I would rather lose than bring an unpainted/unfinished miniature to a tabletop game. On rare occasions if somebody is showing me a game and I have to borrow their models (for example a Battletech game last year) I will use them, but none of my own models are played unless varnished.
I don’t hold others to that standard, though I do appreciate seeing it.
You could try, “My 10 year old niece painted this for me and wanted me to use it tonight.”
It’s less about quality (I am not the best painter) and more about not bringing obviously unfinished pieces. “Greytide” is a phrase in Warhammer communities to describe unpainted grey plastic armies. Similar are armies just primed one color. Often with pieces not all assembled. It’s less fun both anesthetically and because it makes it more difficult to figure out which miniature is which.
For me, only using my finished miniatures prevents me from sliding into greytide.
Ah. Ok.
Maybe buy a set of painted ones?
I’m not trying to give you a hard time or change your mind or criticize. Just a random guy on the internet blabbing away.
