What's the cheapest way into war gaming?
I used to play 40k when I was younger but now I want to get back into gaming on a tabletop and have a much more limited budget due to bills and shit. What's the cheapest route? I don't have paints, glue or any of that stuff any more so would have to factor that into cost.
This hobby is way too expensive but I have a crazy strong urge to get back in.
Flames of war my dude, that or shitty war machine, or for a better alternative if you like metal minis and small battles, infinity
For 40k
1.) Get into lore via lexicanum, youtube vidyaz, torrented books
2.) Torrent the rulebooks/PDF
3.) Buy off ebay
>>47081451
Just play skirmish or platoon sized games. Depending on your favourite kind of setting you have some choices. I am guessing you want sci fi,maybe warmachine or .mercs,or the new mantic game(i think dead zone or something like that) might interest you,but if you are interested in hystoricals i reckon prices tend to be a bit lower.
If you really need to buy a large scale,try avoiding GW's models,which are pretty expensive,if you really need to buy GW buy second hand. Remember not to buy GW's hobby tools which are generally overcosted,but also before you get into it you need to accept that it will be costly either way, you will need appropriate tools and models,don't hope to bum out of it because you can't. (Also there are recasts if you are interested in that kind of deal)
>>47081451
Playing with paper printouts or other counts-as "models".
If you want to pay for models, a skirmish scale game like Warmachine (5-20 models to a side) will *usually* be cheaper than a 40k scale game.
Buying used, especially prepainted, can also cut costs.
>>47081451
Play hex and chit wargames with friends. Good mechanics and in many different scales. My fave is Rise and Fall of the Third Reich.
If you want something with actual figures that you can play in stores reguarly, then find a smaller skirmish game. I like Kings of War (Pic you posted) and its cheap yet charming plastic figures, but you need a lot of them to the point where it is still more expensive than skirmish games where minis are ~$10 a piece. Malifaux and Infinity are good routes, especially if you order the starter sets from a 20% discounter. Flames of War can also be done if you get Plastic Soldier Company minis and Zvezda tanks.
15MM MOTHERFUCKER
smaller scales are fine too
>>47081451
>cheapest way into war gaming
- Use paper minis
- Shop around for discount off-brand models
- Scale you game up, smaller models are cheaper
- Play skirmish games with only a handful of models
X-Wing
Cheapest game on the market. Battletech is down there too.
>>47086025
>X-Wing
>$10-15 a ship
"You don't need that many models to play" isn't an argument, since there are games with both cheaper models AND require the same/less amount.
>>47081451
By playing small scale, like 6mm or 15mm.
>>47081451
Historicals routinely cost a fraction of what the F&SF companies charge, but find an opponent *first*.
For the current batch of F&SF skirmish and wargames, Malifaux and Warmachine have low costs of entry, as does Infinity. All three can get quite expensive with time, but with time also comes more budget.
By comparison, 40k has a high cost of entry for "normal" games.
Unless you go with paper minis or just don't bother to paint, the hobby side (paint, glue, brushes, etc) is pretty stable regardless of game.
>>47081495
>shitty war machine
Take your pick of shitty players, Anon. Every game has them.
>>47082038
>15MM MOTHERFUCKER
>smaller scales are fine too
And some companies have figured out that scale does not always affect price.
15mm is a great scale to play 40k in, as a matter of fact. Change only the minis and terrain, and leave all rules and rule scales in place, though you might want to adopt volume LOS instead of "true". There is something very attractive about paying about $50 for all the infantry you will ever need and less than $10 a vehicle...
There are other rulesets as well, but like Historicals, find an opponent first.
>>47081451
What genre are you looking for? Sci-fi, fantasy, historical, other?
>>47081451
Cheapest:
>>47056307
>>47081451
X-wing is relatively affordable
>>47086330
I dunno man $50 gets you a most decent xwing army.
Play frostgrave with reaper minis.
>>47086330
Especially when shit like Slave 1 costs almost 40 bucks. No justification for cheap plastic with a shit paint job for that price.
>>47089346
>Boba Fett's ship not worth $40
Jedi pls
>>47086330
Starter Box
>$40
A couple of choice extra ships
>$20-30
And you've got a team. Larger ones cost more, and if you're buying for upgrades it gets more expensive, but it's half what an Infinity team will run you even before terrain (assuming it's not all papercraft).
Though for cheaper games, something skirmish like Frostgrave, Mordheim, Kill Team, Path of Glory, Necromunda, or third party skirmish game will run you a box of models and maybe some Reaper Minis for special characters and specialists or random enemies, easily less than $50 a team right there if you're thrifty.
>>47089346
>"Slave 1 costs almost 40 bucks"
>pfft no way that's like most of the core game
>I'll just look it up to make sure I'm right
holy fuck you're right
that's nuts
>>47089190
Sorry, I should have said that I'd prefer something Fantastical of some flavour, Scifi and Fantasy scratch the same itch for me,
>>47089195
>>47089090
Historical stuff is kinda neat but I think I'll go for something like X-wing or something, I dunno
Thanks y'all
1/72 WW2. Plenty of selection, models are cheap as chips.
You can get 50 soldiers for $10US.
1/100 is even cheaper if you order online and buy a few in a go.
Historical wargames tend to be free and readily available online. a PDF for Rapid Fire for example, is easily obtained.
Check the /hwg/ general for suggestions or advice
Historicals at 1/72 scale. You can get full armies for 10-15 bucks, add in tanks and artillery and you can have 3 armies for under 100 dollars. When you have the armies and rulebooks, finding other players is pretty easy
>>47089447
You can also just get a 40k starter box on eBay for that price and have enough for two players and you get more models.
So yeah, when you complain about 40k being "too expensive" but X-Wing is "super affordable" you're just full of shit and a retard.
>>47089541
Yeah, but that is at the smallest size of game for 40K whereas the other example would be a full X-Wing force. Also 40K has notorious balance issues and turns take like 30 minutes.
>>47081451
Realize that the hobby you want to get into will take a lot of time and energy, and that at the end of the day you will need people to play with. Think about what you want out of the hobby.
>Do you want to paint cool models?
>Do you want to play a fun, balanced, competitive game?
>Are you really into reading lore/history and want to recreate what you read on the tabletop?
Each game hits these aspects in different ways, do your research. Its not smart to buy the "cheapest" game because if it isn't what you were looking for it will just be a waste of money regardless. You won't find the time to paint the models if you don't like the game. Also, go to your lgs and see what they're playing. If nobody plays what you buy your models will just sit on the shelf.
>>47089541
That's not even a 40k game. It's barely even kill team.
Whereas that's a full Xwing army. With options.
So no, you're still a retarded fuckboy.
>>47081451
https://onepagerules.wordpress.com/portfolio/warstuff/
Warstuff. Stat up any old garbage you have laying around and start playing within 5 minutes. My friends and I use it to stage army-man vs plastic dinosaur battles.
>>47089582
>i pay more for less, therefore it's cheaper
>a legitimate small points bracket of 40k isn't an actual 40k game
>box even comes with scenarios to play that game
>fuckboy
Lol.
What are some good wargames with small armies? I'm talking like 15 to 20 models tops. I like the feeling of having each model in my army have a bit of personality and flair, but that really doesn't translate well to things like 40k
>>47089650
any skirmish game really. Infinity might be up your alley.
>>47089650
Any skirmish game. Warmahordes is no longer a skirmish game even though they still call themselves one. Try Infinity.
>>47089668
>>47089673
I actually have my first few Haqqislam models in the mail right now. What about for fantasy?
>>47089766Age of Sigmar :^)
>>47089647
>More for less.
What is $30 dollar clampacks? Without options?
Come on son.
>Kill team isn't an actual 40k game
That's right actually. It's not 40k at all.
>Thinking cheap ass scenarios for your 2 squad army is a game.
My sides.
Yes you're still a fuckboy. I guess GW literally breeds cucks.
>>47089613
Wow...
Guess it's time to start unpacking a childhood's worth of action figures and clear the living room floor. The Marvel/DC/Star Wars/Star Trek/Aliens Crossover Wars begin within the week!
Make an imperial guard army using plastic soldiers
>>47089766
Malifaux, not standard high fantasy however. You can probably find people actually playing this.
Wrath of Kings is cool
Frostgrave is pretty open ended, lets you use any models you want
>>47089848
>What is $30 dollar clampacks?
30 < 40
>Without options?
You get a bare head option.
>actually uses the word fuckboy ironically and failed to comprehend that was what the greentext was referring to
Lol.
>>47089881
I feel like sometimes I shill a little too hard for this game, but it's seriously the best. The rules are super easy to adjust for different scales too, so you can have your space marine army fight a full-sized (well, toy-sized) Voltron if you really want, and have individual stats for each of the lion-bots.
>>47089848
Every time a poorfag complains about 40k and then is stupid enough to buy EVEN MORE overpriced models, they always cherry pick the HQs as a counter-argument, every single time.
Nevermind the fact that every single model in your army is going to be comprised of cheap $1.50 to $5 posable plastic infantry with options while they're buying $12 metal monopose infantry with no or less options.
I guess being poor and stupid go hand in hand. Maybe if you weren't so dumb you could afford both games.
>>47089939
Yeah, but you need far more minis to have a full army in order to actually play the game. 40K barely functions at a low point level, and has overall terrible rules even at higher points values. If your argument is just price per mini for posable plastics, then you can just go for anything by Perry, Mantic, Warlord, Dreamforge, Fireforge ect and have a better deal(And better rules).
Doable Skirmish to have a crew with variarity with 60 Dollars:
Malifaux is popular, and the rulebook is free,
Batman (and the new marvel game from Knight model) is doable but hard to find a online rulebook and shitty shipping.
Freebooters Fate works but it is German.
Mercs is in a eternal limbo but cheap.
An army with a good amout within 80 Dollars:
Gripping beast has a good game in SAGA, cheap plastic kits and some variety, but might require buying the rulebook.
Warlords has its range of miniature games, some of the historical have cheap plastic kits.
North Star has a shitload but except Frostgrave nothing is well known.
Campaignebased games can be cheap with 50 Dollars modelwise but can be terrainheavy:
Frostgrave is a new one based around Wizards and they have some good minatures.
Mordheim is the wellknown alternative.
Lastly Sportsgame do not have as many models usually:
Guildball while having unique characters, a team is always limited to 5 so it price can be kept low.
Otherwise there is bloodbowl and Dreadball.
>>47089486
Holy shit, those haircuts
>>47089939
>Any single model clampack is twice the price of any xwang ship.
>You need 10x the models to play 40k. aka 50+ of those $1.50 models.
>Can't into basic addition to figure that out.
>1 Special weapon and some alternate heads is 'options' instead of things that are actually applicable in game.
>Happily pay an extra 20 dollars per box you buy to get some random tiny plastic pieces.
>Call others poorfag when they're fiscally responsible while you spend your parents money.
>Shill for Kill Team which has the loosest ruleset of an ALREADY loose ruleset literally built for children who can't afford a proper collection of toys.
WEW
E
W
40kid fuckboy logic in action.
>>47089918
You too.
>>47090055
That's not a haircut, it's male pattern baldness. It'll happen to you too.
>>47090055
Such is life amongst the historicals crowd. The most august graduate to model railroads.
>>47090055
>mfw I will never understand why balding fat men don't just shave their head
>"but then I'll be an ugly bald fat guy"
This is why you don't go fat. Stay fit, friends.
>>47090034
>Freebooter's fate works but is in German
They never came out with an English translation? Damn Krauts, tempting my hope with an English website. Thanks for the other recs though, didn't even know that there was a superhero skirmish game(Sounds like an awesome concept).
>>47090142
There's an English section..they must have english rules somewhere.
>>47090142
I also think there is an english version my comment was aimed that people outside Germany doesn't know of it and shipping can be a hassle
>>47090142
To the Knightmodels game.
They have three systems:
Batman (reaching 4 years), Spidey (6 months) and Marvel (2 months).
Batman is a streetlevel game, one can field Joker and some thugs vs Two-Face, Firefly and Deathstroke vs Batman and Robins vs Gordon and Swat.
The system is interesting due to how one distributes possible actions and the fighting.
Furthermore it is pretty characterful with batman using his batclaws to climb buildings, ninjas using the night to sneakattack or Bane beating up people.
Spidey is a reskin of the batman with a higher powerlevel (but it is pretty new).
Marvel is an entirely new system.
Here the powerlevel is way higher, Thor can battle it out with Cyclops, while Deadpool exchanges fire with Black Widow.
Lastly here is a link to the crew builder:
http://hero-builder.net/
Look into the batman one
>>47090287
I love the concept. Superheroes have always been about these smaller encounters with a few goons here and there. The figures certainly blow Heroclix's out of the water. Thanks for the link.
>>47090121
>model railroads
The Supreme Neckbeard eschews games of war and searches instead for wisdom in the railway tracks.
>>47089848
>kill team isn't 40k
am i being trolled?
>>47090463
It's pretty much a shell of a game and nothing close to 40k, only introduced because people in the 3rd world whine about not being about to play subpar games.
If you play kill-team unironically you should just play Necromunda and Gorkamorka and stop being a 40kuck.
>>47089847
>tfw I fucking loved Fantasy models
>tfw sigmarines and "definitely not meganobz"
>>47090522
I hate the WoW inspiration too. At least you can still buy recasts of the wacky German soldiers elsewhere.
Kings of War has good army bundles.
>>47090305
That is certainly possible.
Gamesize is 300 to 350.
The cheapest goon is 10 while the most expensive one is 50.
There is also a range of faction goons: Clowns for joker ( with a dash of harley thugs), Ninja for the league, Plants for Ivy.
Batman o the other hand can be 75 (Adam West) to 150 (Arkham Knight Batman). He'll take out a shitload of goon if he can ambush them but when you start grabbing him, he'll be pulled down to their level.
On the other hands Free Agent (Usually mercenaries or allies) can be from 50 (Damien Wayne, Scarecrow) to 80 (Deadshot, Catwoman) up to more supers 135 (Hawkman, Solomon Grundy, Clayface).
Normally I play Two-Face with around 6-7 gangster and mobster and a supervillain ally like Riddler, Deadshot or Copperhead.
Fun fact: An abilities related to the background stories of Two Face forces him to flip a coin each turn granting him a bonus or a malus depending on he result.
brick wars lads
*lights white eagle signal*
>>47091063
Brick wars is dope, but I like painting models
>>47089455
Welcome to the industry outside of historicals.
>>47090522
>>47090582
>>47091923
>brian isn't sure
>isn't sure
>is not sure
>brian
>not
>sure
>>47081451
Battletech
All you need is $60 once for the starter box. Game is never WYSIWYG so proxy forever
>>47092015
I don't get it.
>>47089467
>Sci-fi or Fantasy
Okay, question two: do you want to lead big armies, a few squads or a single group maybe 5-10 models strong?
