Budget Wargaming - One Page Rules, 3D printing, and more

[Just Some Other Guy]

The main reason for not using historical models for 40k is the weapon sizes. 40k weapons are massively over scaled vs just about anything from real life. Maybe something like a sturm tiger might work as like a demolisher cannon.

40k also has much more boxier proportions than real stuff. I played around with this in my pre-printing days and I didn't find anything that could do the dimensions of a leman russ...then of course there's the weapon size.

If that doesn't bug you, so be it...but even the 105mm on my t29 model is barely wider than a 40k autocannon while being much longer....it just doesn't fit in.

I did use some American 155 spg as a basilisk. I used plasticard to make side skirts and extended the fenders to cover the tracks more in a "40k" style. They didn't look bad.

 

[Judge Dredd]

I have not heard anything. It may be due to advances in the glues (quality or price).

Makes sense. I'll try to pick up some plastic cement when I'm next in a model shop. I'll get paints around that time too.


I've not posted in this thread a while. I've read everything and took it to heart, though my stickers don't seem to stick all the time for some reason. Might as well give a small update with lots of topics, none worth a post on their own.

As much as I'm tempted by 3D printing, I don't have the space to set it up, even if I did want to spend the money.

I've not been to a hobby shop yet. Most of the local places are too far out of the way. I'm thinking of making a trip just for that purpose next week, but I don't have high hopes. Since I'm unlikely to find players, I'm thinking of just buying models that are cheap and look cool, and worry about list building later. Basically building things and putting whatever stats fit closest.

What historical games are worth looking into? I know of bolt action, but I see a lot of medieval models and nothing to play them with. Same goes for 10mm/Epic scale. I know of a fan made version of 40k Epic, but nothing for the historical stuff.

I worry I might be a fanboy for Wargames Atlantic stuff, but their Bulldogs, Ooh-Rah, Cannon Fodder, and Footknight sets all look great, and you get a lot for the money. It's looking like the most likely road I'll go down. I don't know if it's normal to announce a new thing and then it to be months or even years for it come out though.

I notice some slap fights over paint brands. Does it really matter? Other than Army Painter Speedpaint, everything just seems the same to me.

Finally, I saw an interesting video with a clickbait title. Not worth sharing, but in short he was making a typical ruined building corner out of card, but he complained that every gaming table uses the same gothic or generic concrete buildings and they're boring. It was an interesting point, and got me wondering if it's worth me looking into using some other style like City 17 from Half-Life. I saw a lot of shilling for a brutalist themed MDF building line called Brutal Cities, which seems to have shut down a while ago (as did the shilling), but it stood out among the usual gothic buildings. It's strange as a newcomer seeing all the old flavours of the month of the last few years. Like how a few years ago it was all about MDF terrain.

 

[Judge Dredd]

Sorry for the double (and likely a triple if I post updates, I don't know if people want those) but I have a strange question.

Did I pick a bad time to get into the hobby? Is most advice outdated?


I heard a bit of advice that can be summed up as "buy used Warcry starter set terrain."

The idea was that they can be bought cheap on the used market. Warcry was a dense, close combat game that needed a lot or terrain. As a result you get high quality GW plastic, and because 40k/Grimdark Future games take place at range, you have terrain spread out across the board for a medium sized game at a bargain price. A quick ebay search reveals an incomplete set for £200, and one bit of tarrian in particular (Sigmar's head) goes for £40. Warcry itself seems to be approaching end-of-life which might explain the hike in prices. Meanwhile, the "new" starter set has 2 short walls and 2 fences. Nowhere near enough for a game of 40k. Even the current Killteam box has more terrain.

Oddly enough, searching Amazon, one of the first results seems to be knock off Warcry starter terrain, but made of card. And as mentioned last post, MDF terrain was the hotness a few years ago, but now pickings are slim. 3D printed terrain ate their lunch I assume.

 

[yydszmiteg2]

So I ended up finding this thread since I'm looking at getting into war gaming and have been looking at both battletech and one page rules. Figured I would share some of the stuff I've found

As much as I'm tempted by 3D printing, I don't have the space to set it up, even if I did want to spend the money.

As far 3d printing goes I would probably just pay a printer on Etsy. It's how I get my DND minis. If we're comparing to GW prices then people on etsy do far cheaper prints of dozens of minis that would work for OPR and some I think look much cooler than the GW versions. Things like 10 of these solar guard (Definitely not space marines) for £20.

I see a lot of medieval models and nothing to play them with.

This is something I've been looking at too. Something like OPR's age of fantasy doesn't quite seem right if you want real medieval stuff. I've heard of both "Hail Caesar" and "Sword & Spear" are systems that model Ancient & Medieval period battles. Naturally they both seem to have a bias on one end of that spectrum as you can tell by the names. However I've yet to even get hands on a source book for either let alone play them.

I notice some slap fights over paint brands. Does it really matter? Other than Army Painter Speedpaint, everything just seems the same to me

Even speed paints have a version in most of the other big brands, Citadel contrast paints, Vallejo Xpress Color and so on. The paint thing to me seems like the console wars. There are differences but it's mostly a matter of liking what you know. I have an autistic ideological bent against GW so I refuse to own any more Citadel paints than I currently have but other than that I don't see a reason for one company over the other.

Did I pick a bad time to get into the hobby? Is most advice outdated?

The UK is in economic dire straits and I think that's hitting expensive hobbies biggest since people just can't justify spending 100's on 15 new toy soldiers.

3D printed terrain ate their lunch I assume.

Yeah as to the whole terrain thing I guess this is where I would also do a mix of DIY and Etsy 3d printing. I've seen people use big PVC pipe fittings to look like the exhaust of some grim dark planet sized factory, use the plastic tubs that you get meat in at the supermarket to be some kind of utility hut or an egg carton for some kind of Necron... thing. Naturally you'd need to prime and paint them but it looks pretty good if you're willing to put a little time and effort in. I'd probably buy 3d printed terrain for specific things like destroyed churches and the like but otherwise, just using what you have seems effective.

Since you talked earlier in the thread about using plastic army men I figured I would post this link to the list of OPR's deprecated systems which includes army men combat a system specifically for plastic toy soldiers. You're right that it's a bit light on content but not so bad. Snipers, machine gunners, smg units, grenadiers. Even just using the infantry there is a fair bit there and you could probably figure out some rules for mechanized stuff. Hell for some people that's part of the fun. Playing around and making rules for stuff till you get a solid homebrew system.

https://wiki.onepagerules.com/index.php/Archived_Games#Army_Men_Combat

 

[Judge Dredd]

So I ended up finding this thread since I'm looking at getting into war gaming and have been looking at both battletech and one page rules. Figured I would share some of the stuff I've found

The miniatures games thread is kind of a sister/sequel thread to this one.

https://embed.kiwifarms.st/threads/miniatures-games.205149/

Some of what I'm about to say was covered there, but there's no harm in repeating it.

This is something I've been looking at too. Something like OPR's age of fantasy doesn't quite seem right if you want real medieval stuff. I've heard of both "Hail Caesar" and "Sword & Spear" are systems that model Ancient & Medieval period battles. Naturally they both seem to have a bias on one end of that spectrum as you can tell by the names. However I've yet to even get hands on a source book for either let alone play them.

A couple of games related to this. Oathmark being a Warhammer Fantasy-like rank. Frostgrave is also a fantasy game that gets a lot of praise. Though like you, never played or seen them in the wild. As for historicals, only game I really know of is Baron's War. Again, same deal. There's also Pyke and Shote, which I want to say I have seen, but I don't remember as that era isn't of interest to me.

Still no luck on epic scale.

Since you talked earlier in the thread about using plastic army men I figured I would post this link to the list of OPR's deprecated systems which includes army men combat a system specifically for plastic toy soldiers. You're right that it's a bit light on content but not so bad. Snipers, machine gunners, smg units, grenadiers. Even just using the infantry there is a fair bit there and you could probably figure out some rules for mechanized stuff. Hell for some people that's part of the fun. Playing around and making rules for stuff till you get a solid homebrew system.

I didn't know that.

I have since read the rules for Bolt Action, and discovered something interesting. The base game has generic weapons. All rifles are the same, all SMGs are the same, all assault rifles are the same. A box of army men could, in theory, play Bolt Action.

But, I was with a friend and we saw some 12mm world war 2 models. Very cheap. I'm talking £20 for 240 men cheap. I made a joke about buying those and playing tiny bolt action. He unironically liked the idea, though he wanted to use the minis to play bolt action with huge armies instead of a standard 1000 point game for £40.


While I'm on the subject. There is also a cowboy game called Dead Man's Hand. Price-per-mini isn't that cheap, but since the game is 7v7, on a board that is 3 wild west houses and some barrels for cover, it has the potential to be very cheap as well. In contrast, Star Wars Legion gets hyped as a very cheap game, but the cost per mini is higher than GW, which is insane to me and I don't know why people hold it up as good value.

Bolt Action is also proving to be a favourite in terms of value. I'm looking forward to the new Konflikt 47 due out in March. Bolt Action soldier boxes are £35 for 30 men, and less if you go third party like Perry. If Konflikt 47 keeps that level of pricing, it could be good.

Things like 10 of these solar guard (Definitely not space marines) for £20.

I keep simping for WGA and Northstar. WGA prices have gone up, from £25 for 24-32 guys to £30 for the same amount, but it's still barely £1 per figure. Northstar haven't released anything in a while, but their gnolls and cultists are fun. They have a traitor guard set called The Damned that is being shipped to Kickstarter backers at present, and general sale after that. Unfortunately, their Valkyry "not space marine" release is around the same per-mini as GW. (£40 for 12 as opposed to GW £40 for 10)

So no real benefit. However, I saw some on another forum defend the kit because it provides a bunch of special weapon build options that GW doesn't offer, or puts in a seperate sprue.

Double however, for that you can get into Horus Herasy marines which work out cheaper per figure. I'm not sure what weapons they come with.

I saw a video just today talking about how FDM printing is getting close to resin quality.

There's a lot going on in the world of weird 40k proxies.

 

[Fear&LoathinginMcDonalds]

Putting together a Duchies of Vinci army to play against my wife's ratmen.

Trying out some DIY basing materials; made some grass with the 'sawdust/paint' method and some rocks out of chopped up bits of cork.



Pretty jazzed with the results, especially for a first try. Gonna practice making it look more natural in future.

Looking forward to the end result of these guys

 

[Fear&LoathinginMcDonalds]

My duchies groweth.

Got a few more militia men printing now and I'm prepping bases for a unit of Automa Guard and a couple of hero units.

Also bought files for the grimdark Goblin Reclaimers, looking forward to printing some little green men.