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…
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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!
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.
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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.
Finally, we have a Tabletop Miniature Hobby Podcast where you can get more ideas and inspiration in audio form. It’s available anywhere you get your podcasts, so be sure to check it out. Click here to find out more!
A game company called Two Hour Wargames puts out a set of rules for different genres. The game system is unique in how it is implemented. Recently had a game of Nuts Big Battles with a few friends; World War II in 15 mm. Contacted the Designer Ed the Two Hour Wargame guy about a couple of questions through his forum and he got back to me in twenty minutes. Wow!!!! The system is for solo, coop, or head to head. Nice little lighter rules for games in under two hours; hence the name.
No blood bowl?
An excellent source of free rule sets, after-action reports, and all-around great discussion, is Bob Cordery’s blog, entitled “Wargaming Miscellany”. Of particular interest is his series of “Portable Wargame” rules, covering many different periods. They are well-written, clear, and produce exciting games; and require relatively few figures to boot!