By Chris Parsons
Love them or hate them, miniature games are a big part of tabletop gaming. In these games players are usually assembling an army that falls within a specific point value, which is designated before a battle ensues. Battles take place withing a designated play space and proximity of the figures dictate the rules of engagement. The flavor can range everywhere from futuristic space soldiers to Star Wars to Dungeons & Dragons style fantasy. You can be commanding troops or directing an armada; there is something for everyone. In most cases you are using miniatures associated with a particular game/set of rules, but this was recently turned upside down for me and has caused me to rethink war-gaming.
I have a friend who has been in the hobby industry for far longer than I have and I stumbled upon him playing a game. When I asked him about he began to tell me with a great deal of passion that it's beautiful because there is almost no barrier to entry for role players. What? But it's a miniatures game, surely there is some cost associated. He then began to tell me about the army that he had built with old miniatures that he had bought for D&D, years ago. "I thought using all miniatures from the same artist would lend some cohesion to my army..." This peaked my interest, to say the least. So I asked what he did have to buy. His response, "Only the rule book, which is about $25 bucks." I was floored. "Is it any good?" I asked, trusting that he wouldn't steer me wrong. "It's brilliant!" he replied.
He began to break down the game of Frostgrave; giving me a brief rundown of the lore and core mechanics. It looked and sounded so good that I had to do some research. It was at this time that I really started to ponder miniature games as a whole. The only real experience I had with them up until this point was playing a game of Star Trek Attack Wing and another of D&D Attack Wing (which I had more fun with). So I started asking gamers which games they played and what they enjoyed and I learned of a world far beyond what I had initially understood. So, it is at this point dear reader, that I ask for your opinion or participation. What is your miniature game of choice and why? If you haven't played one before, play a couple. If you're a roleplayer, pick up Frostgrave, it's a good deal and a great amount of fun, and if the warring wizards fighting for treasure isn't for you give another one a try. As always, stay geeky!