Trinity of Games: Opening remarks on three games

So, I’ve been thinking. Mandatory quip about this never being a good idea. There, can we continue?

I’ve been thinking.

I currently play three different miniature games on a regular basis (plus Blood Bowl, which is a board game. I’ll explore the difference some time. Maybe). These are Warhammer Fantasy, Warhammer 40k and WarmaHordes (lately).

These three games all have different attributes. If you break them down, they each have a core that is different from the others.

Warhammer Fantasy is about big blocks of troopers, rigid formations and the occasional monster. Fantasy games are determined by close combat, and getting into the scrums you want, maybe after softening the opposition up with shooting. And magic.

Warhammer 40k is about tanks and loose formations of troopers. Games of 40k can be decided by shooting alone, but are more determined by being where you need to be, when you need to be there, while keeping your opponent away.

WarmaHordes is about small-scale engagements. Less rigid formation-wise than even 40k, it is much more about the individual models. It also places the emphasis firmly on the big guys (warjacks and warbeasts), and the characters (Warcasters and Warlocks) with regular troopers in more of a support role. Games are won by either moving more than the opponent, or whooping the daylights out of his leader. Often both.

So, each system offers something unique, at its core.

Sure, you can build 40k armies relying almost solely on enormous units of close combat specialists, or a Hordes force with nothing but larger, cheap units. But you’ll be missing out. Or not. It all rather depends, as usual, on your gaming environment. But a Dwarf army with nothing but ranged weapons and artillery will be a rather boring thing to play.

The point, of course, is that it works rather well to play these games in a parallel fashion. They offer enough variation to avoid stagnation, while still all being miniature wargames.

The plan with this is to write more on these distinguishing features.

But, having caught the blogger-disease of caring about post count (and being lazy), I’ll split it.

So, ‘til next time, enjoy your lovingly painted models beating the living daylights out of their peers.

Toodles.