There is more to our geek hobby than board games. Oh, so very, very much more. There are card games, dice games, live action games, role playing games, and the list goes on and on. One of the most visually stunning games of our collective hobby is also one of the most expensive and, some would argue, the most intimidating. I speak of the fantastic and always popular tabletop miniature wargaming.

Miniatures allow you to play games that could involve less than a dozen to a possible hundred or so miniatures in various sizes and genres. Most often they are highly detailed with paint and are played on elaborate maps that sometimes include scale model buildings, hills, and forests. Light skirmishes, massive battles, and even scenario based play are all possible making tabletop miniatures one of the most diverse and highly flexible games available to you.

But, as I said, it’s also somewhat intimidating and can be very expensive. There are three tough hurdles to get past when you are just starting out. First, it would seem that you would need to spend countless hours painting, organizing, and building your miniatures. You certainly can do if you have the time. Second, it would seem that there is no limit to the amount of money you will spend and never have “everything”. This is true, to a point. Third, the rules can be exceedingly complex, where string, calculators, laser pointers, and rulers are all required. In some cases, these are not only suggested, but mandatory.

What is not immediately apparent is that you don’t have to concern yourself with any of this. You can start small, real small, and slowly build up your own collection and still have a lot of fun. There is no wrong or right way, only your way. Tabletop miniature wargaming can be personalized to fit skill levels, incomes, and personal taste. Even so, it always helps to have a guide, a mentor, someone who can break it all down for you and tell you how to put it all together again, piece by piece. It just so happens I have found such a guide and am very excited to share it with you!

A fellow geek has written a detailed and very well-thought-out guide to help parents learn more about the hobby, the pros and cons, the myths and facts, and condensed it all down into a single web article which makes it exceedingly easy to digest. Also included are visual examples and many, many helpful tips! The article, which would appear to be something of a work in progress, can be found at the Wargaming Tradecraft web site in an article titled “Parents Guide to Tabletop Miniature Wargaming“.

Taken from the article…

Many of us have fond memories of beginning this hobby as young kids. Back then our imaginations were fuelled by the excitement of controlling armies of small figures… these same armies that were themselves fuelled by loving parents and allowances. I’m sure some parents might look on these type of games with concern, since they can be harder to relate to, which is what I’d like to address in this post.

And address it he does, covering just about everything. Rules, tools, accessibility, tips, tricks, child safety, and even some suggestions on how to “test the waters” with your little geeks before you go investing blindly in a hobby they might not like. In short, it’s very much a “one-stop-shop” for everything you’ll need to know upfront and a source you’ll want to refer back to from time to time. Pure geek gold.

If you are interested in learning more about the miniature hobby, do check out the article “Parents Guide to Tabletop Miniature Wargaming“. You can also find it on the Father Geek StumbleUpon page.