Tabletop Wargaming

 

The models are cool 

With a wide range of miniatures available in the market, there's bound to be something for everyone. If you want futuristic knights clad in armour, you've got the Space Marines from Warhammer 40k. Want Legolas on the table top? Done. How about some female soldiers who are lethal as their male versions? Check Infinity out.  Even Iron Man is a available as a miniature.

It's a common language that most hobbyists speak. Collecting something because it looks cool is a valid reason and after all that's happened in the world, seeing tiny soldiers hugging behind walls on a desk next to the work computer helps color.

Forces of Space Marines Defending Against Necrons From Games Workshop

Flexes your creative muscle

Let's face it, we aren't all artists and painters. There exists 4 distinct groups in this hobby.  A painter, a gamer, a mix of both, and essentially a loremaster. Painters paint to a level that is rare in other forms of hobby, gamers play the game without much care into whether their minis are painted, and the ones that fall in between, well, they are the ones that have a “tabletop" quality of painting yet have a certain level of mastery of the game (see graphic below)

Range of Paint Standards

 

 

 

 

 

And then there are some that dive into the lore of the game due to its richness. Search Warhammer 40k lore on YouTube and you'll see tons of videos just focused on the lore behind the game.

What this means is that you can get creative in multiple ways, and the kicker is that  the community appreciates whichever type there is and will even join in on it with you to go further and deeper into your journey.

Doubles down on planning

By virtue of how the game objectives are set, it is rare to play a game where it is an all out brawl. The missions make it so you have to play to the objectives to score points in order to win! This makes the game reward those that lean more towards army tactics and strategy versus a “pay-to-win” playstyle.  

With each game, the objectives could range from having miniatures move towards an area and secure throughout the game duration or to picking up an objective marker and running around with it while preventing your opponent from picking up theirs. Because of this, wargames forces players (the hard way) to plan their tactics and determine how they would execute it, which in turn, helps players develop a “go for the objective” mindset.

An Objective Map - Infinity ITS 12 Rules

Socialize

Humans are social animals. Regardless of whether we’re introverts or extroverts, we need to talk to somebody (I’m an introvert here). We have evolved to the top of the food chain by being able to communicate and share knowledge. The lack of this can cause mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, as the stress of being isolated for long periods of time builds up. This is why solitary confinement is one of the punishments for inmates. 

However, like most hobbies, there is a passionate community that keeps it going and there may be those who share common interests with you and this is where you’ll learn the tricks of the trade. This is true in wargaming as well. Step in to a shop and you’ll find fathers, kids, even women (rare, but there are some), army veterans, cops, businessmen and many others waging wars on the table.  Each finds their way into the hobby and gains something from it and while some may look intimidating (I’ve had my fair share), approach them and you’ll see how colorful their life is.

Players Playing from Nights at the Game Table

Time away from the screen

It should be obvious, if you’re doing something that exists outside of the virtual world, you’re reducing your screen time, which is a good thing. However, wargaming, like baking,  is one of those hobbies where you could still be indoors, while being off the screen.

While watching a clip on YouTube or reading something can be quite satisfying, having a model in your hands to touch, feel, and play with is something that no screen can do and is also what makes the hobby alive. 

Painting Miniatures From Dicebreaker

End of Turn

If you're on the edge of diving into wargaming as a hobby, or hey, maybe you've walked into a game store and were intrigued by adults playing with highly detailed toy soldiers, I hope this article can convince you to pick this hobby up.

With that, I'll end this post the same way I start my games after my opponent and I have deployed our forces and before any dice rolling is done.

"Here's to a good game"