It’s no secret that hobby discourse online can get a little… heated. Wars rage about model quality, release schedules, rules issues, representation, you name it. And yes, it can get quite draining sometimes and dull your enthusiasm for the miniature wargaming hobby.
So with that in mind, I put the question out on that one Bird AppTM, asking you folks what your favourite aspect of the hobby is. Let’s take a day out to focus on what makes us love this hobby, from the newest painter to the most experienced veteran of the tabletop battlefield. What brightens your day? Let’s take a look at some of my favourite responses (and check out the full thread for a smorgasbord of hobby happiness) right now!
(If I’ve included you in this article and you’d rather I didn’t, please do DM me and let me know and I will amend the article!)
@runesexplosive and @Chaosform1 were two of the many folks who expressed their love of the creativity afforded by kitbashing your miniatures, with some fantastic examples posted in their replies. Sometimes it can be daunting to try kitbashing, and it doesn’t always end up as you imagined it… but when it does, it feels great. I’d recommend giving it a go sometime – we even have our own Kitbash Garage channel in the PaintSlam discord!
@bones_jones69 and @amorell expressed their own love of painting their miniatures. There’s tons of great reasons to want to paint your models. Do you want to tell a story for that one miniature? Paint a whole army to fit your own narrative in the world(s) of your choosing? Or perhaps like @amorell it’s a way to unwind and let the cares of the real world melt away for a few hours at a time! I find painting to be very theraputic and calming, it’s surprising how fast the days can fly when you’re sat at the paint table.
On a more gaming focussed note we’ve got @Stiem_Gaming, @TDS_Gwen,and @MoriaWargames – wargaming brings people together, both in competitive settings and tactical discussion and more casual gaming as part of your local friend group or hobby club. Even us generally introverted and shy folks can find ourselves opening up and making genuine, close friendships both across the table and our screens. And any trip to Warhammer World or an exciting hobby show or event is better with friends! There’s often those experienced hobbyists who love sharing their passion with new starters. Those folks who give up their time to help new folks learn the ropes deserve medals!
@TheBeardedLynx shared his experience from Ukraine, and shows the strength a community can provide. The friends we make in our hobby can support us even when times are extremely tough. Treasure those people!
@LiamWritesThing and @John09748783 both enjoy the spectacle of gorgeous models. It’s so satisfying to share sometimes you’ve worked so hard on, especially if you can see a notable improvement over some of your older work. And when you have two or more players dropping gorgeous, fully painted armies onto a scenic battlefield, isn’t that just the greatest thing to see? I can’t be the only person who finds themselves unable to avoid stopping to crouch down and take cool models-eye-view photos of the action!
The hobby is generational too! @Mettatrack here tells of how they were inspired in the hobby by their dad! It’s a great hobby to share with your kids if you’re a parent, and how proud you can be when you see your kiddo finish their first ever miniature. It’s a wonderful family activity that crosses that generation gap.
These examples were just the tip of the iceberg for the replies in the thread, I tried to cover a number of aspects of the hobby when picking these out! Again please do check out the full thread and see the inspiring replies – and maybe let us know what *you* enjoy most about the hobby too!
And, of course, do join us for PaintSlam23 this year! All the details can be found here!
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