Skirmish Games: What Are They? Why Are They Awesome?

[@flaming3000]

Skirmish games have an appeal to a collector who can own everything for the same price as an army from GW or Privateer Press.

[@jakobpope]

The rules for Malifaux can be downloaded for free at their website for the small rule book, so starting malifaux can be done for just 45-50 bucks

[@tabletopminions]

That's cool. I like to see games doing that. Thanks for watching!

[@camillaquelladegliaggettiv4303]

Jakob Pope ...or you can go full slav and download everything from vk

[@warlordmacilvernock1979]

Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game was my all time favorite Skirmish Game.

[@tabletopminions]

+Kevin Warnock I own a copy of the book, but I've never played it. Thanks for watching!

[@thomasward6610]

Warlord MacIlvernock Yes!!!

[@thomasward6610]

Tabletop Minions You should try it, some of the newer resin models from forgeworld look amazing but are a little pricy. But you don't need a lot of models to play. You can have a 1v1 between Sauramon and Gandalf if you want!

[@martinthewarrior5016]

i agree, it is a nice game system (i dont play it as a skirmish game tho, because me and me friend play with 50-80 models on a side)

[@Mecha82]

After all these years people still play Mordheim. We have ongoing Mordheim league were I live and we have plenty of people taking part to it.

[@tabletopminions]

I'm glad you're still playing it. These days, I enjoy Frostgrave for my Mordheim-like fix. Thanks for watching!

[@DocEonChannel]

I kind of prefer rules that aren't tied to a particular range of minis. Like Song of Blades and Heroes, or Hordes of the Things. With those games, you just have to buy a cheap paperback book, and then use any old minis you already have lying around. It's gaming on a shoestring.

[@MicroRPG]

Now at this point (over 4 years after this video) Osprey puts out a whole line of dirt cheap skirmish war games that can be played with basically any figures you want to buy for it.

[@MicroRPG]

@Franco Blaze OH BOY! Useless spam! Take a hike and get off threads that have nothing to do with you.

[@LaptoptimusPrime]

Excellent video! One thing worth pointing out is that you can get started on a lot of skirmish games for much less than $100, too. The ones highlighted in the video are sort of "heavyweights" in the skirmish gaming world, but there are plenty of games out there whose rules run $30-40, and a starter force costs a meager $25-30 (or that have either open unit creation rules and/or don't have a proprietary miniature line, so you have some choice in which minis you buy). It's also increasingly common for small companies that make skirmish games to offer the rules online as a pdf, which is cheap (

[@LaptoptimusPrime]

Haha, sorry, some funny auto"correct" typos in there, but I think it still reads clearly enough.

[@michakoodziej5741]

Thank you uncle Atom! Maybe an updated version about best skirmish games to play in 2024 one day? Best Regards

[@InigoKG]

CMON Dark-Age is what has gotten me into table top gaming. As a busy family man the price and the 45-60 min to play a game is exactly what I was looking for. I really enjoy your videos. Keep up the good work!

[@TheRunesmythe]

As a note on Games Workshop, its kind of daunting to realize that Warhammer 40k is the less expensive of their two main lines. Since Fantasy utilizes large blocks of troops, and the more ranks you have in your average unit the better you generally are in the game. That's not even taking into account that in order to access many unit types and engines of war (still talking Fantasy here) there's often a prerequisite that needs to be met in terms of number of troops in your Core units, which means that if you want to be able to field the fun, cool toys you need to be willing to empty your wallet (perhaps even a portion of your bank account) or run up a balance on your credit card to even have enough models/units to meet those prerequisites. I remember when War Machine first came out and a lot of people made the switch *because* it was skirmish level and required very minimal investment. From what I understand, the game can still be played on that level and their "starter" sets reflect that; most - if not all - of the sets come with a few Warjacks and a caster and you can play right out of the box so long as your opponent is okay with using a smaller force size. Even if you decide to move War Machine up to larger scale battles, it still looks like it would be cheaper by far than collecting an army for either Fantasy or 40k. In my opinion, Games Workshop made a serious mistake when they decided to drop their Mordheim line as it was their only real skirmish level game. I still have the books and can usually find people who want to play but finding those starter boxes of warbands obviously isn't as easy anymore since they're not sold by the company. It may not have been their most lucrative game line (from their standpoint) but it was the one game of theirs that could possibly have drawn in new players who were looking to see if tabletop battle games were really something they were going to be interested in the long term without having to drop a serious chunk of cash.

[@blktom]

Totally agree. I liked WHF and played it back in the day using friend's models. The problem was I like Orcs, Goblins, and Skaven. I wanted to start up a Skaven army, but at the time a unit of 100 slave rats was dirt cheap on the board but hella expensive on my wallet. I just couldn't justify the cost versus when I could actually play and who I would be playing with. I can honestly say that for around $400 bucks, over time, I built a 40k army that I can use as a 30k army, a Chaos Space Marine army, and a Vanilla Space Marine army mostly through Ebay.

[@crushingbelial]

Shield of Baal: Deathstorm has 600-700 points of tyranids/blood angels (each). Dark Vengeance does the same w/Dark Angels and Chaos Space Marines. Both of these box sets include a set of rules. Yes you'll want to nab a codex for whichever army you want to dive in on. That being said with what is in the box, it is totally playable for new people and learnable within. Just bringing out some fairness options here.

[@davidpetree80]

I would highly reccomend malifuax as a great skirmish game. Low model count, great background, and no dice. Give it a shot!

[@jasonnewman3355]

I'd say that Battletech is one you missed that likely falls into the category of skirmish game. Heck, it might well be the first (at least major) game of the type since it dates all the way back to 1984. You're likely not using more than half a dozen models per player in most games, but it is definitely scaleable with some optional expansions targeted at that kind of bigger gameplay. It's a classic that I feel like doesn't always get the respect it deserves. That probably has a lot to do with the weird ownership issues and legal gymnastics that the IP has gone through over the years though.

[@JMcMillen]

There's also the fact that even a small game of Battletech can take a while. Sure, if both players just line up a bunch of assault mechs and waddle toward each other things tend to end quickly. But take a fairly standard sized lance (4 mechs totaling 180-200 tons) and enough map boards for mechs to maneuver and that game could last for hours.

[@karlkhaos5877]

Please do a video on Gaslands. It's loads of fun to play, and it might just be that little bit of different that every gamer requires from time to time to keep things fresh. And I would love to see what Sam would do to some custom Gaslands cars.

[@blueonblack83]

There is also Ronin from Osprey, takes place in feudal Japan.

[@tabletopminions]

Nice, I'll have to look into it. Thanks for watching!

[@blueonblack83]

ospreypublishing.com/ronin-skirmish-wargames-in-the-age-of-the-samurai

[@draconis307]

They also have "En Garde!", which is basically a renaissance Europe version of Ronin, and a few others. They're also publishing a second edition of Bolt Action with Warlord soon

[@robsevendaysaweek]

Osprey actually has a lot of great skirmish rule sets/books for a fraction of the cost. I have all of the Frostgrave books. The core is $20 and supplement books are $12-15.

[@leemarohn7496]

Another great video. We need to dig out our Song of Blades & Heroes and Flying Lead stuff and play again. SOON.

[@Maximilian178]

After painting 15 Space Marines in a row you really start to think "Hm I could have a fully painted Malifaux Crew at that point..." :D

[@tabletopminions]

Heck, you could probably have two Malifaux crews by that point. Thanks for watching!

[@BothGabor]

2-player starter for a skirmish game with everything you need to play (including rulebook, paper mat, and cardboard scenery): The Walking Dead - All Out War. 50 bucks and the game kicks ass.

[@hackerism1]

Jesus, warmachine is over 10 years old? God damn I feel so old now.

[@tabletopminions]

+hackerism1 It started in 2003, so it's even older now. Thanks for watching!

[@Doctor__Wiki]

Atom. Firstly, awesome short video here. Very enjoyable. I have to agree with you on all the points you have on this video. I believe that skirmish sized games are wonderful thing because they bring new blood into the industry. When I initially looked into getting into wargaming I was looking at a lot of games workshops products and was immediately turned off because of the large upfront costs involved with getting into the hobby alone. But after some time I started to do a little bit more research and stumbled upon many of the games that you happen to mention in your video and found a way to get into miniature wargaming and I enjoy it. In fact I was also able to get my wife into war gaming as well so most of my games involve us just playing the game that we chose together. Skirmish sized games provide a level of intimacy that I don't think you would get out of a larger army, but what is really great is when a game allows you to have the ability to not only have skirmish type games but also larger battles. One game that I know you have mentioned before in another video and maybe others that I have yet to see is dropzone commander. The wonderful thing about that game is that they have multiple ways for players to get into it as opposed to just buying a single box set of a unit you can do that or they have a two player box set that comes with everything you need to start playing the game for a little bit more. My wife and I purchased the two player box as well as one starter army and are thoroughly pleased with not only the game itself but hawk wargames in general. I'm not sure if you consider dropzone commander a skirmish type game or not but I thought to mention it because of the fact that there are skirmish sized armies that you can build to get into the game quickly and at a relatively low upfront cost. Again thanks for the awesome video.

[@JTMC93]

Infinity The Game. One of my Favorite Skirmish Games and one of the more dynamic ones in tactics. Though the addition of Linked Teams is really nice and could be used later on to allow the game to scale further. And the new Test of Honour from Warlord seems to be a nice Skirmish Game.

[@l0stndamned]

A skirmish game that I keep wanting to play is 7th Voyage. Based on the old Harryhausen movies and very easy to customise.

[@addampaniagua]

2.0 rules for MERCS, with all the base model rules (120 entries) is now free to download. Faction packs (10 models with cards) are about $35. Malifaux figs are awesome. Great quality, lots are great for using in Frostgrave and other rule systems. Great video as always, Atom!

[@paperbackstories]

One of the things that I like the most about skirmish games is that each figure is a character, not a nameless cog in the war machine. Each gets his own personality and does what he does. This adds so much to the storytelling aspect of the game.

[@ad-mc]

I picked up a copy of Open Combat from Second Thunder. You can use any miniatures on any bases, and you decide their stats yourself. Each stat point or skill costs a point towards your limit. Borrows some mechanics from Blood Bowl, and it's well worth a look if you're looking for a quick skirmish game that you can play right away with the miniatures your already own.

[@DJCallidus]

Hi Atom. Somewhat prophetic video here. The recent Necromunda release has got me back into the hobby after years of debating weather to shell out on a 40k army. I played second & third edition. I'm a fluff junkie more than anything so have followed the lore. Love the personal touch you get from the smaller battles. Much drama. Thanks for the tips.

[@Breland1976]

Another amazing video. One correction though Bolt Action is much more a war game. Operation Squad is their skirmish game. Love your video's, keep them coming.

[@CrazyYarick]

One I would suggest for those especially light in the wallet department is ZombieSmith's War of Ashes Sheildbash. Each starter is 25 bucks(comes with 8-10 minis) and the book is 35 for the printed and 10 for the PDF. Also if you want, just the rules and the army lists are free so the rule book is mostly for the fluff. So for a $50 - $85 investment you can get two armies and start playing. That way you don't have to convince/trick your friends into trying it.

[@Matti_Mattsen]

I love playing skirmish games, but i also like the option to build up that army. Stuff like Combat Patrol or Heralds of Ruin is perfect to get started with 40k while keeping model count low. From there you can always expand your forces slowly and steadly.

[@tabletopminions]

I think the new Shadow War: Armageddon (for 40k) or Age of Sigmar Skirmish are also both great for that, too. Thanks for watching!

[@Unehru]

I haven't heard about Kill Team rules for WH40k which is pretty awesome imho.

[@Darkstarfire87]

You missed Lord of the Rings/Hobbit strategy battle game. One of the most skirmish based systems there is. Apart from that great vid :)

[@tabletopminions]

I did miss it, sorry about that. I even own the book for the first LotR Strategy Battle Game, and the rules look really interesting. Thanks for watching!

[@CronosVids]

Great video. I personally have always wondered what Skirmish meant for tabletop games. Now I know. :)

[@braxtonwilson6006]

Games Workshop still sell the old Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit skirmish models and they are fantastic. It was my first ever toe-dipping into the miniature world, eventually I discovered Warhammer Fantasy and never looked back. Great video again Atom, love listening to these while bumming around with my collection.

[@wezab]

If you want to start WH40k they provide a relatively cheap start up option with their starter box. They release them with each new rules update such as the Dark Imperium for 8th Ed. They always include Dice, Rules, two forces, that include infantry and something a little heavier, a quick start rule set and the figures are usually the easiest to assemble and can be painted later. I have bought each set as the way to go for the new rule book and to get a feel for alternate armies, which in the past have included DE, Orks and Chaos. Later the figures you don't like can be traded or sold and you may end up buying the hardback rule book but that pocket version is the one to take out with you. And let us not forget the local WG stores always have these out for games to newcomers.

[@CaptainCirion]

Just seen this yet. I bought a while ago a rulebook called Brink of Battle. This guy has also done a fantasy addon, is working on a scifi addon and is doing a postapoc right now. Its only a system where you can use any model you like. These are skirmishes that I like muche more, as these people dont focus on selling miniatures and focus only on great rules. Its like 1Page-Anon, he has done alot of 1Page-Rules, for Killteam, Mordheim, FantasyVs40k...they are super easy and can get you really fast into skirmishes.

[@xironbeastx8677]

I would also like to recommend small scale games, 6mm for example, cheap prices, lots of minis, but very few bases, they give the massive scale feel with skirmish scale price and play.

[@merlin6707]

The Age of Sigmar rules allow for everything from skirmish to army. I was actually playing a campaign that used 1-5 war scrolls for skirmish fights, 6-10 was a battle, and 11 plus was apoc. Unfortunately the store closed before we got a chance to finish it. The other plus is the entire rule book and all the war scrolls are free with the AoS app.

[@sandbergmachineandtool6226]

Heavy Gear Blitz by Dream Pod 9 is a skirmish game that uses primarily vehicles, you can utilize tanks and what they call gears in squads that you activate individually. Its a 15mm scale game that uses "gears" that are 15 foot tall mechs with a large array of weapons options. They also have infantry, tanks, aircraft, and bigger mechs called striders. Its an awesome game, the current Beta rulebook is available for free, and I never hear it being mentioned in any mini war gaming forums or videos. Its by far one of the most fun war games I have ever played, and two squads of gears roughly costs 60$ and after downloading the free rulebook that's all you need to start playing. The miniatures are really cool looking as well.

[@underfire987]

Subbed glad too see a good coverage of skirmish games, look forward too what you post next :)!

[@cwoyce]

So basically every game out there that involves miniatures has started as some scale of scrimmage game. Just look at Warhammer 40K. Originally, back when it was rogue trader, you only needed to have six or seven miniatures to really be able to play., but, as the company grew, they needed more people to buy more models and so they had to expand their gaming system to accommodate that or to encourage players to do that. So the real question that's on my mind is for some of these skirmish games now, are they just going to become games workshop type things where they become large-scale battles after a while?

[@robsevendaysaweek]

cwoyce you hit the nail on the head. I’ve gone away from giving my money to larger companies. Way too many great systems out there for a fraction of a cost. Rangers of Shadow Deep is one of the best games I’ve ever played (and I’ve played a lot of games). $20 for the pdf and you use any miniature range you want.

[@igelkott255]

There are lots of skirmish level combat games you didn't mention. On the lighter side there's Heroscape and Heroclix/MageKnight. Mantic has a couple, Deadzone and Mars Attacks. There's even a lego based skirmish combat system called Brikwars. Don't forget Imperial Assault. Also there are lots of vehicle based skirmish games, notably Star Wars X-Wing, but also Wings of Glory. Car Wars was an old skirmish level car combat game. I'm sure there are many others.....

[@chacolah]

I supply my local shop with all of their playable minis (noone else plays wargames there) so I end up playing 250-500 point games of 40k and narrative games of sigmar.

[@aroventalmav888]

I now want a Valkyria Chronicles tabletop game...

[@aroventalmav888]

But side note on warmahordes, it can be played very much at skirmish levels.

[@Derpy-qg9hn]

Basically Infinity? :P

[@arcticnerd5994]

Never trick your friends into playing something.

[@911Paleo]

Have you ever done any historical wargaming such as Muskets and Tomahawks and Black Powder ? Would you ever do any videos on them ? Thanks for your tips on building miniatures.

[@tabletopminions]

+911Paleo I've heard of Black Powder, but not the other one. I'm a little interested in Saga, but I don't know anyone around here that plays it. I might try to get a demo at Adepticon next month, though. Thanks for watching!

[@CAMPAZFilms]

Great info. Thank you!

[@CityXVII]

Have you ever tried Songs of Blades and Heroes? You can use any minis with it and it's incredibly easy to learn.

[@tabletopminions]

Absolutely, I love it. I have a video about my favorite game to run demos of at conventions, and it's basically just about SoBH. Thanks for watching!

[@MrKeroro623]

the reason I got into malifaux was when me and my friends figured out we could start into a new game for the cost of updating are 40K rules.

[@kangthecarnivore]

Would like to point out, the Start collecting boxes for WH40k for $85 come with all the rules pertaining to your force. I do like skirmish games though. Been looking at a good few smaller games.

[@GamesinaBunker]

Skirmish is all I play now. Sold off all my Warhammer and 40K a few years back.

[@TheClassicWorld]

Warhammer 40k also has skirmish games (and there's a new Warhammer skirmish game, too). Plus, Games Workshop/Warhammer have the best models and terrain, and generally better books. I've not really played or even bought much of anything else because Warhammer is the best. I like the best. Nobody cares about 4th place.

[@TorianTammas]

@@TheClassicWorld GW is overpriced and the buy our latest stuff or get smashed gets boring after awhile.

[@TheClassicWorld]

@@TorianTammas I think a large number of their models/armies are worth the high price (more so for the lastest, high-detailed plastics). For either gaming or painting/display purposes. Note: some armies are also fairly cheap in terms of model count. These would be armies that have large numbers of standard fighters, such as Orks, Lizardmen, and Tyranids. When sales/boxsets are out, such as in a few months from now, you will be able to easily buy over 100 Warhammer figures/models for just £100-120 (almost £1 each). Even with shipping or less cheap armies, 100 models for £200 is really great. Then there are other games which you can get 'complete' for a good price, given the remarkable plastics/items on offer from Games Workshop, such as the new Necromunda. Not to mention the remarkable, high-level terrain, etc. Yes, it tends to be twice the price of other companies (about £40-60 for a complete army/game of many tabletop wargames, whereas, it's more like £100-120 for Warhammer), sometimes it's even three times the price of other game systems (£150-200). But again, I think it's more than worth it. Also, in 2019, you really don't need many figures for Warhammer 40k or Sigmar now, so, 20-30 models are enough, which costs you only £100-150 with books and otherwise for a number of armies they offer. P.S. I have seen over 10 tabletop wargames and so on from the US to Germany, all complete systems and cheaper than Games Workshop, but I think they are not great systems, they are very shallow with little lore/history or terrain, and the models are horrible -- not even close to the level of GW. Therefore, it doesn't matter to me if they are £30 for models, rules, and a wargaming system. I would much rather pay around £100 for Necromunda (models, books, 3D, highly-detailed, plastic terrain, playing board, etc.) from GW! I suppose it's a question of what you want out of it, what you are willing to pay for it, and what you care about most. For me, some of the random US tabletop wargames I have seen are not even worth £20 for me. That's how pointless they are and clearly, 3D printed, which looks horrible. 'Overpriced' is completely relative. What would you call a pointless system/set of models for dirt cheap? That's what I see almost all non-GW wargames as being. Not even worth any of my money. I would take 'overpriced' over 'pointless, small, and 3D printed' any day. It's also not even the most overpriced or pricey hobby of its kind or any kind, for that matter, nor is it the most overpriced wargame/company in the world, but, it is one of the best and of the highest quality. For a cheap army, the prices of the models are around £2-5 each on average (putting it at £3). So, let us compare this £3 per cheap GW model. LEGO Mini-figs are now also £3 each. Pop heads are £5-10 last time I checked. A number of other collections/models such as Nintendo, Disney, and Star Wars are at least £5-10 each. Then, most other collection-based hobbies cost a lot more than this. So, I really don't think it's overpriced, in the end. Of course, there are two or three good wargaming systems outside of GW, mostly from the US, but they tend towards the same cost one you have everything, as it does cost money for the best, naturally.

[@TheClassicWorld]

@@TorianTammas I mean, I can name about five GW models that are about £13 to £40 each, from small Sigmar figures to large sci-fi ships. And, I can tell you, they are some of the greatest and nicest models I have ever seen from any company ever. Small price to pay.

[@TorianTammas]

@@TheClassicWorld I agree with you that the are high quality and some look quite amazing, but if you want to play a game this simple does not matter so much. They are so far away when you look over the table that this is not much of an issue. So the benefit of the look does not justify the price. I know it is a very personal standpoint.

[@jameschip22]

Me and a friend were looking into trying our hand at legends of the old west from Warhammer historical. Skirmish games seemed cheaper with the fewer minis. Then we started looking at scenery, now thats where your money starts disappearing.

[@tabletopminions]

Purchased terrain can be pretty expensive sometimes. However, you can always buid your own exactly how you'd like it. Thanks for watching!

[@jnsandoval1764]

Dracula's America from Osprey is a wild west plus magic skirmish game my group has been playing. It's a fun game and pretty easy to learn.

[@MetroidHatchling]

One of my favorite skirmishy games is actually 1st edition Warhammer 40k Rogue Trader from 1987 which might sound kind of strange but It's really fun and usually pretty small scale. To play space marines really all you need is a 5-10 man squad and you could play against someone else's 5-10 man squad or whatever race they may be. While it can get bigger if you want it to, generally rogue trader games aren't played with very many models. A full squad of zoats is only 4 models and that can be an entire force. Add on 4 termagant-looking tyranid models and you have a playable 8 model tyranid force. You don't even need the old models for most of them either. Although I do prefer them, I would be perfectly fine playing my 80s orks against a 10 man space marine squad that someone just bought today. RT is really good if you enjoy 40k but want smaller scale narrative heavy games. You can choose the equipment for each individual trooper in a squad, make your own "personalities" name your guys if you want and there are lots of rules for playing a campaign. If you want to play like that, you can use the rules where each individual unit in a squad, when wounded and left untreated by a battlefield medic (making medics actually a useful part of the game) become casualties and roll on the casualty chart to see how they were wounded, what permanent or lasting conditions affect that model going forward, how long they have to stay out of combat to recover (days or weeks) or if they're just dead. While many of the old models can be rare and expensive (Though honestly I don't think they're more expensive than retail GW models today.), GW recently reprinted the rulebook for the 30th anniversary so the book is actually fairly easily obtainable online. You don't need the old models to play and the vehicles especially were left as general templates for you to build with whatever you want/can find to make usable models. If you even want to play with vehicles. So for the cost of the book and a box of models (from whatever game company you want. doesn't even have to be Citadel.) you could easily play a basic Rogue Trader game. As others have mentioned, Necromunda and Mordheim are also good choices and I really like Infinity. Battletech is also fun if you like mechs.

[@Valandar2]

There used to be a game that was pretty much between the full sized wargames, and the skirmish games... it was called VOR. And I miss it.

[@jamesvalentine2845]

I got the same box set. super fiddly. but not too difficult. and so detailed. beautiful to paint up. I do not play though...yet...but I also like allot of the Osprey skirmish rule sets. so I'd probably use them in something like that.

[@dorkjedi]

Atom, are you planning on doing any videos on the new Marvel Minis game from Knight Models?

[@tabletopminions]

+dorkjedi I'm aware of the Batman one, but didn't know there was a Marvel one. I'll have to look into it. Thanks for watching!

[@dorkjedi]

+Tabletop Minions Atom, based on the blogs I have read it will be different from Batman (less stealth, more smash-em-up). I'd love to see it on your channel.

[@ValKorry]

What are your thoughts on Mordheim? Rules are available for downloads, there are dozens of Warbands, and many of them are easy to build with cheap minis off ebay, or where ever you get minis, and it is easy to substitute any minis you have on hand if you don't want to use Warhammer minis. Additionally, it is one of the few skirmish games that has warband building and the "level up" aspect that may drawn in RPG players. I guess the same can be said for Necromunda.

[@tabletopminions]

+Val Korry Honestly, these days I prefer Frostgrave, and if you're interested in Mordheim, you should really do yourself a favor and check it out. Frostgrave does most of what Mordheim did, but does it better, in my opinion. And you can use whatever models you like. Thanks for watching!

[@jeremysmetana8583]

I love all these games. But I must rant now. Warmachine should have been mentioned first and most prominently. I think it is not an exaggeration to say that Privateer Press' success opened the market up for skirmish games. Most of those other games would not have had an opportunity without that success paving the way. Warmachine's (and Hordes') biggest selling point was, and still is, that it can be played with a small battlegroup. Warmachine has rules that scale it up, yes, but such campaigns are the exception, not the rule. They give you variety but don't insist you use it. They still sell the game as a skirmish game, they still sell their Battlegroup boxes with just four or five models, they still center most of their rules sets around small forces. They also are pretty much the best price point on the market. As far as I know, they are the only game company that actually lowered their prices when they switched to plastic, or kept the price the same, but increased the number of models in the box to maximize the unit. Their books come in hardback or the cheaper soft cover, so you can save money. And the basic character models and most common units are featured in the core rulebook, so you can field five-unit battlegroups all day long without ever having to shell out cash for a faction book. And the number of units featured in the core is much more generous than what you get in something like Hell Dorado, and the book costs a lot less than something like Anima. Compare to Infinity, where the price of a one-faction starter is nearly $70 for six models (you'll need two of those, by the way), and the rulebook is nearly $70 and contains some of the most ludicrously complicated rules imaginable. For $100 you can get a two-faction skirmish level Warmachine box with dice, rules, ruler, etc., and be playing against your buddy the same evening.

[@notworthit7708]

I am just getting to start playing, Test of Honour, also made by Warlord Games, it is a great game for budget war gamer, because you can get the base set for $40 USD, and that comes with two armies, rules, cards, dice, and terrain. I like the game for my group because we can do skirmishes or huge battles. Another great mini game is Wizards of the Coast STAR WARS miniature game.. I know it's pre-painted, but that is good for me and my friends since i am the only one among us who paints or builds models, and we just want to play honestly. SW minis is cool because you could do Reven vs. Mandalore, or 500 point Separatist vs. 500 point Republic, so it kind of goes both ways.

[@Spacedraptor]

Based on your recommendation i have decided to try Manifaux, i was a GW collector but since the 2 games i own are now both discontinued i have lost all faith in the company.

[@tabletopminions]

Malifaux is a pretty good game, too. And it's certainly growing. Thanks for watching!

[@wezab]

Having said that, I do like the 500 pt games in 40k. I can usually field an Eldar force that is deceptively small but flexible, using a 3 elf jet bike team, Wraithguard, Rangers Storm Guardians, Spirit Seer and Warlocks. Gotta change that for 8th Ed though.

[@Kamakazie27]

I realize this is a 2 year old video, but how do you feel about X-Wing as a skirmish game? It's pretty easy and inexpensive to get started with. You don't even need to paint the minis.

[@tabletopminions]

It's spectacular for a skirmish game. I actually mentioned it as a 'gateway game' in another video *because* you don't have to build or paint it. Thanks for watching!

[@MrBizteck]

I am a big fan of skirmish games but the advantage is also the Disavantage. they are so many systems out there frostgrave / this is not a test/ deadzone + the others you've mentioned. it's almost impossible to find people to play. so in the end I play necromunda / Mordheim only because they are the 2 systems I can guarantee regular games. I've been suggesting frostgrave to my group but it's going to take a while to catch on.

[@tabletopminions]

+MrBizteck I generally build two warbands (as they're small) and then start playing the game with people and letting them use my second warband. It teaches people the game and you have fun and might actually make some converts. Thanks for watching!

[@MrBizteck]

+Tabletop Minions good idea ! oh shit .... more on my todo list !! lol

[@djynfxxbdhtbrn6854]

I've been looking at some warlord games for a while now. do they have any other skirmish games?

[@tabletopminions]

+Angus McFife XIII Test of Honor is a samurai-themed skirmish game from Warlord. I hear it's quite good. They're sending me a copy soon. Thanks for watching!

[@bencoomer2000]

Kept waiting for LOTR or The Hobbit to be mentioned. Heckuva lot of fun, IMO.

[@JEGranberg]

Any recommendations for a skirmish game with streamlined rules? My brother and I don't have a lot of time to devote to complex rules and referencing. We do have X -Wing, and I'd like something else to paint.

[@tabletopminions]

+JEGranberg I'd tell you to look at my recent video about Age of Sigmar. If you're looking for streamlined rules and cool stuff to paint, you can't go wrong. Plus you can play with pretty low model counts, as well. And lastly, you should be able to find tons of used models for sale on eBay, and then you can strip them after watching the video I did about the Pitfalls of Stripping. However, I'd pay more attention to the suggestions in the comments of that video, as I kinda failed stripping the moels I had set up for that video. Thanks for watching!

[@JEGranberg]

+Tabletop Minions I took your recommendation and looked into Age of Sigmar. I don't think that will work for us as we already have "Warhammer: Diskwars". Also, I'd like to avoid the GW prices. I'm currently torn between getting Infinity or Malifaux, but want minimal rule referencing, and I usually do the DM/GM for new games. Since you play Malifaux, do you find the rules to be complex? Is it something easy to pick up and play?

[@Shea-Key]

JEGranberg Infinity is great fun

[@cowdogg3085]

love the idea of what you talked about! sounds like the thing for me! thanks for the vid!

[@blktom]

Here is the main problem with Skirmish games... they really cater to the ADD table top player. You have this buddy who gets this game. Maybe he plays it once or twice or plays it at a convention. He then tries to get his friend's involved. A Hundred plus bucks is still a hundred plus bucks, specially on something new that you may or may not like. You then get 2 or 3 people to play and buy a army after a couple of months, but by then the new shiney has come out or caught their eye and it is onto the next game. The couple of people who got into it who were kind of on the fence to begin with just pack up the stuff or sell it on Ebay to recoup some cash and go back to their 40k or whatever that is still being played by the majority of the table top gamers. I also notice this happens more with the table top gamer that has a decent job that can afford this. For them, dropping a hundred bucks is like a average Joe dropping 20. If you have really no one to play with, and if the rules or fluff just don't get everyone rock hard by capturing their imagination, that skirmish game (in your area at least) will never really take off. Then it is just people going 'Humm, that $100 bucks could have been a Imperial Knight, or 20 new Marines and a new clam pack Captain.' Or, heaven forbid, a couple of video games.

[@tabletopminions]

I disagree. I think that skirmish games are a boon to new players (because of the ease of entry, both monetarily and time-wise) and great for veteran players who want to diversify their gaming. Putting all of your tabletop gaming eggs in one basket is a bad idea, in my opinion. Thanks for watching!

[@theknightly1]

3 years later GW releases multiple variants of skirmish game because they took off so hard.

[@warrenbruhn5888]

I got into collecting miniatures about 20 years ago, coming from a cardboard wargaming background. I thought of games with 50 to 200 individually based miniatures as being skirmish scale wargaming. However, it's starting to sink in that most people use the term skirmish the way you do. I was calling that role playing scale. But nobody else calls it that. My favorite skirmish game by this definition is Pulp Alley.

[@matthewbirdsall9518]

In high school in the 90s we saw 40K and it looked so cool but we had little money. Bought loose marines and orks and just tried playing squad on squad (skirmish) and it was a mess.

[@cory7328]

I love Mercs and Dark Age. Both awesome games. If you got o some like Miniature market you can get Mercs factions for $43. That is super affordable. By time you spend $300 roughly to build even a 1500 pt fantasy army for warhammer you can own all the Mercs armies.

[@eddiespruill605]

So, you have a thing for fishmen? Have read anything by H.P.Lovecraft? Namely "Shadow over innesmouth."

[@tabletopminions]

Oh, indeed. I'm a fan. Thanks for watching!

[@enordentoft]

I've been getting into Freebooter's Fate. Another super cheap, super fun skirmish game. Great stuff ^^

[@tabletopminions]

I've heard the name, but never played it. Thanks for watching!

[@Saxonseer]

I like Brink of Battle and there are other rule sets out there that don't come with a figure line allowing you to use miniatures from your favourite lines or figures you already own from other games. Another good one is Vortex.I do favour generic rulesets myself especially those that allow the creation of your own characters and allow the use of any figures.I don't think many of these indie rulesets get the coverage or success they deserve.

[@tabletopminions]

+Useless Gamer I played Vortex many years back (when I was still with Beasts of War) at Gen Con. I remember enjoying it. I'll have to look at Brink of Battle. Thanks for watching!

[@matthewsears7934]

I would like to hear your thoughts on creating new scenarios. People have a lot of differing views, let me hear your take!

[@tabletopminions]

+Matthew Sears That's a good question. I could probably make an episode about that, especially since Age of Sigmar is best with scenarios as well, and people are starting to work on their own. Thanks for watching!

[@jnrmack]

My first skirmish game was Strange Aeons A Cthulhu based game from the 1920s up towards to 30s early 40s.you can buy and use the company miniatures or use any on the market, next has to be Knight Models Batman and the now OOP Marvel super heroes a spanish firm they also have a license for Harry Potter and the miniatures are realy looking good out this fall something i'm looking forward to.

[@austinvickymoore3656]

Great video! Im looking to get into historical wargaming! I just love WW2 and i want one that gives the option to use the tiny 10mm minis! They look so cool! Cuz the amount of soldiers you can get on the same table as say warhammer 40k is an incredible increase and from what ive seen..... Price per mini is WAY cheaper!

[@CaptainBipto]

I prefer skirmish games, especially the model neutral ones where you can use any miniature. The games I tend to play are Frostgrave, Scrappers, This Is Not A Test and Rogue Stars. I am building themed crews, based on Borderlands 2 and XCOM 2, using Infinity models. I also have some conversion and kitbash projects in the works.

[@CarlosRodriguez-dd4sb]

Necromunda? Even though vehicles, Man o War?

[@wesleyvanauken]

Came here to say this. Necromunda! Games Workshop probably regrets putting this game out. It's WH40K that you can play with under a dozen figures so you don't need to mortgage your home to pay GW their blood money. Also you can use pretty much any company's figures for this.

[@martinthewarrior5016]

i love necromunda! i'm also hoping to see Man o War brought back with the specialist games :-)

[@FeWolf]

Still playing Man O' War

[@CrossovrMstr]

How's the studio coming?

[@tabletopminions]

Honestly, it's been slow. I was thinking about doing green screen for the background (so I could chromakey in whatever backgrounds I wanted), but the place is so darn tiny that green screen wasn't working very well. Also, I'm getting some nasty sound reflection on my audio tracks (because the walls are so close to me) and I need to fix that issue, too. So, I need to get some blankets on the walls and some 'set dressing' in the background this weekend, because I'd really like to start shooting there soon. Thanks for asking, and thanks for watching!

[@BrandonWilliams1956]

Freeblades is a fantastic game! I have the good fortune to play with the game Designers from DGS at my Local game store. DGS is a great company and they have a lot of exciting new figures on the way. if you haven't tried it out yet it is well worth the money!

[@sportjunk70]

Can these skirmish games be played solo?

[@rubenlopezcatalan8661]

Great video Uncle Adam. I believe some of us would like you talking about Gates of Antares at some point. ^^

[@borisbarat4858]

Love your videos, especially ones that are opinion heavier! This one however... Price should not be the main factor... this hobby is expensive... so the reason why skirmish is better etc. should not be cause its cheaper ... cause its not. You can play all of the games proxied by just the bases cut out of paper with rules downloaded. Does it make them any better? The main seller to me is if the game is good (mechanisms make sense), if I feel the theme, if it looks good on table, are the rules clear, is it easy to teach? You can get 2x Vengeance box and have a small Dark Angels / Chaos SM army for $220 (or 110$ if you manage to find someone to sell the other half to). And you already have the rule-book etc. in the box. What I love in the video is how you questioned if the bigger companies will realize that there is a market for skirmish ... Well a year and a half and 4+ boxed games by GW later ... Keep up the great work.

[@tabletopminions]

For a lot of people, price is a pretty big factor, however. And the game companies are starting to notice. Thanks for watching!

[@krizzledizzle454]

Malifaux got me to this channel!

[@steveisaak4320]

I am trying to learn bolt action and war machine. A little daunting to

[@tabletopminions]

If you can find people in your area who already play and are willing to teach you, you'll learn a lot quicker, if you're anything like me. Thanks for watching!

[@RainbowGangsta88]

This was helpful. Have you thought about putting up an affiliate site with links to the things you are talking about? I'm pausing and googling as I watch. You could save me time and make a few bucks.

[@tabletopminions]

+Wolf Heikura I took a run at it, but Amazon gave me the finger. Something about you can't just run affiliate links on KZbin, you have to run them on a traditional website as well, or something stupid like that. I will probably try it out again in the future, if I can figure it out. Thanks for watching!

[@Eric_Shaun]

Spectre: Operation is a modern (ultramodern) skirmish game with an "realstic" approach

[@wezab]

But a skirmish game can be formulated with any rules system. I worked up a game where 3 units of IG vets had to clear out a unit of Rangers over a 4 x 4 cityscape. Or a re-enactment of the scene from fury with FoW figures. Just keep recycling the German infantry, the Germans knocked out the Tank but it was costly.

[@kevinbourdiaudhy4438]

Hey Atom, you should take a look at Freebooters Fate! I just bought the starter deal, although they're metal, the mini's are really nice and the 'pirate' setting of the game is just so cool! Can't wait to get them built and playing :-)

[@goodlookingcorpse]

Is it Halloween in Malifaux world? It seems like they're all wearing 'sexy hired sword' costumes.

[@robsevendaysaweek]

Osprey's war games, best place to start with a new gamer. Rule books are under $15 and not to thick. Side note: this video is two years old I know, but have the games you mentioned are dead or just about there. Lol

[@andre45mr]

anyone know about a skirmish game with modernwarfare tematic?

[@MrOurai]

"Anima Tactics" and "Infinity" are both spanish :) TU all for playing our games ;P

[@tabletopminions]

I knew that about Infinity. Didn't know that about Anima Tactics. Thanks for watching!

[@barretmusselman9977]

Skirmish games are great and I play some but so are large scale games, they scratch a dif itch. I like slowly building my army and seeing it spralled out on the battlefield, imo its alot more satisfying then having a force of 6 models. If you need a quick fix, sure skirmish games are great, but if you want a little more out of the hobby i think massed battle games are a where its at. Or you can do both because your addicted to buying little toy soldiers like most of us. If the rumors are true and they blow up Warhammer fantasy to make WarmachineHammer the Gathering its extremely fucked up.

[@tabletopminions]

Honestly, if the rumors I've been reading are true and they turn Warhammer Fantasy 9th edition into a skirmish game (especially if it's based off of the LotR Strategy Battle Game rules) then I could actually see myself getting back into a Games Workshop game. Otherwise, probably not. Thanks for watching!

[@rickscarlowe8871]

tabletopminions Couldn't agree more with that statement. A LotR spinoff in the world of Warhammer would be a true love story for me. That or a modernized version of Mordheim. But I also read another rumor that pretty much all minis would be limited editions that would vanish after a few weeks/months. If that turns out true as well...that really sucks. Limited editions that aren't purely cosmetic are a deal-breaker for me.

[@rawshark1611]

I realise you probably wanted to focus on games that are still in print, but I'm of the firm belief that Necromunda is still the best skirmish game out there and after GW dropped it noticing they couldn't make huge amounts of money from it it opened up a world of these imitations. It's like you are saying, the very reason it's so good is the reason GW dropped it, the fact that you can start without spending too much, as long as you know someone with a box set or are particularly good at making your own terrain. Some people here challenged the point of playing skirmish level games as a starter because it might take away from the money you'll "inevitably" spend on larger scale games after getting bitten by the bug, but I feel that the personalised love and passion for the small crew of characters you create and play with in skirmish games will stay with most players. As much as i hate the way GW tries to maximise every cent on the dollar, and prefer to buy their products second hand, if they re-released Necromunda I would drag so many of my friends into it, knowing they would thank me for it later.

[@tabletopminions]

+Raw Shark That's the trick, however: you COULD drag some friends into Necromunda because the start up cost is much more manageable, and SOME of them might eventually catch the bug and become hardcore wargaming fans. Try dragging those same friends directly into regular 40k and see how that works. Game companies as big as GW have to decide: do we only aim at the 1 in 100 (which is a number I'm totally making up for my point) who will jump into the deep end and start collecting a big army game, or do we aim for the 1 in 20 who will wade into the shallower waters of a skirmish game and MAYBE become a big army gamer? I think even GW has decided that they need a good starter game, and that's why Age of Sigmar happened. I, for one, think it's about time they started doing something like that. Thanks for watching!

[@coolsskin]

great vid again sir! gehehehe i see i just watched this vid again after 2 years xd

[@diaz5292]

As per KZbin community standards, you are allowed a maximum of 3 'As it turns outs'... Be advised that you're on notice.. Carry on.

[@huwcresswell6996]

you can also really easily adapt army games into skirmish games