So, which miniature war game would you describe as the most newbie-friendly? I want to get into one but I'm not sure which should I choose. I'm thinking about WH40k, WH AoS / FB Fuck me running but I don't really know difference between them or X-wing.
How would you rate these games in terms of -Price to fun ratio -Collecting ease -Rules complexity level (I mean which game - if any - has too many needlessly complex rules etc) -Need of buying more and more models to keep your collection relevant in LGS games
Andrew Phillips
For all your points, with the games you chose... X wings, by far...
>Price to fun ratio You can be very competitive only with TIE (4-5)
>Collecting ease Nothing to paint, and you can find anything quite easily
>Rules complexity level (I mean which game - if any - has too many needlessly complex rules etc) Rules are "easy to learn, hard to master" Honestly, you will get some fun pretty fast
>Need of buying more and more models to keep your collection relevant in LGS games As I said, you can be very competitive with some basic ships
That's for my opinion, wait for other tho
Jordan Robinson
Once the General's Handbook comes out Age of Sigmar will be a perfect newbie game
-Price to fun is easy as the start collectings+ a few more boxes actually gives you a solid unique army
-Collecting ease is very simple with the full alliances and subfactions have limited units so its more apparent what you need to but
Rules Complexity- 4 pages leads to an easy into, but war scroll interactions, missions, and the subtle interactions in the assault phase alone create a nice learning curve for the new player.
-Relevance some of the oldest model ranges in the game are still the most viable (hello Brettonians) and new factions so far are designed to be balanced. No real power creep yet.
Leo Cook
>most newbie-friendly whichever has a thriving community at your local stores
This isn't a question that can be answered in a vacuum.
John Myers
X wing by a country mile.
I've even had friends tell me they want to buy ships or copies of the game themselves. That's fucking unheard of.
Ethan Harris
What do you like?
Xwing is mostly game, where for 40k and AoS the game is only a small part of the hobby.
There are also skirmish systems like malifaux which some people like. I don't play it myself, but some people like it.
Thomas Myers
Easiest rules? AoS. Cheapest? Probably KoW. Collecting ease? Anything that's still in the print and doesn't have serious supply issues (such as WarmaHordes).
Leo Walker
Or club. IME don't play at stores unless you have to.
Aaron Flores
IYE. IME, the local shop probably has a good, varied and welcoming gaming community. You know, it's worth checking, and all that jazz.
Lincoln Rogers
In your list easily X-Wing. Actually X-Wing overall is really easy to get into as everything is prepainted and preassembled. If you don't like assembling and painting models then it is a good choice.
Also Outside of your list there are lots of fun choices like Flames of War, Malifaux, Infinity, Kings of War, Warmachine, ect. What matters is whether you can find people to play with.
Elijah Johnson
X-Wing is probably the newbie-friendliest game I've encountered.
>Price to fun ratio I don't know if it's currently competitive, but a list of 3 TIE Interceptors has been competitive in the past, at least. And right now you could get the TIE Interceptor blister pack and Imperial Aces expansion (which comes with 2 TIE Interceptors with alternate paint schemes) for about $35 on Amazon. You'd still need a core set for the damage cards, dice, range rulers, movement templates, etc., but that's not too expensive.
>Collecting ease Just about any tabletop game shop will carry X-Wing stuff, and Fantasy Flight is mostly good about keeping popular products in print. The biggest downside is at some point you might want to build a squadron that uses a single upgrade card from an expansion you don't have.
>Rules complexity There are a few fiddly rules bits, but there are games that are so much worse.
Brayden Williams
X-wing. Or a generic game like Song of Blades and heroes. You use any mini you like, you get a few suplements and play away, the rules are easy, quick and fun and you can play all kinds of scenarios, advance your warband or simple pick me up games. If you are a cheap bastard you can get lots of the books online, but if you can buy them do it, also the warband builder is fun as fuck.
Nathan Brown
Deadzone is cheaper than KoW. $40 is enough for all the models you need to build an average sized force. $80 total if you need terrain too.
Camden Wright
>Deadzone I want to say this is literally the first time I hear of it, but it's actually the second. I vaguely recall somebody shilling the kickstarter some time ago.
Luis Ward
The problem generics is finding someone to play with. I git mixed feelings about X-Wing, it's definitely one of the best (and actually cheapest) mainstream games ever made. The whole marketing model is really annoying, as you need to buy stuff for new cards. Maybe your local players accept proxy cards, but if they don't you need to buy ships you don't want. Also the stuff is prepainted, so one aspect of the hobby is missing.
AoS: + easy to learn +you'll fknd players everywhere +probably growing userbase +probably decent rules (not perfect but hopefully not as fucked as 40k) +all plastic models (for newer releases)
-most expensive game (maybe with 40k), but still not as bad as mtg lmao -potential to get as fucked up rules as 40k (bloat, powercreep, general imbalance with battalions) BUT it's still in it's early days, so we'll see
Don't get into 40k: +many players +nice models
-expensive -ABSOLUTE DOGSHIT RULES -arguably cancerous playerbase, you need to find a good group. But that is the case with most games, if you don't want to go waac.
hope fore the aos-hammer to hit 40k if you want to get into it ( w8 for the next edition)
A game that hasn't been mentioned: Bolt Action +rather cheap +decent amount of players +good rules
-not as big as GW games
Or Saga: +really cheap +rules as good as X-wings, not as simple but just objectively a great set of rules +historical wargames usually have a more mature playerbase in general. They can get a little elitist though, as they mostly want to play fully painted armies. But powergaming is frowned upon and most of the people are forgiving towards newbies.
-smaller playerbase, but here in germany it's really big right now. You'll need to find out for yourself.
Sebastian King
Actually I have X-wing core set already and I liked it but I feel something is missing in this game. Maybe when I buy second core set the game will show me more of its magic - I hope so.
I dont' really have a problem with LGS. There are two in my area - both stuff and communities are nice and helpful, that's why I started to play MtG.
I asked about these games because - to be honest - they look fuckin amazing. I mean all these minis, paints, custom bases etc - I just want to stare at them. But I'm actually a poorfag - I know that x-wing is the most wallet-friendly miniatures game right now but I just cannot help feeling that something is missing. I played it few times and it was good but when I see start collecting boxes in LGS I just want to grab them and tear them apart. But as I said - I'm poorfag so spending money enough to buy 4 small/2 big x-wing models I can play with my gf for box of WH models for one player seems to be a little bit risky. I'm just not sure. I know you can't help me with it but it was good to read your opinions
Alexander Gomez
AOS is easy to learn, but a lot of those + are really negatives. You aren't finding players everywhere. It is a results may vary thing. It is not very popular in many areas. Especially the US. Plastics are nice, but they are way expensive. The rules are pretty much garbage. There are a shit ton of holes in them. Still uses you go I go. The list piles high. That whole game is a mess.
Worse still its GW. A lot of people fucking hate GW simply on principle and they have good reason to be wary. Recommending AOS to a new player right outside the gate is a bad call.
X-Wings main problem is the pre-paint, which isn't a problem for a lot of new players as painting is probably the biggest obstacle for people buying into a game. You are right in that it is a great mainstream game. It is a great gateway piece. It can really get people excited about tabletop gaming in general especially since the setting is so familiar. From there taking the dive further in or moving to another game is not such a leap.
James Butler
Look, the only real opinion that matters is your own. Go look up your local game stores, see what nights they play these various games, ask if anyone can do a demo game and then decide. Each game has their own strengths and weaknesses, but that doesn't mean anything if there is no one in the area to play them with. For example, I love 40k but have been playing AoS lately because the 40k group is more competitive than my CSMs can manage so I've started playing daemons in AoS where the play group is more casually oriented. It's all a bunch of games so the only important question is; are you, the player, enjoying yourself?
Michael Campbell
Don't listen to any of these scrubs. StarFleet Battles is by far the most noob-friendly war game out there
Levi Cooper
Anything non-GW that people play at your FLGS. X-Wing in particular.
Aiden Rivera
If you want to get in quick and not paint, X-wings is the best option. If you enjoy painting, 40k is perfect, and depending on your army not too complicated. If you pick 40k, I'd recommend not going for a Psykers army (Bonus points for Skitarii) and learn the rules as you go. Other than that, Space Marines are as bland or intricate as you want, the only downside being most everybody else at your LGS is probably playing them as well.
Owen Richardson
Whatever game's aesthetic you like and is played in your area
Infinity is my personal recommendation, but x-wing is also really good if you can stomach starwars
Frostgrave is also fantastic but tricky to find players for in most areas.
Jackson Barnes
I know what you mean. You should look at something like Malifaux. All you need to one of the starter crew boxes (Like $35 dollars on Ebay) to play, with maybe a few dudes later. It is overall significantly cheaper than any of Games Workshop's offerings. It is a great value and you can find players in a lot of places. The rules themselves are easy to learn, and everything is layed out thanks to the very very convenient reference cards that everything comes with. The figures themselves are all plastic and are generally held to a high standard.
Gavin Harris
I love Malifaux and it's definitely one of the cheapest to get into, but I'm not sure I can recommend it for someone new to the hobby.
There's a lot to take in for what your dudes can do and how the card mechanics work. The models are also a bitch cheaper to assemble for a new modeler. It can be done, and I've taught a fresh wargamer how to play and paint, but it can be tricky.
As an aside Malifaux crews also make good Frostgrave starters if anyone is looking around.
Xavier Jackson
I would definitely say that assembly is an inhibiting factor outside of the two player starter and a couple of the crews like Mother of Monsters. I agree with you on the Frostgrave part though. As each crew comes with a master and henchman, you can fill out a master and apprentice in Frostgrave with little trouble.
