Stern Appraisal

This is the first man sized model I've painted in some time and its been longer than I can remember since painting a figure without the pressure of a tournament deadline turning it into a chore.

After a weekend of games (the first for a while) the urge to paint and add character to these models becomes the main driving force of the hobby for me.  A game may have an evocative setting or rules that create tense confrontations but without the personal investment in the models and their characters brought about through painting they would lack a lot of the excitement I find in them.  

A Sternguard Sergeant from Warhammer 40k this model may have an illustrious carrier ahead or be a thorn in my (otherwise perfect) plans as he resolutely refuses to shoot straight or pass a leadership test.  Either way though I'd have found it a lot harder to care without the hours invested in crafting the look and feel of the model myself.  The models in a war game bring the narrative of the battle to life and provide points to remember the games and the twists of fate that cost or snatched you victory.