This is a hobby blog about getting started with table top miniatures gaming. Before anybody writes in and complains, let me explain, I have personally been involved in the table top miniatures gaming hobby for the last 40 years, so I’m not really just getting started. Most of my miniatures collection consists of 28mm scale miniatures, which I use on a big table, and really love. Next year, Ann & I are hoping that we will be able to find a second hand panel van and start converting it into a campervan to use for holiday trips. There’s going to be a lot of work involved in the van conversion and we are planning to start using it for trips in a rough and ready state once we’ve done the sound proofing, insulation and wood panelling done. This got me thinking about what I might like to take with me other than my guitar and some audio-books. I love all sorts of games board games, role playing games, table top miniatures games but find cards and scrabble a little ‘thematically weak’ very quickly.

It seems very clear that my existing miniatures collection is not at all suited to van life, so over the last few weeks I’ve been thinking about a project to put together from scratch a couple of gaming projects that are suitable for taking away with me. The criteria is that the whole game including miniatures, terrain, dice, cards and any other accessories needed must fit inside one 9 Litre Really Useful Box (RUB). The second criteria is that the game must be playable in a small space like a camping or kitchen table, which I think is around 3’x2′. The more I thought about the project, the more I thought that I should document and share it, as it would be equally useful for anyone moving around or with limited space for hobbies such as students, servicemen and women, or anyone with limited hobby space. The idea of a game, completely contained in one RUB is ideal to pick up quickly to take to a friends house or to a club or show.

Although I have lots of terrain and other gaming stuff that could be re-purposed my plan is to really start from scratch, as if I was just taking up the hobby from scratch so that over the months I can show how new gamers can get started on a limited budget and put a really good game together that does not cost a lot of money or take a lot of space. This has led to a third criteria, which is the set up is to be developed within a limited budget. After a little thought, I have set this at £15 per week, which is the approximate cost of a packet of fags (Silk Cut – £14.10). This is a bit arbitrary, but I thought that the discipline of recording this would be useful. It’s actually a little beyond my personal pocket money / discretionary spend… but some of the items I have already or will be making at work!!

My fourth criteria for the project is that the games must be fun to play Solo as well as against another player. I’m hoping that we will meet up with friends while we are away in our van, and I am planning to be able to use an external webcam to arrange games over zoom / vorpal board but at times I will certainly want to play Solo. The games that I have chosen to use use for this project are Wars of Orcs and Dwarves for mass fantasy / historical table top gaming and Pulp Alley which is a great skirmish / semi roleplaying game. Both games have built in solo options. I am focussing on the mass battle game, Wars of Orcs and Dwarves first. The ‘normal’ games uses two inch square bases; 4-6 represent a unit and movement and ranges are in inches. For my 10mm game I have decided to use one inch / 25mm square bases and to switch distances from inches to centimetres. This means that a ‘standard’ 6’x4′ wargames table would be scaled down to 72cm x 48cm.

The first unit that I have painted has been a unit of Dwarf Warriors (TM20) from Copplestone Castings. I’m a huge fan of Mark’s work and the range is ideal for this project as the infantry come in packs of 24 and are cast in pairs on a joint base, two of which fit perfectly onto a 25mm square base. One pack costs £6.60 and is enough to make 6 bases.

Useful Links:

Copplestone Castings 10mm Fantasy Range

Really Useful Box Trays & Accessories to fit 4 Litre and 9 Litre Really Useful Boxes

Budget to date:

This week I’ve purchased a unit of Dwarves, and as it is important to work out how you are going to store your miniatures and other stuff a 20mm High Sally 4th RUB tray to fit inside a 9 Litre Really Useful Box.

Summary of Project Criteria:

• All figures, terrain & Accessories fit in one 9 Litre Really Useful Box
• Game playable on 3′ x 2′ Camping or Kitchen Table
• Budget £15 per week
• Must be playable solo, face to face or over zoom