Do painted models play better?

[lattd]

My newly painted models win their first match then rest on their laurels and get beaten the next game :/

[Chaoschrist]

Well, for one I enjoy my games more playing with and against painted models (and probably to some standard even), as well as a nice table with beautiful scenery... so perhaps that enjoyment adds more excitement and makes it more immersive.

I don't know if I'd play better if they're not painted. Hard to tell since I can't recreate the exact circumstances with unpainted models when I had my last battle.

[Blackcloud6]

I think it makes the game more enjoyable if all the units are painted. I tend to play better if I am enjoying the game. However, I do think there is an inverse proportion of how long it takes to paint a model as to how long it survives on the battlefield.

[SotonShades]

Mine have a nasty habit of failing regardless of if they are painted or not... actually that could just be me. I certainly enjoy playing with fully painted armies more.

NMS (New model syndrome) is definitely a thing though, particularly for vehicles. I cannot tell you how many time I have put a new unit on the board, only for it to be killed before even getting a chance to move, or attacking something to only get missed hits and fail wound/penetration rolls. The absolute pinnacle of this was the first time I used my Warlord titan. It got assaulted on turn 1 by an Ork Stompa, who promptly took of all 9 structure points and caused it to go Apocolyptic, resulting in a 34" out of a possibly 36" explosion. On the brightside it did wipe everything off the board, bar a Chaos Doomsday device.

[Finnegan]

That is not the case, Frank the Missile-Man is an abosulte boob. He has failed to hit Valkryies, Monoliths, Tyrannofex and a LBT while being stood 1" away.

If you need a target hitting, Frank is not your man. He could miss the broadside of a barn.

Yup. My friend has "Dude with Lascannon" - an Ultramarine in one of his tactical squads. He always misses (or fails penetration rolls). It's hilarious.

Newly paited models usually do nothing in their first battle (apart of dying in most spectacular ways) but there are exceptions, and those exceptions will be remembered forever.
Few years ago we played one of our cyclic "Battle Royale" (basically an Apocalypse game, usually 6-10K per side, but without Strategic Assets rules). We knew that our adversaries will use Stompa and I've promised myself that my newly painted Fire Dragons (until then I've borrowed them from one of my friends) will hunt it down (of course we all were laughing about it - everyone knew "newly painted model syndrome" ).

We've held Dragons in Wave Serpent, waiting for Stompa to close in, but unfortunately, in second turn we had to destroy somehow an Ork Battlewagon that was threatening some our units with Death Rolla. We've tried to destroy it with other units but we've failed and in the end Fire Dragons were only option left. They've done it nicely but it seemed that they will be anihillated in next turn, there was so many enemy units in vicinity.
For the rest of our turn, we were trying to save them. We've killed the Warboss with lucky three shots from four Pathfinders, we've also managed to tie in close combat few Ork units, but could not held them all. Fire Dragons were finally charged by some Kommandos and few boyz, but they stood their ground. For next two turns(!) Dragons fought(died) bravely and valiantly, until few allied Space Marines slew the orcs, but then only Exarch stood alive.
And it in this final hour it was the Exarch, who raised his Firepike and shot at the Ork Stompa.
And he missed it, rolling 1
Then, our opponents made their greatest mistake in that battle - they've ignored the lonely Exarch, concentrating their wrath on greater threats.
In next turn the Exarch moved toward the Stompa (I wanted him to be able to charge and do some more damage with his Meltabomb) and shoot again. This time 6s rolled like a rain and Chain Reaction occured. Stompa lost 2SP from a single shot and exploded in apocaliptic blast (3D6'', S9 AP2), decimating enemy units along with key building held by their troops. The battle was won.
And the Exarch? He was caught in explosion but he managed to survive the blast (one rolled to wound him) .
Thus ended the first battle for my newly painted Fire Dragons.



TL;DR: paint your models, and you will always remember when they will do something spectacular in their first battle

[Allen Broussard]

not all my stuff is painted and i loose alot, but i think it has more to do with the fact that i tend to tell my opponents how to beat me during the game.

[DarkLink]

Newly paited models usually do nothing in their first battle (apart of dying in most spectacular ways) but there are exceptions, and those exceptions will be remembered forever.

First time I ever played my painted Dreadknight, he punched Mephiston to death.

[Bigred]

Of course you and the models play better when they are painted.

I present people's exibit A: IG Guardman Private 1st Class Rico Suave


Rico's squad was recruited from the gangs of Necromunda and over ten years ago, Rico singlehandedly stopped an Eldar advance upon his position, breaking the back of the xenos battleplan. Rico's squad was deployed on highground in a wooded area overlooking a prime route of advance. The xenos scum focused heavy shuriken firepower on his squad leaving only Rico alive.

Over the next three minutes (turns) Rico held his position and singlehandedly destroyed 2 Wave Serpents, and their aspect warrior passengers, and laid low the xenos leader identified by Imperial Strategos as "Jain Zar". he now proudly wears two Alaitoc sword icons stitched into his Necromundan vest.

These days, Rico hangs out with his plasma rifle in IG Command Squads - he's earned it. He's also unnaturally lucky with that plasma!

[Alex the Everchosen]

Painted figures die faster, because it means that the models you spent hours on will die first turn, and the sh*t you primed and put 3 colours on will survive till the bitter end...

[mearn4d10]

I feel that the pride in having a painted army on the table leads to a generally more thoughtful, involves sense of play and the field of battle. I do tend to name my 'generic' HQ's, notable figures, and tanks as soon as they're painted. All of my Warmahordes TrollBeasts have names lovingly added to their bases as the last step before sealing. It's fluff-ish and slightly silly... but we ARE playing with metal an plastic soldiers, after all.

“There’s no point in being grown up if you can’t act a little childish sometimes.” - Tom Baker, the Fourth Doctor