Author: Dariusz Biegun

In our first article of the series of ‘What to print for wargaming?’ I covered the topic of horses. You can read it here.

Today, I would like to present you with a list of various types of weapons that you can 3D print for your minis. This might come in handy when you are missing some weapons or simply want some variety and are planning to make some conversions. I did tried to include something for everyone. Starting from so called cold weapons and ending on Sci-Fi firearms. You will find some swords, bows, daggers, war hammers, Sci-Fi power swords, laser guns, plasma pistols and much more.

Please note that in many cases models that were listed under one section ex. ‘Swords, spears, maces […]’ are suitable for most Fantasy, Historical and even Sci-Fi systems. However, I wanted to avoid listing the same link twice. That is why you will find them in different sections of this article, even though they would suit many different settings.

Let’s start with something suitable for D&D

I do realize that in most cases historically accurate weapons are fine for most D&D campaigns. However, spells can also produce magical weapons and this is what you will find in this section today:

28mm Spell Markers by Curufin – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1671974
D&D Spiritual Weapons by doesntfearzeus – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3046500
Spell Effect – Spiritual Weapon – Scythe by Alonicus – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4086789

If you are looking for some swords and other cold weapons (also called white arms), you can find them in the section below.

Swords, spears, maces… you name it! It’s here.

If you are playing some Fantasy or Historical systems you will find something suitable for you here. Different kind of swords, bows, spears, shields and other kind of white arms can be found among those files.

Fantasy Arsenal (28mm/Heroic scale) by dutchmogul – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2441531
Ranged Weapons for 28mm Minis by ClayRade – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3947594
Fantasy Swords – Vol 1 by ClayRade – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3953348
11011 miniature Swords! by Snorri – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1932535
28mm Kama weapon by Codyad – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3597247

Fantasy and Steampunk

I have to say that recently I got into steampunk and those flints would fit in that setting perfectly! However, I can also see some Dwarfs from the Warhammer Fantasy Battle ‘Old World’ being equipped with a weapon like that.

28mm Fantasy Arsenal of Muskets Percussion / Flintlock Firearms and Guns by BigMrTong – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3684485
More 28mm Fantasy Arsenal of Muskets Percussion / Flintlock Firearms and Guns by BigMrTong – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3688835
Squall’s Gunblade Final Fantasy 8 by ryanrybot – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3032133

Sci-Fi weapons

This section will please any Warhammer 40k fans out there. Plenty of options and firearms to choose from to cover all you space forces needs:

Cog-Boy Plasma Thrower by Mkhand_Industries – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3577588
Bolt Rifle 1-1 28mm by BREXIT – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3638473
Lasgun, snipers, gear – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3311832
Fancy Power Sword by jimsbeanz – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3652865
Pulse Rifle “Veteran” by the23Flavors – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3072969
Sci Fi Turret – AA – AT by JoeSnuffie – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2487112
28mm Mech Chainsword (5.4 inches/137mm Long) by johnbearross – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4163129
28mm assault rifle by Forpost_D6 – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:619571

Modern and WWII firearms

And finally something for all of you who are into more post-apocalyptic, modern or World War II related systems. I present you a list with AK47, Thompsons SMG and much more:

Scoped AK47 by ChrisM112 – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3212033
Handgun History – A 3D Tour by danlovy – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3546303
FAMAS Ver.1 by Zeta_Gun – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2457814
Gatling Gun in parts by korm – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1366436
CZ SCORPION EVO 3 S1 CARBINE RIS by Sejk – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3987180
BREN Light Machine Gun WWII by Milhause – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2897043
Thompson SMG (WWII) For GI Joe Figures by kruzal – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1256983

Still not satisfied? Let me show you something…

Ok, I do know that you might still be looking for something unusual to what I have just showed you. I managed to find some quite interesting firearms for you:

Duck’s foot gun by Snorri – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1633167
Flintlock Grappling Hook by PLAparts – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2612183

However, here you will need to spend some time assembling the weapons as they are provided in parts. Which also mean that the files need to be edited and adjusted before printing.

Few TIPs

If you are still looking for something different for your models, try the Tags cosplay and cosplay_weapon.

There are plenty of really cool weapons available tagged like that. However, they will need to be pre-assembled and prepared for 3D printing, which might need some basic CAD software skills.

Even though you will need to spend some extra time preparing those files, looking at the prints, IMO they are worth the hassle.

Are you looking for something specific? Let me know!

Once again if are you looking for something specific or simply need help finding some bits just let me know. I am more than happy to provide you with a list of files suitable for your project. All you need to do is to let me know by writing a comment below! I will make an article around the theme chosen by you 🙂

Being a part of the A-Case Crew is an awesome experience, however every now and then
you are being tested. Yeap, tested! I do not mean any kind of medical tests, but new ideas
are being tested on you and your miniatures. Curious what is it all about this time? Read on!

The not so strange package…

One beautiful morning I received a package. It was a normal package. Nothing unusual about
it. Not even a strange sign on the envelope front or back. Just another day in the office.

Instructions, instructions, instructions

Ok, so let’s have a look at the instructions and what I have to do today to make it work. Do
open it. Do put it in the microwave. Add black paint. Don’t look at me like that! I am just
testing it… Ask the designer why I need black paint 😛

How to be a hobbyist without black paint

Ok, I am a hobbyist without black paint! No idea how it happened, but let’s mix some black
paint out of primary colors. At least some black-ish color 😉

Ideally you need just three colors: yellow, cyan and magenta. However, I got only yellow, red
and blue. This is the blackest black that I could get…

What’s next?

I am as curious as you are, as I never did that before. But getting a pocket version of an ACase magnetic transport system case sound perfect! Worth to give it a shot.

When the first step, according to the instructions, is ready I will have a look at the second
part of this A-Case. What we got here – add warm water, use a hot saucepan, do not drop it,
let it cool… Am I in a next masterchef or what? 😀

This is our result!

Here you can find the final result ;). Not as pocket as I thought, but I still love it!
Who wants to get one of those unsuspicious packages and give it a try?

When you are starting a new hobby like wargaming, painting your miniatures might seem like a scary and daunting task. There are so many articles telling you what is the correct and probably the only way how to paint miniatures. All those information can be overwhelming. Let us help you with painting your miniatures by providing an easy general step by step what you need to do while painting miniatures.

Choose what you want to paint

As many would say, choose your poison. In our case it means to choose which miniature figures to paint. Have a look at what you have in your bits box and on your workbench and start painting! It doesn’t really matter what game you are playing, be it Warhammer 40K, Bolt Action, Kings of War or even Dungeons & Dragons. You will always find a miniature that does not have an insane amount of detail, but is rather simple in design and looks like a good starting point for a beginner miniature painter.

Safety first!

First and foremost before starting any work that involves cutting, sanding or using any sharp tools in general you need to wear protective equipment! Yeap, model painting can also become dangerous if we are not careful. Simple work gloves and safety glasses should do the trick. Just be careful when using any kind of tools, especially ones with sharp blades and/or edges. In our hobby plastic can bolt from the sprue, a piece of metal can get into our eyes or under our skin.

What is also very important do not drink your paints! In most cases we are using water based acrylic paints, but even they can be harmful for your health. Whatever you do be careful and stay safe!

Tools

The long you will be involved in wargaming and miniatures painting hobby the more tools and paints you will have. However, at the beginning you do not need much to start. We will provide you with a short list of selected needed tools and equipment. Don’t be surprised to see much linger lists in other articles and painting tutorials as the more techniques you use the more paints and tools you have 😉

You will need:

• brushes
• painting palette
• acrylic paints
• acrylic primer (ex. in a bottle or spray can)
• two containers for water (one for metallic paints, the other for non-metallic paints)
• superglue
• x-acto knife
• cutters/clippers
• sandpaper
• files
• milliput/green stuff/other epoxy putty
• safety glasses
• work gloves

Preparation time

This step depends quite heavily from the figure you choose to be your first painting victim. If the material that the miniature is made of is resin or plastic you need to clean the model from any mould lines and/or trappings. There are special tools for that called mouldline remover or just mould remover. You can just use your x-acto knife 😉

If the miniature is made of metal this preparation steps are a bit different. When working with metal you might need a set of files and different fine-grids of sandpaper. Remove all mould lines and imperfections with the sandpaper and files. You can try to use the x-acto knife, however with metal it might be quite difficult. In this case files and sandpaper works much better than a knife.

After all lines were removed glue the pieces together and check if you need to fill in any gaps and imperfections. You can sand them with fine-grid sandpaper or just use an x-acto knife. When all that is finished, a general rule of thumb for plastic and resin minis is to wash them in warm water with soap. However, we need to warn you that some resins might start to bend if the water is too hot! With metal miniatures you can also use rubbing alcohol to clean the miniature from any dust and oily stuff.

Leave the washed models on the side on a piece of cloth and let them dry before painting.

Priming time!

Your miniatures are nice and clean. Assembled. All gaps filled and sanded. Now it is time to use a primer before the actual painting. A primer is a thin coat of paint that you use to cover an unpainted surface in order to prepare that surface for subsequent layers of paint. You can use a brush or a spray primer to primer your models. Just remember to apply thin coats to keep the details sharp and easily visible.

Generally speaking we use three basic colors of primer: white, black and grey (light grey).

• Use white when you want your colors to be brighter and more vivid.
• Use black when you want your colors to be darker.
• Grey primer is believed to be a neutral color and choice between white and black. Your colors will not be very bright, but won’t be very dark either. Colors will be toned.

If you are a beginner we advise to use grey primer as it is the most versatile.

Primer is a coat of paint that protects plastic/metal/resin, but is also a surface that a next layer of paints sticks to much easier than to an unprimed model. In other words, primer should make your painting easier as new layers of paint will adhere to it more than to plain plastic/resin etc. surface.

Decide on a color scheme

Primer is still wet and you are waiting for it to dry. It is a perfect time to decide on a color scheme for your paint job! As you can see miniature painting means choices, choices and choices 😉 Look at your collection of paints and at your miniature. Decide what colors you want to use. Is your character going to be painted in darker or brighter colors? Is a combination of red, browns and blues a good idea for this particular figure?

If you feel that you don’t have enough paints, you can always visit your hobby store or any other craft store to pick up more paints and ask for some advice there.

When still unsure how to paint a particular miniature, have a look at tutorials available on the Internet – articles, forums, YouTube; plenty to choose from. Most box sets come with an artwork printed at the box showing you proposed painting scheme. You can use that. If it is a historical figure, try looking at some historical books and osprey artworks dedicated to that particular period and unit. Remember, that the most important part of miniature painting is to have fun!

Primer is finally dry and you decided on a color scheme? Time for some miniature painting!

Let’s do some miniature painting!

OK, this is the most important step. Start painting and have fun!

There any many different paint manufacturers, however it doesn’t matter which one you choose remember to thin your paints. One of the most common rookie mistake is to paint with thick, not fully mixed paint. Put some paint on your painting palette, add a drop or two of water and start painting. If you feel that the coat is too thick, try to add a bit more water. If the paint appears to be too thin, add more paint to the mix. You will quickly figure out the right consistency of paint.

There are many painting techniques and ways to paint a miniature. The most common one that is recommended for beginners is called – layering. The concept of layering is quite simple. You need to apply another layer of paint that have slightly different color then the first one and leave some of the first layer of paint still visible. You are adding as many layers of different colors until you are happy with the final result.

By leaving a bit of the previous layer visible you are creating a feel of transition between applied colors. This transition will create a highlight effect or give depth to shadows (shading).

So how does that layering work anyway?

Even though it can be hard to explain and might sound difficult, it is fairly easy to do.
Choose three similar colors. For example: dark red, primary red and light red.
Apply the first layer starting from the darker one.
Keep on applying thin coats of paint with brighter colors. You can mix dark red and primary red to get a transition color between those two.
Remember to keep some of the previous layer visible to create a transition effect on the miniature.
Keep on applying new coats of paint until you are satisfy with the result.

Please remember that this is only one of many ways to paint a miniature. It is not the one and only and if you are doing it differently than described here you are doing it wrong. That is not the case! Miniature painting is a creative process and you will be experimenting. You will be learning new skills, add washes and inks to you inventory, add metallic paints, use varnish to protect your miniature, start using techniques like glazing… and many more!

What we want you to remember that it is just a hobby and we do it to have fun! Not to treat it one of the household chores 😉 We hope that this very basic article helped you to start your journey of a miniature painter!

Check our miniature carrying case and rest of blog posts:

What to print for wargaming? – Weapons #2

In our first article of the series of ‘What to print for…

Read More

Pocket version of A-Case anyone?

Being a part of the A-Case Crew is an awesome experience, however…

Read More

How to paint miniatures

When you are starting a new hobby like wargaming, painting your miniatures…

Read More

Last time I tried to answer the question how 3D printing is changing our hobby – you can
read about it here.

Today, I will give you an example how you can use your 3D printer if you are missing a horse, or two… 😉

I recently bought a box of some cavalry for my Easterling army for The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle game. After assembling all my raiders I was left with some bits and pieces that could be used for conversions. I quickly figured out that I have enough bits in my hobby box (with pieces from other projects) to make some extra raiders. Unfortunately I have no horses to spare for my newly planned raiders.

Personally I do not own a 3D printer, but a lot of my friends have one and they offered to help me out. So if you own a 3D printer or have access to one, lack of any models or parts is not going to be an issue at all!

I present you with a list of selected freely available horse models that you can print and use for your wargaming projects!

What does a horse looks like…

As I was looking for some realistic horse miniatures, I will start with ‘normal’ looking horse models. They would probably be best for most Historical and Fantasy wargaming systems out there:
Knight Cavalry Miniatures Customizable by Ilhadiel – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3659406/files
Sisterhood Cavalry Miniatures by Ilhadiel – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4148027
Horses at ease 28mm heroic scale by BREXIT – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3856329/files
Hussars_Horse/pistoliers_horse by Evil_frog – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4005467

What about some more Fantasy

German_empire_armored_horse by Evil_frog – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3971877
dragon prince steed – high elf – tm by jimjimjimmyjim – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4158896
Armoured horse – Alliance pvp mount, resized and smoothed by ahriman01 – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4152539
silver helm steed – high elf – tm by jimjimjimmyjim – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4158901

Grimdark and WH40k

Grim Dark Horse by BREXIT – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3311746
War Horse – Action Pose – Tabletop Miniature by M3DM – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3931656

What about D&D fans?

If you are planning to include some actions for raiders during your next D&D campaign, you might find those horses very useful. No conversions needed. Just put your not-mounted models on their horses and you are ready to go!

Horse Mount for D&D Miniatures by Talismancer – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1846744
D&D – Horse mini by 3DPModder – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2910231
Horse for D&D figures by JimmerJammer – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1844378
Armored Horse Mount with Lower Saddle for 28mm Miniature by JayHardball – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3888808

I want to make my cavalry models special

What if you have enough of casually looking horses and are not looking for any Fantasy, Historical or Sci-Fi horses? No worries, I found something that suits your needs:

Shark horse by nolive27 – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4146785
Banana Knight – Mounted Horse Bananas by BigMrTong – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3737903

Are you looking for something specific? Let me know!

Are you looking for some specific bits or models? Need some upgrades for your miniatures and vehicles? Want to print yourself a new hero for your current army? Let me know! I will make an article around your theme and do my best to find something really special

3D printers are becoming cheaper and therefore easier to get for an average mortal human. The quality of the prints is also getting better and better as the technology keeps evolving. It is not surprising that 3D printing is now widely used in the miniature industry and by many hobbyists around the world. However, is 3d printing miniatures and accessories at home doing more harm than good? How 3D printing is changing our hobby? Want to know answers to those questions, please read on.

What is the biggest change that came with 3D printing?

It is not surprising, that a lot of miniature manufacturers switch from traditional sculpting to digital sculpting. Therefore, it is safe to say that the industry is relying quite heavily on 3D printing technology right now. However, the biggest change came when 3d printers appeared in our homes. The opportunity to print miniatures, vehicles, accessories and terrains in your own home! Not to mention printing your very own creations and sculpts.

Imagine that instead of going to a local hobby store to buy new miniatures, you can just print them on your 3D printer sitting comfortably at home. Now, this very idea is becoming real, even the new standard I would say. That, in my opinion, is the bigger change to our hobby connected with 3D printing technology – 3D printing miniatures at home.

Not just blisters or boxes anymore

As 3D printing at home is getting more and more popular by the day, the industry is evolving and trying to adapt to the new situation. New companies emerge on the horizon offering digital files for 3D printing as an alternative to the traditional plastic, metal or resin models. You can know buy STL files and print models at home on your 3D printer. It can be everything, starting from a simple miniature base and ending on a whole terrain set! The best thing is that you can print models as many times as you want and in any scale you want. Want to use a WWII style building in Bolt of Action and Flames of War? Just change the scale and print it! The files can be modified, shapes changed, rescaled, resized and printed as many times as you want.

No more limits, just use your imagination

Digital sculpting has its benefits and one of them it’s the ease of changing any part of the project at any given time. Any shape, style, size is possible which means that your imagination is the only limit. You can create whatever you want and then print it on any given scale and amount. You need a Sci-Fi terrain set, just print it. Just changed the system you are playing? Need some tokens, zombies or some scatter terrain? No problem, create it or get free or paid design and just print it! It is as easy as that.

More functionality and compatibility

Different manufacturers are using slightly different scales. Simply speaking models from different companies labeled as the same scale might not be compatible with each other. While digital models can be rescaled and ‘become’ compatible with any given scale and manufacturer. The same goes for wargaming terrains. There are a lot of scenery locking systems that were developed to be compatible with each other. It means that you can buy or print terrain pieces from different sculptors and if they follow the same locking system they will be compatible with each other. You can even find free files following given locking system on sites like Thingiverse. Such functionality and compatibility gives almost unlimited design options!

Free models and instant availability

As it was mentioned before, the industry is switching from traditional to digital sculpting and printing their products before offering their copies in plastic, metal or resin. However, there are a lot of sites where you can find digital files for 3D printing for free. One of such sites is widely known is Thingiverse. It doesn’t matter what you are looking for, you will probably find something that suits your needs. The best part is that a lot of them will be absolutely free! This makes 3D printing models and miniatures an affordable option compared with buying pre-made plastic models currently available on the market.

What comes next?

Those are just a few examples of changes and benefits that came with 3D printing technology. The miniature industry has changed and is still trying to adapt to that new reality of 3D printing miniatures at home. Is 3D printing going to force the industry to change its approach toward the client completely? It is hard to tell. What we can see now is that buying STL files is getting more and more popular. Tell us what you think about 3D printing mini and home? Do you like the idea or not so much?

What to print for wargaming? – Weapons #2

Dariusz Biegun April 3, 2020 No Comments

In our first article of the series of ‘What to print for wargaming?’ I covered the topic of horses. You can read it here. Today,…

Read More

Pocket version of A-Case anyone?

Dariusz Biegun March 31, 2020 No Comments

Being a part of the A-Case Crew is an awesome experience, however every now and then you are being tested. Yeap, tested! I do not…

Read More

How to paint miniatures

Dariusz Biegun March 30, 2020 No Comments

When you are starting a new hobby like wargaming, painting your miniatures might seem like a scary and daunting task. There are so many articles…

Read More

What to print for wargaming? #1 Horses

Dariusz Biegun March 27, 2020 No Comments

Last time I tried to answer the question how 3D printing is changing our hobby – you can read about it here. Today, I will…

Read More

How 3D printing is changing our hobby

Dariusz Biegun March 18, 2020 No Comments

3D printers are becoming cheaper and therefore easier to get for an average mortal human. The quality of the prints is also getting better and…

Read More

How to make a boardgame

Dariusz Biegun March 18, 2020 No Comments

After playing hundreds of board games and spending even more time during Dungeons and dragons sessions, or rolling dice in wargames like Warhammer, you probably…

Read More

After playing hundreds of board games and spending even more time during Dungeons and dragons sessions, or rolling dice in wargames like Warhammer, you probably though about creating your very own board game. You have a great idea, everything outlined in your head, but you have no idea where to begin? We will try to help you with that! Read on.

Start with a rough game design

Start with writing down your ideas for a board game. Try to include as many information in the description of the game as possible. You need to find out what your game needs. At the beginning even the smallest idea and detail is relevant and might be included in the final version of your board game. You can make a quick list with so called key-words that can be developed into more complex concepts later on. Just be creative! Make easy and simple rules and have fun at the same time!

There are many questions that you will need to answer, but let’s start from the most basic ones:
– how do you want your game to look like?
– how many game pieces you will need to play the game?
– are you going to use playing cards or dice?
– are you going to create your own version of game cards?
– will your game need a game board?
– how many players can play the game at once?
– what is the age range of your players?

Those are only a few questions that you will need to answer, but it is a start. Answer them as short as possible. You will quickly notice that spending too much time trying to answer one question is blocking you from going further. The more advance and developed your game will be, the more often you will be changing your original answer.

Make a prototype

You have the basic outline of your game written and sketched out. It is time to make the first prototype. Make all the game pieces needed to play the game. If you decided on a game board, game cards, dice or pawns it is time to create them now. As it is going to be your first prototype it does not need to be beautiful and visually appealing. Take a piece of paper and make a quick sketch of the game board. Do the same with game cards and any other game piece that you need. Use vastly available materials like cardboard or paper to minimize the time needed to create the prototype. If you need more than one copy of some pieces try to create a printable template that can be quickly adjusted to your need. Use as much printing assets as possible as it will save you some time and make creating and adjusting your prototype much easier. You can even make your whole design, including the game board, printable to send it to other creators and play testers for their games!

Remember, that you are just trying out your game, checking if your idea works. At this point it is inevitable to make some changes to your original concept. That is why you need to start with a cheap and scruffy prototype instead of investing a large sum of money into something more eye catching. Later on you will use more elaborated designs and materials for your project.

Playtest your game!

Having your game pieces ready, you are going to play test your game a lot. Play it with friends and family, determine what your game needs and what people want. Use your prototype and games to establish what people like and need. Do not be afraid to ask people for help. Ask them what they like about it and what they would change in your design and why. In other words make your game as user friendly as possible. Don’t be afraid to ask your friends and family for help. Brainstorm your ideas for the board game. The more games you will play the better. This is what the game development and game design is all about, creating a game that is free of errors and liked by others. After few games you will collect enough answers from play testers to start introducing changes to your first prototype. The game board, wording on some game cards, even the mechanics, all of that might change. You will stay with game cards and dice idea, or switch to playing cards instead. Your game is changing, evolving into a better version of your original idea. This is how game development works. Make changes to your prototype as your go. There is no need to create a new prototype each time you have to make a change. It just takes too much time and effort. You need to concentrate on play testing your game, instead of re-making the board game or cards. If you find out that custom made cards does not work, try to use playing cards instead.

Final prototype and a bigger picture

After some time making changes to your first prototype will not be possible. Number of changes needed to be made will force you to create a second prototype, after that maybe another one and another. Finally, you will end up with the final prototype and the game will be finished. This will also be the time to take make the final game prototype and have a look at a bigger picture. Now it is the time to invest more time and money into a beautiful and visually appealing and eye catching board game. It is also the time to make a rough plan of possible future game expansions if the game becomes a big success. Before your will move to the next step just make sure, that the prototyping is over.

Producing your game

Prototyping and developing your game is over. You have all pieces designed, double checked and triple checked, all looks great. Now is the time to think how to produce your game. Are you going the self-publishing road or looking into crowdfunding on websites like kickstarter. Each of those solutions has its advantages and disadvantages, which you will need to consider when making your choice. There is also a possibility that your board game will be picked up by a publisher and all production matters will be handled by your publisher. This is probably the scenario that each game developed would like to get, but unfortunately it’s not always the case. The production phase of your game is not going to be easy, but if your game is good and you believe in it, it will be worth the hassle.

Selling and promoting your game

Finally, your game is ready. All printed, produced and published. You want to sell it to the people around the world. What to do know? Promote your game as much as possible. Send few free games to selected reviewers for them to make the unboxing and how to play videos and articles. The more content discussing your game published on blogs, various YouTube channels and other platforms the better. Participate in hobby related events, shops and game conventions. Present your game on as many events as possible. Play with the participants, have a chat with them on your stand. You will quickly find that this is the best way to promote your game, when you are talking about it and playing it with others.

In summary

Creating your own board game is not easy and you will find yourself wearing many different hats. In an instant you will become a game designer, play tester, publisher and a lot more than that – simply speaking a man of all trades. It is going to be a lot of hard work, but also plenty of fun at the same time!

It all depends what is the main reason of creating the game. If you are doing it for money, it will be much more difficult than it seems. If you just want to create a new game to play with your friends and family in your free time the process is going to be one big adventure. We create and play board games, because we like challenges. Creating a board game from scratch is a big challenge, but when finished brings a lot of satisfaction.

We do understand that there is much more to creating a board game than what we mentioned in this article. However, we hope that this article has helped you to make a start on your very own board game. First and foremost have fun and be creative! Best of luck with your own board game projects!

What to print for wargaming? – Weapons #2

Dariusz Biegun April 3, 2020 No Comments

In our first article of the series of ‘What to print for wargaming?’ I covered the topic of horses. You can read it here. Today,…

Read More

Pocket version of A-Case anyone?

Dariusz Biegun March 31, 2020 No Comments

Being a part of the A-Case Crew is an awesome experience, however every now and then you are being tested. Yeap, tested! I do not…

Read More

How to paint miniatures

Dariusz Biegun March 30, 2020 No Comments

When you are starting a new hobby like wargaming, painting your miniatures might seem like a scary and daunting task. There are so many articles…

Read More

What to print for wargaming? #1 Horses

Dariusz Biegun March 27, 2020 No Comments

Last time I tried to answer the question how 3D printing is changing our hobby – you can read about it here. Today, I will…

Read More

How 3D printing is changing our hobby

Dariusz Biegun March 18, 2020 No Comments

3D printers are becoming cheaper and therefore easier to get for an average mortal human. The quality of the prints is also getting better and…

Read More

How to make a boardgame

Dariusz Biegun March 18, 2020 No Comments

After playing hundreds of board games and spending even more time during Dungeons and dragons sessions, or rolling dice in wargames like Warhammer, you probably…

Read More

It is safe to say that almost all of us, no matter which miniature game one is collecting and/or playing, end up with tons of paints. Whole walls and desks covered with all shades imaginable. Starting from pure black and ending on mummy brown. But what if you were to use only a handful of your paints? Which one to use and why to limit yourself anyway? Let me introduce the idea of a Limited Palette in the first article in a series regarding this interesting topic.

Why we have so many paints?

Before explaining the idea behind a limited palette, let’s have a look at why we tend to end up with so many paints? In most cases, while painting one can use as many as 20-30 (sic!) different paints to paint only one miniature. This incredible amount of used colors is a result of using sets of paints for different parts of the figure. For example, one can use as much as 5 colors for painting just the flesh, not to mention clothes, armor, leather and all other elements of the figure. And let’s face it, using sets is simply very convenient. Instead of wasting our time to mix the shadows and highlight colors, we have all those shades and tints premixed and ready to use straight out of the bottle! No mixing, no tinkering if this is the right shade, etc. Simply speaking – no hassle, just pure joy of painting.

What is a limited palette?

The easiest explanation would be that you are limiting yourself to use only a handful of paints when painting. By a handful I am thinking about around 5 to 6 paints at most, to paint the miniature. No separated sets for painting flesh, clothes, leather or any other element of the figure.

 Personally, as far as I am concerned, each time you are using a predetermined number of colors for a project you are using a limited palette. The way I see it, it doesn’t matter if you are using 5/10/15 paints, you are limiting yourself to a specific number of paints.

Which colors to choose for a limited palette?

Each artist will give you a different answer to these questions, as there are several factors to consider here:
 – Your personal preference
 – project you are currently working on
 – number of paints you have or can use
 – how much mixing you are willing to do
 – how much space you can spare for your hobby

 Those are only the most general and important factors and it all heavily depends on your preference and your current situation. If you travel a lot and don’t have a dedicated hobby space your limited palette paint list will probably be short. However, if you have your workbench and are mostly staying at home your paint list might be slightly longer as space is not your concern. It all depends on your needs, space capabilities and the purpose of why you are going to use a limited amount of paints.

When you have all of that figured out it is easier to choose colors for your limited palette. You will know if you want to stick to primary colors with some minimal additions or need to select a more specific and wider range of shades and tints. The complexity of your project and your experience with mixing paints will also determine the number of paints you will end up with.

Are there any must-haves?

Another hard question, that do not have a definitive answer. Most artists seem to start with three primary colors (red, yellow, blue), and take it from there. Then black and white follows, together with raw umber interchangeably with burnt sienna. Sometimes both (raw umber and burnt sienna) are included in the must-have list of paints for a limited palette. 

The list looks as follows:
 – red (primary red)
 – yellow (primary yellow)
 – blue (primary blue/Ultramarine blue)
 – black
 – white (Titanium white)
 – burnt sienna
 – raw umber

 The above list seems to be considered as the best and most multipurpose limited palette that you can start with. Personally, I started my adventure with a limited palette with as much as 14 paints (including inks and washes), but after a while, I ended up with a very similar list of paints, like the one above. I will talk more about my approach toward the limited palette, together with some tips & tricks in another article 😉 

 What are the benefits of using a limited palette?

The main advantage is the color harmony. With fewer colors on your palette and mixing those limited colors results in better harmony. It is less likely that your color scheme will look off and out of place.

 Better understanding of color theory and color mixing.

As strange as it may sounds, by the necessity of doing a lot of mixing, you will get a better understanding of color theory. By mixing, with time, it will be easier for you to see the shades and tints. To determine shadows, highlights and choose color schemes. Simply speaking, you will be choosing and using colors more intuitively.

If you are traveling a lot, a limited palette is going to make your life easier.

Fewer paints mean easier packing and a smaller amount of equipment needed for paint.

Our hobby is expensive enough, and a limited palette will make it cheaper. Less money spent on paints means more money for models and your new miniature carrying case from A-Case 😛

 I hope that you enjoyed this short introduction to the idea of a limited palette. That it helped you to see the benefits that such a limitation might give you. Getting out of your comfort zone is scary, but is a fun way of learning new skills and techniques. I will talk a bit more about my approach toward a limited palette together with some tips and tricks in another article 🙂

Feel free to leave a comment. What you think about a limited palette? Have you already used one? If so, how was it? If no, would you give it a try?

Check the rest of our blog posts:

What to print for wargaming? – Weapons #2

Dariusz Biegun April 3, 2020 No Comments

In our first article of the series of ‘What to print for wargaming?’ I covered the topic of horses. You can read it here. Today,…

Read More

Pocket version of A-Case anyone?

Dariusz Biegun March 31, 2020 No Comments

Being a part of the A-Case Crew is an awesome experience, however every now and then you are being tested. Yeap, tested! I do not…

Read More

How to paint miniatures

Dariusz Biegun March 30, 2020 No Comments

When you are starting a new hobby like wargaming, painting your miniatures might seem like a scary and daunting task. There are so many articles…

Read More

What to print for wargaming? #1 Horses

Dariusz Biegun March 27, 2020 No Comments

Last time I tried to answer the question how 3D printing is changing our hobby – you can read about it here. Today, I will…

Read More

How 3D printing is changing our hobby

Dariusz Biegun March 18, 2020 No Comments

3D printers are becoming cheaper and therefore easier to get for an average mortal human. The quality of the prints is also getting better and…

Read More

How to make a boardgame

Dariusz Biegun March 18, 2020 No Comments

After playing hundreds of board games and spending even more time during Dungeons and dragons sessions, or rolling dice in wargames like Warhammer, you probably…

Read More

Nowadays, tabletop games are becoming more and more popular. We can clearly notice an increase in the number of people playing a tabletop game. Proof of that is a large number of events and tournaments dedicated to this kind of hobby. And yes, some fans take it as a hobby, while others take it a little bit more serious or even make money on it. In this article, we will go through the history of the games and point out some important information and differences. Some of the games are not meant for kids, even though they are still games. We could compare them to gambling, where the machines or games should be operated only by adults. However, this does not mean that minors are excluded from the professional world of tabletop games.

History in a nutshell

We have to start from an explanation that tabletop games are a form of RPG (role-playing game). They probably evolved from ancient strategic games, such as chess that later became the basis of the modern type of wargames. 1971 was the year of releasing Chainmail that gave the beginning of what we today know as tabletop game. A huge turn happened in 1974 when Dungeons & Dragons got launched (check our Dungeons and dragons carrying case). Another game that was found in the same year is called Empire of the Petal Throne. Because of the huge success of D&D, it has been used as a generic term for other fantasy-like role-playing games since then. In the early 80’s hard times showed up for D&D’s producers. Some people claimed that the wargame causes negative and harmful psychological effects on its gamers. Thankfully, board gaming also had its proponents who would promote tabletop gaming as a good activity to get together and associate with others. Today in a day, it is an industry worth millions of dollars and is getting a quite serious meaning. The board games’ fans expand all over the world to share their passion.

What is the difference between a tabletop game and a board game?

A lot of people tend to use these terms interchangeably but not in every case that would be a correct word matching. Let’s have a look at what the real differences between them are. They might seem a bit confusing at first sight, but even the gamers are mostly not aware of the differences that may occur between those two words.

In general, board games are previously pre-packaged and they come with a board, rules and pieces or pawns, while tabletop games consist of a collection of minis and rules.

Board games – usually are finished during one meeting or sitting. The games, components, and all the applicable rules are packed in a box. Players cannot influence the course of events of the games. They can only use their experience and barely known mechanics, Card games are included in this type of gaming.

RPGs (role-playing games) – the games are usually not finished in one sitting and actually, it is all about rules that are to be applied. Upcoming rules are treated as an expansion to the games. There are no winners or losers. The fans roleplay without using any secret tricks or mechanics.

Wargames – This kind of the games is most closely associated to board games and the majority of them happens to have similar if the not the same looking package. The most important value is a history-related theme of the games. Some rules have more advantages than others. Getting deeper into wargaming, we could split it into miniature games and historical games.

What are the most popular tabletop games?

The most popular tabletop games depending on regions, cities, countries and up to personal preferences. However, there is a very generalised list of probably the best board games that u might find helpful.

1. Arkham Horror (Third Edition) – takes about 4 hours or more to play it. It is third edition and a fantasy version of Arkham Horror
2. Battlestar Galactica: Starship Battles- based on Star Wars’ spaceship theme
3. Betrayal Legacy- themed to D&D
4. Warhammer Quest: Blackstone Fortress – full option of Warhammer 40k with some additional minis
5. Detective: A modern crime board game- Ambience of Sherlock Holmes
6. Keyforge: Call of the archons- said to be “world’s first Unique Deck Game”
7. My little scythe- originally meant to look like My Little Pony. Designed by a 5 years old kid and her father
8. Root: A game of woodland might and right- styled as Night in the Woods
9. Rising sun- earned more than 4 million dollars on Kickstarter in 2018
10. Shadows in the forest – a modern version of an old-school game

Why do people play tabletop games?

In a world full of technology, smartphones, tablets and interactive machines, people try to remain “human-being” in their everyday life. What does it actually mean? All the kinds of board and tabletop games played by their players require real interaction with others. It is a way of communication that slowly gets forgotten. We tend to communicate through online communicators, social media tools that’s why face-to-face communication gets unconsciously disappeared. Getting together in one place with your community (people that share the same passion) to fall into a game battle makes the players improve their mental health and arises the level of endorphins. Eventually, we are happier and feel more satisfied in life. There also are some elements of competition. As human beings, we like to compete with others. This need might be fulfilled by taking part in an event or a miniature tournament where just a single played battle could be more than enough to feel the positive energy coming out. Besides, some people make a living out of tabletop gaming. How does it work? Artists sculpt and paint miniatures and sell miniatures to their enthusiasts. Game designers create new board games to attract new gamers. Event managers use the opportunity to organize competitions and tournaments, where one plays against another person or a community. There are many other examples, such as complementary products manufacturers who design cases for miniatures, brushes to paint them, etc. Since there are business affairs involved, it can be called an industry. In the numerous society of the gamers and among the competitors, we can differentiate enthusiasts. These guys usually are just observators and collect miniatures but they are not meant to participate in the battles of wargames.

Is D&D a tabletop game?

Formerly, Dungeons & Dragons is one of the most popular tabletop games and was designed Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson in 1974. It has been published Wizards of the Coast (now Hasbro) since 1997. The game was the one to follow when other board games started being releasing. In 1977 it got split into two sets of the board game. It can be assigned to tabletop games because there is a role-playing taking place. Every person performs and controls a single character. When there is a group involved, it is called a “party”. It is all about verbal improvisation combining other skills, such as logical thinking and Maths. It usually takes several meetings to finish an adventure and even longer to finish a series of adventures that are called “campaigns”. The Dungeon Master (DM), according to their interpretation of the rules, determines the results of the parties.

To start playing the game, you only need the rulebooks, some polyhedral dices and a role sheet for every gamer. Most of the players use a miniature figure to help themselves visualise the game. DnD evolved from the wargames that use minis to add a visual value. Dungeons & Dragons has become even more popular over the last years. Day by day it earns more and more fans. It is a millions-worth kind of business and even more, it seems to fully satisfy the needs of their clients (gamers). Its management clearly responds to the changing world and trends. Moreover, as a game, it brings fun and joy to thousands of people all over the world. Moreover, it is supposed to note an increase in the sales since the wargaming world attracts new proponents. If you are a wargamer, there is no option that you do not know Dungeons & Dragons.

Check the rest our blog posts:

What to print for wargaming? – Weapons #2

Dariusz Biegun April 3, 2020 No Comments

In our first article of the series of ‘What to print for wargaming?’ I covered the topic of horses. You can read it here. Today,…

Read More

Pocket version of A-Case anyone?

Dariusz Biegun March 31, 2020 No Comments

Being a part of the A-Case Crew is an awesome experience, however every now and then you are being tested. Yeap, tested! I do not…

Read More

How to paint miniatures

Dariusz Biegun March 30, 2020 No Comments

When you are starting a new hobby like wargaming, painting your miniatures might seem like a scary and daunting task. There are so many articles…

Read More

What to print for wargaming? #1 Horses

Dariusz Biegun March 27, 2020 No Comments

Last time I tried to answer the question how 3D printing is changing our hobby – you can read about it here. Today, I will…

Read More

How 3D printing is changing our hobby

Dariusz Biegun March 18, 2020 No Comments

3D printers are becoming cheaper and therefore easier to get for an average mortal human. The quality of the prints is also getting better and…

Read More

How to make a boardgame

Dariusz Biegun March 18, 2020 No Comments

After playing hundreds of board games and spending even more time during Dungeons and dragons sessions, or rolling dice in wargames like Warhammer, you probably…

Read More