Almost Like Warhammer: a Fully Painted Zombicide Gift
We started, as usual, from hobby logistics and trying to figure out when we could actually meet up. There was talk of Rome, coming back from the mountains, maybe squeezing in a game on Thursday, maybe Friday, maybe something unusual on Wednesday. In other words: the classic state of adult hobby life.
And then, right in the middle of planning, Wilini dropped a perfect line: “Almost like Warhammer.”
Honestly, that sums up a lot of our hobby energy. Even when we drift slightly outside the strict borders of Games Workshop systems, the instinct is still the same: paint little dudes, admire them, send photos to friends, and get excited together.
A full Zombicide set painted as a gift
This time the star of the chat was not a Warhammer army, but a fully painted Zombicide set prepared as a gift for Marta’s brother. Michał had already seen it, but the rest of us got the photo drop in chat — and it was one of those very satisfying hobby moments.
A complete painted board game set always has a special kind of impact. It’s not just a couple of test minis or a hero done for fun. It’s the full package: a project with a deadline, a purpose, and the added pressure of it being a present. That makes it even cooler.
We really like this kind of project. There is something very honest about painting a whole game so it can hit the table looking great from day one. It’s hobby work in its purest form: making the experience better for someone else.
“Almost like Warhammer”
The joke landed because, well, we all know that feeling. You look at a pile of painted miniatures from another system and immediately your brain files it under the same broad category of joy.
There are models, there is paint, there is basing, there is the satisfaction of seeing a whole set finished. Whether it’s Warhammer, Warcry, Kill Team, or in this case Zombicide, the emotional core is basically identical.
And maybe that’s the nicest part of these little chat moments: even when we’re discussing calendars, travel, and whether we can fit in a game night at all, somebody still finds time to share a finished project and remind us why we do this.
Hobby momentum counts
We also liked the energy behind this one. A full painted set done for a gift has a very different vibe than painting for the backlog. It has momentum. It has a recipient waiting at the end. And once it’s done, it feels properly done.
That’s the kind of thing that can kick the rest of us back into gear too. You see a completed project and suddenly your own half-painted units start looking a little more achievable.
So while we were trying to work out whether Thursday, Wednesday, or Friday made any sense at all, we also got a reminder that finishing things is good, painted games are cool, and yes — sometimes something can be almost like Warhammer and still fit perfectly into our hobby brain.
If nothing else, this was a very good argument for painting complete boxed games whenever the opportunity appears.