About Miniature Wargaming

Welcome to Miniature Wargaming!

This weblog was created on Blogspot using the Garland template (which is pretty much Drupal's default template translated onto Blogspot). Commenting on posts are allowed but moderated so as to prevent spamming/rudeness on the blog.

About the Author

My name is Ian Navarro, a miniature wargamer and hobby enthusiast from the Philippines. I started playing miniature wargames in 2000 but I've been into tabletop roleplaying games for as long as I can remember.

I got my feet wet via 3rd edition Chaos Space Marines, then flitted around with Mordheim and Black Templars Space Marines. But I made my mark in the local community with my push on Warhammer Fantasy with Vampire Counts in 2002. I started improving my gaming as well as my painting, as well as joining tournaments. Eventually I got to organizing the events and using my website development skills to help further the community - which was then structured into Lito Tan's Rolling Hills Gaming Club.

In 2005, I became one of the founding members of WARMACHINE Philippines and have succeeded in making the gaming group recognized by Privateer Press' own No Quarter publication via the WARMACHINE Philippines blog. In 2008, I became an official Press Ganger for Privateer Press.

Presently, I continue to help further the hobby and the community. I still paint, play and make terrain in addition to other things - organizing events/tourneys/megabattles, administration duties on the blogs and forums, developing and updating the map-based game tracking systems.

I play a lot of Khador, some Trollbloods, and some Legion of Everblight from Privateer Press. I also play with Necrons, Imperium Space Marines and Chaos Space Marines for 40K; and Vampire Counts and Daemons of Chaos for WFB. I'm also looking into Anima Tactics, Infinity the Game and Pulp City.

I believe (and have proven) that the gaming community can exist with various game systems. I have played casual games, participated in tournaments and organized events for BOTH PP and GW (and hopefully for the others, too, later on). The gaming community may seem fractured with the game of preference, division in individual belief, distance of venue, etc. - but so long as guys still get together and enjoy the games - the gaming community can still thrive in this world of instant noodle mentality.

I hope this blog will be of help to you. Thanks for reading.

+++ Ian "shink1m" Navarro
+++ Good luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. +++ Everyone will always have a reason to backstab everyone else. Everyone will always have a reason to spend. Everyone will always have a reason to hate. Everyone will always have something to complain about. Such is the way of the world. +++

Newbie questions answered here

From Scarella, posted on the Neutral Grounds forum:

You need patience, time, $$$ and devotion to truly enjoy this hobby... cuz like all hobbies, the more time and effort you put into it the more it rewards you...

i guess a good barometer for success in the hobby is whether or not you've made models before and dabbled in any sort of RPG's like Dungeons and Dragons... since GW is pretty much a mix of both...

Well one thing to do is have a hobby-buddy when getting into GW... so you can always play vs. someone who is just starting, build stuff at the same time, and if the forces can link-up like marines and guard, you both can tag-team vs. one of them bigger armies...

And if you like the armies in the starter sets go for em, like the upcoming fantasy one will have 100+ figs in it... dwarves and goblins so loads of coolness, and mind you not 100+ of boring "green army men" style figs at that... but ace looking figs...

also don't believe everything you hear about "suggestions" or what units to take... the community is pretty small so there are certain local trends for both games and that's where these assumptions are from, but Fantasy Battle (FB) lends itself to a more rock-paper-scissors approach since most of the armies are represented in the playing groups, while 40K it's space marines or chaos space marines everywhere...

Once you've decided what game you like, pick a race based on models you like... most armies can adopt a wide range of styles with notable exceptions like there is no shooty-chaos fantasy battle army, nor an all-cav skaven army... pretty much by choosing an army with looks and background that you like, regardless if you win or lose at least you like your army...

The Games-workshop website has a nice intro section for both games and and focuses on in the individual armies as well

For Warhammer 40K Army building:
http://uk.games-workshop.com/warhammer40000/army-building/

For Warhammer Fantasy Army Building link:
http://uk.games-workshop.com/warhammer/army-building/

Look for the "Getting started with XXXX-army" under each army heading for a intro about getting an army started... and if these articles seem like too much reading then perhaps reconsider since there's more required reading once you're underway in the hobby...

And for the tough part... painting... well i'll go out on a limb here and say if you don't have any model-hobby experience it will be an uphill battle for you... hobby experience being model planes, tanks, gundams, tamiya 4WD , anything crafty... best first purchases are typically if you are not getting armies in the starter sets or a battleforce... would be reg-box+army book+and basic painting supplies... I know many guys over there suggest cheaper hobby alternatives, remember though that some of these guys are great modellers and experienced painters... the GW paints are easy to use and are great for matching up with the pics.... true you can achieve decent effects with cheaper alternatives but as someone just getting started in the hobby, perhaps not...

Getting into the whole GW stream of things may seem daunting at first, but just have patience and adopt a squad, then character, then squad, then character line of painting and purchases, don't buy everything at once... you'll get overloaded... the reason for starting out on a squad is since most starting people need to get the basics of painting, and starting on your army commander ain't the way to go... as you progress your painting will get better, and army commanders are loaded with details... might as well start on the soldiers and then paintup a character fig/vehicle/warmachine/etc., when your skills are developing...

hope that helps.... and about the $$$ part, just sell one of your kidneys you have two of them anyways hee hee

+++

From Kim, posted on the Neutral Grounds website:

1. Is there a plastic version for the Warhammer Fantasy? If there is, is it significantly cheaper? With my limited resources, this is an important question.
There are plastic models and there are metal models. Such applies for both 40K and WFB. Cheaper? None of our geeky hobbies is ever cheap (CCGs are way more expensive than miniature wargaming). It's all just a matter of proper allocation of funds.

2. Should I buy the army books first before the figs? How will I know if the army I picked is right for me? I mean, I like some of the orc figs & most of the ogre figs...I don't know their strengths & weaknesses.
Instead of aiming for winning, field an army that you'll enjoy building and painting. Any army you'll play with becomes competitive given the right treatment. Asking the veterans also help.


3. There is a smaller point army for Warhammer Fantasy which is basically dungeon-crawling with figs. Alam ko meron nito e. Magandang stepping stone to WFB for the cost-conscious.
There was but I forgot the name. The level-up-xp-gain version of WFB is Mordheim, Inquisitor for 40K. Both are rarely played these days though. Veterans with huge armies can always downgrade into smaller pointage games. Aim for a small 500-point skirmish group, but don't expect to field uber-strong (Lord-level) characters on small pointage games though.

4. In lieu with question#2, is it possible to combine diff. races?
More often than not, you are limited to a single race when duking out with big armies. There are mercenary options that you can add to some armies like Cavalry or Ogres, but not all. There are numerous troop choices for each army available already anyway.

5. With my questionable painting skills, is there a paint remover that is applicable to this hobby?
Prestone brake fluid. Tried and tested.

6. How do you do those cool-looking bases? Where do you get the materials (greeneries, rocks, etc.)
There are many many options on this one - cork, eggshell, gravel, putty, cardboard. There are also many sites online that can help you with this.

7. Marami pa bang naglalaro ng WFB at 40K now? (Are there many WFB and 40K players now?)
Marami naman (Plenty enough). Population of players depend on venue though.

Expensive?

From on old post on the Neutral Grounds forum

Expensive? All hobbies are expensive. Yun nga lang, with miniature wargaming, the initial cash output is greater than other hobbies.

With any of the booster games like Clix or CCGs, you have to keep buying to keep your card library up-to-date. With miniatures, the only expense you'll encounter after finishing your army would be --- ideally nothing. That is, unless you want to expand your current army and/or start a new army. What you buy today will still be usable years later. I've been at the hobby for a good six years running. Yes, rules sometimes change, but very rarely (If you play CCGs, this is something you're used to). None of the models become Type 1 or Type 2. Some models get resculpts but it'll fall unto you if you buy that or not, BUT it will have no effect on the game. If you bought a Space Marine Rhino in 1999, you can still use that model in your games now.

If you're interested in getting into mini-wargaming, you have to be serious about the decision. Starting in the hobby and then quitting midway will end you with some pretty expensive paperweight or airgun targets. And unless you paint and/or convert reeeally well, you WILL have a hard time selling your existing used models (unless of course you find a noob who'll buy them off you).

Here are some FACTS that you will face in this hobby:

- YOU WILL PAINT - whether you're a masterclass painter or a grade school kid, you'll have to get your models painted somehow. Some will have their models painted by someone for a fee. Some will stick it out and paint on their own. I did the latter. I painted badly when I started. So bad that they're all Prestoned now and waiting for a spanking new paintjob. Now, I can say that my stuff is above average. You get that from constant practice. Don't be discouraged if your first paintjob ends up like some schoolboy art project. Most of the good ones start that way.

Playing in Warhammer tourneys, you get judged not only by how you win but also by how your army is painted. If you had that army painted by someone else, you won't get top prize. Well, for me, part of the allure of this hobby is customizing your own models anyway.

If you're not too keen about this (moreso if you're just into the "gaming" aspect), put some consideration into this before you spend your hard-earned money.

- YOU WILL BUY TOOLS - yes, tools. Tools like side cutters, exacto knives, pin vises, a toolbox even. Then again, if you have your army painted by someone else, you'll skip this part. BUT if you put it onto yourself to paint your own stuff and improve your craft, don't scrimp on this aspect. Talent enough will also require good tools to produce a good result. I'll be posting more on this on the website I'm planning.

- YOU WILL CARRY MANY MODELS AROUND - this is a difficult issue if you're a commuter, but I myself have gotten used to this already. Be sure to warn your friendly Manong Guard not to poke the models with his goddamn stick though LOL!

- YOU WILL NEED A TABLE WITH TERRAIN - most of the big Neutral Grounds branches have tables and terrain ready for you to play on. That, or you can build your own gaming table. That's another topic altogether.

- YOU WILL READ THROUGH A LOT OF STUFF - rulebooks, codices/army books, magazines, the Internet -- this hobby has a bit of technicality infused into it, so unless you read up, you might get surprised by some sly move.

"Can you do that?"

"Yeah, I can. The rules for this was released on the GW website last month. Here's the printout."

- YOU WILL NEED AN OPPONENT WHO'LL MATCH YOUR POINTAGE - let's face it, only a blessed few can buy a whole force in one trip to NG. For the rest of us, we start small force battles. Experienced players can downgrade the pointage of their forces to match yours so don't worry. The issue here is that you come around lugging your big bag of nicely-painted models then no one shows up. Sched your matches properly. Also call up the shop to see if there's no big tourney going. WH games need big tables, and not all the tables (or space for that matter) become available when big tourneys of other games are ongoing.

- YOU WILL LOSE - this is primarily a gentleman's game (despite the loud cussing by some of the veterans). Some people play to win, some play for fun. Some play with their heart, some play with numbers in their head. But whatever type you fall into, there are days when dice just roll bad. Just be sure when you lose, lose graciously. No one wants to play with a whiny bastard just because he lost. The WH community isn't a big one - and how you handle yourself with your games will be known by your opponents.

- YOU WILL BE TEMPTED - if you got cash to spend, go spoil yourself and buy stuff. If not, then just save up. The hobby won't go away. How far you'll go in the hobby will depend on your decisions. What everyone else says are just guidelines.