In the Beginning...

Before you base or prime your figures there are a few things to consider.

1. Figure selection – Cost most often drives my personal selection of figures, at least when building an ‘army’. If the figures are too expensive, I often have to go with a less expensive alternative. Unfortunately, the selection of less expensive figures often results in a lower quality figure on my table. This is a poor place to start; however, it’s all too often the reality in the Wargaming community.

Cheaper figures are often produced by companies that do not periodically clean or remake their molds, which results in more flash or more noticeable seams that require significant cleaning.

If possible, examine figures in a line you wish to purchase, in person. Holding the figures in your hands is the only way to truly judge the amount of cleaning that will be required.

A key point to remember here is that when a new figure line is first released, the molds are new and clean, thus it is best, if you can afford it, to purchase new figure lines when they are released. Unless Commander in Chief(ette) (CinC) House, or your budget says otherwise!

If you are able to begin the painting process by selecting higher quality figures, the amount of time spent cleaning may be reduced, providing additional time to spend actually painting the figures!