I’m trying out a new hobby priority:
No More Unassembled Models!
My M.O. has been:
- Drool over model
- Hem and haw about model
- Acquire model
- Savor the model in-box
- Continue savoring
- Place newly acquired model on top of old kit
- Continue savoring
- Complete unrelated project
- Savor a bit more
- Eventually ruin a pristine collector’s item by opening shrinkwrap and box
- Assemble model
- Prime and shortly thereafter paint
- Play game or display
I’m thinking about cutting out a lot of middle and get models ready to paint or play more quickly.
I’m not sure how much value there is for me to have unassembled models that I can’t do anything with except hoard like dragon treasure.
In fact, maybe that’s what I’ll call pre-usable models. Dragon Treasure. A dragon can’t spend gold, drink out of jeweled goblets, or wear filigreed armor. And I can’t play a game with models on sprue, or unbased lead.
So I kicked it off without really thinking about it this past October. I had two spooky unassembled Blitz Bowl teams that, checks-watch, I’ve had for years! Time is literally flying. I asked myself: do I assemble both now or save one for next year? In my generally morbid mindset, I replied: What if I croak and never put these together!?
I figure that there will always be fun stuff to do, and that I shouldn’t put this off any longer. I can play Blitz Bowl with unpainted models. I can’t play with two big sprues.
Assembled models are harder to store, and unlike painted minis, risk just getting thrown in a box. Slowly ground down to a fine powder of broken bits. Never to be seen again.
In some ways, having kits in boxes vs assembled and primed is a bit cleaner. It’s neater. You don’t have started projects laying around. They’re still unfinished, just unstarted.
The biggest advantage to having built, primed, and airbrush base-coated minis that they’re SO easy to pick up and paint. It’s like having a sous chef prep all the ingredients for you.
So, I got busy and assembled:
- Necromantic Horror Team
- Shambling Undead Team
- White Dwarf XXX
- White Dwarf 2016
- Grombrindal at 40
- Jakkob Bugmansson XI
- Biased Blood Bowl Refs
- Three Vargheists
- Silver Tower Mighty Heroes
- Silver Tower Arcane Heroes
- A Sarus model
- Warhammer Underworlds Harrowdeep – Exiled Dead
- Ironclad Imp Familiar (just put on a based and primed, he’s not a kit)
- Two full vintage Halfling teams for Blitz Bowl and one vintage Treeman!
- Slaughterpriest (for Gorechosen)
- Assorted Gotrek & Felix minis are on bases now too.
This also lead to SO MUCH AIRBRUSHING! Airbrushing is fun and very productive. Well, the priming isn’t a TON of fun, but once the base colors start to go on, that’s the really fun part. That saves so much time down the road too. It’s 1,000,000x easier to pick up and paint a fully assembled mini that has been primed and base coated than bare plastic on the sprue.
I’m going to keep the assembly train rolling. I’ve tried having unassembled minis in boxes for a while. Now I’m trying something new. If this helps me get everything painted and on the table for fun, so much the better!
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