Wargames Explained

Wargames, What They Are and Where to Start. War has never been so much fun!

There is a moment in every new wargamer’s life that I remember clearly in my own. You are standing in a game shop, looking at a shelf of miniatures you cannot fully afford, reading the back of a box for a game you do not yet understand, and knowing with complete certainty that you are about to spend entirely too much money. Then you take the box home and spend a weekend building tiny plastic soldiers, and the hobby has you.

Tabletop wargaming is one of the oldest forms of structured gaming. It predates the board game hobby as most people understand it, has produced some of the most deeply committed communities in all of gaming, and continues to grow in ways that would have seemed unlikely even ten years ago. Games Workshop alone reported revenues of over five hundred million pounds in its most recent financial year. Trench Crusade, a new indie skirmish game, raised over three million dollars on Kickstarter in 2024 from more than twenty thousand backers.

This post covers what tabletop wargames are and how they differ from board games, the main types of wargame available, a guide to the Warhammer family of games, historical wargaming, gateway options for newcomers, and recommendations across experience levels including recent releases from 2024 and 2025.

What Actually Makes Something a Tabletop Wargame?

At its simplest, a tabletop wargame is a game in which players command forces in a simulated conflict using physical components, typically miniatures, to represent units on a battlefield. The conflict can be historical, fantastical, science fictional, or some combination of all three. What distinguishes wargames from other board games is the degree to which the physical representation of the battlefield matters: terrain, unit positioning, movement distances, and line of sight are all meaningful.

The category splits broadly into two traditions. Miniature wargames use three-dimensional models on a table, with movement measured in inches or centimetres and rules governing what each model can do in its turn. Hex-and-counter wargames, sometimes called grognard games after the old-guard Napoleonic infantrymen, use cardboard counters on printed hex maps, placing the emphasis on historical accuracy and operational or strategic simulation over visual presentation.

Both traditions have deep roots and passionate communities. This post covers both, with more space given to miniature wargames because that is where the most active new player community currently sits.

Wargames vs board games with combat: Many board games include combat as a mechanic without being wargames. The distinction lies in specificity and simulation depth. A wargame cares about unit facing, terrain effects, supply lines, morale, and historical or fictional plausibility. A board game with a combat mechanic cares about winning and losing. The Warhammer games are wargames. Memoir 44 and Undaunted: Normandy sit at the border. Risk is not a wargame.

The Main Types of Tabletop Wargame

Understanding the sub-types helps enormously when working out which part of the hobby is actually right for you. The investment required varies considerably across these categories.

Rank and Flank

The oldest format for miniature wargaming. Units are arranged in formal formations, and the shape of those formations matters for combat. Warhammer Fantasy Battle, now continued through Warhammer: The Old World, is the most famous example in fantasy. Black Powder and Pike and Shotte cover historical periods. Kings of War from Mantic Games offers a faster alternative to Warhammer for massed fantasy battles. Also crosses into: Area Control.

Skirmish

Players control small groups of individual models rather than ranked units. Each model acts individually. This reduces the entry cost significantly because you need fewer miniatures, and the games tend to play faster. Kill Team, Warcry, Mordheim, Saga, and Trench Crusade all fall here. Skirmish games are currently the most active part of the miniature wargaming market and the most accessible entry point for new players.

Mass Battle and Company-Level

Larger engagements using squads and platoons rather than individual figures. Bolt Action, Star Wars Legion, and Flames of War all sit here. The unit is the basic building block rather than the individual model. These games tend to have more tactical depth than skirmish games but require a more significant miniatures investment.

Hex and Counter

No miniatures are needed. Players move cardboard counters on printed maps, with hexagonal grids regulating movement and combat. This tradition goes back to Avalon Hill and SPI in the 1960s and is alive through publishers like GMT Games, MMP, and Decision Games. Twilight Struggle, Commands and Colors, and Here I Stand all originate here. The emphasis is on historical simulation, and some titles model specific campaigns in considerable detail. Also crosses into: Area Control, Economic and Trading.

Naval and Air

Wargames fought at sea or in the air, using ship or aircraft models on large tables. Victory at Sea from Warlord Games and X-Wing from Atomic Mass Games are among the most accessible. These games are particularly well-suited to players interested in World War Two or science fiction combat who want a different experience from ground-level infantry games.

Solo and Cooperative

A significant and growing part of the wargame market. Many hex-and-counter games have excellent solo systems; Fields of Fire and RAF: The Battle of Britain are praised solo wargame designs. Warfighter: WWII is a cooperative card-driven wargame. This category suits players who do not always have an opponent available. Also crosses into: Cooperative Games.

Why Wargaming Appeals and Why It Puts People Off

The appeal is clearer once you have played. There is something about moving physical models across a physical table, consulting charts, rolling dice for combat, and watching a plan succeed or collapse that no digital equivalent quite replicates. Wargamers are prone to quoting Helmuth von Moltke: no plan survives contact with the enemy. The dice and the terrain make that literal.

The hobby side is also genuinely part of the appeal for many players. Building, converting, and painting miniatures is a craft hobby in its own right. Many wargamers spend as much time at the painting desk as they do at the gaming table, and the two activities feed each other. A well-painted army that you have built yourself carries an attachment that no pre-painted or digital game can produce.

What puts people off is also real. The cost of entry into a game like Warhammer 40,000 is significant, particularly for a newcomer who does not yet know whether the hobby will hold them. The time investment is substantial. The rules can be complex. And finding opponents requires either a local club or a commitment to travelling to games shops.

The honest answer is that the hobby is best entered with a specific game in mind, a specific opponent to play against, and a modest first investment. The instinct to buy everything in one go is one the hobby will punish. Start with a starter set.

The Warhammer Family

Games Workshop is the largest miniature wargame manufacturer in the world, based in Nottingham, and the Warhammer name covers a family of related but distinct games. Understanding the differences matters because the communities, scale of investment, and playing experience vary considerably between them.

Warhammer 40,000

The flagship product. Set in a science fiction universe forty thousand years in the future, it pits Space Marines, Tyranid swarms, Ork hordes, Eldar, Necrons, and dozens of other factions in conflict across a grimdark galaxy. The game currently sits in its tenth edition, released in 2023, which significantly simplified the rules compared to prior editions. Army sizes range from small patrol-level games to large competitive tournament armies. This is the game with the largest player community in the UK and globally, the widest range of miniatures, and the easiest club to walk into and find a game. The entry cost for a competitive army is meaningful but starter sets exist for around thirty to forty pounds. Also crosses into: Science Fiction, Area Control.

Warhammer Age of Sigmar

The fantasy replacement for Warhammer Fantasy Battle, which Games Workshop discontinued in 2015 after the narrative event called The End Times destroyed the Old World setting. Age of Sigmar moved the game to a new cosmology of Mortal Realms and a new range of models. The current fourth edition, released in 2024, is the most streamlined version to date. The Spearhead format, included in the core box, offers a fast introduction using fixed preset armies with no list-building required. If you want fantasy battles in the Warhammer aesthetic and have no attachment to the old setting, Age of Sigmar is an excellent starting point. Also crosses into: Area Control, Fantasy.

Warhammer: The Old World

The return of Warhammer Fantasy Battle, re-released by Games Workshop in 2024 after a decade away. Set in the original Warhammer Fantasy setting before The End Times, it uses the rank-and-flank formation system that the game was historically known for. This is for players who loved the original Warhammer Fantasy game, who want a more formation-focused mass battle experience, or who have old armies sitting in boxes. The Old World deliberately serves an existing community rather than trying to create a new one, but new players can absolutely start here if the historical fantasy setting appeals. Also crosses into: Fantasy, Area Control.

Kill Team

Games Workshop’s skirmish game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Two small teams of five to fifteen models fight across a dense terrain board in games lasting roughly an hour. Kill Team has been one of Games Workshop’s most successful recent products because the entry cost is manageable, a starter set contains everything needed for two players, and the game rewards tactical skill over list-building investment. In my experience this is the Games Workshop game I would recommend first to someone curious about the hobby. Also crosses into: Science Fiction.

Warcry

The Age of Sigmar equivalent of Kill Team. Small warbands fight in the Eightpoints, a region of the Mortal Realms dominated by Archaon the Everchosen. Rules emphasise speed and momentum. Warcry starter sets are among the best value entry points in the Games Workshop range and the terrain included in them is genuinely excellent. Also crosses into: Fantasy, Dungeon Crawl.

Warhammer Underworlds

A competitive deck-building skirmish game using pre-constructed warbands. Each warband comes with its own deck of cards and a set of five to nine models. The game is built for competitive play with balanced, tournament-tested cards. If you want the Warhammer aesthetic with a tighter card game structure and minimal painting commitment, Underworlds is the place to start. Also crosses into: Card Games, Deck Building.

Necromunda

A narrative campaign game set in the underhives of Warhammer 40,000’s Hive Cities. Gangs fight through a sprawling criminal underworld, with persistent campaign progression across multiple games. Models gain experience, suffer lasting injuries, and acquire equipment over time. Necromunda rewards long-term commitment to a campaign and a regular group. It is one of the most characterful games in the Games Workshop range but also one that requires the most sustained investment. Also crosses into: Legacy and Campaign Games, Science Fiction.

Warhammer: The Horus Heresy

Set thirty thousand years before Warhammer 40,000, during the civil war that almost destroyed the Imperium. Primarily a game for Space Marine collectors; almost all factions are different types of Space Marine legion. The game uses larger models and a more detailed rule set than 40K. This is for players already engaged with the 40,000 universe who want to explore its deep history, rather than for newcomers. Also crosses into: Science Fiction.

Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game

Based on the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings and Hobbit film adaptations. Games Workshop holds the licence and the range of models is extensive. The rules use a different system from the Warhammer games, with a simpler priority mechanic and a strong emphasis on narrative scenarios. The game has a dedicated community and is one of the more approachable Games Workshop systems for newcomers because the familiar source material reduces the lore learning curve. Also crosses into: Fantasy.

Blood Bowl

Fantasy American football with Orcs, Elves, Dwarves, and Skaven. A long-running Games Workshop title that has been through multiple editions and is currently well-supported. Games are competitive, tactical, and frequently brutal, with players suffering permanent injuries mid-season. Blood Bowl is one of the most distinct games in the Games Workshop catalogue and suits players who want a competitive game with a sense of humour. Also crosses into: Sports, Fantasy.

Historical Wargaming

Historical wargaming is the tradition that produced miniature gaming in the first place. HG Wells published Little Wars, the first modern miniature wargame rules, in 1913. Donald Featherstone and Charles Grant codified the hobby in the 1950s and 1960s. The historical community is distinct in character from the fantasy and science fiction miniature gaming world, tends to be older, and is often more interested in accurate unit compositions, terrain representing specific battlefields, and getting the history right.

The main eras covered are ancient and medieval warfare, the Napoleonic period, the American Civil War, the Franco-Prussian War, both World Wars, and various twentieth-century conflicts. The size of the game varies enormously from individual skirmish skirmish models to battalions of fifteen-millimetre figures representing thousands of men.

Bolt Action

Warlord Games’ World War Two company-level game is the most accessible entry point into historical miniature wargaming. Plastic figure sets are reasonably priced, the rules are straightforward, and the theatre variety is enormous, covering every major front from North Africa to the Pacific. Version three, released in 2024, streamlined the rules further and is the best version of the game to date. In my experience Bolt Action is the game I recommend most to board gamers curious about historical miniature wargaming; the army lists and platoon construction feel not unlike building a deck. Also crosses into: Area Control.

SAGA

A Viking-age skirmish game from Studio Tomahawk that uses faction-specific battle boards and custom dice to produce wildly different play experiences depending on which faction you choose. Anglo-Saxons play nothing like Vikings, who play nothing like Normans. The model count is low, around twenty to forty models for a standard warband, which makes the investment manageable. Narrative campaign play and historical flavour are both strong. Also crosses into: Area Control.

Commands and Colors: Napoleonics

GMT Games’ accessible entry point to Napoleonic warfare. Based on Richard Borg’s Commands and Colors system, it uses wooden blocks rather than miniatures and a hand of cards to activate units. Games play in two hours and teach the basics of Napoleonic period warfare well. The game is one of the most recommended entry points to the hex-and-counter tradition. Also crosses into: Area Control.

Twilight Struggle

GMT Games’ two-player card-driven game of the Cold War is frequently cited as one of the greatest board games ever designed and is technically a wargame. Players represent the US and USSR across the entire Cold War, playing cards to advance influence and trigger historical events. No miniatures, no dice in the conventional sense, pure strategic and political simulation. The game demands repeated play to fully appreciate and rewards it generously. Also crosses into: Area Control, Economic and Trading.

Family and Gateway Wargames

The reputation of wargaming as an impenetrable, expensive hobby has improved considerably in the last decade, partly because gateway products have genuinely got better. These are the games I would use to introduce someone with no wargame experience to the hobby.

HeroQuest (2021 reissue): The 2021 reissue of the classic 1990 dungeon crawl board game sits at the exact intersection of board game and wargame and is the cleanest introduction I know to miniature gaming. One player takes the Zargon role and runs the dungeon while up to four heroes work through quests with simple, immediately understandable rules. The miniatures are pre-assembled and paint reasonably well for beginners. It comes up at our table regularly and works with children and adults who have never touched a miniature game. I keep a copy specifically for introducing people to the hobby. Also crosses into: Dungeon Crawl, Adventure Games.

Memoir 44 (2004): Days of Wonder’s World War Two game uses the Commands and Colors system with plastic miniatures representing Allied and Axis forces across historical scenarios. Two players, forty-five minutes to an hour, no hobby requirement. The miniatures come ready to use. Memoir 44 sits at the accessible end of wargaming and is one of the clearest demonstrations of how historical conflict can be turned into an engaging game without a rulebook the size of a phone directory. Also recommended as a gateway to hex-and-counter gaming. Also crosses into: Area Control.

Star Wars Legion (2018): Atomic Mass Games’ company-level Star Wars wargame uses recognisable characters and factions to lower the barrier to entry considerably. The rules are solid and the model quality is among the best in the hobby. I have seen this work repeatedly as a gateway for people who have never played a wargame but have strong feelings about Star Wars. Clone Wars and Rebel Alliance armies exist alongside the original trilogy factions. The game also plays well for two players who each build a small force rather than committing to a full competitive army. Also crosses into: Science Fiction, Area Control.

Kill Team (current edition, 2021 core, updated 2024): I have recommended this more than any other Games Workshop product as a first wargame. A starter set at roughly sixty to seventy pounds contains everything two players need: terrain, two teams, rules, dice, and measuring tape. Games take an hour. The model count is low enough that painting a team does not feel overwhelming, and the terrain included is genuinely good. If someone asks me where to start with Games Workshop and they are not already attached to a particular setting, Kill Team is my first answer. Also crosses into: Science Fiction, Dungeon Crawl.

Warhammer Underworlds (current season): For players who want the Warhammer aesthetic with a tighter game that plays in forty-five minutes and does not require a large model collection. Each warband box contains five to nine models and a deck of cards; two warband boxes give you everything for two players. The competitive design is excellent and the warbands are some of the most characterful models in the Games Workshop range. Also functions as an introduction to deck-building. Also crosses into: Card Games, Deck Building. Also crosses into: Card Games, Deck Building, Fantasy.

Mid-Weight and Experienced Wargames

Once you have found a starter game that works for your group, the next tier offers considerably more depth.

Warhammer 40,000 10th Edition (2023): The flagship game, now in its most accessible edition to date. The tenth edition stripped back many of the complex secondary objectives and stratagem interactions that made ninth edition divisive, and the result is a more approachable competitive game. The range of factions is enormous and the community is the largest in miniature gaming. Starter sets exist for most common matchups and the Combat Patrol format offers a smaller-footprint game for players not yet ready for a full army. Also crosses into: Science Fiction, Area Control.

Warhammer Age of Sigmar 4th Edition (2024): The most significant overhaul the game has received. The new edition introduced the Spearhead format as a genuine standalone game, not just a demo mode, which means players can engage with Age of Sigmar at a fraction of the previous entry cost. Matched play has been rebalanced and the core rules streamlined. If you want fantasy rank-and-flank battles in a modern, well-supported system with a large community, this is the place to be in 2025. Also crosses into: Fantasy, Area Control.

Bolt Action V3 (2024): The third edition of Warlord Games’ World War Two wargame is the best version to date. Rules clarifications and streamlined army construction have made the game more tournament-friendly without sacrificing the flavour that made it popular. The range of plastic kits covers almost every theatre, nationality, and vehicle type imaginable, and the entry cost is manageable compared to Games Workshop products. In my experience Bolt Action is the game that converts the most historical enthusiasts who were not previously miniature gamers. Also crosses into: Area Control.

SAGA Age of Vikings (2017) and expansions: The core SAGA game remains one of the most elegant skirmish wargame designs available. The faction-specific battle boards mean that mastering one warband does not immediately transfer to another, which gives the game enormous replay depth for a relatively small model investment. The Age of Crusades, Age of Magic, and Age of Hannibal supplements extend the system to other periods. Also crosses into: Area Control.

Infinity (current edition, N4): Corvus Belli’s sci-fi skirmish game is technically the most demanding on this list. The order system, AROs (Automatic Reaction Orders), and three-dimensional line-of-sight rules produce a game of extraordinary tactical depth. It is not a starting point; it is where wargaming becomes genuinely chess-like in its decision density. The miniatures are exceptional, the game is competitively balanced, and the dedicated community is deeply knowledgeable. Worth the investment once you have a few wargaming years behind you. Also crosses into: Science Fiction.

Necromunda (current edition): If you have a regular group willing to commit to a campaign over months, Necromunda is one of the most rewarding experiences in the hobby. Your gang grows, loses members to permanent injury, acquires territory, and develops a history that the rulebook could not have predicted. The narrative momentum of a well-run Necromunda campaign is unlike anything else in miniature gaming. The entry cost is manageable and the plastic model range has expanded considerably in recent years. Also crosses into: Legacy and Campaign Games, Science Fiction.

Kings of War 3rd Edition (2021): Mantic Games’ mass fantasy battle game is the primary alternative to Warhammer: The Old World for rank-and-flank games. Rules are cleaner and games play faster than the Games Workshop equivalent. Crucially, the game is miniature-agnostic, meaning old Warhammer Fantasy armies can be re-based and used directly. Many players who left Warhammer Fantasy when The Old World was discontinued found Kings of War and stayed. The competitive scene is healthy and the community is welcoming. Also crosses into: Fantasy, Area Control.

Recent Wargame Releases Worth Knowing About

The last two years have produced several releases that are actively reshaping the hobby. Two stand out.

Trench Crusade (rules 2024, V1.0 released November 2025): The most talked-about new wargame release of 2024 and 2025. Designed by Tuomas Pirinen, creator of Mordheim, with artwork from Mike Franchina and sculpts from James Sherriff, Trench Crusade is a skirmish game set in an alternate history where the Knights Templar opened a gateway to Hell during the First Crusade, and the war has never stopped. The year is 1914, and small warbands of six to twenty models fight across blasted no man’s land in games that blend the bleakness of actual trench warfare with baroque supernatural horror. The Kickstarter in October 2024 raised over three million dollars against a sixty-six thousand dollar goal. The rules are available free from the Trench Crusade website. The game is miniature-agnostic, which means you can start playing immediately with any models. It is currently the most energetic new community in wargaming and the design borrows the best of Mordheim’s campaign structure with modern rule clarity. Also crosses into: Legacy and Campaign Games, Horror. Also crosses into: Legacy and Campaign Games.

Warhammer: The Old World (2024): Games Workshop’s return to the Warhammer Fantasy Battle setting after nearly a decade away. Released in January 2024, The Old World uses the traditional rank-and-flank system that defined Warhammer Fantasy for three decades. The initial release covered the Border Princes conflict between Bretonnia and the Old World humans. Subsequent releases have added Orcs and Goblins, Tomb Kings, Chaos Warriors, and more. The game is explicitly aimed at players who remember the original and at new players interested in the historical fantasy aesthetic. My group has used this as an opportunity to dust off old armies that had been sitting untouched since the End Times, which tells you something about who this game is for and how well it has landed. Also crosses into: Fantasy, Area Control.

What the Hobby Actually Costs

This is the conversation that wargaming communities often avoid but which anyone considering the hobby deserves to hear clearly.

A Kill Team starter set runs between sixty and seventy pounds and contains everything needed for two players to start. A single Kill Team warband box runs twenty-five to forty pounds. This is a manageable entry.

A standard Warhammer 40,000 army for competitive play typically costs between two hundred and five hundred pounds for the models alone, before paints, brushes, terrain, and rulebooks are considered. Terrain for a full table runs another hundred to two hundred pounds. A Codex for a single faction costs thirty to thirty-five pounds and may be superseded within an edition.

Historical wargaming is generally cheaper per model; Warlord Games plastic infantry kits run twenty to thirty pounds for around thirty figures. A functional Bolt Action army can be assembled for under a hundred pounds if purchasing thoughtfully.

Hex-and-counter wargames run forty to eighty pounds for a standard game and require no further investment beyond the box.

The honest advice is to start with a starter set, complete it before buying anything else, and only expand once you know the game is worth the investment. Every experienced wargamer has a shelf of abandoned projects. Starting small is not a compromise; it is how the hobby is actually sustained.

One Page Rules: For players interested in miniature wargaming who find Games Workshop prices prohibitive, One Page Rules offers free rules for fantasy and science fiction wargames that are compatible with third-party and 3D-printed miniatures. Grimdark Future and Age of Fantasy are the flagship systems. The rules are genuinely well-designed and the community is active. Many experienced wargamers use these rules with existing miniature collections.

Common Mistakes When Starting Out

• Buying an army before you know the game. Build and paint a starter set first. Discover whether the game suits your table before investing in a full force.
• Choosing a faction based on aesthetics before understanding how it plays. In Warhammer 40,000 a Harlequin army looks spectacular but plays very differently from a Space Marines army. Read up on playstyle before committing.
• Neglecting terrain. A miniature game played on a bare table is a worse game than the same rules played on a properly dressed table. Terrain matters for line of sight, movement, and the visual experience that makes the hobby worthwhile.
• Skipping the painting process. Unpainted models play the same game mechanically but the visual and tactile experience of playing with a painted force is significantly better. Start with a small warband, paint it, and see what the hobby can be.
• Playing competitively before understanding the rules. Tournament lists and competitive meta discussion exist for every major wargame. Ignore them until you have a solid understanding of how the game actually works. Most local club games are not tournaments and the best way to learn is to play casually first.
• Assuming the most popular game in your area is the only option. Warhammer 40,000 dominates most UK game shop communities but kill Teams, Bolt Action, SAGA, and historical clubs all exist and are worth finding if the mainstream Games Workshop games do not suit you.

Is Tabletop Wargaming for You?

Wargaming suits people who enjoy strategic depth, physical craft, and the narrative produced by conflict simulation. It works particularly well for people with a specific historical, fantastical, or science fictional interest they want to explore in detail, and for people who find satisfaction in a hobby that combines intellectual, creative, and social activity.

It is less suited to people who want to play immediately without significant upfront investment of time or money, who find painting miniatures more chore than pleasure, or who prefer digital gaming. Those are not criticisms; they are honest assessments of where the hobby’s demands fall.

If you are already a board gamer and are curious, Kill Team or a HeroQuest box are the cleanest first steps. If you are interested in history and have never tried a wargame, Bolt Action or Memoir 44 are the right starting points. If you want something completely different and are not afraid of a new community, Trench Crusade’s free rules and miniature-agnostic approach make it the lowest-cost entry point to an actively growing game.