Glossary
Shared language for miniature painting & prep
Working definitions so your table argues about choices, not vocabulary.
One squad finished to tabletop standard beats a shelf of half-primed heroes on week one.
- Zenithal prime
- Value map before color.
- Batch painting
- Assembly-line color stages.
- Wash & drybrush
- Fast depth techniques.
- Base storytelling
- Terrain crumbs that sell the model.
- Transport foam
- Protecting paint jobs.
- Tabletop standard
- Good-enough for three feet away.
- Contrast methods
- Speed systems and their limits.
- Commission brief
- How to talk to a painter.
When you outline a session, write outcomes players can push toward, not a single railroad beat. For miniature painting & prep, that usually means three hooks, one complication, and a safe off-ramp.
Label WIP spoilers for contests. Separate technique critique from personal digs. Escalate to mods.
Good lighting, ventilation notes, and readable recipe cards beat gorgeous desks nobody can follow.
Prefer technique encyclopedias and named painter posts over anonymous “best paints” listicles.
No invented prices or stock counts. Orientation only: habits, vocabulary, and public references.
Label WIP spoilers for contests. Separate technique critique from personal digs. Escalate to mods.
Related desks in this neighborhood
Wargame and board crates nearby when your painted army joins a scenario night.
Terms evolve. If your table uses a different gloss, write it into your house doc and tell newcomers which dictionary you are using. Shared language beats winning an etymology fight mid-scene.
When a word is edition-specific, say so out loud. Borrowing vocabulary across systems is fine; silent assumptions are what cause arguments.