What is tabletop wargaming
Tabletop wargaming is a form of boardgaming. The players conduct battles on a tabletop using toy soldiers (called miniatures) and dice. Dice are rolled to resolve uncertain events. For example, you roll dice to see if a warrior is courageous enough to attack a dragon, or to resolve a combat between two monsters.
Miniatures are sold in different scales (that is, a measure of how tall the miniature is). Players use figures of roughly the same height. If one players uses 15mm miniatures (where an average warrior is roughly 15 to 18mm tall) and the other player uses 28mm miniatures, the 28mm warriors will look like giants!
Model hills, trees, shrubs, stones etc are used to represent the terrain where the battle takes place. These are not used just to create a beautiful, realistic surface, but have meaning in the game. For example, an archer cannot shoot arrows against a monster hiding behind a rock, and certain terrain types like woods or swamps will hinder movement.
How much does it cost?
Compared to other hobbies, miniature wargaming is NOT expensive. 15mm miniatures from state of the art manufacturers like www.splinteredlightminis.com retail for 40 to 60 cents each. 28mm metal miniatures are more expensive, ranging from $1.50 to $15 or more for the larger figures.
Most miniatures are made of a lead free pewter called white metal. Plastic miniatures are also available and it is possible to build a warband spending less than $10. There are many websites selling prepainted plastic miniatures for as low as 20 cents each. Another option is using paper miniatures, that you download, print and cut out. Check www.onemonk.com. Printing a paper figure will set you back about 10-15 cents.
To play you need a set of rules. We recommend our Song of Blades and Heroes: it is perfect for beginners and has a very active community. The PDF version of the game is only $5. The dedicated yahoo group and the authors are easy to contact and will solve any rules question you might have in no time.