Most elaborate prep?

[Essex Boy]

And we shall all await Essex Boys post...

I'm saying nothing, but I think Timmo has a considerable edge on my prep efforts.

Don’t you count basing and rebasing your figures 5 or 6 times before you actually use them a form of prep ?

More 'tweaking' than prep.

[Etranger]

...
More 'twerking' than prep.

FTFY...

Three/four stage prep here:

Clean up - flash/mould lines, sort out other problems (eg fill in air bubbles on resin).
Modifications if needed - replace moulded 'spaghetti' spears, (Minifigs, I'm looking at you!), head swaps, other changes/additions (eg aerials on vehicles).
Wash - warm water, washing up detergent, old tooth brush, removing any crud, grease & other unpleasantness clinging to the figures.
Etch primer - I use a gray aerosol primer which doubles as an undercoat.

[Jeremy]

Clean flash. Assemble if necessary. Glue on base. Prime. Frow paint at it wif one eye closed.

Jobs a good ‘un

[Essex Boy]

I deserved that.

[Purple]

As the Judge said to a few of you...
No such thing as a clean flash.
Here all week.

[Wg Cdr Luddite]

Like RMD I use Humbrol and oils to paint. No need to degrease/wash/etch or whatever. Undercoat with Matt White. Paint on top. T'job's a good 'un.

[levied troop]

I can be awful at cleaning figures. Anyone else think they’ve done a banging job and then after priming discover hulking great mould lines? What’s that about.

This. Oh god, this

[Count Belisarius]

I tend to spot the errant mould lines during the basing process...

[Essex Boy]

I'm a bit OCD with cleaning the figures before painting, and for replacing bendy bits with steel rod (none of your flimsy brass stuff here).

[Jeremy]

I tend to spot the errant mould lines during the basing process...

Me too.