Using the "correct" minis

McDeth · Post by **McDeth** » Tue Oct 15, 2002 10:44 am

To get back on track. Personally i would always play with painted mini's , what my opponent uses doesn't matter to me, as long as i can tell what player each piece represents.

I would prefer that all players are painted but i am only too aware that some peoples painting skills are not as good as others ( I'm a prime example of that), but a painted side does add a considerable bit to the game, and enhances the flavour

Joshua Dyal · Post by **Joshua Dyal** » Tue Oct 15, 2002 1:02 pm

I'm frankly amazed at the statement that the hobby isn't necessarily about the miniatures. I suspect GW would disagree. Their entire business model, not to mention the core of the hobby, has always been based around miniatures. The games sometimes seem like an afterthought to the miniatures.

BB is unique?! (at least unusual) in being an extremely elegant and simple game system as well, that you could concievably play without the right minis, but I'd still argue that the miniatures portion of the hobby is what kicked off GW in the first place.

McDeth · Post by **McDeth** » Tue Oct 15, 2002 3:24 pm

Ah the old what came forst the chicken or the egg.

You're most definitely right methinks the games are a means to selling the miniatures, but i think what the discussion is questioning is whether you can play the game without the mini's.

The answer is of course yes, but does it detract from gameplay and overall feel. well possibly. IMO it is better to play with some form of painted mini, but that does not suit everyone. hell it took me five years to discover Chestnut ink

CyberHare · Post by **CyberHare** » Tue Oct 15, 2002 4:39 pm

In the league I usually play in I would have to say that there was no incentive to use the "appropriate" figs for the team you were playing. In fact we had one joker who was using "Little People" fisher price toys at one point to represent some big guys. At the time I had no problem with it as I had never played in a setting where everyone had painted teams with appropriate figs.

Now that I've been to several tournaments and had the experience of playing with all painted teams and figs that match the position I have to say that I'd have trouble accepting anything less. That's why in our new league we are starting there are rules to encourage using the appropriate figs for position. No more "Little People"

I can understand how people haven't the time to paint. I myself have over a dozen teams and only one of them is painted completely. It takes me forever to paint figs and I find it a chore. But the end product of playing with painted figs is worth the trouble IMO.

Ghost of Pariah · Post by **Ghost of Pariah** » Tue Oct 15, 2002 4:42 pm

Use the correct minis or my minons of fire will kill you in your sleep.

Da Scum · Post by **Da Scum** » Tue Oct 15, 2002 6:04 pm

However I can see the problem with having Lives and playing bloodbowl, as in you don't have the masses of time to do that really good job. Well why not ask around the league? Happens in the tbbf, that got two players up and running with some wonderfully painted teams, and it's inspired one to start painting a team on his own.

There's noting wrong with taking your time, it's when a coach blatantly abuses the system that we had issues with it.

Joshua Dyal · Post by **Joshua Dyal** » Tue Oct 15, 2002 6:14 pm

My orc team has been a work in progress for a couple of years now. I'm now working on the ancillary staff like apothecaries, assistent coaches, cheerleaders, custom reroll counters, etc., that most coaches probably don't even bother modelling, and tweaking and fiddling with the players I have, but yeah -- doing even a decent job takes most people some time.

Then again, I've had enormous drought periods in painting this team. If I'd been playing with them regularly -- a month tops would have seen the whole team painted.

Now I'm moving on to Norse and Skaven. After that, Undead, Lizardmen, maybe High elves and Dark elves. Long term, I have to add human, goblins, dwarves and chaos dwarves to get all the teams I might be interested in playing.<sigh> Time to start all over!

Zombie · Post by **Zombie** » Tue Oct 15, 2002 6:34 pm

Grumbledook wrote:Also zombie your posts do come across a tad condesending at times, sublty jokes and the like doesn't tend to come over very well in text, even less so when its not real time chat, so why not try and make use of the smilies, its what they are there for and makes things a lot clearer.

If you didn't have the stupid looking ones in this forum, i might use a couple of normal looking smilies like this once in a while :-)

Fact is i don't like smilies. I think they look silly. I hate the ones in here and i absolutely hate how people overuse them grotesquely.

I guess you can say they're not my style.

Zombie · Post by **Zombie** » Tue Oct 15, 2002 6:43 pm

This is not about whether or not you have the time and money. This is about whether you like miniatures and painting at all. I couldn't be bothered to paint minis. I tired, and hated it. If i had to work (paint) in order to play the game, i'd just stop playing period. And so would 11 of the other 12 coaches in my league.

Trambi · Post by **Trambi** » Tue Oct 15, 2002 7:07 pm

You don't have to paint them, just borrow them from a mini maniac who has almost all painted BB team (like me).

Zombie · Post by **Zombie** » Tue Oct 15, 2002 7:13 pm

There are none over here. I'm the biggest maniac of them all because i bought all the team, almost all in multiple copies and many copies already painted. One other coach has bought an undead team and painted it, and one has bought a painted human team off of me. The others don't even have a team and borrow unpainted ones from me. Before i started buying them, we were all playing with unpainted human and orc plastic teams and everyone was perfectly happy with that. Even now, some people prefer to use those rather then borrow the correct minis from me for free.

What people here need to understand is that Blood Bowl is first and foremost a strategy game. You've all been brainwashed by GW to think that it's about miniatures, and painted ones at that. Of course they want you to believe that, since it's the only way they'll make lots of money out of it. But it doesn't make it true.

Blood Bowl = chess with dice.

Trambi · Post by **Trambi** » Tue Oct 15, 2002 7:18 pm

I can play with unpainted minis but correct minis.
Am I brainwashed by GW ?, cos i think two painted teams match has more flavor. I don't think so.

Blood Bowl = Chess + dice +a lot of fun + a lot of noise

Joshua Dyal · Post by **Joshua Dyal** » Tue Oct 15, 2002 7:42 pm

Zombie wrote:What people here need to understand is that Blood Bowl is first and foremost a strategy game. You've all been brainwashed by GW to think that it's about miniatures, and painted ones at that. Of course they want you to believe that, since it's the only way they'll make lots of money out of it. But it doesn't make it true.

I think it more likely that you need to understand that Blood Bowl is first and foremost a spin-off of Warhammer, which is a hobby that's always been much more about miniatures than about games. And contrary to your sweeping generalizations to the contrary, I've also always been more interested in the miniatures than the games. I have the good fortune to also think that Blood Bowl is a darn good game, so I get twice the fun for my money. No reason to go accusing people of being brainwashed.

vorner23 · Post by **vorner23** » Tue Oct 15, 2002 9:08 pm

In response to Zombies statement;

Alot of people these days, only now buy from GW when there is no other alternative. For BB GW hasn't really been an option for awhile anyway.

I get most of my minis either 2nd hand off friends or from ebay, or through these forums. I can't be bothered with mail order GW, I can't even find a decent catalog for the stuff!

It's sad that GW now illicits hatred from previous die hard fans, but I think some people feel enough is enough. For me the turning point was when they chose to mix their paints differently so they dry out. I keep my paints in a dry and even heated environment, and was horrified to find my most recent paint purchases had dried up after 2 months. (Some paint colours you just don't use enough to justify buying new every 2-3 months!)

I actually still have some of the original paints from GW. They must be over 10 years old. AND I can still use them!
IMO this is just another ploy from GW to squeeze cash out of us. Sad, it used to be a hobby that made a business not the other way round.

So after seeing clippers selling for £8 just because they have GW on the packaging, and drying up paints. I've left the graces of GW. I'll continue to buy their printed content range, but thats the only thing that is decent value for me anymore.

So in response...(finally, I think I've gone off on one.) GW is not the only option for serious painters. To say you don't want to line GW pockets is fair enough. I agree with you Zombie. But don't assume the rest of us follow like sheep. Children and parents of children tend to see GW as the only source for their hobby.

Lastly, I apologise for going on about this painting issue. I realise GW's betrayal of its old fans wasn't the subject, but I felt it was relevant at least in part.

Ok, properly lastly now! Zombie how about using a painting service if you hate painting yourself? (Not meant as an insult.) Seriously the game does look and thereby play better with painted minis. After all if you never have played with them how can you be sure?

Vorner.
(Try everything once. - Except incest and Morris Dancing.)

Deathwing · Post by **Deathwing** » Tue Oct 15, 2002 9:19 pm

Zombie wrote: What people here need to understand is that Blood Bowl is first and foremost a strategy game. You've all been brainwashed by GW to think that it's about miniatures, and painted ones at that. Of course they want you to believe that, since it's the only way they'll make lots of money out of it. But it doesn't make it true.

Blood Bowl = chess with dice.

OK, I'll nibble..

Brainwashed? Heh..that's funny.
I'll remember that next time I'm at a tourney and comparing and admiring figs. with like minded individuals from other countries over a beer, making new friends while I'm at it. Ah...the simple pleasures of the brainwashed masses. Are you trying for another House-Rulez quote?

So you don't share an aspect of the hobby that most of us enjoy indulging in. fair enough.

Incidently, why don't you guys just play using the pbem tool? Interface is good, it's configurable, and no need to worry about getting anything out at all. It's already set up, you can't roll the dice off the table, and you don't even have to use the player pics at all!