So you think you are thinking about getting into wargaming, huh? Great! Come on in and tell us what got you excited about the hobby? No gate keeping here! For those brand spanking new to the gaming table I have compiled a handy little list of first purchases to gear you up for a smooth experience.
Dice
Sure it’s low hanging fruit but I can’t not mention dice, can I? Let’s just get this out of the way then. While requirements per game may vary, you can’t go wrong with getting yourself 20 D6. That’s a six sided dice if you are not down with the kids. This is your workhorse and sees use in the majority of wargames with 20 being plenty for most uses, unless you are eyeing up an ork army. Beyond that some specific systems like to get weird with it so do your research and work out what your chosen game requires: D10s for Carnivale, D20 for Infinity, or D60 if you are not well – are you OK sir? Etc.
While you can absolutely pick up a small bucket of D6 for a reasonable price wherever they are encountered, you will quickly learn that just like beards and t-shirts with astronauts on, dice are a magnificent way for gamers to express themselves. Endless is the well of vibrant, novelty, and insanely expensive custom dice so there is plenty of room for people of all interests and budgets to cultivate a collection that represents them. Side note, be prepared for your personally curated selection of little shapes to utterly betray you at the gaming table. Just make sure to keep an eye on your habit because I’ve definitely seen some friends go full Arkenstone over their polyhedral hoards…
Counters / markers
Lots of games out there require tracking some stat or other; health, mana, sanity, times that particular miniature has missed their one shot per turn this game and if they get to 5 so help me God I am melting them, etc.. Now let’s be real, you can always use a dice as a counter. If that’s your preference I strongly recommend using a different dice size or at the very least colour to whatever you are rolling for that game. I prefer to use something else entirely to avoid scooping up the dice accidentally, and because I like my gaming table a little extra. While your options for counters vary almost infinitely, I have formed a habit of using Warlord pin markers for most things. They are vibrant and visible across a table, are unlikely to blend with any terrain or minis, and are cheap as chips. Also, I use them as vehicle destroyed markers by placing them on top of the vehicles. Would recommend.
Laser pens PEW PEW baby. I won’t tell you that you need lasers to play wargaming. All I am doing here is making you aware that it’s an option knowing full well you will buy one immediately. Here you go. You’re welcome. What are they useful for? Line of sight, arcs of fire, adding special effects to your games of Star Wars Legion, and so on. Top tip, when checking line of sight make sure your adversary does not confirm the path of the lazer from the opposite end of the table lest you turn your mate into a cyclops. Sorry Kevin.
Measuring devices
All wargames need a way to measure distance, range, movement, and all that jazz. Some games skirt the issue by playing on a gridded mat, others include a handy measuring tool with each edge being a relevant measurement to the system, others keep it old school and expect you to raid your dad’s toolbox. That will always be my preference for one very simple reason. When your turn comes round again and you draw your measuring tape like you would a side off off your belt it just feels hecking cool. I don’t ever want to wield a real gun but I will sure as hell pretend every opportunity I get. By all means pull from your tool box but it’s nice to have a few tapes specifically for wargaming. Take your pick but I have a pair of these bad boys.
Templates
Now listen, we are getting a little specific here. Some games don’t use them and others have their own bespoke templates but many use generic blast templates. Warlord make the best one I have seen as it’s a single, light piece of plastic with all the standard sizes you are going to need. They are a solid price but at this point you are probably starting to realise I play a lot of Warlord games so by all means have a browse and find one that jingles your jams specifically.
Storage
Wargamers like stuff right? Minis, rulebooks and all of the above but where does it all go? Some of us don’t feel this need and are content to store their miniatures on dusty shelves and their terrain covers their dining tables eternal. Others, like I, must keep their shame secret, or at least tidy. I use magnetically receptive self adhesive sheets stuck to the bottom of a 4 litre Really Useful Boxes. With magnetised bases these make great storage for most tanks and infantry and you can always push to a 9 litre box for your giant robots and colossal dinosaurs, which will stack nicely with the 4 litre. Slap a label on the front and you’ll have yourself a storage solution worthy of an actual military quartermaster. That said, I host most of my games so my minis don’t need to go far. If you really want to bring out the big guns then you should be looking at made for purpose mini cases. These things would probably survive a direct hit from an actual WW2 tank…. A Japanese tank anyway.
Snacks
Always. Bring. Snacks. It was Jack Churchill who said “Any officer who goes into action without his custard creams is improperly dressed” and by God was he right. I regularly play for 6-8 hours of a weekend. Every minute of these marathon massacres requires focus, vigilance, vigor and above all calories. An army marches on its stomach after all so make sure you have plenty of rations to see you through. My weapon of choice is a big pack of biscuits as they keep my hands free of grease and flavour powder but no judgements if you like a sausage roll and a pack of Doritos – just keep your mitts off my minis!
Starter sets
If you entirely fresh faced you will of course actually need some minis and a rulebook otherwise it’s just you and your mate stood in the conservatory shouting numbers at each other and making gun noises. Most popular games out there have a product or two designed to reel you in and get you playing with relative ease. Without fail these are some of the best ways to get rolling and having a blast fast. Here are a few top picks for getting started with some of my favourite systems. Each is intended for two players and hs everything you need to get going all in one box:
Fallout Wasteland Warfare Kings of War
Round up
Thank you for reading my TED talk about toys to help you enjoy your toys. Hopefully this has made things a little less daunting for those with a hankering for the hobby. Just remember, no plan survives contact with the enemy and no miniature survives a drop onto a tiled floor.
About the author:
Hasvik is as Hasvik does. Hasvik enjoys wargaming, TTRPGS, and board games, as well as Jaffa Cakes, frogs, and rolling my dice on the floor to intimidate my opponent. Hasvik has no socials and cannot be followed for he travels only the hidden paths.
