Games for Painters

I’ve always described myself as more of a painter (or modeler) than a player. This means that, while I enjoy playing, in many ways the game merely gives me something to do with my painted models. Many “massed combat” games like those in the ancient or Napoleonic era can require 150 or more figures per army! Even if you like modeling and painting, several hundred figures all in similar poses and uniform crush even the stout of heart. One thing I am always looking for are games that are designed with painters in mind. These games typically have only a few models per army and a good opportunity for individualism of the models within the army. Listed below are some of my most favorite games for painters.

WWII Skirmish. There are many WWII skirmish rule sets on the market set at the platoon level (about 40 figures per side) with a tank or two. My personal favorites are Baptism of Fire and Operation Overlord.

Legends of the Old West. This game is produced by Warhammer Historical Wargames and is in a category of games I call “warband” style (a topic for another day). This game allows you to start with a posse of less than 10 models and fight out games after which you grieve the loss of the dead and the survivors' abilities grow in roleplaying style.

De Bellis Antiquitatas (DBA). Not all games for painters need to be man on man skirmishes. DBA allows players to fight ancient and medieval battles with less than 48 models per side. Some may debate the “realism” but it has always seemed close enough for the hobby we call war gaming.

Wooden Ships & Iron Men. The 18th and 19th century is filled with naval encounters involving a handful of ships. If the movie Master and Commander or the Horatio Hornblower novels fascinate you, consider buying 1/1200 scale ships and installing the standing and running rigging (now that’s a modeling project!)