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!
