Dungeons & Dragons & Miniatures

For the past few years, the Wargate hasn't done much with miniatures.  In the heyday of Games Workshop's rule, games were going all the time and projects marched out with due speed and reverence.  Since then, we've tried lots of different games, each one of them requiring the normal buy-ins, considerations and other investment we put into our games.  Sadly, though they are great fun, other than Flames of War very few of these games have had all that we demanded from it.

What exactly have we been looking for?  It's not like Ronin sucks as a game...far from it.  In a word, immersion.  The 'nested' effect of the games we had played previously provided a common backstop for everyone to inhabit, and create that shared narrative we enjoyed so much.  However, intellectual properties being what they are, the game companies that have provided us with so much fun over the years became inimical to said 'fun'.  I'm happy to report that we bucked that trend.

So we've set some long term plans into motion that's going to bring the focus back to miniatures.  We've talked about our plans for Dungeons & Dragons before, but things are heating up as we close in on Season 2.  So it's time to get real, as it were...and put the rules where our collective mouths are.


Frostgrave will start in Season 2 alongside Dungeons & Dragons Attack Wing.  These, like the others we've had lately, will be linked (at least in setting) to our RPG game.  All the rules and the campaigns will be discussed when the season begins, because that's not what this article is about.

What I'd like to address instead is how this has opened up our selection of models to include pretty much anything and everything we want.  For our new fantasy battles, we'll be using the myriad worlds of D&D...including, if we wish, homebrew games.  At first I was skeptical about this, but I realized something -  D&D was essentially just a battle game.  Sure, it's got a lot more depth now...but that's how it started.

We now have the ability to literally create any army and run it in a battle game...literally anything.  Derro, yuan-ti...whatever.  However, the army still has to be built.  Style choices still have to be made.  For example, most of our orcs going forward will be Mantic Orcs painted grey, and a few bright green Pathfinder minis.  To that end, we've finally finished organizing most of the fantasy / medieval models into the system we now use.  Once you get used to the new categories, it should be very easy to find exactly the soldiers or monsters you want.

We'll also be taking this time to go about updating the gallery with an ACTUAL gallery consisting of shots from our current collection...probably as we do each unit's rules.  This gives us a great opportunity go back to our collection and really get some use out of our new photography equipment.  The goal here will be to get each painted miniature on the site, creating a reference point for our game masters to see each model available in the collection!  We can finally get this blog back on track for being a great place to see miniatures.

I also want to mention, our club has great rules writers.  As of now, the Wargate's ruleset for these miniature games will be the ONLY one we need concern ourselves with, as we are our own 'general assembly' as it were and support ourselves.  We'll be making all our rules addendums for the various games we use available online (hopefully in pdf format once most are done) as Kings of War and Hail Caesar! will need certain unit's information.  The final number of lists and force selections will be as numerous as our miniature boxes...

We have such freedom now to game as we wish without being on a rulebook treadmill.  My own enthusiasm for miniature gaming and the hobby in general has burned bright since this new revelation.  We are taking responsibility for the rules that are used at our tables, and will be a proper steward for fun and games.  Certainly, we can't go back to the way it was before.

D&D has been the cornerstone of this club since it's beginnings more than 20 years ago, so let this be a lesson to all of us.  Remember not to overlook resources that may have been there all along.  Anyway...don't let IP and product brand loyalty get you down.  There are alternatives.  Do your own game.  Use whatever is at hand, and don't get discouraged.