Paint then assemble, or assemble then paint?

Old question. I've done both, and my answer is partial assembly.

Some people prime and paint on the sprue. I can't stand the thought of doing it that way. I like to at least try to clean up the mould and flash lines before priming.
Assemble then paint: Most of the time a mini is going to be simple (Tau VX-15 Stealth Suits, for example.) Glue the backpack on, and then paint. Some models aren't so straightforward. Tau XV-8 Crisis Suits, for example. It's hard to get at the leg joints with arms and weapons in the way.



I assembled the main parts, head, arms, body, etc, and then stuck them on with poster tack before priming. After the primer dries, I can pull the parts apart and clean off the tack. This leaves some nice bare spots for gluing, and leaves the model ready to be painted partially assembled. Easy, peasy.



Then I can finish assembly and do the finishing touches.