RFCM

We have discussed this before but I like to refresh topics.


1. How long does it take for you to paint the army and get it ready for battle?
2. How many games would you expect to play before you  think "that was worth the effort" and in what time span should those games fit?
3.If the army does not pan out as a good investment do you sell it or put it to one side in exectation of better days/rules?

Thanks

martin :)

The time taken to paint 100 miniatures is subject to many variables not just limited to the figure type and the required pallette, these days there are far more demands on my time. I could in the past paint a 100 figures in a month, now it could take 3 to 6 months.

My armies tend to be long lived, my 20mm WW2 armies were first in action over 30 years ago, they have been added to over the years and some pieces have been retired due to damage or the availability of a "better" model etc. They have been used with multiple rules and have given me much enjoyment over the years. My AK-47 Armie's have also had a comparable life span partly due to the revival initiated by Sean and Julian last year and more recently the Facebook group.
The only army I have which doesn't see the light of day is my 6mm ancient Persians, there's nothing wrong with the figures it's the period that doesn't work for me, When I unearth them I'll try and find a new home for them. The financial and time outlay for this army was small.

Sorry for the rambling post.

Best wishes,
Martin Buck

An interesting thread albeit often frightening! Work out the cost of your figures - raw metal plus, say £10 an hour (cheap for quality work) for the time taken to prep, paint and base them. (We'll ignore the cost of the paints, flock, modelling knives themselves etc.) Then work out total cost on the table per game. (Again, keep it simple and ignore the cost of wargaming cloths, scenery, rules, tape measures, dice etc.) How many games will a unit participate in? You can then derive the average cost per game played, cost of each unit's appearance etc. It's often best not to know! Hell, the fun factor cannot be calculated.

Bankinista

I paint in fits and starts. I've just painted 192 infantry and 32 cavalry (camelry really) for Dervish army for Patrols in the Sudan. Took my about a week. Not finished the bases yet  but I'll be writing a Mill article about it.

Some of my armies are used more than others. One of my favourites  is my Anarchists for the Spanish Civil War but Ive only used them 3 times I think.

My late war US for PBI have had many outings qnd represent better value for money - not many figures and played lots of games.

I have sold armies in the past only to regret it later. And i lost several armies to a fire and they are still sorely missed  especially 2 Samurai armies. I am slowly rebuilding them though.

My new goal is to ensure I play with each army at least once per year. Not too hard, surely?! I have at least 2 armies/forces/factions for every set of rules Peter Pig produce aside from Battles in the Age of War as mentioned above.

For me it depends on the army. Some armies don't get painted for years, others straight away. WW2 armies are fairly quick. ECW slow. MexRev are proving extremely quick as I am using contrast paints for the main colour. I paint slowly at best.
I don't have to use an army to consider it money well spent. I just enjoy painting for its own sake. Some armies that I painted years ago have never been used.
Do I sell armies? Rarely.
John

1. 6 months to several years depending on waning enthusiasm.

2. A couple of dozen games within my lifetime. This has rendered my 15mm ACW, 10mm Franco- Prussian, 15mm WotR and 15mm Italian Wars and 10mm SYW armies worthwhile projects.

3. Some I have given up on - 15mm FPW too big for the battles to be worthwhile; All my 15mm Ancients as never found any rules enjoyable enough; 28mm Napoleonics and ECW - what was I thinking. All these sold off, along with 6mm ACW replaced by 3mm. Otherwise I have hung on to figures/armies waiting to be inspired by rules.

1.  I could easily paint 100 figures within a fortnight, though they might have to sit for several months unpainted as commission stuff comes first.

2. Usually I'll concentrate on playing one period/army/set of rules for maybe a year or so at a time.  I do like focus.  I'm not a wargames butterfly.  Lots of periods/armies lie dormant but some such as ECW, WoTR and ACW are gamed every few months or so.

3. That said, I do tend to sell off armies I haven't played with after about half a dozen years.  Usually they fund other projects.  I decided to downsize though. Over the last twenty years I've sold off at least 15,000 figures.  My 15mm WW2, Napoleonics, Renaissance and Ancients are all long gone.  However, most armies went to my friends and/or opponents so I still get to see them every once in a while.  I've perhaps 15-20,000 figures still and my current SYW obsession has seen the armies for that double in the last two years.

1: 3 months to a decade or more - although now I don't allow myself to start a new army before I've got the previous one to at least a playable stage
2: as per John W, just finishing a force to my satisfaction is a reward for the effort, and its first appearance on the field of battle even more so
3: I've never sold anything I've painted, but have given some stuff (although not much) away. If I've spent the time painting it, and I have the space, I'll keep it.

Simon

1) Several months to never. One of the down sides of being interested in esoteric periods without a clear rules system to work to and no opponents.
2) For me it is the journey rather than the destination. It is as much about the research, the world building as building and painting armies. I have several armies in many different periods nearly there... I tend to go off on a tangent or stall after a while. If I meet an unexpected modelling hurdle I can take pause often this pause takes years but I do eventually return to them.
3) I have armies set aside and have sold projects off I have no real expectation of completing...

Neil

I normally collect and paint at least 2 armies for each Peter Pig rule set for play testing.

Time to paint depends on the complexity of the uniform.

I then get to use them at least once a week for plat testing or monthly club games so plenty of hours and games for each army.


Stewart

Stewart - you are an over-achiever, who makes the rest of the class look bad  ;D

Simon

He has the slight advamtahe on us that

1. He can walk to the workshop to choose his toys
2. He gets to actually use his figures way more than most as playtester extraordinaire.

1. 6 months to a year depending on what else is going on in my life.
2.  Always play something three times before judging it.
3.  I sell nothing that has been painted.

1) Roughly 1 month from receiving the figures to the first game, but I have armies that are still part painted after 1-3 years. PBI is quicker whilst Mexico took longer
2) 15mm armies are used at least once a year thanks to the active group of wargamers here on the south coast (and those who travel down to join us !). I very seldom  use my 25mms and I am rejuvenating my 1/600 aircraft after 5 years.
3) 'Over my dead body', literally.
Mike

Stewart's battle days have helped me out.
When each one is due I get about 4 games in beforehand to re-learn the rules

martin :)

Yes they are a driver for me too. Now fuel has come down and no longer working weekends, I'll be travelling a bit more once again!

The Battle Days are great for giving one a focus for getting forces and terrain ready.

Hence - referring back to the original topic - reducing the time to paint figures!

Simon

1. How long does it take for you to paint the army and get it ready for battle?

A. When I start usually a few weeks/months. But most of my purchases mature/cure - possibly for years before they get to see the light of a brush. I thought figs are like wine supposed to get better with age... ;)

2. How many games would you expect to play before you  think "that was worth the effort" and in what time span should those games fit?

A. None. Painting them is part of the hobby IMO and just getting them done is an achievement and goal in itself. If I play games with them - which is fairly common then all the better.

3.If the army does not pan out as a good investment do you sell it or put it to one side in exectation of better days/rules?

A. Never sold anything yet after moving away from the UK. I sold/lost some GW figs when moving countries the last time (yes moved over several times in my life) and still regret that. Eventually I'll sell stuff but the nice thing is people now start to say lets do X period etc and I have at least the lead in house - if not already painted. Being in the sticks hobby wise this can help get things moving. :)