Doing an Oldhammer miniature companies roundup was always going to come at a financial cost. The latest company I decided to pick up a batch of cool and interesting minis from was Diehard.
Diehard Miniatures create metal wargames miniatures. The company started as a collaboration of 3 sculptors back in 2014 (Tim Prow, Chaz Elliott and Drew Williams). With the assistance of Richard Luong for the initial artwork and concepts, Diehard has expanded its artist stable to include Chris Walton, Johan Egerkrans, Kennon James and Jody Siegel.
I loved the look of these skeletal astronauts, and they were fun and easy to paint, too.
There’s a brilliant range of undead miniatures on the Diehard site which cater to both sci-fi and fantasy.
Joining the bony ranks of this crew is an undead Space Marine, also from Diehard.
No “here’s what I’ve painted recently” roundup would be complete without something from Midlam, either. This guy is a crow shaman and he’ll act as my crew’s “medic”.
Another character from Midlam is this demon who’ll be used for my dungeon crawler games.
Back to Diehard for another dungeon denizen, this guy is a Satyr.
Have you ever wondered why undead creatures persevere in their attempts to play wind instruments?
Another company I buy from a lot is CP Models. This trooper is part of a group of 5, so I just need to get his pals painted up now.
Finally, I painted up the last two Blood Bowl beastmen that I found in a box a while back.
The Ninth Age is a mass fantasy battle miniature game designed and maintained by teams of collaborators across the globe. One of those collaborators is Rik Newman who joins us on this episode of the Tabletop Miniature Hobby Podcast.
Rik comes to the show with a background that many will relate to. He grew up with the hobby in the 80s and 90s, only to fall away from it before returning later on in adult life.
Here, we talk about that return to the hobby, his initial thoughts about how gaming and miniatures had changed, and the omnipresent question of “what did they do to Warhammer Fantasy Battles?”.
It wasn’t long before Rik found himself discovering, drawn towards, and then involved in The Ninth Age. This was a game that was undoubtedly born out of the ashes of WFB, but it has since grown into its own independent entity with its own lore.
The Ninth Age has a certain ethos about it. It’s designed with balance in mind, and caters to “slow hobbyists” who want to collect armies over a long period of time, rather than quickly putting together the latest greatest list in order to win a few games.
With this slower approach, hobbyists can immerse themselves in the background and lore of a particular faction, exploring all of its avenues and possibilities.
I fancied a nostalgic trip through the pages of my first ever copy of White Dwarf, and who better to enlist for assistance on this journey than Josh from The Crown of Command Podcast.
The Crown of Command is a popular podcast dedicated to the games produced by Games Workshop during the 1990’s, and Josh himself is a former ‘Eavy Metal painter.
Josh’s stunning Ork crew
Josh also runs a fantastic Youtube channel where you’ll find all sorts of Herohammer content. There’s battle reports of all your favourite games (from Epic Space Marine to Man O War), interviews with cool and interesting people, painting tutorials, and readthroughs of classic Citadel Miniatures catalogues.
In this episode of the Tabletop Miniature Hobby Podcast, we’re taking a wander through White Dwarf issue 166, from October 1993. The magazine cost £2.25 and came with a free plastic Space Marine. This was to celebrate and promote the release of the brand new Warhammer 40,000 2nd edition.
My ‘Legion of the Damned’ attempts from the mid-90s
There’s a lot of classic material in the pages of this magazine, and you can view the entire thing in glorious PDF form right here. There’s one of those prize winner features with some smug kid sitting in £500,000s worth of boxed sets, a load of John Blanche sketches, and some 25% money off tokens for Games Workshop in Shrewsbury.
On top of that, we muse over what happened to Space Marine legions like the Whitescars, Silver Skulls, Iron Hands, and Mentor Legion, as well as what exactly was on that Snotling’s plans in the catalogue pages.
The term “Oldhammer” means different things to different people. On this episode of theTabletop Miniature Hobby Podcast, we’re in conversation with Garth James, who’s one of the organisers behind the annual Bring Out Your Lead event.
Bring Out Your Lead
Founded in 2013, the latest Bring Out Your Lead gathering took place in early October 2021 after taking an enforced year out in 2020, just like the rest of the world. One of the many great things about this event is its venue. BOYL is hosted by Foundry Miniatures – a company whose roots can be traced all the way back to the origins of Citadel Miniatures.
Garth is keen to point out that Bring Out Your Lead is not a tournament. Rather, he likens it to a classic car meetup. In these types of meets, people will admire and drive the cars, but they won’t necessarily race them.
“I think one thing that’s fairly constant in anyone’s Oldhammer, is the desire for narrative.”
Going back to the question of “what is Oldhammer?”, Garth feels this is purely down to each individual. Oldhammer may be seen as the nostalgic period where a person found and fell in love with the hobby. The ethos of Bring Out Your Lead seems to encapsulate this and doesn’t try to dictate what “is” and “isn’t” Oldhammer to anyone.
Elsewhere in the episode, we touched on Citadel Combat Cards, the aesthetic of monopose miniatures, modern Oldhammer miniature companies, and using contrast paints on old models. There’s also some serious discussion over which vehicle from the Warhammer Old World would make the best car, and which creature the best pet.
How many beginners are attracted to the hobby because of the miniatures, lore, painting, not to mention the scenery covered tabletops, only to be put off the minute they get a look at a set of rules? Sure, there’s definitely a place for complex and ultra-deep rulesets, but if you’re just starting out then chances are you’re going to be seeking out simple tabletop wargames. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the best miniature games for beginners.
Simple Tabletop Wargames
When we use the term “simple” it comes with a few caveats. A game of coin-toss is simple, but it’ll get boring pretty fast. In miniature wargaming, the phrase “easy to learn, hard to master” gets used a lot. Most beginners are looking for a ruleset they can quickly grasp, and then spend the rest of their brainpower working out things like tactics and strategies to outfox their opponents.
When weighing up the best miniature games for beginners we also need to consider a ruleset’s “replayability”. There’s little point in investing in a tabletop game if you’re only going to play it once, so we’ll bear that in mind here, too.
To kick us off, I’d like to shine a light on a company that does a fantastic job of creating simple tabletop games…
My heroes and villains from Mantic’s Dungeon Saga
This roundup contains a few affiliate links which mean the site may earn a small commission, should you choose to buy through them. This helps support what we do and is never at any extra cost to you!
Mantic Games
Mantic are a company with a great ethos around making their games enjoyable and accessible for beginners. Any game you buy from them is going to be easy to get into and offer a lot of replay value to boot.
I’m a big fan of their mass fantasy rank and flank game Kings of War. KoW was designed by Alessio Cavatore, who’s also well known for his work on Games Workshop titles like Warmaster, Warhammer 40,000 and Mordheim. It’s arguably the best modern alternative to Warhammer Fantasy Battles.
If sci-fi is your jam, then look no further than the futuristic Warpath. On the other hand, if you’re up for a bit of fantasy naval warfare then Armada might well float your boat. Or, enable you to sink some.
Dungeon Saga is another favourite of mines and is as close to a modern and supported version of the legendary dungeon crawler HeroQuest as you’re likely to find.
Finally, Mantic offers some licensed boxed miniature games in the form of The Walking Dead: All Out War and Hellboy. These are perfect “gateway drugs” for pals and partners who might otherwise baulk at the very thought of playing with toy soldiers 😉
One Page Wonders
I want to give a nod to the One Page Rules project which offers some of the best miniature games for beginners. Their name is slightly deceptive as you’ll find few games there that are literally one-page rules, but they are all easy to understand and look like a lot of fun.
There’s no shortage of sandboxes to play in here, from Grimdark Future to Age of Fantasy, as well as some cracking one-offs that will explore every setting and scratch every itch.
As an added bonus, these rulesets are all available for free. That said though, they do run a Patreon, so if you enjoy their games it’s nice to chuck them a wee tip to say thanks!
Building a warband for a skirmish-level game makes miniature wargaming accessible for beginners
Simple Skirmish Games
I’d couldn’t write a simple tabletop games roundup and not mention two of my favourite skirmish games, Song of Blades & Heroes, and Open Combat. I can’t speak highly enough about these two titles, which both cater to medieval and fantasy miniatures.
If you’re a complete beginner or plan to play with one, I’d start with SoBH. With this game, the stat lines and bookkeeping are kept to an absolute minimum, and you don’t even need a tape measure to play. The game has been re-skinned to fit many settings too, from Mutants & Death Ray Guns to Fur & Buttons, and everything in between.
Open Combat will give you slightly more depth when it comes to the stats of your warband, as well as their weapons and armour. That said, a complete beginner will have no problem at all picking the rules up. An added bonus is that the game’s hardback rulebook is beautifully put together.
Simple Tabletop Wargames
Hopefully this roundup of some of the best miniature games for beginners has helped you find something that suits your needs, wants, and tastes.
I personally struggle to learn new rulesets and get intimidated by chunky rule tomes. There’s no game I’ve mentioned here though that I wouldn’t have the confidence to pick up for the first time and have an enjoyable playing experience with.
If you’re aware of any more simple tabletop wargames not mentioned here too, then I’d love to hear about them in the comments section.
Big units of troops marching across a scenery packed 6 by 4 table – there’s no aesthetic quite like it. For most of us growing up, there was only one option when it came to fighting out mass fantasy battles and that was Warhammer. And whilst the Old World is returning at some point in the future, there really is no need to hang around waiting on that day, whenever it might be. There are plenty of good Warhammer alternatives you can pick up and start playing today.
Warhammer Alternatives
Heads up! I’ve included some affiliate links when linking to certain games here. This enables the site to earn a small commission should you choose to buy through them, though at no extra cost to yourself 😀
For starters, there’s absolutely nothing to stop you from playing whatever edition of the game you own or liked the best. There are also projects like The 9th Age and Warhammer Orchard Edition which remain lovingly supported by their own respected communities.
Then there’s Kings of War by Mantic games. This is perhaps the most famous and popular of the Warhammer alternatives out there on the market today. You can use your old and existing miniatures to play this game, or buy from Mantic’s ever-increasing range of original units and figures.
A lesser-known (but still definitely worth checking out) game is Mayhem by award-winning game designer Brent Spivey. Brent is known for a popular sci-fi skirmish game called Rogue Planet. Mayhem is his mass fantasy battles contribution and lends itself particularly well to dropping down to 10mm or even 6mm scale wargaming.
Warpack – A Diceless Mass Fantasy Battle Game
On this episode, we’re adding another option to the ever-growing list of Warhammer alternatives. It’s called Warpack, and we’re going to hear all about it from the game’s creator, Joe Prince of Prince of Darkness Games.
Here, we’ll learn about the game’s mechanics and structure. This includes its use of a deck of playing cards rather than dice to work our way through the tactics and turns. We’ll also find out a bit about the motivations and inspirations that lead Joe to create Warpack, and, naturally, we’ll chat a bit about Games Workshop.
Frostgrave is one of the most recognisable games in the tabletop miniature wargame hobby. It’s also one of the most popular outwith the Games Workshop Empire.
On this episode, we’re joined by the architect of the frozen city himself – Joe McCullough. We’re going to talk about the lay of the land when this miniature agnostic fantasy skirmish game was released back in 2015, and speculate on the key factors behind its success.
Joe’s no one-trick pony though, and his scope extends well beyond Frostgrave. Stargrave may sound similar in name (and certainly shares a few core mechanics), but this sci-fi skirmish game is much more than just “Frostgrave in space”.
More often than not, Joe has appeared to release games in the right place and at the right time. One notable exception, however, is Oathmark. This mass fantasy battle rank and flank game was undoubtedly subdued by its Spring 2020 release date – a point in time where very few people could actually play it. Joe offers his thoughts on that as well as how the game might recover from this setback going forward.
One of the reoccurring themes of this conversation was that of miniature wargame terrain. Frostgrave and Stargrave in particular benefit from their tables being extremely busy. But does this create a barrier for players with no existing terrain collection or no budget? Joe tells us about many players using simple wooden blocks or polystyrene packaging to build their frozen cities and intergalactic outposts, and why it doesn’t need to look “real” to capture the imagination.
You can keep up with Joe on his blog The Renaissance Troll where he posts updates on his games, his hobby, his painting, and his thoughts in general. You’ll find the official range of Frostgrave miniatures over at North Star Military Figures, if you want to go down that route, as well as a raft of other games and supplements on DriveThruRPG.
We’re also looking for future guests or co-hosts for this podcast and if you’re interested in coming on, we’d love to hear from you. Head on over to the podcast section of the website, fill out the short form, and we can get the ball rolling from there!
Is this hobby the one remaining place we can still escape from digital technology and leave the phones, tablets, etc at the door? Or, are there benefits to be had by implementing certain tech to run “hybrid” style gaming experiences? That’s just one of the topics we touch on in this episode of the Tabletop Miniature Hobby Podcast.
We talking about storytelling, and worldbuilding in miniature agnostic games, referencing some of our own favourites like Open Combat, Song of Blades & Heroes, and Rogue Planet. Does providing a universe or setting limit players, or does it help them to build their forces and play out more meaningful encounters?
We couldn’t have a chat with Robey without dipping into game mechanics. What are some of the most innovative ones he’s come across? What are the mechanics he’s most proud of creating himself? Are there only so many different variations of miniature wargame rules out there? And while we’re at it, what makes a hobbyist gamer want to start writing their own rules in the first place anyway?
Robey also offers his thoughts on how he’d go about adapting a popular miniature game into a solo or co-op ruleset, and whether or not you could make a “tiny” game with only 2 minis.
No conversation on this podcast would be complete without touching on Games Workshop either. Does GW have more or less of an influence and hold over this industry than it did, say, 25 years ago?
Do you need to paint every day? Do you need to play every week? Is a “seasonal hobbying” approach the answer to navigating busy or unexpected life events?
In this episode we bring you a conversation with Dan Adam. Dan is the founder of the essential and long-running Paint All The Minis Podcast, where he chats with “a wide-ranging set of individuals from both inside and on the outside of the Tabletop/RPG/Boardgame industry about their experience, insight, & motivations.”
“Paint in the winter… you only paint in the winter!”
We cover a lot of ground in this chat. The starting point is a discussion around new and early parenthood. Babies and young kids demand a lot of your time and attention. Can we really justify painting and playing with toy soldiers during such a period? And if we can, how do we even begin to carve out the time for such things? Is a seasonal hobbying approach the answer here? Or do you just need to get the finger out and find a spare ten minutes each day?
We muse over whether the time you have available should dictate the types of games you’re into. If you’re strapped for time, is there any point in getting into a mass-battle game like Kings of War? Would you be better off playing smaller warband-based skirmish games like Stargrave? Or even trying out solo wargaming?
Finally, we talk about the content tightrope. Listening to podcasts, watching YouTube vids, and following social media groups and pages can be great for inspiration and motivation. On the flip side though, you can easily get bombarded with all the latest “must-have” miniatures and games. How can we navigate this so we can be more mindful about the new things we buy into, whilst still getting all of the benefits of hobby content consumption?
Taking a nostalgic look at the Herohammer era with Wargames Orchard presenter Nathan Stone.
“The Wargames Orchard is podcast dedicated to exploring Warhammer in a whole new way! We dive into the lore, rules, armies, and units from 1st to 8th edition Fantasy and 40k! You’ll also find a bit of news, hobby talk, and silly games inside. The perfect podcast to accompany your hobby!”
On this episode, we’re joined by Wargames Orchard presenter Nathan Stone – someone with an encyclopaedic knowledge of Warhammer lore. We talk about the Herohammer era and why it’s so compelling. Where did regiments of skeletons find nice matching shields and shiny red-handled spears? Why did Space Marines fight Orks and Genestealers on lush green grass under stunning blue skies? Couldn’t they have enjoyed a picnic together instead, basking in the idyllic scenery? And why did the Herohammer era gradually fade to be replaced by a much more grimdark alternative?
The grass was always greener in the Herohammer era
We also talk about what every sane and normal person would do if they had access to a time machine – travel back to shop in a Games Workshop store in the mid-90s. If Nathan had $100 in his wallet, what would be on his shopping list, and why?
Want to be a guest on a future episode? Here’s how.
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