Being too knackered to do anything in the evening these days aside from trolling YouTube, I have found a number of “how to start wargaming” videos. These tend to take the same old route, of pushing people towards various brands and paraphernalia that have grown up around wargamers who have, to put it politely, been around the block and forgotten what it’s like to start from scratch. The most recent was recommending mdf bases. Really? My first bases were cut (without measuring!) from the boxes my Airfix figures came in! Worse, he was extolling the virtues of those Wofun things, which are truly horrible.
So, instead of repeating the same things I do on all these videos (like I do with any Little Bighorn video where some twat will always say “he should have taken the Gatling guns!”), here is my own guide…
Rule 1: What?
What interests you? What war film have you seen or book you have read that made you want to delve deeper? Do something that floats your boat to keep the juices flowing. This may seem obvious, but you will be surprised how many people get pushed or pulled into periods just because others do it and not because they want to. Plough your own furrow. It’s a good life lesson.
Rule 2: Basics
Get yourself some basic modelling tools, so a good pair of sprue clippers, a scalpel (for cleaning flash off figures), a Stanley knife (for cutting bases - disposables are good enough) and a ruler will do. Then get some thick card for your bases.
You can quite happily cut the card into the right base sizes and play with those to begin with. I managed to play Tabletop Games’ Pony Wars rules using strips of card.
A tape measure and some six sided dice, or D6 (avoid any rules that require more than a handful of D6) are the playing basics.
As far as paint brushes are concerned, you can get perfectly good cheap ones off Amazon or from The Works in the UK. I managed to paint OK with some dreadful brushes when I was a kid: there is nothing wrong with the cheapies and the more you paint the better you will be at picking the right brushes for you.
Rule 3: Rules
Neil Thomas’ One Hour Wargames. That’s all you need for now.
Rule 4: Toys
Go for cheap, plastic 1/72 figures from Hat, Airfix, Revell, Italeri etc. Plastic Soldier Review is your go to online source for info about ranges. Ignore metals and multi-part plastics. And Wofun, because they are horrible. Sometimes they will need gluing and for that you will need Superglue Plastyx. Trust me, it works!
Rule 5: Preparation
Remove figures from sprues with sprue cutters and clean off any flash with the scalpel. This is the biggest drawback with plastic figures as some can be bad, especially with old moulds. Don’t get hung up on removing every last bit, just do the worst.
Wash figures in detergent and give them a thin coat of PVA glue before painting to seal the plastic. Vallejo white primer also works very well, but PVA is cheaper. Plastic figures vary greatly in their ability to hold paint, so do this on all your figures just in case.
Rule 6: Acrylic Paint Only
Only use acrylic paint, that way you will cover the figure in its own rubber suit which will flex with the figure and not chip off. There are so many on the market now that are all much of a muchness, so just get what is the most available near you or online. I mostly use Vallejo, but the latest Army Painter are good as are AK.
Rule 7: Paint for Arm’s Length
Paint your figures as per the Britains Deetail (or Herald!) metal-based figures so they look good at arm’s length. Get this style under your belt first: it’s good practice and you can always add extra detail as you grow in skill. Choose a base colour - usually the main uniform or jacket colour, like red for British or Blue for French - and cover the whole figure. Then work on the other large areas, like trousers, hats etc. Sometimes it’s easier to leave the hands until last as they will be holding something. If you are doing Modern figures, like WW1 or 2, have a look at what Airfix did in the late 60s…
If you start simple like this you will only need a few colours too. Horses are even easier:
- White with grey mane & tail.
- Black all over.
- Dark brown with black mane & tail.
- Light brown all over.
Add the odd white sock and blaze on the last three for variety.
I have actually produced figures in both styles quickly for games. It really works and you’ll find they look just as good on the table as their detailed brethren. And miles better than Wofun.
Rule 8: Basing Basics
Cut your bases to the size you want out of thick card. Paint it green or sand, depending on where your troops are fighting. Glue your figures on so they look good. No need to cram them on or use the same poses. Look at these two blogs to see what you can do with a few figures mounted on large bases.
https://gridbasedwargaming.blogspot.com/
https://warfareintheageofcynicsandamateurs.blogspot.com/
Rule 9: Terrain
One Hour rules are based around tables three feet square, so just get a sheet of hardboard of that size and paint it an appropriate colour. Terrain can be two dimensional to begin with, cut from card or felt. If you are using 1/72 figures then take advantage of model railway scenics. Most battles in the 60s and 70s were fought against a backdrop of 1950s Britain…
And finally…
Rule 10: Play the Game
Don’t take it seriously, don’t cheat, be gracious in defeat and magnanimous in victory. It’s a game, a bit of fun, nobody dies and it will expand your historical knowledge and develop your artistic and organisational skills.
