In a continuing trend, Games Workshop has released Warmaster as a free rules set. Clearly, they have decided that giving away rules promotes the sales of figures -- their primary focus.
The release of Warmaster is particularly welcome. It is a very flexible set and has been adapted to a large number of different genres and periods. Use the search box on the left hand side of this page to find a few of the variants.
Ty Beard, well known for his free wargames rules, such as Fist Full of TOWs, has this website of resources for the classic game, The Fantasy Trip.
Here's an earlier post on the Fistfull of Tows.
The FUMBLL Online Bloodbowl League "is an online Blood Bowl league open for everyone who wants to join in. As there is no set schedule, you can play whenever you have the time to do so.
Games Workshop's Warmaster has shown itself to be a remarkably versatile set of rules. There is a Yahoo Group that is dedicated to porting the basic rules over to a wide variety of historical periods. Even better, the group's files section has modifications for periods such as: The American Civil War, Dark Ages, Franco Prussian, Napoleonics, Renaissance and World War II.
Origins 2004 is set for this weekend in Columbus, Ohio, and with it comes one of the most spectacular miniature events that I have ever seen. First seen at last summer's Historicon, “Uncle Duke” Seifried's Lord of the Rings games will be run this year by Duke, Frank Chadwick and the Origins LotR Miniatures team. Known for his spectacular convention games, Duke will showcase Helm’s Deep, Minas Tirith, The Lonely Mountain and The Black Gate with literally thousands of wargaming miniatures. These pictures were taken at last year's Historicon.
The Fantasy Name Generator post has been one of the most-viewed on the site. Here is another in the same vein: the Hobbit Name Generator. Useful, I'm sure, for developing scenarios for Games Workshop's Lord of the Rings miniature wargame.
The Fantasy Name Generator is neat. You can select from several races (Human, orc, elf, dwarf, halfling and Swords??) and styles, including Tolkien, Deverry and Warhammer. This would be particularly useful if you're creating scenarios for Games Workshop's Warhammer or The Lord of the Rings game.
A while back I bought a bunch of Wargames Foundry's pirate figures. My idea was to make a bunch of boats and use them to play the Pirates! game from Flagship Games. I got sidetracked while trying to figure out a good way to make the ships. Now, Games Workshop has an article on building 25mm - 28mm boats.
Miniature Wargaming is part of the "adventure games" hobby, which includes r ole p laying and board games. Wargamers recreate battles on the tabletop with toy soldiers, like a more complicated game of chess. Models range in height from 6mm to 28mm tall, with 15mm and 25mm being the most popular. There also is a growing interest in toy soldiers and military models, such as the 1/32 and 1/35 scale plastic soldiers from Conte, and Marx.
The most popular miniature wargames are fantasy and science fiction based, such as Warhammer, Warhammer 40K, Warmachine and The Lord of the Rings. World War II games such as Flames of War and Axis and Allies are new favorites. Other favorite historical periods include Napoleonics, the American Civil War, and ancients, such as Romans or Greeks. Other gamers enjoy miniature naval wargames, recreating battles like Trafalgar, Jutland and the Coral Sea.
Hobbyists research historical periods and paint their tiny soldiers in accurate uniforms. Others develop "historically realistic" rules sets or build scale battlefield terrain using model railroad techniques.
For pictures, visit the gallery.
Some of the bigger hobby companies are Games Workshop, which produces Warhammer, Wargames Foundry and Old Glory Miniatures. Wizards of the Coast produces several lines of pre-painted miniatures games, such as the Star Wars and Dungeons and Dragons miniatures games, and a historical game with pre-painted miniatures: The new Axis and Allies game. Wizkids produces a fantasy collectable miniatures game, such as the Mage Knight and Heroclick fantasy games, the science fiction games MechWarrior and Rocketmen, as well as the quasi-historical Pirates of the Spanish Main.
