Why Minis Games?

[Mr. White]

With all of the options for entertainment and creativity…why do I continue to come back to minis games? I’ve always been attracted to gaming, and like everyone else have played plenty of RPGs and video games over the years, but why do I come back to the subset of games that require the most work? Heck, I’ve had periods where I’ve sold off my entire model collection, as well as paint supplies, in attempts to “move on”. To be honest, I don’t really love painting. What am I doing here?

Ultimately, for me, it comes down to the permanence of tabletop games. I said I’ve gotten rid of collections in the past, but my wife held on to a few models as keepsakes. Here’s one. In fact the oldest painted model in my current collection.



It’s a Citadel Chaos Sorcerer from the mid-80s. He’s not my first painted model – that would be a small handful of Ral Partha figs for Dungeons and Dragons – but he’s the oldest I still own. In the late 80’s, when Mr White was a young 14 or 15 year old, a buddy wanted to run a new game called Heroquest, It came with models, but we could get our own to be the classic Barbarian, Elf, Dwarf or Wizard. Choosing the wizard, and a fan of superhero comics at the time, I wanted a figure that the other members of the party could call “Bucket Head”. This was the nickname Marvel characters would call Nova. This Chaos Sorcerer hung on the sprue at the LGS. I had no idea what Warhammer was at the time, but he looked like a good fantasy match for Nova’s outfit. At least having a helmet.

Anyway, back to permanence. Over the years, RPGs and video games felt a little hollow to me. I’d play them, but when they were done…they were done. Nothing really left but the memories of the good times. If I could get Zen for a moment, even that 14-year-old kid who painted the model above is no more. He doesn’t exist. But when I hold the model above, it’s the same model covered in the same paint that those 14-year-old hands held. That 14-year-old is gone, but he’s also a part of me, and this model is a weird artifact bridging me to that child.

On top of that, if the need arises for me to need a bucket-headed chaos sorcerer… I’ve got one. That need hasn’t happened, but…case in point:



When I got rid of all my original Blood Bowl teams a few decades ago, a buddy asked to have the above converted Warhammer rat ogre. I think I made this fella in about 1993, or maybe it was 1994..whenever the 3rd edition of the game came out. My first BB team was made up of this rat ogre and the 2nd edition skaven models. Last fall, I ran a little gaming event that included a Gutter Bowl tournament where the participants used old school, metal BB models. My buddy reminded me that he had this fig and sent it to me. Again, I had a model in hand that a younger version of myself created. Anyway, I went out and chased down some 3rd edition metal skaven models to rebuild a team around this rat ogre.



Happily, this ol’ veteran rat won the Gutter Bowl Event. (The largest Gutter Bowl Event ever held in historic Lockhart, Texas, btw. )

Anyway, I think going back to “why minis games?”…for me, it’s never really been about specific rules, but more the creation of the models, and as I’ve gotten back into the hobby pretty heavily about 8-9 years ago, I’ve become drawn to the fact that once created… the creation persists. These old pieces of lead can still continue on new adventures. And, deep into mid-life now, there is a little bit of an attraction to something old still having use as well as new journeys ahead.

So, what are the oldest models still in your collection? Do they see the table? Have any picture of them to share?

[zemjw]

Oldest figures are probably 25mm Macedonians from late 70s, early 80s - Minifigs, Lamming etc. They're in the loft, where I daren't look at them. I suspect they're in one of three states:

- how I imagine I painted them
- how I actually painted them
- small piles of unrecognisable blobs of lead-rotted metal

I don't want to collapse the waveform, so ignorance shall remain bliss.

Oldest fantasy will be some old Citadel D&D figures, then most of their dwarfs from the 80s, along with dwarfs from Grenadier, Asgard and Essex.

My oldest paints are two Airfix glass bottles that came with screw tops. They are long past usable, but I keep them for nostalgia's sake

I am much more of a collector and painter than gamer, so they don't see the table nearly as often as they should. However, with retirement hoving into view, hopefully that will change.

[Pattus Magnus]

That’s an interesting question (or set of questions). For me, a large part of the appeal of this subset of games is that it takes the most work. It is an important creative outlet for me and has several aspects to that. Building and painting give me relaxation that is way different from my day job, and if I’m not in the mood for that I can plan out scenarios or build army lists, or whatever.

As far as ancient figures goes, I still have some from my 3rd ed.WFB days in the late ‘80s. A few still have their paint from that period, too - enamels, with perpetually startled expressions! Actually some of the later ones I did then weren’t bad, I still use a few but gave them new bases.

[Belligerentparrot]

Oldest models? Late 80s Citadel as far as date of creation goes. First minis I owned were the Space Crusade ones. Bits of them are still in my collection.

Why mini games?
Agree on the *it takes the most work* thought.

I much prefer skirmish-level games, as my favourite part of the hobby is converting minis. I have to put the work in, investing the mini with character (tho I love old Citadel, which has character to burn - that range of Chaos sorcerers for example) and also making it mine.

I'm an awful painter, but improving on that is my next task. That'll take a lot of work  But it'll be worth it. At least, I bloody hope so.

For a long time I've also been a collector of unreleased Citadel miniatures. I'm mostly done with adding to the collection now, but most of the little futuristic warbands I build have been years and years in the making, tracking down some extremely rare minis.

I haven't even mentioned the fun of actually playing a game yet. 

[Rick]

First minis I owned were some minifigs Prussian Napoleonics that were bought for me but the first I bought for myself were the Citadel Spacefarers range - I had Imperial and Star Law figures, my brother had Redemptionist Rebel and Space Pirate figures.

[ced1106]

> permanence

Strong psychological want of tangible items. Books are an even better example. You could have all the exact same content of books on a Kindle, so why buy books? Most books are meant to be read only once, so why buy something permanent?

I think mini's are a combination of...
* Art: You can look at a mini.
* Accessible art: You can buy mini's, though video art is cheaper (free).
* Storable art: You can have more mini's than, say, wall art. Though, again, you can store more video art than mini's.
* Collecting: Not sure if this is a bug or a feature. But you could certainly be collecting more expensive stuff that takes more space!
* Craft: Like many crafts, you can be the artist, when it comes to painting and converting mini's.
* Skill: Again, like crafts, with mini painting, you get immediate feedback and your skill always increases.
* Activity: Even with crafts, most art can only be looked at. With mini's you can play games and socialize.
* Audience: Okay, so you've created some art. Now what? Do you try to show it off? With mini's, you are the audience b/c you'll be using the mini's in your games.
* Solo: And if you can't find someone to game with, you can paint mini's!

[Moriarty]

I have a habit of conceiving, collecting painting, playing and selling on. Then ‘lather, rinse, repeat’. Initially the process would be one army/force/squad, but later the realisation hit that I would have to produce both sides were I to realise the vision. As such, I don’t think I have anything from the ‘start’ of my Wargaming days (Garrison 25mm Spartan unit, then Greek army)

The oldest figures I still have are Garrison Imperial Romans that await painting and basing - but they are a recent eBay purchase.

[fred]

Mr White, I think we are of a very similar age. I think my first fantasy figures were a boxed set of Ral Patha adventures, that I do have around, they are very much 'true 25s' and where small against contemporary Citadel figures. These are still in their original paint, but have had basing redone. Perhaps I'll dig them out.

I then bought a lot of Citadel figures, and still have most of them - but they very rarely get on the table, as they were bought more for RPGs so are a right mixture. I do think they were played with approx 10 years ago with my children, when we played some SoBH.

But prior to this I had lots of WWII plastics - Airfix, Esci, Matchbox etc.  These were only painted to a limited degree - quantity was all in these games! And tanks tended to get more paint than the hordes of infantry. I still have some of these, but did sell off a fair bit.

As to why mini games - it's the tangible side of the game, and the 3d representation. I noticed this most during lockdown when we were remote gaming. I much more enjoyed setting up the table, and moving the figures for the remote players, than being a remote player.

[Harry Faversham]

"Ultimately, for me, it comes down to the permanence of tabletop games."


Same here, Airfix from the 60/70s. Still marching today!
 

[Moriarty]

Since the 60’s/70’s? Perhaps consider increasing the movement rates?

[Rossco2]

For me it is a combination of enjoying making permanent art and doing some research on the history, as well as the actual game playing.

I have some Airfix 1/72 Napoleonics I painted in 1979. Fixed them up a few years ago and they have since had several games. I still sometimes use the 15mm Minifigs strip figures I painted around then.

Some of these old figures in my collection bring out fond memories!

[DivisMal]

It soothes me. Every week my job get more and more digital. (And having found a rare opportunity to work in archaeology since the early 2000s I escaped most of the nonsense my friends have to endure since years).

In the evening I like to do something outside a computer. For my love of printed books I get laughed at by younger colleagues (most recently with the argument of sustained use of resources…), but I find nothing more relaxing than sitting down and read a good translation of the Ilias. Heck, even my 6year old daughter had great fun going through a Tut Ankh Amen catalogue.

The only thing I like more (or on a similar level) is tabletop gaming. Yes, it is time consuming, the rules are ofte imbalanced and strange, and my painting is mediocre at best. But then again my daughter proves me right. She loves few things more than joining me in my man cave and helping me paint.

Oldest models: Mithril Gandalf and Fantasy Warriors plastics by the great Mark Copplestone.

Where have I been? Killzone, 40k 3rd, Necromunda, Bloodbowl, Chronopia, Confrontation, Space Hulk, Warmaster, Oldhammer

What am I doing nowadays? Mostly indie rules. I love anything SoBH. And historical. Can’t stand most modern fantasy worlds. Simply not interesting and boring, repetitive.

[Harry Faversham]

Since the 60’s/70’s? Perhaps consider increasing the movement rates?

Little bleeders have made it as far as the New Emporium by the Seaside!
 

[Elbows]

For me it's simple.

As a kid, I loved toy soldiers.  Probably more than your average kid.  My dad, fortunately, also loved toy soldiers so I was blessed with plenty and good ones.  He'd even re-paint, fix, and 'repair' broken toy soldiers and set up big dioramas for me on Christmas morning - with plastic forts spread across the floor, and armies of Napoleonics, artillery, etc.

My dad was never into physical wargaming, but rather a hex-grid kind of strategic level wargamer.  He painted models, but not wargaming kits or models.

As a 10-12 year old I started getting into Warhammer style properties, and amusingly my folks noticed that when I put on my headphones and started painting, it was one of the few times I wasn't a total spaz.  Like a lot of kids I was diagnosed with some ADHD (in the years before they tried to dope you into submission), so I was...energetic, you could say.  But I would zone out when painting minis with my headphones on, so it was an added bonus.

I later got into theatre, and have always had a strong imagination.  It's why I enjoyed role-playing games immensely as a kid and today (without any physical items, just theatre-of-the-mind, etc.).  When I play wargames, I "see" the whole world around the table.  I can invest myself into the characters, the consequences, etc.  It's not about scoring victory points and sitting on scoring zones with some mathematically superior element...it's about the story, the characters in the army, etc.

Today, wargaming is one of two main hobbies to which I dedicate the majority of my free time.  An obvious unexpected benefit, was that physical wargaming is now a refuge from the endless technology which can really quickly plague your space and mind.  If I pull my phone out during a game, it's to check if a text message was important, or to snap a picture.  Beyond that it's an entirely physical hobby, with no technology involved, no limits, no subscriptions, no fees, no patches, nothing of the sort.

Mind you, I don't mind a rulebook as a PDF.  I have a tablet in my gaming bag, but generally we don't need to read a rulebook during the game, and we just print out any cheat sheets as necessary.  So that's a kind of unexpected benefit.

It's also a good social hobby - again one which is not driven by an app, or requiring headphones, a webcam, etc.  Just a real person, rolling real dice, drinking real beer.

As a game designer, I get the same joy out of people enjoying my games, as I did with people enjoying when I was in theatre (only acted high school, college, a bit after, etc.).  Making a crowd laugh is identical to making a handful of people have a good time rolling dice.  It's a little bit creative, but the goal is always entertainment.  Joy.  There's nothing more pure than that.

So it started as toy soldiers, but now is a physical refuge from AI, virtual headsets, non-stop phone apps, zoom meetings, GPS tracked phones, listening bots in your house, or refrigerators which tell you you're running low on OJ,...it's just dice and friends.

[Rick]

"Sustained use of resources" DivisMal? Books are the ultimate in sustainability and lock up the carbon in trees for decades; given the rare elements used in kindle devices, books should be, by far, the more sustainable option. I think your colleagues are spouting unthinking ideology at you!