Newbie questions

[FierceKitty]

To marry the themes in this thread - I find when I'm painting a big project, the Ring on headphones keeps me going rather well.

[Hertsblue]

With this Ring I thee wed.... 

[Luddite]

Welcome brummie.

OK a few points.

1.  Start with what interests you.  Napoleonic is the best place to start for you then!

2.  Don't panic!

3.  Find some rules.  This is entirely a matter of preference so it may be worth trying various sets.  For Nap, there are a few choices, but start with something simple.  Try these http://www.dbnwargaming.co.uk/.  If you can find a copy of Black Powder, that's nice and simple with a good gaming ethic.  More complex and 'realistic' sets exist (e.g. General de Brigade and Age of Eagles, but that'll be a dive into the deep end for your start).

3a.  The best way to learn rules is to find other experienced players and pitch in with them.  Find a club.  You mentioned Durham Wargames Group but discounted it on grounds of cost.  DWG is a good group with excellent resources and decent chaps.  £80 per year?  Thats £1.50 per week, and i'm sure they'll consider a payment plan to help you.

4.  Figures.  To start you make mistakes, buy the wrong things, bumble through etc.  10mm is much more forgiving on the wallet than other scales!  The best start is sort out the rules you're going to use, map out what forces you'll need and buy figures based on a plan around that.  Building an army requires dedication and planning.  This is a long-haul hobby!  Start small with a core force.  Get it painted and on the table, and add stuff on from there.  IF you don't start playing early on chances are you'll lose interest.  Also, playing will give you an idea of the things you'll need to buy.

4a.  Painting 10mm requires different techniques than for larger figures.  A few things to remember:

4a1. Your figures need to look good en masse at 4' away (on the table), not 4" away from your face! 
4a2. Use brighter paint than you think you need. 
4a3. Figure out a good basing technique - a good base makes average figures look better (at 4' most of what you see will be the base!
4a4. Learn from others, here and elsewhere on the interweb.  There's loads of blogs etc., explaining how people paint, etc.

5.  Get stuck in and have fun.   

[ronan]

(...)
4a2. Use brighter paint than you think you need. 

I'm always wrong with this...
and I won't repaint all my minis 

[brummie76]

Luddite wrote:- "3a.  The best way to learn rules is to find other experienced players and pitch in with them.  Find a club.  You mentioned Durham Wargames Group but discounted it on grounds of cost.  DWG is a good group with excellent resources and decent chaps.  £80 per year?  Thats £1.50 per week, and i'm sure they'll consider a payment plan to help you."


Luddite :- Do you have a contact email for the DWG as i would like to ask them about popping along, how they feel about beginners, do they have a facility to let me play with a "borrowed" army and possible payment options etc

Cheers,

Paul

[Hertsblue]

Brummie, if they're anything like the wargames clubs I have visited over the years they will welcome you with open arms and you'll be "hail fellow, well met" within a month. There aren't many clubs in the country who aren't looking for new members, I would say, so find out where they meet and just roll up. You won't regret it. 

[Leon]

Luddite :- Do you have a contact email for the DWG as i would like to ask them about popping along, how they feel about beginners, do they have a facility to let me play with a "borrowed" army and possible payment options etc

Cheers,

Paul

We see the club secretary on a regular basis as well, so drop me a line if you'd like me to pass on his details.

[brummie76]

Thanks Leon,

PM sent!

[Leon]

Thanks Leon,

PM sent!

Done!

[Luddite]

Luddite wrote:- "3a.  The best way to learn rules is to find other experienced players and pitch in with them.  Find a club.  You mentioned Durham Wargames Group but discounted it on grounds of cost.  DWG is a good group with excellent resources and decent chaps.  £80 per year?  Thats £1.50 per week, and i'm sure they'll consider a payment plan to help you."


Luddite :- Do you have a contact email for the DWG as i would like to ask them about popping along, how they feel about beginners, do they have a facility to let me play with a "borrowed" army and possible payment options etc

Cheers,

Paul

Paul, i guarantee you'll be welcomed.  
You should get a guided tour on your first night, and should be able to slot into a game or two to try things out thereafter. I recomend pitching in with various tables to see which group of chaps fit what you want best (and who you get along with the best of course)!

You'll find the contact details in my signature below, but I see Leon has already helped you make 'first contact'.  Good luck.  

[brummie76]

Thanks Luddite! Appreciated!

[brummie76]

Ok heres another....

Can anyone signpost me to any good wargaming websites please?

Ta

[Leon]

Ok heres another....

Can anyone signpost me to any good wargaming websites please?

There's a couple listed here: http://www.pendrakenforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,6836.0.html  Mainly other forums, but there are a few more magazine type sites, like TMP and Tabletop Gaming News.

[Fenton]

I think TGN is better than TMP

[Luddite]

Ok heres another....

Can anyone signpost me to any good wargaming websites please?

Ta

There are lots of good blogs and forums out there.  Pendraken's a top place though - troll free country.