"Nagash Supreme Lord of Undeath" by Jonathan Hart
http://www.puttyandpaint.com/projects/6925
How much is this mini worth?
Jonathan has done a really nice job painting this mini. I think we would all agree that its' value has increased due to the paint job and basing. Jonathan is a pro, so obviously he makes money doing this.
Quick straw poll here though.. How many of you would pay for a mini with a nice paint job to add to your collection? If not, does this mini have any increased value to you?
How about this Nagash? Is this Nagash worth less to you than the previous? I know some people would rather pay someone to assemble them rather than try to do it themselves. Games Workshop says that this miniature is worth $130 US or 65 Pounds. But I bet it's not worth that much to you. I bet it's worth the price that is the best discount you can manage. For me it's 20% off at my LGS unless it ends up on the sale shelf at 40% off. Even then for me it's a question. I prefer to buy units and convert characters from the bits to what I want.
How about now, using the rules in this book? I can guess that to most of you, the addition of just the picture of the end times book made this mini worthless to you. The rules are no longer current, and besides, Nagash is so broken, no one will play against him. Some of you thought of this book upon the first glimpse of the figure and immediately dismissed it as worthless.
Let's try for a minute and focus on that thought. Why is this figure now worthless? The model making skill is still (let's be honest) one of the finest demonstrations of miniature making ever created. The engineering, vision, and physical details have not changed, and it is an epic, epic figure. The figure still assembles in a remarkable and intuitive way despite it's dynamic and impressive presence.
There are no rules included in the purchase of Nagash (it has been reboxed yet.) Why do rules matter in the purchase of this figure?
The simple and obvious answer is that this is not just simply a figure. This miniature is a playing piece that has a use within a game. Even the largest idiot can see that.
So let's extrapolate here and get some real talk into the equation. Why do you care if someone uses this mini for Age of Sigmar? Or Warhammer End Times? Or Warhammer 8th ed? Or Kings of War? Or Warhammer 9th ed? Or home-brewed rules?
At the end of the day, it truly doesn't matter to you unless the person you're arguing with has the ability to stop or limit you from using your model. The number of people that this is true for is really quite, quite small. So why does it matter?
Simply, because of your perceived value. You have an amount in your head. I don't know what that amount is, but it's there. That amount is how much this mini should be worth if you've decided you don't want it anymore. Someone is expected to pay you money for your used goods because this figure is part of your investment. Your investment in the hobby of miniature gaming. If no one is willing to buy this mini after you're finished, the value goes down, and your investment plummets. Your decision to make this purchase goes from a good investment to a bad choice.
I'm here to tell you, as long as you have a group of guys who care to play miniatures with you, the previous paragraph is a pack full of lies. Why would you sell miniatures that you are using with a great group of guys and potentially girls who want the same thing out of the hobby that you do? You wouldn't.
So at the end of day, it really doesn't matter what someone the next county or next continent over thinks about your game. It's your game. Whichever one you choose, you will get far more mileage out of building up a community of like minded gamers, than trashing someone else's idea of fun half a world away. So if you want to increase your enjoyment of this hobby, just keep gaming and please stop trying to win the internet. Because, I really just don't care what you think ;) I care about my hobby.