Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)

[tereydavi]

This is an article I have made on low cost wargames, or how to play wargames on a budget....

As a solo wargamer, I can't spend a huge sum of money to make a nice gaming table.

In this article I'll share with you many tricks I have found to save a lot of money but having a nice gaming table.

I really hope you like it!!

https://fearofthedarkskirmishwargame.blogspot.com/2021/03/low-cost-wargames.html?m=1

[fred]

Good article.

An expensive hobby is always relative. Wargaming is probably cheap compared to other middle aged male hobbies (golf, classic cars, cycling, etc).

Probably the big positive for wargaming is that you can start small and build up, and your article gives lots of good ways of getting started for a low outlay. The downside is there is always something else to get!

[manic _miner]

 Great little article.

 I just had the latest five boxes of Dark Alliance 1/72 scale Fantasy miniatures arrive Today.These are really nice figures with less flash on them than previous releases.They are Lord of the Rings inspired sets along with a pack of Anubis Warriors and a pack of Cyclopes figures.A very good way to get playable forces for skirmish games quickly.

[tereydavi]

Probably the big positive for wargaming is that you can start small and build up, and your article gives lots of good ways of getting started for a low outlay. The downside is there is always something else to get!

I remember that I started in skirmish games just because with 10 miniatures per side you could play... But after a few games played I had a few warbands... And after a year I had a lot of warbands...

Great little article.

 I just had the latest five boxes of Dark Alliance 1/72 scale Fantasy miniatures arrive Today.These are really nice figures with less flash on them than previous releases.They are Lord of the Rings inspired sets along with a pack of Anubis Warriors and a pack of Cyclopes figures.A very good way to get playable forces for skirmish games quickly.

1/72 is an unbeatable range for wargaming. You can set an army cheaply.

[RSDean]

I remember that I started in skirmish games just because with 10 miniatures per side you could play... But after a few games played I had a few warbands... And after a year I had a lot of warbands...

1/72 is an unbeatable range for wargaming. You can set an army cheaply.

Eventually you start grouping the skirmish warbands as units in the next higher level game, and so it grows...

I started with 1/72 scale Airfix plastics 50 or so years ago, so I’ve always had some affection for 1/72s.  When my kids were in middle/high school (20 or so years ago), they got hooked on plastics since they would extend their somewhat limited budgets.  We’re  currently working on 1/72 medieval/Tolkien-like fantasy and 1/72 late Bronze Age, among out other projects:

http://sharpbrush.blogspot.com/search/label/1%2F72%20scale%20plastic?updated-max=2020-05-03T09:30:00-04:00&max-results=20&start=8&by-date=false

I also like the OPs use of papercraft models.  Some links to the free ones would be nice.

[manic _miner]

 I think most of us gamers got into miniatures via Airfix and Matchbox 1/72 or 1/32 scale figures.I had loads of them.

 RSDean check-out the range on here for the Dark Alliance range of Fantasy miniatures.They will help greatly in your project i am sure.

 https://www.hannants.co.uk/search/index.php?search=dark+alliance&setPerPage=25&search_direction=asc&pageID=1

[RSDean]

I think most of us gamers got into miniatures via Airfix and Matchbox 1/72 or 1/32 scale figures.I had loads of them.

 RSDean check-out the range on here for the Dark Alliance range of Fantasy miniatures.They will help greatly in your project i am sure.

 https://www.hannants.co.uk/search/index.php?search=dark+alliance&setPerPage=25&search_direction=asc&pageID=1

Those of us of a certain age, at least...

I’m familiar with the Dark Alliance stuff; I’ve been pleased that they are broadening out a bit with the Greek Mythological stuff in addition to the straight LotR boxes.  I’m thinking that elder son and I may be adding a mythological element to our Bronze Age games one of these days.  The one additional thing that would be really nice is a box of mixed D&D-type adventurers, since the Caesar ones are so hard to find currently.

[manic _miner]

 Caesar also did Ratmen,Lizardmen and two sets of Zombies.Got a box of the Elves.

[Hobgoblin]

The one additional thing that would be really nice is a box of mixed D&D-type adventurers, since the Caesar ones are so hard to find currently.

Yes, indeed. The new Men of the South Dark Alliance box is pretty good for adventurers, as there's a mix of armour, male and female rangers and a couple with two-handed swords.

There are some gems to be found in various historical sets, including various civilian types that make good thieves and the like. I've found clerics the hardest to come by, but the Caesar plastic is quite easy to convert, so swords and axes can be replaced with maces easily enough.

Another tip is to use old Ral Partha stuff. A lot of Tom Meier's stuff from 1979 or so is actually too small for 'true' 25, as the figures are 25mm to the top of the head rather than the eyes. The heads are slightly too big, but not so you'd notice in an RPG situation - especially when they have hoods or hats. And the Ral Partha dwarves from that era are absolutely spot on for 1/72.

[Mr. White]

I’m a fan of 1/72 and use it for my Zona Alfa project as the models scale perfectly to the cars I use for Gaslands. I’m able to multipurpose the models for a few different games.

I had considered the 1/72 Dark Alliance fantasy models for LotR with the Dragon Rampant ruleset, but what would be decent sources of fantasy buildings for this scale to use as terrain?

[Hobgoblin]

I had considered the 1/72 Dark Alliance fantasy models for LotR with the Dragon Rampant ruleset, but what would be decent sources of fantasy buildings for this scale to use as terrain?

Dave Graffam's card buildings are excellent (and very often on sale extremely cheaply). You can scale them to any size.

I reckon a lot of 25/28mm buildings will look just fine with 1/72; they often look too small compared with 28mm figures.

[BZ]

Dave Graffam's card buildings are excellent (and very often on sale extremely cheaply). You can scale them to any size.

They are beautiful, thanks, very useful link!

[BZ]

Great article!
1/72 models (unpainted), paper buildings, cheap model trees and simple cloth gaming mats are really cheap, no need to start with GW!

[RSDean]

Dave Graffam's card buildings are excellent (and very often on sale extremely cheaply). You can scale them to any size.

I reckon a lot of 25/28mm buildings will look just fine with 1/72; they often look too small compared with 28mm figures.

I love Dave Graffam’s work; I have a vast collection of the pdfs even though I’ve only printed up 20 or so different ones. I generally used the recommended scaling factor for 20mm for 1/72 skirmish games buildings.  If you are going for mass battles, I might consider scaling them even a bit smaller...

Some Caesar adventurers with scaled down Graffam buildings.

[crafty]

Thanks for the article, the hobby costs can start to add up if you're not careful. Not just the figures & models, but all the paints and supplemental costs. It can be easy to get over excited and just buy buy buy...in any hobby I suppose.

1/72 plastics are an excellent low cost option for Second World War gaming. I have loads of Italeri & Pegasus figures, the poses are great, and you usually get approximately 40 to 50 figures in a box. There are also heaps of vehicles in that scale to choose from.

That's roughly half the cost of 1/56 or 1/48, and twice as many figures. I also happen to prefer that scale on the tabletop for platoon & company sized games (Crossfire & Bolt Action).

Sure I'd love to have metal figures & speccy terrain but the cost is just prohibitive...I'm not quite a retired gentleman of leisure yet, and unfortunately there are always costs....cars need rego...kids need braces..mortgage has got to be paid...etc etc. I also live remotely, so postage is a another cost.

The only hassle I have is finding cheaper and *available* 1/72 plastics for other periods such as medieval.

As for terrain, I make a lot of mine. I've got two 'terrain' cloths, one green fabric, one hessian sandy cloth. I've made my own trees from washing up scourers and flock. Ive made my own rivers and hills. Scratch built houses from cork & cardboard, hedges from green scouring pads, bridges from coffee stirrers. There are so many tutorials on youtube to help out.

Sure some of my stuff looks a bit crappy compared to well manufactured resin pieces, but truth be told, none of my gaming companions seem to care once the dice start to roll. I try to make a decent effort with a lot of my stuff, but it'll never be at that diorama-level quality of a lot of stuff you see here on LAF, but you know, you just find your happy middle ground between time/energy/cost etc.

One thing I've decided not to skimp on anymore is tins of primer. In the past I've used really cheap and shitty stuff, but recently I used a tin of Vajello stuff...and although it's twice as expensive I'm much happier with the results.

Anyway all the best.