Setting the Scene

Howdy wargamers, and welcome back!

     This week's post is all about getting the scene set for either your game or for painting your miniatures. We'll cover a little bit about terrain for the game board as well as basing your minis. Getting this right is key for a few different reasons, most of which is lending an air realism to your chosen project. Also, we'll be discussing a little bit of how to delve deeper into the background of your chosen game. 

Terrain

     Terrain on your playing surface can make or break some games. It's a necessity in most games for several reasons; visual aesthetics, providing cover, setting the scene for the battle, and providing a better overall gaming experience. It can consist of buildings or ruins, hills, trees, bushes, boulders, fallen bigger models (like titans fallen before the fight, not during as they are removed from the table upon destruction), or any number of things you can think of. Being meticulous and planning out how to lay down these items makes the board appear more like an actual battle field, rather than just a bunch of random things thrown together.

     There are some companies that make playmats for certain games that give you an idea as to how to lay out the terrain of your choosing as well, many with cityscapes, urban or rural settings, and even open fields that allow you to interpret things like trees and rock outcroppings to your own heart's desire. I personally like playing on a game mat and setting up terrain upon them. They come in a variety of materials, though, some form of neoprene tends to be the best in my opinion, as it gives you a softer surface to play on in case you drop an older metal mini, which have a tendency to break if you aren't careful. As I have a few older metal minis in my collection that I still play with, this helps keep them in one piece, as I'm highly accident prone. Other materials include vinyl, fabrics (such as felt), and even rubber. They all have their pros and cons, and in the end, it all comes down to personal preference. 

     This is a topic that can get a bit overwhelming, as there's actually a good it to go over, so I'll make a whole post about terrain and how it can be laid out for specific types of games. For now, we'll move into the next bit.

Basing Your Minis

     Basing your minis is another way to being some realism to your game or display piece. Basing refers to adding texture, paint, or accessories to the otherwise bare plastic/metal/resin/etc base your mini stands on. In the pic above, it's a plastic, circular base that, when unpainted, is a simple textured black circle. By adding some textured paint, dry brushing it, and adding grass, the Lieutenant now stands on red clay earth, rather than nothing at all.

Dude here has not been based and looks unfinished

     You can see by the pic above how much of a difference a non-based mini can make, visually speaking, in that it really looks half-baked and completely unfinished. I'm a horrible role-model in this regard, as the model above (along with several squads) is still being played as-is in my army. They were my first minis I ever painted and I'm keeping them as they are for nostalgia purposes, so sue me. 

     If you're one of the Painter crowd I mentioned in the previous posts, basing your mini is a necessity if you want the best looking miniature around. This goes doubly so if you intend on entering your mini into a painting competition. There are several stories of people losing out on a place specifically because the base was sub-par. There are also several stories of people losing out because the base was so overdone it took away from the main model of the piece. In the end, it comes down to moderations and technical precision. In your own display pieces, fee free to do whatever you like. In anything you're using to compete with, keep in mind to keep it looking good, but keep it as a part of the terrain, and not a huge part of the main subject of the model.

     As with the terrain, this is a very long and in depth part of mini building, so I'll make a separate post about basing in the near future to help explain it's importance and how it could (and in most cases, should) be done.

Other Ways To Set the Scene

     One of the best ways to et the scene, specifically for yourself, is to delve into the lore or history of the universe your game/games of choice are set it. For me, that entails the Warhammer 40,000 universe. There are almost a hundred novels in the pre-40k history series (the Horus Heresy series) and they're not done yet. Couple that with the current setting in the 41st Millennium, and that's well over 400 books to read, as there are almost 400 novels based in the current setting. This can be a good way to get a broader idea of what this whole specific universe and battles are about. Most of the miniature games out there will have some books available to help build the universe into a living, breathing thing that has a rich history and extensive lore of it's own. I highly recommend getting onto the lore if this is something that you want to learn more on.

      Another way to get the scene set is to have a narrative play game. This entails a story, explaining exactly what led to the battle you're currently playing, as well as where/how the next battle will be played depending on the winner. My group, 40K Parliament, does quite a bit of narrative play. We take a particular planet or battlefield in the story we've set, and build our game board accordingly. It lends a lot of realism to how we see what happens and gives it a nice sense of purpose to us as we battle against each other for supremacy and our chosen factions. This style of story telling is a good way to keep your battles moving with a purpose, and keeping your own story going in your chosen game. 

     As with all these posts, this is by no means an end-all-be-all list of ways to get your particular scene built and set up, but it's a decent starting point. You'll find a way to build your own setting, or not, as your own experiences will help you decide what's best for you.

     Feel free to comment on some of your best scene setting ideas for your own games. I always like hearing what other people come up with, so I can maybe try them myself as well. 

     Thanks for reading, wargamers! See you all next Friday, as we discuss Terrain more in depth and how to set it up via different types of gameplay as well as for display and competition painting set ups. Till then, have a god one and see you then!

What You Need to Get Started: Playing Focus

Hello mini wargamers!

     I'd like to take a quick moment to mention that posts carrying forward will be published every Friday. I'm having a lot of fun doing this, but the research is a little mind boggling, and a weekly post will allow time for me to get my thoughts in order enough to make a coherent post... mostly.

     We're back with post #3, and we'll be continuing to focus on a particular aspect of this hobby. This time, our focus is playing the games themselves. This topic is quite the rabbit whole as there's a lot to cover, but this we'll really only be about some of the most common. Even then, there are still several styles of gameplay to discuss, so get yourself a snack, a beer (or drink of choice), and sit back. This could take a while.

     Disclaimer: Like both the posts before this, please remember this is a grossly oversimplified explanation of the most common classifications of the topic, and not an end-all-be-all list. There are other variations of mini wargaming out there that are played. So many, in fact, that this would be a book.

     Kicking off the Players topic, we're going to talk about the different types of games available to the player. When it comes to miniature wargaming, the most commonly played in your nearest LGS (in my experience) are Skirmish games, Campaign games, and Company Sized wargames. I'm no expert in these things, but I do have experience with all of them. If I had to make a recommendation as to where a noob should begin, I'd have to say either a Skirmish, or Campaign game. I'll explain why in detail as we go through them. As it stands, there are so many ways to get into mini wargaming, it's enough to make the heads spin on anyone potentially interest in starting in on the hobby. Hopefully this post will help narrow down the selection to more of what interests the potential gamer. Without further adieu, lets  start with the first on the list...

Skirmish Games

     Skirmish Games are one of the best ways to get into the hobby of mini wargaming, so much so, a lot of the are referred to as Gateway Games. We refer to them as such because they are generally pretty easy to get into, both due to cost and rulesets. They usually require significantly fewer models to play than a Company Sized game (more on this later), and are very easy to play. There are quite a number of them that come in an all-in-one box, which gives you everything you need for 2 players to play the game. This is a good thing for 2 reasons; for one, if you find someone else who is interested in wanting to start playing a specific game that has an all-in-one box set, you can ask about splitting the cost, thereby minimizing monetary risk in case you don't like the game; and 2, giving you (as a new player) the opportunity to either start collecting a small part of an army for a full Company Sized game (or 2 armies if you keep both parts of the all-in-one box set, foregoing splitting the cost with a friend) and giving you more options for upgrading later. Noob Tip #6: Get someone to buy in with you. As explained before, this can be a very expensive hobby, and if you're not sure you want to stick with it, splitting the cost is a really good way t save some money while you decide if this is the game/hobby for you.

     One of the best things about these games is the universe diversity. What I mean by that is there are so many fandom universes that have come out with miniature skirmish games, it's enough to make one's head spin. Star Wars, Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, Doctor Who, Warhammer 40,000, Warhammer: Age of Sigmar (formerly Warhammer Fantasy) and countless other Fantasy and Sci-Fi universes have miniature games available to play, not to mention the Historical skirmish games set in WWI, WWII, Vietnam, the Napoleonic Wars, etc., that there is bound to be something for just about everyone when it comes to getting into playing a miniature wargame.

     Skirmish games also have the benefit of being quite quick to play, usually somewhere around 30-45 minutes per game, rather than the 2-3 hours of either a Campaign or Company Size game. This is a huge benefit to the noob as things move fast enough to stay interesting, but not so slow it seems dauntingly complex. As mentioned before, since they can come in an all-in-one box set, it makes sense to pick one up if you know you want to play. There are a few I'd recommend for a noob, including Warhammer 40k Kill Team, Necromunda, Warhammer Underworlds: Night Vault, Warhammer Underworlds: Shadespire (point of note #1 bottom of page), Malifaux, Warmachine, Hordes, Infinity, Flames of War, Team Yankee, and Bolt Action. Check out each one to see which may interest you most.

Campaign Games

     

     This section is a little... weird, so let me explain something real quick. the term campaign game can have a couple different connotations; being either a game that continues on a specific narrative on a large scale, or one that does it on a small scale. We'll be discussing both in this post, but this section is more on the small scale, as that tends to be a bit more common than the larger scale (again, in my own personal experience).

     Campaign games area little more familiar to most people, though many wouldn't think of them as miniature wargames, and they'd be right. Campaign games (at least in this regard) are more about an individual character (per player, that is) than a true wargame. Think Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), where an individual takes control/becomes an individual character in a storyline, and in fact, you can find miniatures for D&D games. Your character goes on an adventure, grows as he/she/it/they gains experience, gains stats, etc. exactly as you'd expect from this kind of game. It's generally exceptionally narrative based, with a rich storyline and can have a very linear kind of gameplay. This gameplay is usually moved along and planned (mostly) either by some type of game controller, like a dungeon master, or through a book narrative, where if you don't pass your particular challenges, the story can progress no further. These types of games have been around since the 70's at least, and are always fun to get into. 

     It's hard to say if there are any I'd specifically recommend for the wargaming noob, but honestly there's a new one out from GW (point of note #2) called Warhammer Quest: Blackstone Fortress which is currently calling my name. It's a little pricey, but looks absolutely awesome, especially since I already love the 40K universe. For the complete noob, I'd inquire with your LGS about a D&D group that plays on the tabletop. I think that'd be the best way to start this type of game, as a good, patient, dungeon master would take the time to explain the game and introduce said noob to a good campaign to try for the first time.

Company Sized Games

Proud member of the 40k Parliament prepares for battle with the sign of dude-ism

     Company Sized Games are what most people think of when we talk about miniature wargames, and for a couple of really good reasons; they're the most common type of miniature wargame you are likely to come across, large scale battles with 40-100+ models (or more) on a table battling it out for tabletop supremacy, and the fact that their marketing is quite awesome in the right setting. Warhammer 40K, Warhammer Age of Sigmar, Flames of War, Middle-earth, and several others fall into this category. These are games that tend to require relatively large armies (read, large monetary and time investment), several rulebooks, and a good chunk of your day to play. As I'm sure you all have gathered, I'm a bit of a Warhmmer 40k player, so most of my pics/experiences are with that particular gameset.

Knight fight in full swing, turn one

     Company sized games usually involve somewhere between 20 and 100 models (totally depending on the size of the battle, sometimes more, sometimes less) and has cost both players a good little chuck of money in buying the army, painting said army (cost of which can vary, please see previous post), buying the rule book for said army, and generally not having a lot of time to do much but building, painting, and playing your game of choice. That's ok, that's what these games are designed to do. We love them anyway. 

Large scale game setting up

     Company sized games also give you a variety of game styles and games sizes. Though we usually think of massive games, that's not always the case. It entirely depends on the players. There are games that are very small, skirmish sized, and there area games that entail several (and I mean several) hundreds of models. It entirely depends on the players. This includes Campaign style games, that grow your army or faction's reputation and glory throughout a campaign timeline, giving your faction a better standing as time goes on in the campaign. 

My Knight Titan, Spot (on the left) getting owned by a fellow Parliament member

     Whatever gameplay style you choose, just remember, playing can be fun, whether you win or lose. Really. We're here to have fun. Playing these games is ridiculously fun when enjoyed with friends. Noob Tip # 7: Have fun! Tournaments, are tournament, but most games are played against friends. Hell, I haven't won a big game in over 10 years, I STILL have fun playing because of the people, and I hope you guys have just as much fun, win or lose. 

     This has been just a quick overview of what the gameplay side of our hobby is about, and is by no means an end-all-be-all list of any of it. This is why there's a comments section, so feel free to add your questions or comments to the comments section and I promise I'll answer ever question I can to a the best of my ability. Before we formally end this post, we'll do our usual...

Noob Tip Recap

Noob Tip #6: Get someone to buy in with you! This hobby can get really expensive really quickly. Having someone else who's interested in getting onto it as well with you, and you all split the cost of getting started with an all-in-one starter set can help out drastically with the start-up cost of this hobby.

Noob Tip #7: Have fun!! This is supposed to be a fun hobby. Don't stress too much and have fun with it!

Point of Note: I've been playing Games Workshop games for almost 15 years now, so I'm a little biased towards their games and will be for quite some time, though I'm not being paid by them (ahem, GW you really should pay me for this).

     Alrighty folks, this has been another PSA by yours truly, Rexy. As always, the comment section is open for anything I missed. Thank you all so much for the support so far. I'll see you guys next week, for a little but more in depth look into your hobby station, and what you should have handy to make life easier.

Until than, thank you much and I'll see you all soon!

     

What You Need to Get Started: Painting Focus

     Hello mini wargamers!

Ok, this post is going be a little different from the last. This time, I'll be focusing on what you'll need to actually get started in this hobby.

     First and foremost, you need to decide which part or parts of the hobby you want to get into. There are generally 3 categories that most people fall into; painter, player, and both. There are more than that in reality, but I'll get to that. Deciding which you want to do early can help save time and money in the long run (unless you pick both, then may the Gaming Gods be merciful on your wallet).

     As mentioned briefly in the previous post, there are several dozen brands, types, and manufacturers of  miniatures and miniature wargames out there for your building/painting/playing pleasure (say that 5 times fast...). Depending on what kind of hobbyist you want to be, there'll be a few different ways to go about how to choose what you should buy, and what you need to buy to get the best experience. Allow me to elaborate.

     Like I said earlier, there are generally 3 types of hobbyists; Painters, Players, and those who do both (I myself fall into the third category). When deciding on what type of miniature hobbyist you're going to be, you'll have slightly different needs when it comes to what you'll need to buy. I'll delve deeper into that as we go along. Please keep in mind, I'm drastically oversimplifying when I say there are generally only 3 types of mini hobbyists, but these are the 3 that I personally run into the most often, so let's keep it simple... for now. I'll explain each in a separate post as I can get a little rambley. Can't help it, I love this hobby.

     One thing I want to bring up before we start explaining these types is Noob Tip #3; whichever way you want to go, or are even just interested, you should really find a local gaming shop (LGS), preferably one that has tables for play and hopefully tables for painting, to see what the hype is about. I usually recommend asking the staff about certain games and let them know you're interested in the hobby. You'd be surprised how often a (good) LGS staff member will really take some time to explain a game to you. The best staff I've come across has actually introduced noobs to a few of their regular customers and asked if the could watch and maybe explain a little. So far, every gamer I've ever seen asked has been pretty cool with it, excited even in some cases (though I have heard of some people getting annoyed, I've never personally witnessed it). Now, chances are, if you have any interest in miniatures, it may be because someone you know paints/plays themselves. Ask them too, if that's the case. More friends that get into the hobby equals more opponents to play against and/or more people to build and paint with. It makes the whole thing that much more fun.

Alrighty, onto the (grossly oversimplified) explanation of painters. 

     

Painters

     For those that want to be mini painters, you'll need a few basic things; minis to build and paint, paints (go figure, right?), paint cup, some kind of palette (I use a tile), and brushes. For paint colors, it's a good idea to ask the staff at your LGS what they recommend for a particular model or range of models, as they'll usually get you set up with enough of the basics colors to get a good palette going. Everything else, you may be able to find cheap if you shop around a bit (important note related to this on the bottom of the page). Now, a lot of companies (like GW) have miniatures that need to be built from a sprue just like a regular model. You have to cut it out, clean it up, and glue it together before it's ready for paint. That being the case, sprue cutters and/or a hobby knife, a cutting mat, and glue (super glue and/or plastic glue, I use both) should also be on your list-o-things to buy. There are some specialty tools you can purchase as well for things like mold-line/flash removal, but I'd wait on that to see if you're going to going to continue with the hobby. 

This is a sprue

Sprue cutter and hobby knife

Paints, brushes, and my fancy paint cup

Super glue, plastic glue, and files for flash clean-up

     Once you have all the items you need, on to Noob Tip #4: watch some YouTube videos, or see if your LGS has a paint day to learn how to paint your minis. Seriously, there's nothing more frustrating than trying to paint these tiny little models and it looking like crap because you didn't know how to do the basics (do a quick Google search for "badly painted miniatures" or keep scrolling and you'll see what I mean). Please note, your first minis will probably not come out as nicely as you'd like them to. Noob Tip #5: Don't be discouraged! This is one part in the hobby that will definitely require a LOT of practice to get good at, but it's totally rewarding in the end. The model in the picture above took me about 4 hours to paint as it is, and to me, it's still not where I want it to be, but after so long away from painting anything miniature related, I'm happy with it. But back to the point at hand. Really, It's going to take time to get exceptionally good at painting these things. Don't give up. 

     There are several terms you'll hear thrown about when it comes to classifying mini painting, including Tabletop Standard, Better than Tabletop, Display Piece, and Tournament Standard. I'll go over each of these in a little bit of detail. Remember, this is just basic stuff, but I'll try to be a bit thorough with the explanations.

One of my very first minis

Tabletop Standard

     Tabletop Standard is usually what's called 3 color minimum, and it's exactly what it sounds like; you have a minimum of 3 colors on the miniature. Take the model in the above pic for example, albeit one on the extreme side (most people paint their Tabletop Standard a lot better than this). It has 3 colors: red, black, and white. Generally speaking, this is what would be a minimum to play in most tournaments in a LGS. This is where you should start, as it's fairly quick and easy to do and make look decent. Plus it's a good baseline to use as you progress and the perfect starting point to begin experimenting with more advanced techniques in making it look better, such as dry brushing, edge highlighting, and glazing. Once you've got Tabletop Standard down, everything else comes easier.

One of my latest minis

Better than Tabletop

     Better than Tabletop is something that I don't hear about often, but it's out there. Basically, this is actually taking the time to make your model look good, i.e. adding more detail, more colors, basing, washes, etc. You can reach this level by paying attention to what you are doing and sticking to it. It doesn't take a whole lot of time to get here. Painters of this skill level have gotten to the point where Tabletop Standard is relatively quick and decently easy to do. Some people at this level begin offering their services to paint armies or models for other people on a commission basis. It's quite common to find them online via various social media platforms showing off some of their pieces, usually painted quite well, with a tagline something akin to "PM me for pricing on painting your army!" I admire these guys, personally. I'd love to be good enough to get paid to paint someone else's army... Sorry, back on topic! This is also the level where things start to become a lot easier, and much more advanced techniques become necessary to move on to the next category. 

     Display Standard is again exactly what it sounds like; it's painting model that's not meant be used as a part of a game (though you could, properly kitted out for the game it comes from, if from a game at all) and more painted to look really good and sit in a display case in someone's collection (I'm not up to this level of detail yet, so no photo). This level of painting is a lot more technical than Tabletop Standard and takes a lot of time to complete, but oh God Emperor of Mankind do they look good. Those who paint well enough to warrant a display piece have spent years developing the skills to get this good and can be highly sought after as commission painters to have a model painted by them. These guys also usually end up painting in the next category. Speaking of which...

     Tournament Standard. This term can be confusing depending on it's context. In actual gameplay tournaments, Tabletop Standard and Tournament Standard are interchangeable. What I'm referring to is a painting tournament standard. These are painters that take Display Standard and turn it up to 11. Check out the Golden Demon website and you can see in these pieces the level of skill involved. As with those who paint Display Standard, these skills are absolutely fantastic and can take years to master. This is the level of painting where all those who want to be the best miniature painters ever want to be. I follow several Golden Demon winners on Instagram (where you can also follow me, @wargamingnoobs) and it's amazing how long it can take some of these guys to paint the piece they want to take to compete. This is my personal, ultimate goal.

     This is just my personal take on what I've seen and been part of in this hobby for as long as I've done it. This is by no means an end-all-be-all list or anything, just a quick overview of the most common types of hobbyists you'll come across who just paint. 

     Remember, everyone progresses at their own rate, and this is a hobby where people like to show off their stuff. You'll find people who show off a really good, almost display quality paint job, and to that painter, it's their personal Tabletop Standard. It can be a bit disheartening. Don't worry, you'll get there. The best advice I can give you: paint every day, watch lot's of painting tutorials, and try new techniques.

Alright, this has been a longer post than I thought, so I'll end here with our...

Noob Tips Recap

Noob Tip#3: Start your research at a game shop! Find a game store near you that actually has tables where people can come play games. Why? Because you'll meet real people actually playing the game/painting their figures. It's a great way to see different paint schemes, painting techniques, the multitude of model options, and you may even make some new friends to help you along!

Noob Tip #4: Watch painting tutorials! Ask your local LGS what paints they recommend for your paint project! Trust in the power of the spoken word and visual aid. Really, I've learned so much just from watching the GW YouTube page after 8 years of not painting anything miniature related. Most of my LGSs all host paint days where people can come and just paint their minis, offering advice and any help they can offer. It really is one of the better assets you can have as  noob.

Noob Tip #5: You are going to suck when you paint your first mini, and that's ok. Don't be discouraged! The more you paint, the better you'll be, I promise you. Look back at the pics I posted. I painted those minis. It didn't take long to get decent at it, though it does feel like it takes forever. Keep at it and utilize all the resources available to you. You'll be submitting your own minis to Golden Demon Tournaments in no time.

Important Note: If you go to an LGS and an employee helps you by answering questions, teaching you gameplay/painting/building, pointing out where you should start, consider doing them a favor and buy that stuff from that establishment. Most of these places are mom-and-pop shops and need the business to stick around. It's a good way to show your appreciation for the employee who helped you as well, and everyone likes to feel appreciated. Just my 2 cents.

That does it for this post, mini hobbyists. If you read this far, you've got one hell of an attention span, and I applaud you. Let me know what you all think or if you have any questions in the comments!

Next post will be on actually getting into playing the games. Hopefully posted in a day or 2. See y'all next time!

Welcome to Wargaming Noobs!

     Hello and welcome, fellow wargamers, soon to be wargamers, and those who may be interested in becoming wargamers! My name is Rex, and this blog will document my journey getting back into miniature wargaming after a nearly 10 year hiatus, and pass on advice I've received about the different parts of the hobby. As I play Warhammer 40K primarily, my posts are more relevant to those looking into that particular game, but there'll be some good info later on about the miniatures hobby in general. Also, at the end of all my posts, I'll have a list of Noob Tips that I'll reference in the post itself. 

Happy reading and I hope you enjoy my adventure!

     Firstly, let me go over some of my own troubles getting back into the hobby. I first started playing Warhammer 40K back in 4th edition, somewhere around 2004-2005, and built models and played pretty consistently till 2008. I had a pretty good understanding of the rules, and my chosen army (the Black Templars) had it's own codex (army specific rulebook and background info) and some nice models. When I picked it up again in late 2017/early 2018 (thanks to a co-worker and fellow 40k-er, David, aka CerberusRex), things had changed pretty drastically from what I remembered, and my army's codex had been integrated into the larger Space Marines codex. Luckily for the better, as the game seems a lot more streamlined, though I miss a lot of the fluff from my Black Templars codex. More on that in a later post though.

 

    I went and bought all new paints, brushes, and a few new models, and all the current rulebooks to get back in the groove of things. This was my first reminder of something I'd forgotten about this hobby; This crap is expensive!!! Like, damn. All that cost me in the realm of ~$300. This brings me to Noob Tip #1: Don't go all out right away until you're absolutely sure this is the hobby for you. There are many different miniature wargames, and I'm unsure of the pricing for most, but Games Workshop (GW for short, creators of the Warhammer universes) is pricy. You're better off picking up a couple models or a all-in boxed game (also available for GW games), splitting the cost with a friend (more on that in a later post). But I digress...

     After getting home with my new collection of wallet-emptying goodness, I pulled out the old cutting mat and sprue clippers and set to work. Putting together a lot of the newer models was a lot easier than I remembered. I put together a small squad in about an hour or so and I was ready for painting. Now it's time for Noob Tip #2: YouTube is an AMAZING resource for learning how to paint your minis, and GW actually has their own channel (WarhammerTV) which gives excellent tutorials on specific color schemes. Those can be modified with whatever colors you decide to use for your own army. There are also a whole smorgasbord of painters and painting tutorials at your fingertips on all the social media platforms. Use them to your benefit.

     The painting of the minis was tedious at first. It felt like after so long I'd forgotten how to hold a brush! But after several hours of binge watching video tutorials and several days spent painting, my minis were done. They weren't great looking in my mind, but they looked good enough to put on the table and start playing. Thanks to David, I'd been introduced to a group of 40k players via social media (quick shout out to 40K Parliament, great group of guys) and I was invited to come join in on one of their weekly games at a local gaming shop. More on that next time.

     Alright, this has been a long read, so thanks to those that have gotten this far. I'll post as often as my schedule allows and I'll be making several posts that simply offer ideas and tips intermixed with my trials and tribulations posts in this wonderful hobby of ours. 

Noob Tips Recap

Noob Tip #1: Don't buy too much too soon!! This hobby gets really expensive really quickly, and if you decide it's not right for you, that could mean a lot of money gone to waste. I'll elaborate more on the details in a later post.

Noob Tip #2: Use video tutorials to help you with how to paint! You'd be amazed how much you can lean and how fast you can progress by simply watching and painting along with tutorials. There are also more ways to learn, which we'll go over in a later post.

40K Parliament members may contribute some of their own stories and tips on this blog if they so choose, and they've got a wealth of experience and knowledge that I've been lucky enough to pull from.

Thanks mini wargamers! We'll see you next time!