the good ol' GW days and it was heaven.

Then as our interests began to branch out it

This describes our group. There were common goals with personal armies…now not so much.

Only FoW has people with their own armies.

If you don't paint both sides you'll never have a game. I always paint both sides.

Sad but true OSchmidt and provide the scenery !!

For the last 10 – 15 years I have been lucky and have gamed against a regular opponent who provided the other side and most of the scenery,since he has dropped off the radar (no comms for over 18 months) I have had to start puchasing scenery and terrain as well as providing both sides.
Whilst I rather like the editorial control I have to watch that my OCD does not get the better of me = so many unfinished projects.

Yes. I would not mind playing my whatevers against your whatevers, but if I have both sides I can always have a game.

I tend to do at least two armies, unless it's a popular period where people are more likely to have an opposing army.

Yes, both/all.

Its that old rule, 10% of people do 90% of the work. I do both sides so it gets done. Although do to attrition we are down to 3 or so who meet on a regular basis…….

Both. Normally (being a 1/72 fan) I do both, but couple of years ago I suggested to some friends that we could do a group project, and three of us ended up doing ACW – worked quite well. Not sure why the others did not participate, but each to their own.

Group projects are more fun though, and the enthusiasm can be easier to keep going.

My 1st venture into "both sides" for a genre was ECW; I wanted to be able to play either Royalist or Roundhead & I could loan the side that I wasn't playing in a game to a friend. I did the same for ACW. I built Orks & Space Marines for Rogue Trader. I accrued 4 Mordheim bands & 6 Neromunda gangs to play with my kids.

For the past many years, I've done skirmish games much more often than big battles & I still like to have more than 1 faction/side. I also have run many scenarios at Cons & Great Hall Games in Austin where I provide everything needed (usually figures for 6 players + NPCs).

Thus my answer is "Yes".

When i first got into gaming with a group I didn't have anything and most of the stuff we did was as a croup so I painted only one side. Then I got burned a couple of times by someone selling off my opposition.

Now I try to stick to smaller games where I can paint at least two sides.

Both sides.