When FFG first released their X-Wing miniatures games I immediately fell in love with it. It was easy to play, it had a depth that revealed itself over time, the models had amazing detail, and the paint was good enough that I didn't feel like I needed to repaint them to enjoy them.
That's right. I LIKE the fact that the minis are essentially done. It means that I can enjoy the game right away without feeling like I need to do any work before I get to that point. On the other hand, when I decide that I want one of my ships to have custom colors this isn't a problem and bringing out more of the underlying detail really makes the models shine.
I almost wish that all miniatures games were like this. Yes, I still enjoy painting miniatures but I'd rather not feel like I HAVE to paint my miniatures to enjoy the game - and I am definitely one of those people that feels strange playing with unpainted minis. I think that the Dust line of games is a really nice compromise. The minis aren't really painted, but they are started to a point that they don't feel too unfinished on the table as is (though I still prefer the finish level of the X-Wing minis.
If you've looked at my Flickr feed recently (or the Misc section of my portfolio here) you might have noticed my recent repaints of the A-Wing and HWK-290. Both were a lot of fun, but the HWK repaint really had me looking at that ship in a whole new light. I've always liked the design but I think the dark brown color really hides the detail.
I'll be doing a Slave 1 in Jango Fett colors for a client very soon and a video will follow shortly after so keep an eye out.