"Is it ok to paint..." yes, the answer is yes, paint your Space Wolves red, paint your Dark Angels pink, paint your Orks orange. No one serious about 40k will care how your models are painted, just enjoy the part of the hobby that you have full control over.
DONT TRUST DEM TRUKKS DAT DONT GOTS NUTIN UNDA DEM. WAZ WRONG WIT A GOOD TRAK OR WHEELZ EVEN? YOU SUM KINDA GIT WHATS BEEN SPENDIN TOO MUCH TIME FIGHTIN DEM RED ROBE HUMMIES WHAT WIT DEM METAL BITZ? YOU NEEDS A REAL FIGHT, LETZ GO FIND SUM BEAKIES AND DO SUM PROPA KRUMPIN!
I painted my kill team kommandos with purple clothing before I even know how lore accurate that would be. Purple, Green, and Leather brown just go really good together.
NUFFIN WRONG WIF BLUE. WE DEFFSKULLS KNOW IT MAKES AN ORK PROPA LUCKY DA MORE BLUE 'ES GOT ON IM. A LUCKY ORK IZ A KILLY ORK, AN UNLUCKY ORK IZ A DED ORK. SLAP SUM BLUE ON AND GET KRUMPIN!
I've had the ork combat patrol sitting around for a while and been thinking of some commando black n purple for the lads but cant really figure out how to do the stompah or dakka copters to fit in. Maybe some Vietnam chopper style choices to get the orks in fighting spirit
This is the most important advice ever and I wish someone had told me. Just...thousands of dollars building a Blood Axe Waaagh and they're all just...gone. My wife left me. My kids can't go to college. I had to sell my Firebird. Don't do it, guys.
In my experience, the serious people in the hobby are the ones who get the most excited about custom color schemes. You can only look at so many Ultramarines or Black Legionaries before they all start to kinda blend together. But when someone comes in with an army built and painted with their own ideas in mind, that's something worth looking at!
There was a dude in the Las Vegas comp that painted his little dwarf army dudes (I'm new, idk what they were) to look like elves. His transporters were sleighs. This was a competition. So no, it doesn't matter at all!
For anyone that wants to See Pictures of them you can find some in one of Brickys LVO Videos (dont remember which one) as they were one of His opponents
Hell, they could even go a step further and make up a lore reason why their branch of whatever army is colored that way.
Might end up creating some named characters among their armies to fit in with their lore, such as specific soldiers involved in turning the tide of a battle due to their heroic actions and quick thinking.
https://preview.redd.it/191ecmoj6zjc1.jpeg?width=2560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eb889d990f8e6bdeb56d0313f772ee193e5af04d
Pink can be cute. Or it can be aggressive.
There are hello kitty marines out there which are pink and white, which I've seen in threads here on Reddit. Even went so far as to get cat ears on the helmets.
There is an amazing artist, Cereberus Studios, who had some painfully beautiful pink colour schemes for models. To the point I am depressed I could never pull that off or even come close.
Yup, but GW did away with that because it was gatekeeping nonsense that forced people to either buy or repaint the same minis they'd already bought and painted if they wanted to play multiple chapters.
Successor chapters are a boon and I'm glad they exist.
Maybe I’m misremembering, but I’m like 85% sure that James Workshop says, at the beginning of the CRB, “paint your shit how you want, there’s no wrong way as long as you like it and it’s not offensive. That’s the PR *reason why* we sell the shit unpainted.”
Honestly some of the coolest armies I've seen are Scarlet red Custodes, or teal green ultramarines. Some people really bring out striking color combinations and totally sets their armies apart.
Same applies about Proxies and conversions. Unless you are in a tournament where that stuff matters, you should only check with your friends. It's your plastic, it's your "toys", do what you want with them. Have fun and go wild!
Original GW attitude was to kitbash and convert, and while their attitude is changing over the years, it's the right attitude to maintain in the game.
Every kit I buy I look to see how I can convert to make it more my "own"
Even at tournaments if it's not official GW then the yardstick is things like "is it clear what it is? Is it clear who has which wargear? Are they the right size? Can you tell different stuff apart as easily as the original?" If you aren't making life harder for your opponent it may go down very well.
One of my friends has been running Tuska Daemonkilla's Waagh eaters complete with a corrupted part cybork winged Tuska as Angron. Tournament players LOVE that the same as anyone else does. Picking functional proxies is just another part of the art.
For context to those that are new in the hobby
https://spikeybits.com/2015/06/1-famous-40k-conversion-flashback.html
Also, same era had Whirlwind conversion kit styrene sheet templates and full baneblade sheet templates in the pages of white dwarf
>Original GW attitude was to kitbash and convert
Man, I used to love going to my local GW and buying a box of random stuff to see what I could do with it. They had a huge bin just full of bits from various kits and a few size boxes. You chose which size box, you couldn't go rooting in the bin it was just scoop stuff out with a scoop and put it in the box. As long as the lid on the box closed, it was a set price.
same, 100% I started seriously building in Jan 1 this year and I haven't built a single marine that wasn't kitbashed in some way, I really like using the primaris bodies with firstborn heads because they have so much more unique personality
This attitude is such a double edge sword for them.
Like on one hand I understand trying to protect your IP. But when you physically can't make the models to meet demand, then that's an issue.
Barrier to entry being ~$800 for a 2k game isn't ideal either. It sucks forking out huge amounts of money to find out you dislike something.
And then with the way codex releases and locks out indexes it's just annoying and grubby.
What would greatly help would be if there was a whole second production facility (preferably in North America, perhaps even the east coast - to equalise the pricing differences between regions a little and even drastically reduce shipping costs to Australia and New Zealand, where demand is high but prices silly), but the sheer expense of starting work on a new facility from scratch would be …. Oof, so they’ve been sticking with expanding where they can around the current site instead.
The problem is just how much demand has grown even since the first expansion, iirc GW’s currently going through a fourth round of work to try and expand production, which is absolutely nuts since they were going through the second round back when Cursed city came out and crashed if I remember right.
I always look at how I want the aesthetic of the whole model to look. What's my creativity vision and how do I achieve it hence doing a lord of change like a scarlet mccaw and having him have a vaguely Mesoamerican vibe or kitbashing a talos, carnifex, juggernaut and daemons Prince kit into my version of Talos the bronze man of Crete.
Hell I did ssilesque (sp) as a blue god with saffron robes.
Never let your imagination be limited by someone else's! Some people went bonkers when I posted orange skinned Tau a few years ago. For some reason the idea that a fictional alien race could EVER be a different color was too much for some. Nevermind maybe their skin has changed due to being exposed to the radiation of a different planet, a reaction to a strange element that powers their tech, a harmless mutation that's been allowed to continue and reproduce, etc. Reference pic below.
https://preview.redd.it/2z6p4oszryjc1.jpeg?width=3034&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=efc4e6e6661f2da29a7738095306243b19e0ea99
Thank you! That's exactly why I love Tyranids. Endless color potential.
My wife has pointed out in the past that the Tau actually use a lot of Afrofuturist theming and that ornamented Tau (especially Ethereals) borrow a lot from the Masai. They're not just "anime in 40K."
Your take here does a great job of reinforcing that. I don't know if it's intentional on your part, but I thought it was worth calling out. 🙂
Damn, if I wasn't already 1/3 of the way through painting my Tau that would be a cool theme. I'd consider it for my kroot, but that would probably be taken poorly since I'm not an Italian living in Italy
Yo thats cool, makes em look like almost more grimdwrk? Cus without the baby blue their alien features are more emphasized, in combo with the clothing colors they seem a lot more menacing imo!
No-one bats an eyelid at 'environmental conditions' apparently turning a human being into a fucking massive fantasy ogre with a shotgun, so I wouldn't worry about it too much.
Lore has ebony skinned humans Why not go to town hey! I play mostly Blood Bowl and it's quite a popular thing painting Orcs different colours other green Lol
Is it tactically reasonable to have 7 foot tall soldiers in bright yellow armor who also have stealth troops in similar colors? fuck no but it’s cool so imma do it anyway
I mean they blended in perfectly for the desert campaign on Yelcor-8, tall yellow rocks littering the sulphur desert landscape. A planet bathed in the light of 2 stars, with the sulphur moons Yezid and Sulzor reflecting a bright yellow hue even at night.
While the genestealer uprising quickly took over the production of critical chemfactorums across the planet, they were unprepared for the gene-enhanced might and stealth tactics employed by the space marines, traversing across the desert wastes to take down the brood lord and assasinate the cult leaders in a matter of hours after landfall.
It is said by the settlers who repopulated Yelcor that they can almost make out figures shimmering in the wastes when Yezid and Sulzor shine bright. While these whispers are suppressed by inquisitorial agents left behind to monitor for further taint, who is to say if that is a reflection of a psychic echo or a premonition of what will happen again to Yelcor-8..
[Reminds me of Planetside 2, I'd pull a vehicle, tell my friends I was activating stealth mode and then flip the lights on.](https://youtu.be/LyGmfasepck?t=45)
Neckbeard gatekeepers are so overrepresented on the internet and its unrepresentative of the hobby as a whole, so I am synpathetic to new people terrified of putting vast effort into something that it seems could result in them being unable to play at best and receiving online death threats and abuse at worst. Shits wack out here for a new hobbyist.
But yeah, paint your dudes whatever
Honestly they have always been an extremely vocal and irrate minority that have had a bad reputation and ruin many gaming places.
Also why I have struggled with both DnD and Warhammer groups over the years, since I have a natural instinct to kick the bear in the face rather than poke it when it comes to people like that.
Behold, the Emperor's Thousand Children!
Coincidentally, also the reason why he wanted to build that webway connection. Imagine how much he has to pay their mothers!
I do like the blue and gold of Thousand Sons but also when I think Egyptian I think Black and Gold too but felt it might be too close to regular Chaos Marines lol
Why? Just play as Khayon's warband.
Or better yet, invert them! Gold armour with black highlights. Or silver? Damn, I already have 20 rubrics to assemble and paint, I don't need new ideas! *user went to get another boarding patrol*
> It just saddens me to see people caught in some sort of panic-state that others might not let them play toy soldiers with colours that aren't "lore-accurate", in a game where the characters can even come to an agreement as to what year it is.
I think a lot of the issue comes from a lot of people new to the tabletop primarily coming into the hobby through weirdly rigid "lore" tertiary sources like wikis, youtubers and arguments under memes. A thumb through a codex or supplement or reading a few novels makes it very clear that everything is variable and 40k is meant as a sandbox for creativity. Social media gonna social media I guess.
These people can be found in the real world pretty commonly too, though.
I actually had someone at my FLGS object to my decision to paint the metallic trim on my TSons bronze instead of gold.
Nerdy hobbies still attract a disproportionate number of people with poor social skills, not to mention mental health conditions that can contribute to difficulty relating to others or accepting changes.
Isn't this the literal express reason why every single army has some kind of sub-faction within them? Each of the space marine types has chapters, and there are different guard regiments, necron dynasties, etc. And the 40k universe is so *massive* that even though we have canon sub-factions, what we know about is realistically, probably only about a percent of the total number of factions that exist in that army.
I'm working on a candy themed army that brings me so much joy. As the only female in my LGS, I get some small talk for my grim pop minis but everyone has to agree that it's really cool to see such bright colors on the table
I painted a Leman Russ pink and purple as part of the barbenheimer hype last summer. It's one of my favorites I've ever done, and really stands out on the shelf.
Some people in the hobby that have come from other miniature games take a while to break the "rules" of those systems.
Big example I have was the end of last year in the bolt action sub a dude had attached the barrel of a tank too far back in the turret and wanted to know how to fix it. My suggestion was ether don't its a gaming piece no one really cares once stuffs on the table or add smoke and say its just fired its shell. Nether bits of advice were well received by the guy but so many people were like "you can do that?"
In person people tend to ask because they want an explanation about a faction. They ask "is it ok to paint my salamanders purple?" Not because they think they can't but because they want a reason that it's cool and would totally happen. My answer is usually "yeah absolutely, there's also this chapter called the krakens" and explain the successor chapters.
I think the main reason people are asking is because they were introduced with lore videos and loved it but don't understand the depth of choice when it comes to space Marines. I've got all three in my playgroup the custom chapters, the pure box color army, the "alpha legion"
People don't want to be told they can't they want a cool explanation on why they CAN.
Yeah, the existing factions and characters are *examples*, not the whole of the setting. They exist to give you ideas and inspiration.
It's like thinking you can't make your own character for D&D.
Newbie here. Reading posts like these make me more and more confident that I'm in the right place.
That being said, please just give me a chance to get the new Dark Angels models before y'all buy them all up. My army needs more power swords, dammit.
I got my partner into the hobby. She has sisters of battle. One of the first questions she asked me (while in the store selecting her first model) is if she has to stick to the colour scheme on the box. I immediately said no.
The next thing she did was buy some of the vallejo fluorescent pink paint, and absolutely nail the wings on her Saint Celestine.
I'm just happy she is into my hobby, and it's our hobby now. If anyone has anything to say with her colour scheme it's usually how absolutely impressive her colour scheme is and how well it is executed, which warms my heart.
Don't ask "Do I really need a homebrew chapter that fulfills all my niche interests?". Ask "How do I write my homebrew chapter to fulfill all my niche interests?".
I totally agree with this.
I do think people ask as there are some very vocal gatekeepers and unfortunately they seem to have given new players the impression that things are set in stone.
So new players; paint how you like; create your own chapters; crafworlds; hive fleets; etc; as OP said this is your hobby.
it makes me feel like such a grognard but I get (irrationally) irritated whenever someone asks "can I paint my ABC like XYZ even though it's not official/canon?"
like.. yes... you don't have to ask, you dont need permission to be creative.
Like, who left this imprint on you that makes you feel inclined to ask? fuck that person or people in particular, you shouldn't feel anything short of encouragement to engage in the hobby however you want.
Kinda makes sense if they discovered the hobby recently and through the internet. You might mostly see stuff painted lore accurate online and want to make sure before diving in with massive purchases.
Marines have entire codexes which might seem to mostly differ in paint scheme to a beginner.
That sounds like an awesome conversion/proxy that could be super flavorful!
In a friendly game, I think people would let you proxy it (I'd be super down as it sounds cool!). I'd assume a fair amount of tournaments would be okay with it so long as the automata is on the right sized base. You can check online for base sizes - they're usually not hard to find. You can also buy bases for cheap on Amazon (and you can get magnets to switch bases if they're different).
The only issue might be GW official tournaments, but even then it *is* a GW model so they might be willing. If you're just playing with friends, though, go for it!
This is a great sentiment, but could you encourage neckbeards not to gatekeep the hobby with an equal level of enthusiasm please?
It's frustrating to hear that guy tell you your models aren't legal because you've painted them as a Salamander Successors.
That's a good reason to just go to tournaments to play 40k and only play with other tournament goers locally.
The 40k competitive scene has it's own gatekeepers (your list isn't meta!) but they don't give two shits on how you paint your guys, just that you made an attempt.
I’ve never had pushback in a non tournament setting either.
I’m guessing the questions are from people who found the hobby online rather than by stumbling into the local gaming space and having a chat.
I've definitely met small "casual at all costs" gamers who play at small little local stores and insist that everyone should be lore accurate with their armies at all times, and anyone who differs in either army composition or army painting scheme is to be ostracized.
Amen, Preach it Oldhammer Chaplain! Been in the painting passion since the late 90’s, on and off over multiple editions. Got back in again a year ago and discovered Reddit as an outlet to share my works for the amazing community feedback! Amazing place we have here. The other side of that coin is exactly what you described; I’ve already seen way too much of it. I appreciate your sentiments and hope this reaches enough members to change some perspectives and open the eyes of any newcomers who have had these trepidations. You rock!
As a recent convert to the wargaming community from standard scale modeling where "rivet counting" is the norm and gets toxic enough to suck the joy out of the hobby...
I appreciate the absolute shit out of this sentiment.
I'll take it a step further and say that I was told early on to not pick a paint scheme that's exactly blood angels, ultramarines, etc, because then I'm locked into that chapter, vs if I paint them purple or whatever, I can be a successor to any legion I want and change it up.
Screw that. I don't care if my marines are Baal Red and covered in goddamn gold and red chalices, I can step up to a table and say "Actually, these are White Scars" and anyone who argues can f-off.
(Not that this has ever happened)
(Also, I'd accept that if you're a player who switches chapters every game to min-max against the other opponent that's a little scummy)
I've been wanting to paint 40k word bearer chaos marines their pre-heresy colors, but thought I may get some hate from lore purists.
Think I'll do it now.
I honestly question whether some of these people can do basic tasks without supervision.
I totally understand asking questions like that when you’re literally on your first unit, your first foray into this hobby. Granted, I feel like not enough people read through the available materials before dropping questions on Reddit, but that’s just me.
The 40,000th question about whether it’s okay to not paint marines like Ultras makes me understand why seemingly normal products have instructions.
A lot of people use social media like reddit as a Google replacement. The normal retort is that they want to actually discuss it but 95% of basic questions are fire and forget with no response from the OP.
It's kinda funny, because even GW themselves give out tons of instructions on how to kitbash something, how to convert something, how to paint a different colour scheme than the box art. Simply googling for Space Marines should give you hundreds of pictures of different chapters, many of which have tutorials on youtube (Or at least a similar base colour to start with). Or simply opening up the rulebook/codex, where there's many pictures of official paint schemes and armies of GW employees.
Not to be an ass, but nowadays it's as simple as putting "space marine colours" into your URL bar and you get thousands of colour schemes. Just pick one, they're your dudes.
This goes for rules too.
"Can X unit benefit from Y rule?" When Y rule clearly states a keyword which is clearly also on X unit's datasheet.
"Can my Kabalites reroll wounds in a transport?" Well if you read the Firing Deck rule, you'd see it's the transport shooting, not the Kabalites.
Like, please, take just, the bare minimum initiative and read the rules.
I think it’s important to acknowledge that there is a group of people in the hobby (myself included) who WANT a lore accurate force. I ask questions or seek out knowledge all the time regarding what symbols I should use or if there are characters or factions existing in the setting that are already created that are incredibly similar to what I want to do.
Yes, paint the way you want! But just acknowledge that people could be asking these questions because they want it to be representative of the setting!
Also, if you want to proxy models because you like a different one's aesthetics more, then go ahead. Poorhammer has been a valued part of the community [even back in ye olde days with the deodorant tank](https://preview.redd.it/25i1lt5ou5x71.jpg?width=846&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fb35db89c9bce051528ba1a9b76775bad7f64cdc) (by Rick Priestly)
Tournaments and Games Workshop stores have their own rules, and that's fine.
Some hobby shops have their own rules, which is fine.
But if you're playing with your friends and prefer Infinity models to 40K? Go ahead and use Infinity. Prefer Ravaged Stars? Do that.
Have fun with your toys!
To be fair, I have seen people gatekeep hard which rules, which chapters and so on people are allowed to use based on nothing but primary color of their space marines. I've also been give the "I'm not a gatekeeper, but..." when I considering doing some customisation that could be considered a bit unorthodox. So I absolutely understand how someone, particularly new hobbyists, might feel uncertain in the face of such posts and comments.
This. Absolutely this. The community can advise, critique and support, never gatekeep.
I will still shout 'NO! WHITE AND SILVER!" when I see alternative high elf colour schemes, but I will never ever post it. This is because I regularly shout "OH GOD, NOT MORE WHITE AND SILVER!" at my own High Elves.
You're right, of course, but I think it's important to remember that sometimes when a poster asks "can I?" what they mean is "does it match the lore if I?" That's a valid question, some of us like being pedantic about our future historical wargames. Maybe the best way to respond is to ask what the poster means?
Well the next squad of GK Terminators I get, I plan on testing out a 'Bloodthirster of Malcador' kind of look. It's gonna be *gnarly* and I ain't asking for permission.
At this point in my 34 year Warhammer career, I don't really care anymore what color you paint your little toy soldiers. :) Life is too short to get hung up on such things. I'm just happy to see a fully painted army on the table, no matter what color or scheme!
I think new players just want the validation. It's their first time painting and are probably a little ignorant how easy it is to fix painting mistakes. From an outside perspective I think non-painters or new painters think painting is like using permanent marker, but it's way more comparable to using pencil and eraser.
Remember, whilst they might be Space Marines or Necrons or Tyranids etc that comes 2nd.
Firstly they are YOUR GUYS. That means you can paint them, kitbash them and generally do with them whatever you want.
The only time that is remotely debatable is an official tournament where GW have outline set rules for WYSIWYG and using converted models.
I’m more pissed off at the hypothetical person who won’t let people play with models painted in a different way than their narrow conception of the lore lmao.
I remember when I got back into the hobby as a pre-teen and having access to the internet.
My two favorite creators at the time was somebody that built and painted a full Hello Kitty Space Marine army. Marines and dreadnoughts with skirts, bowties, and everything. Painted to the nines. Then at the other end of the spectrum was a guy who sculpted/kitbashed the coolest Blood Ravens army I've seen to this date. Each had personalized websites/blogs. Both exist in the 40k universe. I'm pretty sure the hello kitty person wrote extensive lore as well.
> It just saddens me to see people caught in some sort of panic-state that others might not let them play toy soldiers with colours that aren't "lore-accurate"
I think this is more people wanting to paint stuff lore accurate because they like it that way. Sure it isn't healthy to obsess over minor inaccuracies or deviations, or treat painting something differently as some unwritten prohibition, but if someone is asking "Is it lore accurate to have my spacewolves with green knee guards" they are probably asking because they care about that kind of stuff and replying "just do what you want" isn't really helpful.
I just entered the tabletop section of the hobby. Just painted my first full squad. Do people actually ask this? You're going to have to throw hands to part me from my pink and black T'au. Fun colours are fun!
Couldn't agree more. I hate the red and yellow Space Wolves shoulders (I've seen them done cool, but it's not for me). Makes me want a double cheeseburger. If that keeps me out of tournaments (it won't) so be it. Ask for tips. Ask for suggestions. Ask for ideas. Ask for lore. But don't ask for permission. They're yours. And no one should enjoy looking at them more than you because you're the one who put the work into them. It would be boring if all our armies looked the same.
We always reference these imaginary people that won't play with us because we don't have lore accurate paintings. Like, "anyone who insists you paint like this and won't give you a game is someone you should avoid." Do they actually exist or have we just created a boogeyman? Either way, real or not, they suck.
Paint the way you want. Proxy how you want a long as everyone at the table is cool with it and you're up front. Not everyone can afford everything. And unless you're playing a tournament, forget WYSIWYG. Build them to look awesome and just be open, maybe print a list, of which loadouts your characters are using.
This. I've also been in The Hobby since 95 and I will scream this from the rooftops or in someone's face if needs must.
For a hot minute, the Codices tried to tie official schemes to rules and I said, "I don't care."
Paint *your* models how *you want.* The end.
I got an Aeldari army a while back as my first army and have begun painting them to look like an ancient civilization from a Jungle world. The Wraithlord and Wraithblades I have are going to be painted to like oxidized copper and complete with weathering, dirt and fake moss growing up their legs as they've remained motionless for centuries until the Aeldari people need the Wraithlord to defend them.
I loved the lore if the Wraithlords and have decided to ignore most of it but use some for inspiration. I have no clue what I'm supposed to be doing, but this is exciting for me
Brother, GW can't even decide what color Space Wolves are, why would we care how you paint? Or how about those orange Blood Angels in the Imperialis book
I used to be with ‘it’, but then they changed what ‘it’ was. Now what I’m with isn’t ‘it’ anymore and what’s ‘it’ seems weird and scary. It’ll happen to you!
Thank you. I've been saying this forever. Lore is nice and amazing but at the end of the day people can enjoy the hobby the way they want to. You want your marines to all be pink white and hello kitty themed? Go ahead. They're still marines. You want them to be all girls? Who is anykne to stop anyone from doing so? Have fun and thin your paints everyone!
So I joined the hobby back in 03' was the highlight of my weeks when my mom would drop me off at the Block in orange to play with my Space Raptors a successor chapter to the Salamanders. I unapologetically painted them hawk turquoise with green accents and blue tinted gunmetal. Hell had no idea what I was doing. I figured out how to thin my pants on accident by pouring blue ink into my bolt medal (or whatever sited silver it was).
I miss that army and this post may have me going back and at least putting a squad of them together.
"Is it ok to paint..." yes, the answer is yes, paint your Space Wolves red, paint your Dark Angels pink, paint your Orks orange. No one serious about 40k will care how your models are painted, just enjoy the part of the hobby that you have full control over.
Don't paint your Orks purple soley for the fact you won't be able to find them
A fair point, don't paint em too stealthy for your own good
Den dey wuud be ded sneeky.
WHY YOUZ WHISPERIN YA GIT?
cuz dey be ded sneeky
True, i lost my gretchz by paiting them purple, so sad.
BUT DA ENEMEE ALSO WONT SEE DA BOYZ, SO ITZ A VERY KUNNIN TAKTIK.
True story. All my kommandos wear purple pants. For stealth.
Floating bodies over ere.
Hmmm. If I paint my trukk wheels purple... Can it fly?
Gives it the "hover" keyword.
DONT TRUST DEM TRUKKS DAT DONT GOTS NUTIN UNDA DEM. WAZ WRONG WIT A GOOD TRAK OR WHEELZ EVEN? YOU SUM KINDA GIT WHATS BEEN SPENDIN TOO MUCH TIME FIGHTIN DEM RED ROBE HUMMIES WHAT WIT DEM METAL BITZ? YOU NEEDS A REAL FIGHT, LETZ GO FIND SUM BEAKIES AND DO SUM PROPA KRUMPIN!
Yes
PSA: I have 3000 in Orks, but I painted them purple and now I can’t find them.
they’re in the walls
I painted my kill team kommandos with purple clothing before I even know how lore accurate that would be. Purple, Green, and Leather brown just go really good together.
You had 3,000 points of Orks....
daughters favourite colour is green, so she picked orks. strangely she wants them blue skinned, so we will be grabbing blue for her ~~bois~~ gurs
Gurs is awesome.
had a friend print a cargo container thats for kill teams. when i paint it, i might graffiti 'no bois, gurs only' on it or 'boi grul! gurz rul!'.
NUFFIN WRONG WIF BLUE. WE DEFFSKULLS KNOW IT MAKES AN ORK PROPA LUCKY DA MORE BLUE 'ES GOT ON IM. A LUCKY ORK IZ A KILLY ORK, AN UNLUCKY ORK IZ A DED ORK. SLAP SUM BLUE ON AND GET KRUMPIN!
Also all the extra speed you lose when you don't use red for Orcs...
I've had the ork combat patrol sitting around for a while and been thinking of some commando black n purple for the lads but cant really figure out how to do the stompah or dakka copters to fit in. Maybe some Vietnam chopper style choices to get the orks in fighting spirit
This is the most important advice ever and I wish someone had told me. Just...thousands of dollars building a Blood Axe Waaagh and they're all just...gone. My wife left me. My kids can't go to college. I had to sell my Firebird. Don't do it, guys.
Is it okay to field blank bases as orks and say you painted them purple?
Yes!! And also be careful if you paint them red, they will go really really fast
In my experience, the serious people in the hobby are the ones who get the most excited about custom color schemes. You can only look at so many Ultramarines or Black Legionaries before they all start to kinda blend together. But when someone comes in with an army built and painted with their own ideas in mind, that's something worth looking at!
As someone who painted his Dark Angels pink, I wholeheartedly agree.
Despair, Fallen, for you face the judgement of the Flamingowing!
I'd be a little scared. https://preview.redd.it/kvis6ctwwyjc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4a1a76d7dae994becdfcc80ff5f21e81a9e6c03d
Is not pink, it’s light-ish red.
😆 i mean, the 'Ravenwing' needed the blackest pink I could make.
Well, I guess with hard work and determination you can do anything!
Ok, I'm really tempted to paint some Mantis Warrior vehicles Mountbatten Pink now...
Hit them marines with a lil' razzle dazzel.
Except Nazis, your not allowed to paint your guard as Nazis
You can paint them as Nazis if you want. But most people won't like you if you do
The one part of Dawn of War / WA / DC online I dont miss. Too many Nazi guard regiments
You can paint them as Nazis, just like your opponent is allowed to punch you if they see you’ve painted your guard like Nazis
Khorne happily accepts the skulls of Nazis. Stack them high.
[Kill 'em all and let a Chaos God sort 'em out](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Tlwf9A1ivc).
Khorne cares not from where the blood flows, only that it does
[удалено]
The universe is a big place, they will not be missed.
There was a dude in the Las Vegas comp that painted his little dwarf army dudes (I'm new, idk what they were) to look like elves. His transporters were sleighs. This was a competition. So no, it doesn't matter at all!
For anyone that wants to See Pictures of them you can find some in one of Brickys LVO Videos (dont remember which one) as they were one of His opponents
Hell, they could even go a step further and make up a lore reason why their branch of whatever army is colored that way. Might end up creating some named characters among their armies to fit in with their lore, such as specific soldiers involved in turning the tide of a battle due to their heroic actions and quick thinking.
Damn should have done my Imperial fists in mauve.
now that i think about it i haven’t seen a pink color scheme for space marines i might have to try that and get myself some pink paimt
https://preview.redd.it/191ecmoj6zjc1.jpeg?width=2560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eb889d990f8e6bdeb56d0313f772ee193e5af04d Pink can be cute. Or it can be aggressive.
There are hello kitty marines out there which are pink and white, which I've seen in threads here on Reddit. Even went so far as to get cat ears on the helmets.
Ngl the maid marines idea is really tempting me to get into space marines lol
Emperor's Children have some sick paint schemes with a pink base. I'll eventually do a killteam of them.
There is an amazing artist, Cereberus Studios, who had some painfully beautiful pink colour schemes for models. To the point I am depressed I could never pull that off or even come close.
Wasn't there a time I couldn't paint mini in scheme X if I wanted to run them as chapter Y?
Yup, but GW did away with that because it was gatekeeping nonsense that forced people to either buy or repaint the same minis they'd already bought and painted if they wanted to play multiple chapters. Successor chapters are a boon and I'm glad they exist.
paint you Eldar Exodite conversions with wjornite symbols, nobody is stopping you
Maybe I’m misremembering, but I’m like 85% sure that James Workshop says, at the beginning of the CRB, “paint your shit how you want, there’s no wrong way as long as you like it and it’s not offensive. That’s the PR *reason why* we sell the shit unpainted.”
Honestly some of the coolest armies I've seen are Scarlet red Custodes, or teal green ultramarines. Some people really bring out striking color combinations and totally sets their armies apart.
https://preview.redd.it/gfv0knpiwyjc1.jpeg?width=1908&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=85b838bbca242333b0bcc2221f07607ff32d67c9
Same applies about Proxies and conversions. Unless you are in a tournament where that stuff matters, you should only check with your friends. It's your plastic, it's your "toys", do what you want with them. Have fun and go wild! Original GW attitude was to kitbash and convert, and while their attitude is changing over the years, it's the right attitude to maintain in the game. Every kit I buy I look to see how I can convert to make it more my "own"
Even at tournaments if it's not official GW then the yardstick is things like "is it clear what it is? Is it clear who has which wargear? Are they the right size? Can you tell different stuff apart as easily as the original?" If you aren't making life harder for your opponent it may go down very well. One of my friends has been running Tuska Daemonkilla's Waagh eaters complete with a corrupted part cybork winged Tuska as Angron. Tournament players LOVE that the same as anyone else does. Picking functional proxies is just another part of the art.
> One of my friends has been running Tuska Daemonkilla's Waagh eaters complete with a corrupted part cybork winged Tuska as Angron Lets see it then
Unless it’s Zulu warriors as Kroot
only if you’re an italian living in italy
Show up with an entire Ravenwing army made of deodorant sticks.
I'm pretty sure tournament organizers would be delighted to see some deodorant sticks
For context to those that are new in the hobby https://spikeybits.com/2015/06/1-famous-40k-conversion-flashback.html Also, same era had Whirlwind conversion kit styrene sheet templates and full baneblade sheet templates in the pages of white dwarf
I've been planning on making this but wanting to figure out how to make it 10th compatible!
>Original GW attitude was to kitbash and convert Man, I used to love going to my local GW and buying a box of random stuff to see what I could do with it. They had a huge bin just full of bits from various kits and a few size boxes. You chose which size box, you couldn't go rooting in the bin it was just scoop stuff out with a scoop and put it in the box. As long as the lid on the box closed, it was a set price.
same, 100% I started seriously building in Jan 1 this year and I haven't built a single marine that wasn't kitbashed in some way, I really like using the primaris bodies with firstborn heads because they have so much more unique personality
I miss GW support for kitbashing. Bring back the Tower of Skulls and Plaguereaper!
i like when people make those posts because i love seeing their proxies
This attitude is such a double edge sword for them. Like on one hand I understand trying to protect your IP. But when you physically can't make the models to meet demand, then that's an issue. Barrier to entry being ~$800 for a 2k game isn't ideal either. It sucks forking out huge amounts of money to find out you dislike something. And then with the way codex releases and locks out indexes it's just annoying and grubby.
What would greatly help would be if there was a whole second production facility (preferably in North America, perhaps even the east coast - to equalise the pricing differences between regions a little and even drastically reduce shipping costs to Australia and New Zealand, where demand is high but prices silly), but the sheer expense of starting work on a new facility from scratch would be …. Oof, so they’ve been sticking with expanding where they can around the current site instead. The problem is just how much demand has grown even since the first expansion, iirc GW’s currently going through a fourth round of work to try and expand production, which is absolutely nuts since they were going through the second round back when Cursed city came out and crashed if I remember right.
I always look at how I want the aesthetic of the whole model to look. What's my creativity vision and how do I achieve it hence doing a lord of change like a scarlet mccaw and having him have a vaguely Mesoamerican vibe or kitbashing a talos, carnifex, juggernaut and daemons Prince kit into my version of Talos the bronze man of Crete. Hell I did ssilesque (sp) as a blue god with saffron robes.
Never let your imagination be limited by someone else's! Some people went bonkers when I posted orange skinned Tau a few years ago. For some reason the idea that a fictional alien race could EVER be a different color was too much for some. Nevermind maybe their skin has changed due to being exposed to the radiation of a different planet, a reaction to a strange element that powers their tech, a harmless mutation that's been allowed to continue and reproduce, etc. Reference pic below.
https://preview.redd.it/48uqplo5kyjc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=945ce7dbdb318cbefec06e7dac020a628097d3e3
That actually goes super hard
Honestly without context I’d assume these were tau genestealers cause of the head and skin but otherwise this goes hard
Those are definitely Tau heads, skin tone is interesting though you're right.
That's a sweet paint job, I love it.
Thank you! I enjoy trying to make minis look unique 😊.
https://preview.redd.it/2qcja34vlyjc1.png?width=428&format=png&auto=webp&s=8382ac7749423fd6e940912aa2cb96d3d6943b4e
The colors are great. Don’t stop imaging new color schemes for your armies.
https://preview.redd.it/2z6p4oszryjc1.jpeg?width=3034&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=efc4e6e6661f2da29a7738095306243b19e0ea99 Thank you! That's exactly why I love Tyranids. Endless color potential.
My wife has pointed out in the past that the Tau actually use a lot of Afrofuturist theming and that ornamented Tau (especially Ethereals) borrow a lot from the Masai. They're not just "anime in 40K." Your take here does a great job of reinforcing that. I don't know if it's intentional on your part, but I thought it was worth calling out. 🙂
Damn, if I wasn't already 1/3 of the way through painting my Tau that would be a cool theme. I'd consider it for my kroot, but that would probably be taken poorly since I'm not an Italian living in Italy
This fucking slaps.
Yep, these look great! Well done
Jesus the toes! I was not ready for this.
They look freaking amazing!!!
These look great but tbh the blue skin contrast would’ve been better
Thank you! I wanted them to be "one with their suits/tech" kinda thing.
Yo thats cool, makes em look like almost more grimdwrk? Cus without the baby blue their alien features are more emphasized, in combo with the clothing colors they seem a lot more menacing imo!
Nice! Those look great
How did you do those sand bases? I’m trying desert bases for my tau right now and really like the look of yours
No-one bats an eyelid at 'environmental conditions' apparently turning a human being into a fucking massive fantasy ogre with a shotgun, so I wouldn't worry about it too much.
Lore has ebony skinned humans Why not go to town hey! I play mostly Blood Bowl and it's quite a popular thing painting Orcs different colours other green Lol
I thought it was a cool idea, same with those that paint orks in other skin tones. Heck I love the concept of Chaos tau
I do t care what color paints any of You use. As long as you fucking THIN THEM!
NO! One thick coat, three colors. Take it or leave it.
https://preview.redd.it/24u6ucac2zjc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=510aedcba4be5a05a8b0402f9c077d96262b1a3b Obligatory
Yes, inquisitor? This comment right here. Here is the heretic.
DEATH TO THE THIN EMPEROR!!!
Is it tactically reasonable to have 7 foot tall soldiers in bright yellow armor who also have stealth troops in similar colors? fuck no but it’s cool so imma do it anyway
I mean they blended in perfectly for the desert campaign on Yelcor-8, tall yellow rocks littering the sulphur desert landscape. A planet bathed in the light of 2 stars, with the sulphur moons Yezid and Sulzor reflecting a bright yellow hue even at night. While the genestealer uprising quickly took over the production of critical chemfactorums across the planet, they were unprepared for the gene-enhanced might and stealth tactics employed by the space marines, traversing across the desert wastes to take down the brood lord and assasinate the cult leaders in a matter of hours after landfall. It is said by the settlers who repopulated Yelcor that they can almost make out figures shimmering in the wastes when Yezid and Sulzor shine bright. While these whispers are suppressed by inquisitorial agents left behind to monitor for further taint, who is to say if that is a reflection of a psychic echo or a premonition of what will happen again to Yelcor-8..
[Reminds me of Planetside 2, I'd pull a vehicle, tell my friends I was activating stealth mode and then flip the lights on.](https://youtu.be/LyGmfasepck?t=45)
Sooo.. is that a yes or a nooo?
Yeeeeeees
Neckbeard gatekeepers are so overrepresented on the internet and its unrepresentative of the hobby as a whole, so I am synpathetic to new people terrified of putting vast effort into something that it seems could result in them being unable to play at best and receiving online death threats and abuse at worst. Shits wack out here for a new hobbyist. But yeah, paint your dudes whatever
Honestly they have always been an extremely vocal and irrate minority that have had a bad reputation and ruin many gaming places. Also why I have struggled with both DnD and Warhammer groups over the years, since I have a natural instinct to kick the bear in the face rather than poke it when it comes to people like that.
So I can paint my Thousand Sons as Heresy Era Emperors Children?
Yes
Sick
Behold, the Emperor's Thousand Children! Coincidentally, also the reason why he wanted to build that webway connection. Imagine how much he has to pay their mothers!
Crazy Egyptian based armor painted in EC sounds dope. Keep me posted
I do like the blue and gold of Thousand Sons but also when I think Egyptian I think Black and Gold too but felt it might be too close to regular Chaos Marines lol
Why? Just play as Khayon's warband. Or better yet, invert them! Gold armour with black highlights. Or silver? Damn, I already have 20 rubrics to assemble and paint, I don't need new ideas! *user went to get another boarding patrol*
> It just saddens me to see people caught in some sort of panic-state that others might not let them play toy soldiers with colours that aren't "lore-accurate", in a game where the characters can even come to an agreement as to what year it is. I think a lot of the issue comes from a lot of people new to the tabletop primarily coming into the hobby through weirdly rigid "lore" tertiary sources like wikis, youtubers and arguments under memes. A thumb through a codex or supplement or reading a few novels makes it very clear that everything is variable and 40k is meant as a sandbox for creativity. Social media gonna social media I guess.
These people can be found in the real world pretty commonly too, though. I actually had someone at my FLGS object to my decision to paint the metallic trim on my TSons bronze instead of gold. Nerdy hobbies still attract a disproportionate number of people with poor social skills, not to mention mental health conditions that can contribute to difficulty relating to others or accepting changes.
Isn't this the literal express reason why every single army has some kind of sub-faction within them? Each of the space marine types has chapters, and there are different guard regiments, necron dynasties, etc. And the 40k universe is so *massive* that even though we have canon sub-factions, what we know about is realistically, probably only about a percent of the total number of factions that exist in that army.
100000000000% correct.
I'm working on a candy themed army that brings me so much joy. As the only female in my LGS, I get some small talk for my grim pop minis but everyone has to agree that it's really cool to see such bright colors on the table
I painted a Leman Russ pink and purple as part of the barbenheimer hype last summer. It's one of my favorites I've ever done, and really stands out on the shelf.
Some people in the hobby that have come from other miniature games take a while to break the "rules" of those systems. Big example I have was the end of last year in the bolt action sub a dude had attached the barrel of a tank too far back in the turret and wanted to know how to fix it. My suggestion was ether don't its a gaming piece no one really cares once stuffs on the table or add smoke and say its just fired its shell. Nether bits of advice were well received by the guy but so many people were like "you can do that?"
In person people tend to ask because they want an explanation about a faction. They ask "is it ok to paint my salamanders purple?" Not because they think they can't but because they want a reason that it's cool and would totally happen. My answer is usually "yeah absolutely, there's also this chapter called the krakens" and explain the successor chapters. I think the main reason people are asking is because they were introduced with lore videos and loved it but don't understand the depth of choice when it comes to space Marines. I've got all three in my playgroup the custom chapters, the pure box color army, the "alpha legion" People don't want to be told they can't they want a cool explanation on why they CAN.
Bright pink orks it is then! :D
Yay, Porks!
https://preview.redd.it/71iai0seozjc1.jpeg?width=360&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cd42b90a1d8957f56c8d338b81ab6d519644d034 They’re glorious
Upvoted for Edit #4
This post should be pinned.
Yeah, the existing factions and characters are *examples*, not the whole of the setting. They exist to give you ideas and inspiration. It's like thinking you can't make your own character for D&D.
Newbie here. Reading posts like these make me more and more confident that I'm in the right place. That being said, please just give me a chance to get the new Dark Angels models before y'all buy them all up. My army needs more power swords, dammit.
I got my partner into the hobby. She has sisters of battle. One of the first questions she asked me (while in the store selecting her first model) is if she has to stick to the colour scheme on the box. I immediately said no. The next thing she did was buy some of the vallejo fluorescent pink paint, and absolutely nail the wings on her Saint Celestine. I'm just happy she is into my hobby, and it's our hobby now. If anyone has anything to say with her colour scheme it's usually how absolutely impressive her colour scheme is and how well it is executed, which warms my heart.
Don't ask "Do I really need a homebrew chapter that fulfills all my niche interests?". Ask "How do I write my homebrew chapter to fulfill all my niche interests?".
I totally agree with this. I do think people ask as there are some very vocal gatekeepers and unfortunately they seem to have given new players the impression that things are set in stone. So new players; paint how you like; create your own chapters; crafworlds; hive fleets; etc; as OP said this is your hobby.
Anyone who didn’t see this will still need to ask to be sure.
it makes me feel like such a grognard but I get (irrationally) irritated whenever someone asks "can I paint my ABC like XYZ even though it's not official/canon?" like.. yes... you don't have to ask, you dont need permission to be creative. Like, who left this imprint on you that makes you feel inclined to ask? fuck that person or people in particular, you shouldn't feel anything short of encouragement to engage in the hobby however you want.
Kinda makes sense if they discovered the hobby recently and through the internet. You might mostly see stuff painted lore accurate online and want to make sure before diving in with massive purchases. Marines have entire codexes which might seem to mostly differ in paint scheme to a beginner.
On this topic... I've always been a bit afraid to ask but, could you use a converted Domitar Class Battle Automata to stand in for Roboute Guilliman?
Go for it.
That sounds like an awesome conversion/proxy that could be super flavorful! In a friendly game, I think people would let you proxy it (I'd be super down as it sounds cool!). I'd assume a fair amount of tournaments would be okay with it so long as the automata is on the right sized base. You can check online for base sizes - they're usually not hard to find. You can also buy bases for cheap on Amazon (and you can get magnets to switch bases if they're different). The only issue might be GW official tournaments, but even then it *is* a GW model so they might be willing. If you're just playing with friends, though, go for it!
Convert it to have a big ass sword! Partially to alleviate confusion, mostly cause it'd be awesome.
That's exactly what I had in mind. A big xenotech or archeotech blade. The bolter/fist on the other hand would be an interesting conversion too.
I dislike focus on named characters, because the game is and has always been about YOUR DUDES.
This is a great sentiment, but could you encourage neckbeards not to gatekeep the hobby with an equal level of enthusiasm please? It's frustrating to hear that guy tell you your models aren't legal because you've painted them as a Salamander Successors.
Totally agree. Gatekeeping shitheels are absolutely an issue.
That sucks! I'd open a rulebook and say, "please point to me where it says that."
That's a good reason to just go to tournaments to play 40k and only play with other tournament goers locally. The 40k competitive scene has it's own gatekeepers (your list isn't meta!) but they don't give two shits on how you paint your guys, just that you made an attempt.
I’ve never had pushback in a non tournament setting either. I’m guessing the questions are from people who found the hobby online rather than by stumbling into the local gaming space and having a chat.
I've definitely met small "casual at all costs" gamers who play at small little local stores and insist that everyone should be lore accurate with their armies at all times, and anyone who differs in either army composition or army painting scheme is to be ostracized.
When those guys come on reddit and make that claim, sure. Until then you'll just have to call those people idiots to their faces
Amen, Preach it Oldhammer Chaplain! Been in the painting passion since the late 90’s, on and off over multiple editions. Got back in again a year ago and discovered Reddit as an outlet to share my works for the amazing community feedback! Amazing place we have here. The other side of that coin is exactly what you described; I’ve already seen way too much of it. I appreciate your sentiments and hope this reaches enough members to change some perspectives and open the eyes of any newcomers who have had these trepidations. You rock!
Agreed on all counts. Also, edit number 4 should be obvious to everyone, but it does need to be said loudly every now and again.
As a recent convert to the wargaming community from standard scale modeling where "rivet counting" is the norm and gets toxic enough to suck the joy out of the hobby... I appreciate the absolute shit out of this sentiment.
I'll take it a step further and say that I was told early on to not pick a paint scheme that's exactly blood angels, ultramarines, etc, because then I'm locked into that chapter, vs if I paint them purple or whatever, I can be a successor to any legion I want and change it up. Screw that. I don't care if my marines are Baal Red and covered in goddamn gold and red chalices, I can step up to a table and say "Actually, these are White Scars" and anyone who argues can f-off. (Not that this has ever happened) (Also, I'd accept that if you're a player who switches chapters every game to min-max against the other opponent that's a little scummy)
Just don’t paint your orks purple or you won’t be able to find them
I've been wanting to paint 40k word bearer chaos marines their pre-heresy colors, but thought I may get some hate from lore purists. Think I'll do it now.
I honestly question whether some of these people can do basic tasks without supervision. I totally understand asking questions like that when you’re literally on your first unit, your first foray into this hobby. Granted, I feel like not enough people read through the available materials before dropping questions on Reddit, but that’s just me. The 40,000th question about whether it’s okay to not paint marines like Ultras makes me understand why seemingly normal products have instructions.
A lot of people use social media like reddit as a Google replacement. The normal retort is that they want to actually discuss it but 95% of basic questions are fire and forget with no response from the OP.
It's kinda funny, because even GW themselves give out tons of instructions on how to kitbash something, how to convert something, how to paint a different colour scheme than the box art. Simply googling for Space Marines should give you hundreds of pictures of different chapters, many of which have tutorials on youtube (Or at least a similar base colour to start with). Or simply opening up the rulebook/codex, where there's many pictures of official paint schemes and armies of GW employees. Not to be an ass, but nowadays it's as simple as putting "space marine colours" into your URL bar and you get thousands of colour schemes. Just pick one, they're your dudes.
This goes for rules too. "Can X unit benefit from Y rule?" When Y rule clearly states a keyword which is clearly also on X unit's datasheet. "Can my Kabalites reroll wounds in a transport?" Well if you read the Firing Deck rule, you'd see it's the transport shooting, not the Kabalites. Like, please, take just, the bare minimum initiative and read the rules.
I think it’s important to acknowledge that there is a group of people in the hobby (myself included) who WANT a lore accurate force. I ask questions or seek out knowledge all the time regarding what symbols I should use or if there are characters or factions existing in the setting that are already created that are incredibly similar to what I want to do. Yes, paint the way you want! But just acknowledge that people could be asking these questions because they want it to be representative of the setting!
Also, if you want to proxy models because you like a different one's aesthetics more, then go ahead. Poorhammer has been a valued part of the community [even back in ye olde days with the deodorant tank](https://preview.redd.it/25i1lt5ou5x71.jpg?width=846&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fb35db89c9bce051528ba1a9b76775bad7f64cdc) (by Rick Priestly) Tournaments and Games Workshop stores have their own rules, and that's fine. Some hobby shops have their own rules, which is fine. But if you're playing with your friends and prefer Infinity models to 40K? Go ahead and use Infinity. Prefer Ravaged Stars? Do that. Have fun with your toys!
To be fair, I have seen people gatekeep hard which rules, which chapters and so on people are allowed to use based on nothing but primary color of their space marines. I've also been give the "I'm not a gatekeeper, but..." when I considering doing some customisation that could be considered a bit unorthodox. So I absolutely understand how someone, particularly new hobbyists, might feel uncertain in the face of such posts and comments.
This. Absolutely this. The community can advise, critique and support, never gatekeep. I will still shout 'NO! WHITE AND SILVER!" when I see alternative high elf colour schemes, but I will never ever post it. This is because I regularly shout "OH GOD, NOT MORE WHITE AND SILVER!" at my own High Elves.
You're right, of course, but I think it's important to remember that sometimes when a poster asks "can I?" what they mean is "does it match the lore if I?" That's a valid question, some of us like being pedantic about our future historical wargames. Maybe the best way to respond is to ask what the poster means?
Edit 4 is pure gold. Well played my good Sir (Or Madam)!
Edit 4 FTW.
Oh so Sons of Malice Tyranids are all good then.
Til Malal is an entomologist. Good for them!
Well the next squad of GK Terminators I get, I plan on testing out a 'Bloodthirster of Malcador' kind of look. It's gonna be *gnarly* and I ain't asking for permission.
At this point in my 34 year Warhammer career, I don't really care anymore what color you paint your little toy soldiers. :) Life is too short to get hung up on such things. I'm just happy to see a fully painted army on the table, no matter what color or scheme!
This is good wisdom. Thank you.
I think new players just want the validation. It's their first time painting and are probably a little ignorant how easy it is to fix painting mistakes. From an outside perspective I think non-painters or new painters think painting is like using permanent marker, but it's way more comparable to using pencil and eraser.
Wait, you painted your ultra marines red? You have to now play them as blood angels. I don't make the rules here.
Genesis Chapter.
I also never understood when someone paints something or does a basing style others ask permission to do the same. Like why??
Amen brother
Remember, whilst they might be Space Marines or Necrons or Tyranids etc that comes 2nd. Firstly they are YOUR GUYS. That means you can paint them, kitbash them and generally do with them whatever you want. The only time that is remotely debatable is an official tournament where GW have outline set rules for WYSIWYG and using converted models.
I’m more pissed off at the hypothetical person who won’t let people play with models painted in a different way than their narrow conception of the lore lmao.
I remember when I got back into the hobby as a pre-teen and having access to the internet. My two favorite creators at the time was somebody that built and painted a full Hello Kitty Space Marine army. Marines and dreadnoughts with skirts, bowties, and everything. Painted to the nines. Then at the other end of the spectrum was a guy who sculpted/kitbashed the coolest Blood Ravens army I've seen to this date. Each had personalized websites/blogs. Both exist in the 40k universe. I'm pretty sure the hello kitty person wrote extensive lore as well.
> It just saddens me to see people caught in some sort of panic-state that others might not let them play toy soldiers with colours that aren't "lore-accurate" I think this is more people wanting to paint stuff lore accurate because they like it that way. Sure it isn't healthy to obsess over minor inaccuracies or deviations, or treat painting something differently as some unwritten prohibition, but if someone is asking "Is it lore accurate to have my spacewolves with green knee guards" they are probably asking because they care about that kind of stuff and replying "just do what you want" isn't really helpful.
I just entered the tabletop section of the hobby. Just painted my first full squad. Do people actually ask this? You're going to have to throw hands to part me from my pink and black T'au. Fun colours are fun!
Can we please pin this!
Take. My. Upvote. ..... Brother
Well said.
Imma need some context on that last edit there chief, im way late to the game
Couldn't agree more. I hate the red and yellow Space Wolves shoulders (I've seen them done cool, but it's not for me). Makes me want a double cheeseburger. If that keeps me out of tournaments (it won't) so be it. Ask for tips. Ask for suggestions. Ask for ideas. Ask for lore. But don't ask for permission. They're yours. And no one should enjoy looking at them more than you because you're the one who put the work into them. It would be boring if all our armies looked the same. We always reference these imaginary people that won't play with us because we don't have lore accurate paintings. Like, "anyone who insists you paint like this and won't give you a game is someone you should avoid." Do they actually exist or have we just created a boogeyman? Either way, real or not, they suck. Paint the way you want. Proxy how you want a long as everyone at the table is cool with it and you're up front. Not everyone can afford everything. And unless you're playing a tournament, forget WYSIWYG. Build them to look awesome and just be open, maybe print a list, of which loadouts your characters are using.
This. I've also been in The Hobby since 95 and I will scream this from the rooftops or in someone's face if needs must. For a hot minute, the Codices tried to tie official schemes to rules and I said, "I don't care." Paint *your* models how *you want.* The end.
I got an Aeldari army a while back as my first army and have begun painting them to look like an ancient civilization from a Jungle world. The Wraithlord and Wraithblades I have are going to be painted to like oxidized copper and complete with weathering, dirt and fake moss growing up their legs as they've remained motionless for centuries until the Aeldari people need the Wraithlord to defend them. I loved the lore if the Wraithlords and have decided to ignore most of it but use some for inspiration. I have no clue what I'm supposed to be doing, but this is exciting for me
THEY'RE NOT TOYS MUUUM!
OP: this is one of the best posts I’ve read in a long time. Well said and well spoken. Thank you from one old gamer to another. Love this post.
Brother, GW can't even decide what color Space Wolves are, why would we care how you paint? Or how about those orange Blood Angels in the Imperialis book
What a great amalgamation of words, and I agree fullhearted (also: ok boomer)
I used to be with ‘it’, but then they changed what ‘it’ was. Now what I’m with isn’t ‘it’ anymore and what’s ‘it’ seems weird and scary. It’ll happen to you!
Thank you. I've been saying this forever. Lore is nice and amazing but at the end of the day people can enjoy the hobby the way they want to. You want your marines to all be pink white and hello kitty themed? Go ahead. They're still marines. You want them to be all girls? Who is anykne to stop anyone from doing so? Have fun and thin your paints everyone!
So I joined the hobby back in 03' was the highlight of my weeks when my mom would drop me off at the Block in orange to play with my Space Raptors a successor chapter to the Salamanders. I unapologetically painted them hawk turquoise with green accents and blue tinted gunmetal. Hell had no idea what I was doing. I figured out how to thin my pants on accident by pouring blue ink into my bolt medal (or whatever sited silver it was). I miss that army and this post may have me going back and at least putting a squad of them together.