Wargaming An Introduction Deals on Wargaming

Wargaming: An Introduction

Category: (Book)

9 new, starting at $18.68

8 used, starting at $18.67

Editorial Reviews

Wargaming is concerned with simulating historical conflicts through the medium of miniature figures fighting battles over three dimensional terrain, their movement and combat being regulated by rules which create historically accurate battles. Since the 1950s, the hobby has grown exponentially and now enjoys a widespread following across the world. Although the rise in computerised wargaming has transformed some aspects of the hobby, the traditional table-based wargame continues to go from strength to strength. Neil Thomas, a seasoned wargamer himself, offers practical advice on how to collect and paint wargames armies, together with all the information and rules needed to fight wargames over a huge historical timespan. He offers simple, playable and realistic rules for a variety of historical periods, from ancient warfare to the Second World War. A selection of colour photographs serves to illustrate the historical periods covered and convey something of the colourful spectacle of wargaming.

Customer Reviews

Accurately titled and fun to read

Reviewed by M. Allen, 2009-02-14

This might be the best book out there to start a miniature wargamming hobby with. I think it's a great addition to any gamer's library. Mr. Thomas packs quite a bit into this modest sized book. He breaks warfare down into chronological order. "Ancient" (3000bc-1450ad), "Pike and Shot" (1450-1650), "Napoleonic" (1789-1815), "American Civil War" (1861-1865), "Skirmish" (man to man/any era) and "World War Two".

Each time period is discussed, has it's own complete rules set, and has it's own order of battle lists! For anyone familiar with wargames such as "Flames of War" or "Fields of Glory", this is a very generous offering by Mr. Thomas. This information could easily be spread out through 10 or 12 books by some publishers.

This book is an introduction, but it is remarkably complete. The rules follow a pretty standard "you move, i move" pattern. The sequence for "Ancient" is 1)charge 2)move 3)shoot 4)assault 5)morale tests. What makes this book shine is that the rules are customised for each era to reflect the increase of technologies on the battlefield. Each era has it's own rules built upon the basic framework of the "ancients" era. Cool idea.

This book also touches on issues of modelling (scale, painting, basing and so on) and has a center section of nice photos of the differing eras warfare and skirmish. This book is not meant to be a stand alone product i don't believe. It is one author's offering of a lifetime of experience in this hobby to newcomers. (Mr Thomas published "Ancient & Medieval Wargamming" in Feb2008, i assume it further deals with the "Ancient" era which is handled with a rather broad brush in this book)

Is this a stand alone book? Maybe not. But a very good intoduction to the hobby? Definetly yes.

A Solid Intro to a Captivating Hobby

Reviewed by Stephen Severino, 2008-07-04

As a longtime miniatures wargamer who has been involved in the hobby for 25 years, I didn't really NEED this book as I'm already quite familiar with wargaming. But I love to collect and read books on wargaming; and as a game designer, I find that there are always ideas to be gleaned from examining different approaches to gaming. Plus, there are very few books of recent vintage that give a good, general overview of the miniatures wargaming hobby. This book by Neil Thomas does just that.

This is not a deep history book by any stretch of the imagination, but Thomas provides a solid overview of warfare & tactics in various periods (from ancient times to modern). The book is divided into multiple sections (Ancients, Pike & Shot, American Civil War, etc.), with rules provided for each specific period. While the game rules provided are pretty simple and have an "old school" feel to them, they're perfect for folks just getting into this wonderful hobby -- sensible, not too complex, and play in a reasonable amount of time.

This is a book that newcomers should find very useful as a jumping off point into a rich, deep, fascinating hobby, and I would recommend it to that audience.

For veteran wargamers, this book isn't a necessary purchase, but I do feel it has 3 uses.

First, if you're looking for a simple set of rules to play at a convention, or just like to study other rule sets to gather ideas, this is a worthwhile book in that regard.

Secondly, if you want to introduce new friends into the hobby, loan this book to them. It's approachable and not overwhelming, and you can fill in the missing details.

Thirdly, if you're like me and enjoy collecting general books on the topic of miniature wargaming, this book is a nice addition to your collection.

If you enjoy this book, you will probably also enjoy "Ancient & Medieval Wargaming" by Neil Thomas as well. It's founded upon the same basic rules system used in the intro book (with some tweaks), and provides more depth and richer army lists throughout the Ancient and Medieval periods (my preferred era of historical wargaming).

A Terrific Guide!

Reviewed by Colin E. Duffy, 2007-05-25

Although I have collected toy soldiers for years, I had never really gotten into the world of wargaming. Once I decided to do so, I picked up this book and was blown away by how good it was. It is the complete package, as it provides everything first time wargamers need to know. Thomas also provides a full set or rules and army lists for six different periods (Ancient, Pike and Shot, Napoleonic, American Civil War, Skirmish and World War II). These rules are excellent, and can be slightly tailored to meet the requirements of other conflicts not covered, such as the Crimean War or World War One. To be sure, I did find the Second World War rules a bit difficult at first, and it will take a little bit of practiceto master these, though the other rules are more straightforward.
Overall, this is an excellent wargaming resource. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to get into this hobby.

Good Overview of Figure Wargaming

Reviewed by Charles E. Rittenburg, 2007-04-28

This book is a colorful, readable overview of figure wargaming across the range of available wargame periods, from ancient battles of Greeks or Romans to the most modern battles. There are examples of different army organizations and uniforms. The sample rules for each period are easily used, although should the reader decide to seriously pursue the hobby, he will want to find more sophisticated rules designed for his particular period. The photographs illustrate figures from the various periods and show various wargames in progress. Great for youth readers and people who are just curious about this special hobby.