The Four Qualities of a Good Mini Wargame

[Arkion]

I started writing this as part of an upcoming podcast, but realized it might be better received as a written article. Hopefully this is the right spot to post it.

 

It’s no secret we all like mini wargaming. But what’s the secret of a good mini wargame?

 

For me, it’s down to four things:

Can I afford it? (This applies to both time and money)

Do I like the miniatures?

Is the game fun?
Do other people play?

 

Here are my answers for Malifaux:

Can I afford it? Yeah. And as long as I budget my time well, I can even afford to paint everything to a fairly high standard. Do I like the miniatures? For the most part, I love the miniatures. The old metal Ortegas got me into the game, and the new plastic Ortegas are even better. Just don’t get me started on the old metal Mature Nephalim. Is the game fun? Hell yes! Second Edition has really impressed me; I love the game more now than ever. The playing cards, the game structure: for the most part, it's clever and it all makes sense. And finally: Do other people play? Well, we’ve got a great local group, and the online community is awesome.  Other games might be more popular, but Malifaux players are intense about their love of Malifaux, and it’s wonderful.

 

When we apply these four questions to other games, I think it's telling. These are only my opinions of course, but I think it helps to illustrate why Malifaux is currently my favorite game.

 

Hell Dorado. It’s slightly more affordable than Malifaux, mostly because there aren’t as many miniatures. And I love the miniatures! Honestly, they’re my favorite range right now. That said, I understand they won’t appeal to everybody – most normal people don’t get giddy at the thought of painting morbidly obese demons of Gluttony. But, even if we have different taste in miniatures, the game itself is really fun. It’s quick, fatal, and sometimes hilarious, and with the new units introduced in Inferno, I’m more excited than ever to play. But point four is the game’s major hardship – almost nobody plays it. There are three of us locally who own crews, and only myself and my buddy Lee have really gotten into it. So, it remains my favorite mini wargame after Malifaux mostly because it’s really hard to find a game of Hell Dorado. Oh well. I can always hope.

 

Warhammer 40000. The game that got me into miniwargaming. Can I afford it? Sadly, not anymore. Increasing cost of Games Workshop rulebooks and kits have really priced me out of the game. Which is sad, because I love the miniatures!  Well, most of the miniatures, but the good ones make up for the lousy ones. Unfortunately, I no longer enjoy the game – it’s so very complex that much of the game is spent looking up rules or referencing the codex to see what something does. But that doesn’t stop other people from playing it – it’s still the most popular mini wargame in town. And even though I don’t enjoy the game as much as I used to, it’s that massive popularity that keeps me checking in on it. I have a shelf full of lovingly painted Chaos Space Marines: I look at them and remember the awesome match against Coop, the Dark Angels player I met in Wisconsin, or the three-month long campaign against my buddy Damian’s Tau, or even the time I accidentally incinerated my own commander with a plasma cannon. I’m lucky enough to own a large painted army, so I might get back into it someday, but for now I’m content to let my warriors rest.

 

Wild West Exodus. Can I afford it? Barely, but sure. The minis are pretty expensive, but they’re great quality and very detailed – I don’t plan to make little masterpieces out of any of them, either, so that saves me time, and all those extra details should mean that the mini looks good even with a simple paintjob. They are, for the most part, some extremely nice miniatures. The last two points are the kickers, though, and what ultimately convinced me to get into the game: It’s really fun! It plays fast, it’s easy to learn, and from my limited experience thus far, it appears quite nicely balanced. I think Outlaw Miniatures did a great job of writing the rules. With regard to popularity, it seems quite a few locals supported the Kickstarter – I guess the Wild West theme is popular ‘round these parts. As long as it stays popular, I can see myself really getting into and enjoying this game.

 

Warmachine and Hordes. Even though the game is played on an army scale, it’s still pretty affordable. Privateer Press has done a good job keeping the financial barrier to entry low – there are two-player starter sets and battleboxes galore out there, and they’re easy to find. As for the miniatures themselves, our local group has a saying: If the miniature looks great, the rules will be awful. If the mini looks like a piece of garbage, you can bet you’ll want to field ten of them. I’ve found this to be true in my Khador army: I absolutely love Supreme Kommandant Irusk, who is a mediocre character at best, and I hate the incredibly dangerous Kayazy Assassins with passion that borders on psychosis. Still, the rules for Warmachine and Hordes are pretty tight and the basics are simple enough to learn. Some factions aren’t very well balanced, though – Cryx, for example, drives me insane – but it’s a very popular game in my area, and I know that if I can’t find a game of Malifaux, I can always find a game of Warmachine or Hordes.

 

There are a couple other games I’m eager to try out. Bushido is a game that some Malifaux players took to after Second Edition changes didn't appeal to them – I haven’t played it yet, but I can say for sure that it’s affordable and the minis look great. Infinity is a game that’s captured my imagination with its dynamic rules and science fiction setting. I’ve watched several games, and while the single game I played saw me shot clean off the table by the end of the second turn, something about the difficult, unforgiving nature of the combat really appealed to me: It’s like mini wargaming on Nightmare Difficulty.

 

So there you have it - four essential questions applied to a variety of mini wargames. Hopefully, this will be helpful to you when you're considering your next purchase, or contemplating getting into a new game. If you've played a game that isn't on this list, or if your answers are different from mine (please keep in mind these are all merely my opinions and experiences), please share your thoughts. I'd love to read them.

[rancor709]

Really like the thoughts here. Glad your enjoying m2e

[Omenbringer]

Bushido is a very good game and scores fairly high in each of those categories except being widely played. That of course will change as soon as the game receives more exposure.

[yool1981]

As a Hordes player, I tend to disagree a bit with what you say about the game.

The prices are inflating a lot and some single point models are worth more than 20 USD (Gobber tinker). If you are a Cryx player, units of 10 bane knights (with only 3 different positions) are around 80 USD unless I'm wrong.

If you play a faction with a Colossal, that single piece is more than 100 USD.

One of the arguments that the PGs and PP use to get people into the game is that it's cheap. I don't think it is at all as you need to spend around 400-600 USD to begin playing tournament lists.

Moreover, the minis can be really ugly and time consuming to assemble and paint (I'm looking at you Nyss Hunters).

 

However, the game is great and fun although some of the rules are complex (even top players make mistakes in their games) and it's very time consuming to learn what all the references do in the game. A typical game is also very stressful as you can lose if you lose a single piece (warcaster/warlock).

 

We've just started M2E in my gaming club and my first games felt like playing wargames in easy and relax mode, without the stress related to WM/H. The minis are gorgeous but very difficult to paint well (big surfaces, not so many details that come and break the monotony of the minis, tiny faces...). They can also be troublesome to prepare before painting (that big gap in the middle of the Hungering Darkness...).

I also find the fluff in Malifaux very immersive.

[Hagisman]

My problem comes from scale/model count and cost mainly. A high cost model will get a pass for me if the battle is scaled to a low model count. 40k I have a problem with the amount of models I have to field. While the per model cost of troops is actually less than other systems.

Malifaux cost more on a per model basis but I am only fielding 7-10 guys max. Whereas 40k I'm in the mid hundreds.

[Dracomax]

Personally, I'd append he following to the cost argument: DO I need to keep buying new models just to keep reasonably competitive in friendly play?

 

It's the reason I quit CCGs at the age of 14. It's the reason I wouldn't touch certain companies with a ten foot pole marked out in regular grooves.

 

I think Malifaux M2E is a good example of a game that, once you have purchased $100 or so of models, and a rulebook, you can keep playing without having to put out a steady stream of money. You'll put out the money because you like the models and thing the rules are cool, rather than because "If you don't have models from book X, you have no chance of winning."

 

just my .02

[LunarSol]

I started writing this as part of an upcoming podcast, but realized it might be better received as a written article. Hopefully this is the right spot to post it.

 

I’ve found this to be true in my Khador army: I absolutely love Supreme Kommandant Irusk, who is a mediocre character at best, and I hate the incredibly dangerous Kayazy Assassins with passion that borders on psychosis.

 

 

I'd definitely look to revamp your Khador.  The last couple years have really shaken up the faction and most players pack solid Kayazy counters these days that make them far less of the auto include they were before.  Supreme Irusk also got a new best friend in the Iron Fang Kovnik and Black Dragon IFP, that make him a far far better caster than he used to be.  Shoot me a message if you'd like to hear more, because I've definitely been enjoying seeing that fantastic banner waver on the table lately.

[wizuriel]

When it comes to cost I think there 2 you really need to look at:

1) Initial cost to get started

2) Upkeep cost to keep the game fresh

 

So warhammer for instance I find has a pretty heavy initial and upkeep cost. Once you buy your army you can't easily make a small change to change the playstyle or update the army for a new addition. I found I more or less needed to completely redo the army.

 

Warmachine and Hordes I find has a pretty heavy initial cost now to get started, but I find a pretty light/medium upkeep cost. My E.Thragrosh and P.Vayl have a lot in common, but because of the different warlocks they play very differently. 

 

Malifaux I find has a pretty low initial cost, but it does have an upkeep cost. Might be the factions I play (Guild) or look at (Gremlins), but I find if I want to change the play style or master I'm usually looking at buy a new crew with pretty low crossover with my existing master. Though this could also be a lack of experience with 2E on my part and not using the right pieces. 

[Dracomax]

When it comes to cost I think there 2 you really need to look at:

1) Initial cost to get started

2) Upkeep cost to keep the game fresh

 

So warhammer for instance I find has a pretty heavy initial and upkeep cost. Once you buy your army you can't easily make a small change to change the playstyle or update the army for a new addition. I found I more or less needed to completely redo the army.

 

Warmachine and Hordes I find has a pretty heavy initial cost now to get started, but I find a pretty light/medium upkeep cost. My E.Thragrosh and P.Vayl have a lot in common, but because of the different warlocks they play very differently. 

 

Malifaux I find has a pretty low initial cost, but it does have an upkeep cost. Might be the factions I play (Guild) or look at (Gremlins), but I find if I want to change the play style or master I'm usually looking at buy a new crew with pretty low crossover with my existing master. Though this could also be a lack of experience with 2E on my part and not using the right pieces. 

You may have had a different experience than me, then, because in both editions, I have found that swapping another model works extremely well in guild, and have seen them work at least middling well in Gremlins. I have found that doing so opens tactics and options I might never have thought of before trying them.

 

It isn't large scale change, no, but if you want large scale change, you aren't ever going to be looking at buying just a few models, regardless of which game you pick. It's enough to keep the game fresh, and get models I think are cool, without feeling like I am on the endless treadmill.

[dudkahuna]

I'll contribute another rule set we'd have talked about as a cast topic.

Flames of War

Can I afford it? The cost is steep for entry but the options a virtually limitless. This is a byproduct of such an expansive historical rule set. The more recent battlefront minis are fantastic, but pricey. However, it's a historical minis game and that means a large range of manufacturers making 15mm models in every imaginable medium to varying quality and cost. If you just want the models and don't care how they look you can get in for a low cost with limited options. If you want good models with list flexibility and want them to look good you will spend a lot time and money. My upkeep cost is now self sustaining for FoW. At any one time I have 3 armies, 2 finished and one I am working on. I sell and build new list one or two times a year. I have spent out of pocket, since 2006, under $750 out of pocket on models and turned through 7 armies.

Do I like the minis? Absolutely, more so the scale than anything else there is no better looking major minis game out there when you get down to table level on a fully kitted board with painted armies than FoW.

Is the game fun? The rules are complex but the core mechanics are easy to learn. You can start playing quickly and the rulebook is well laid out to reference any rule quandaries. Also battlefront has a program that only requires you to buy a rulebook every other edition.

Do other people play? Yes, this rule set appeals to both historical gamers and to general minis gamers because the rules are not hard and fast historical simulation. There are a lot of players I the area. There's not a thriving compatible scene in my state, but our neighbor to the east does have a very vibrant competitive play scene if I fell like getting away for a weekend.

[Arkion]

I played Bushido this weekend!

 

Bushido

Can I afford it? It's a very affordable game. 35 points and 50 points are apparently "sweet spots" for the game; the starter for Temple Ro-Kan comes with 36 points worth of miniatures. As far as time investment goes, some of the miniatures are a little delicate, so it'll take time to assemble them properly, but nothing I've seen so far is any worse than Yan Lo's beard.

 

Do I like the miniatures? They're awesome! Nice, high-quality pewter with really characterful sculpts.

 

Is the game fun? I had a blast. It reminds me of a Euro Game - lots of careful resource management, limited turns, and narrow margins of victory - with the added bonus of including miniatures. If you like board games like Agricola or Puerto Rico, you might really dig Bushido. The only thing I disliked was the big chart describing degrees of success, but that's pretty trivial and I can get used to it.

 

Do other people play? Not yet. After this weekend, though, there are four locals who decided to buy starters.

 

Bushido seems like a good bridge between a board game and a mini wargame. It's definitely more of the latter, but it might hold some appeal for board gamers looking to try miniatures without a significant investment of time or money. It's complicated; it's not a game you'll master quickly, or even play entirely correctly on your first go around, but it's simple enough that its complexity is intriguing, not frustrating.

 

I should also add that I'm excited about Malifaux now more than ever. Bushido's got me thinking about Ten Thunders, and contemplating all kinds of new tricks. Order of activation matters quite a bit in Bushido, and if I can apply what I learn from Bushido to a game of Malifaux...

[Math Mathonwy]

Another one into the pot:

Eden

Can I afford it? The most affordable minis game, most likely. 100 points is the official game size (the game uses Mission cards that are balanced for 100 points) and a starter comes with 100 points. This means 3-6 minis per side. And changing one mini can have a really big effect on how your force plays.

Do I like the miniatures? Ayup! They are fantastic and extremely varied. Good quality pewter, though some minis are rather delicate and can be difficult to put together (especially the bigger ones).

Is the game fun? It's extremely fun. The game is very tactical even down to the actual melee level (you can affect the location of your hit). It features asymmetrical objectives, a brilliant resource allocation mechanism (or several in the case of some factions), tactical cards with interesting effects, a very cool initiative system and so on and so forth. It is extremely well designed with an emphasis on what makes for an interesting game as opposed to what makes for a good simulation. The rules are available for free and are relatively short (and also included in all the starters - the hardcover rulebook mostly adds fluff and gorgeous art).

Do other people play? Maybe not yet, but it's super easy to demo and the extremely low mini count makes it a very easy sell. Also, a single match takes only about an hour and is played on a 2'x2' table with not too much scenery (less than Malifaux) so it works extremely nicely as a secondary game. And tournaments allow for five games easy.

I'm very excited about M2E currently and have been playing it a lot lately but Eden is a close second and in some ways I consider its design more elegant. I think that they complement one another really nicely while still working for the same crowd (people looking for interesting design on a small scale). An amazing game.

[dgraz]

This is one of the reasons I love this game. every time I play it's a completely different and exciting experience. 

 

I don't think I've ever fielded the same exact Marcus crew yet. Always different.

[ThePandaDirector]

I've been tempted by the models for Bushido, so it's nice to hear good things about the game. I also have a starter for Eden, but the quality of the cards (more objective/resource cards than stat cards) was quite poor. That was awhile ago now though, I think everything's improved now that they have a proper rulebook.

 

Dropzone Commander

 

Can I afford it? - Over time. The initial cost is higher than normal, while upkeep is better being spread out. The starters are double the cost compared to other games (£60+ instead of £30+), but we are talking resin, and they do form a good basis for both learning the game and starting an army. The core starter is better value, with two armies (in plastic) plus terrain, but since I collect PHR it wasn't really applicable to me. To get a proper army, you do need to add a few more units. The main downside is buying enough dropships for your units, but it's easy to work out what you want/need and spread the cost. Time-wise it shouldn't take too long... unless you want to magnetize your models to the dropships, but it's worth it =]

 

Do I like the miniatures? - I do. Despite being 10mm scale, the models are bigger than I thought and the sculpt quality is great, captured perfectly in resin. In other words, you get what you pay for. My only gripe is perhaps a lack of variety within factions, but then I'm the type of person who thinks all cars, tanks and giant mech walkers look the same

 

Is the game fun? - Only played a little bit, but it is great fun. I definitely like the reliance on dropships (which does ease the pain of adding their cost to my units), as it adds a lot of tension when and objective requires your slow units to get to one objective then race to a second while anti-air bombard your speedy dropships. I haven't used the command deck yet, but it looks like it will stop things from going stale.

Do other people play? - I only bought into it because a few at my club play it. It certainly has taken off like few other 10mm-15mm scale games have.

 

Alkemy

 

Can I afford it? - That's a tricky one. Table Top Miniatures has a clearance sale on Alkemy, with starter sets down from $35 to $9. I spent over $200 to ensure I had everything I wanted. It can be tricky to find everything, but all that matters is the box sets from Kraken Miniatures as anything by Studio 38 is easier to get a hold of. You don't need to spend a lot, but it's a case of how far you want to go with every opportunity to get your hands on these amazing models. Though one of the brilliant things is that you never, ever need to buy the same thing twice (unless you have some other reason).

 

Do I like the miniatures? - Hell yeah I do. One of the best ranges out there imo. The models aren't too flashy, but they have character and the quality is great, even in the plastics. I just love the aesthetic of each faction, and how consistent everything is.

 

Is the game fun? - The game has a few great mechanics, especially when it comes to combat (and of course the games main theme - alkemy). It has a great flow to it, and keeps you invested (once your model is reduced to enough wounds you have to move onto the blood red dice you really do feel their pain =P)

 

Do other people play? - Simple answer, nope. Hardly anyone seems to have heard of it, let alone play it. It's no surprise considering it's mostly being kept alive by a hardcore French crowd and a company that produces miniatures for it once in a blue moon. That said, it deserves better, and I think if there's any game that deserves a Kickstarter resurrection it's this one.

 

Darklands

 

Can I afford it? - Not really... Doesn't stop me trying =p Considering Mierce Miniatures' great policy with their Kickstarters (i.e. you can buy stuff at Kickstarter price up until the model is ready to ship, plus pledge for released models at discount during the KS), you'd have to be mad to buy their stuff at full price. Now even with that discount, an infantry unit is costing you £28-£52, and a monstrous unit is costing you £80. The good news is you don't need many models, meaning you can actually have an army for around £100+ rather than the £400+ you'll probably end up paying because the models are too gorgeous =]

 

Do I like the miniatures? - My love of Alkemy models is one of personal preference, but Darklands' models are just flat out amazing even if they aren't to someone's personal taste. There are a few misses, but they're mostly limited to one realm which still has lots of lovely stuff. But no one does monsters quite like Mierce, and unlike PP's and GW's big models, the big beasts of Darklands are a core part of the games design and aesthetic (Darklands is to PP/GW what Monster Hunter is to... er.. Dawn of War?)

 

Is the game fun? - I don't have much experience of the game, mainly since it's still not quite finished. But also because I found the quickstarter rules to be quite hard to get into (due to format/chapter order more than anything). I think Darklands is one of those games that is unapologetically complicated, with a lot of depth and replayability. I just might be best learning the rules from videos than by reading

 

Do other people play it? - Nope, not really. I'm buying more than enough to supply everything for my club, but I imagine the cost will scare a lot of people away. Up til now it's mostly attracted painters, but I think we'll soon see MM target gamers as the rulebook's release draws nearer. It does seem easier to justify the cost if there's a great game attached, and Darklands is looking pretty good so far.

[Math Mathonwy]

Alkemy

 

Can I afford it? - That's a tricky one. Table Top Miniatures has a clearance sale on Alkemy, with starter sets down from $35 to $9. I spent over $200 to ensure I had everything I wanted. It can be tricky to find everything, but all that matters is the box sets from Kraken Miniatures as anything by Studio 38 is easier to get a hold of. You don't need to spend a lot, but it's a case of how far you want to go with every opportunity to get your hands on these amazing models. Though one of the brilliant things is that you never, ever need to buy the same thing twice (unless you have some other reason).

Alkemy is an amazing game! I love it and the sculpts of Allan Carrasco are mind-blowing. The original plastics were also super high quality.

But Studio 38 isn't involved with Alkemy anymore. Now the rights are held by a company formed by the fans, Alchemist Miniatures. The new site is very lively: http://alkemy-the-game.com/

They have a couple of new releases and are also re-releasing the boxed sets (in resin) when the current stock runs out. The English support is pretty non-existent, though, but the game is currently more vital than it has been since the fall of Kraken.

[Arkion]

I'm back from my first Adepticon! What a great event. I had a lot of fun and played a ton of games. I'll throw out some reviews once I've had a chance to sift through my thoughts and get a better handle on the rules, but I wanted to talk about Wreck Age first.

 

Wreck Age

Can I afford it? By itself, yes. It's actually very cheap for a minis game.

 

Do I like the miniatures? Mostly. They've got a post-Nuke / Fallout aesthetic, so if you dig that, you'll likely dig these. Some of the sculpts are weak, but others are strong enough to carry the range. The female Stitcher in the starter box is pretty awesome, as is the Capybara Wrangler from the Stakers.

 

Is the game fun? It's fun enough that, after playing several small skirmishes, I'm interested in reading the full rules and seeing what I can do with the game. It's not really a good tournament game; it's more of a minis-RPG hybrid. Think Necromunda meets Fallout. The designers eventually want it to be tournament playable, but in my humble opinion, that's not the game's strong point.

 

Do other people play it? Not yet, but this question isn't necessarily as relevant for Wreck Age as it is for other games. It really feels like a Historical game; if you have one person with a couple factions, he/she can easily use the rules to craft interesting scenarios for his/her friends/store/club. If you've only got one or two buddies to game with, Wreck Age could be a great way to enjoy the minis hobby - it's really customizable, and you can get a ton of different games out of the core rulebook.

 

I intend to paint my Stakers and Stitchers up as part of a wasteland scenery piece; when I've finished, I want to write up a couple narrative scenarios and invite other people to play them. It doesn't really matter to me if other people collect the minis - if I can run a fun Wreck Age scenario now and again, that's good enough for me.

 

Wreck Age wants to tell a story. I think of it as a Historical minis game with a sci-fi twist; if you're not a fan of RPGs or narrative campaigns, Wreck Age might not be for you. Personally, I like it, and I plan to take my time crafting, painting, and occasionally playing for the future of the Wasteland.

[Spence]

OK my turn.

 

First a couple comments on earlier posts. 

 

Warhammer:   Stopped playing back around 99(ish?).  Much too costly to upkeep and they kept striking existing sculpts from ‘legal’ play. 

 

Warmachine:  MUCH better than WH, but they are beginning to fall into the same escalation trap as WH.  While they do not officially outlaw mini’s, they effectively do with each new wave of ‘cool stuff’. 

 

Malifaux.  In the process of beginning to play.  My biggest issue is that most of the local mini’s players are wallet shy after getting sucked into high cost games so they will not put out any money to try it.   My solution (because I think Malifaux is just that good) is to buy several crew boxes of different factions and to run “demo’s” to show it off.  A double plus is that my 5 Crew Boxes (4 are 1^st Ed metal boxes, 1 is the newer plastics) cost me less than one third of my Skorne army did. And are FAR easier to construct and paint. 

 

Other games.

 

Bolt Action. WW2 Skirmish game, one figure to a base.

Can I afford it?  Absolutely.  Infantry box sets are really low priced for the hobby.  30-32 multi-posed figures run $41 to $45.  Smaller Squad boxes of 25 figures run $36ish. The Army Starter has 55 figures (3 light mortars, medium mortar, MMG, multiple LMG's and SMG's, 2 lunge mines) plus a Type 97 Medium Tank for $128.00.  28mm figures.  Upkeep is very low since starter boxes include machinegun teams and such.  The multi-pose plastics include a variety of weapons so you can pretty much configure them any way you want.

Do I like the miniatures?  Yes.  The Warlord line is very well done, at least as good as Malifaux plastics, though they are historically accurate vice fantasy.   No to mention that there are dozens of other manufacturers producing 28mm historicals.

Is the game fun?  Loads.  The rule system is very streamlined and has a unique intuitive system.  Units are cost based, not figure based.  By that I mean I don't have to buy a Light Machinegun box in order to have a LMG.  All the units stats are contained in the Army lists rather than on cards and since the list is based on historical data, units stats are in the books even before they came up with actual figures.  You can build your mini’s to exactly reflect the point cost, but do not have to.  And infantry figure is an infantry figure. 

Do other people play? Locally? Not a lot yet.  South of me it is gaining a following and is poised to replace Flames of War.  But as soon as I bought a book and a Japanese infantry box, a friend immediately bought USMC.  This without any prompting. 

[mjungledog]

Wreck-Age is fun.  I have played a few times and I like it.  I agree with the assessment that it is not a tournament game, and that it wants to tell a story.  That's one of the reasons I like it so much.