There is one thing that is certain about gaming and that is that it can be a very expensive hobby. The price of the games and miniatures alone can come to staggering amounts of cash, and that's just to get you started. Miniature gaming is unlike a lot of other indoor hobbies as only a few stores and companies seem to specalise in providing the basics needed to start you off on the right foot and then they are often more expensive than they are worth.

However there are alternatives!

Each month I will endeavour to bring you tips on how you can save money and still enjoy your hobby. I don't have a vast income myself and some of the things I have learned over the years may be of use to you. If you are new to wargaming in any of its myriad of forms, then perhaps this will be of great value to you.

Well where to start? The first thing one should do before buying a new game or in fact starting a new hobby for the first time is to take a little time out and get to know if it is really for you. This may sound a little harsh to some people or even patronizing, but the amount of times I have seen fellow gamers shell out hard earned cash on a system and never play it because it wasn't what they expected is staggering. So ask around. If any of you friends already have the system that your thinking of getting ask them about it, or better still ask to borrow the rules for a couple of nights and read them through. Gaming is an expensive hobby and the object here is to try and present a cheaper and easier way to get into the hobby and stay interested in it for a long time. Asking may save you a lot of cash and headaches later on. Pester the store assistant if you need to find things out as after all they are paid to sell you the things in the first place, and don't be to eager to part with your cash right away (unless you spot a bargain, more on this later!) and if you aren’t sure take a while to think about it. If you are interested in buying a game but the store wont or cant help you, try somewhere that can if possible.

Another good way to find out about games and the hobby is to visit a local wargaming club. Most towns and cities have these clubs nowadays, but you may have to do a little digging to find out where it is and when they meet. Try your local games store and ask the staff as they will more than likely know the whereabouts of a good club or may even run one. Games clubs are not only a good way to get to know the games, they are also a great place to meet others who share the same hobby and often interests as yourself. Some clubs charge an admittance fee, but others will allow visitors in for free the first couple of times. All clubs will play a variety of games and you will notice that some of the gamers seem to split into cells or groups, sometimes this is determined by age, but more often than not its the games that are being played that act as a rule of thumb here. At games clubs you can expect to play anything from Ancient battles too WWII or American Civil War to far future adventures on distant planets with huge robots. A lot of wargamers tend to go easy on new players and most clubs will go out of their way to make you feel welcome. If you are having trouble understanding something, don't be shy just ask! Its not uncommon for people to ask questions about games when they have never played them before and its just common sense really to clear things up if you don't understand them.

One final thing and this is more important than perhaps is understood by the majority of people. If you cant find a games club and still wish to learn about the games think first! Its no use you spending a fortune on a game and miniatures if you can’t get anyone else to play the game with you! Ask your friends and family if they would be interested in playing the game your thinking of getting. This can sound like stupidity to some, but a lot of people do waste money buy grabbing hold of a system only to find that they have no-one to play with. Gamers tend to be social misfits in the first place and are often misunderstood by others. Many people who get into both roleplaying and wargaming are insecure or shy and use the games as a way to meet others. This isn’t a bad thing at all as it is a very well documented fact that games of all kinds help people develop communication skills and interact with others. I personally know of a lot of people who seemed very withdrawn when I first met them and only came out of their shell after gaming for a while. Oh and by the way this isn’t a dig at gamers at all, its a commonly known fact!

So you have decided on what system you wish to start off with and even found a few friends who are willing to play and will also buy forces. The first thing to do is buy the basic rules or starter set. Often these will come with miniatures and sometimes some scenery to get you started. Of course this is only a basic set and you may more than likely have to buy a lot more than this to get the full benefits of the system. Make your initial purchase and if the game doesn’t come with figures you will have to get yourself some. Don't go overboard buying a lot of figures if you can help it as this can end up as a waste of money. If you have had the chance to read the rules then its best to work out what you want to buy before hand. Most systems these days come with sample army or force lists and if you are careful you can start playing with the minimum amount of cash expenditure.

Once home take the time to check that all the games components are there as a matter of course. Its not unknown for a game to have missing miniatures or counters, but thankfully is getting a rare occurrence these days due to better quality control at the manufactures. So you have everything that's meant to be in the box and are ready to read the rules, paint the miniatures and get down to some serious fun.

Slow down and enjoy it. Read the rules before attempting to run a game for the first time and it may be handy to keep a notepad and pencil nearby so you can make a note of where some of the more important sections of the game are and can reference them quickly during play. Nowadays a lot of companies tend to include fast play rules with games that are nothing more than a toned down version of the full product. Fast play rules are an excellent way to get to grips with the system as they give you the basics in an easy to manage fashion without throwing you into the deep end and hoping that you don't sink.

Okay you’re all ready to get down and play.

Find yourself a flat surface that is out of the way of small children and pets and is unlikely to be used for the next couple of hours. Its pointless setting a game up on the dining room table only to hear your parent yell that dinner will by ready in a few minutes. So try to find somewhere the is out of the way and you can play in comfort. If you cant find a table, use a clear floor but be careful that you don't loose your miniatures in the carpet! Depending on the system a good size to play on is 4 feet by 4 feet with enough space to place miniatures and dice, etc at the sides.

Set up the game as per the instructions in the system and your almost ready to rock ‘n’ roll. If you don't have any terrain for your game yet (something I will come on to later) you can always improvise. A cloth or sheet draped over the table can make a good battle field and to represent hills you can use books underneath it. This is a very quick and easy thing to do and it doesn't require any painting before hand. Books are great as you can use them as makeshift buildings too in a pinch, or alternatively you can use almost anything at all from cans to bottles, anything as long as it breaks up the playing area and makes the game more fun.

Remember when placing terrain that sometimes it may look as if your table is a mess and this can be off-putting in itself. Many systems have a chart for organising where you should place terrain, but if they don't try not to have more than 4 pieces of terrain per square foot as this makes it a little to crowed.

If you are playing at home and for the first time, then there is no need to spend ages painting all the miniatures up before you try the game out for the first time. Unpainted miniatures, although not as appealing to the eye as painted ones are still as good to use, you can always take the time to paint them later on.

Keep the rule book handy, and go through each step of the game until you and your opponent are both familiar with the basic routine. Most games follow as straight forward formula like the one that follows

1. Moving troops
2. Firing weapons
3. Close combat
4. Magic/ Psionics. This is only in fantasy and sci-fi games.
5. Testing for routing troops or rallying.
6. End of turn.

Most games tend to stick to this type of system with each player taking turns, moving and firing etc all their troops. Some games are a little different but still stick to a formula of some kind. This will be repeated until the game ends one way or the other.

So that's your first game! I hope that you have had fun and will enjoy the hobby for many years. Next time I will delve a little further into the budget side of the hobby and give tips on painting and collecting miniatures and building terrain. REMEMBER gaming is all about fun and enjoying yourself. If you find that its too stressful of that you are constantly arguing, try to take things easy, but don't get disheartened.

Marc Farrimond