To play any wargame you must first collect an army. Of course "collect an army" is a simple phrase that sums up quite a lot, such as purchasing, painting and organizing your miniatures into units and squads. This may sound daunting at first, but don't worry! As you'll see, it isn't necessary to do everything at once.

WHERE TO START?

The first thing you should do is sit down and decide what force you would like to collect – not an easy task with so many different armies to choose from, but an enjoyable part of the hobby experience nonetheless. Next, you should go to your nearest Friendly Local Game Store and pick up the a rules set. Most major rules sets come in a starter box which includes a set of basic troops so you can experiment with the rules and get the hang of the game.

After playing a few games with the handful of miniatures you purchased, some players find that they really enjoy fielding that army and continue to collect miniatures for it. However, usually a game will have a dozen or more 'factions' (races, clans, nations, what-have-you). With all these choices, there's an army for everyone! The rulebooks are a perfect place to start looking for a new army.

Then there are those gamers that are blown away by an army they've seen in passing and instantly know that this the army for them! Other people choose an army because they are attracted to particular models or enjoy the background and flavor of the army in question. Lastly, there are some individuals that can identify with a particular race and their tactics in battle (i.e., the Orks of the 41st Millennium and their brutal, headlong rush into close combat and their disregard for personal safety or the hierarchal and methodical approach of the Mobile Infantry)!

The best way to decide what army is for you is to check out the available miniatures at your FLGS (friendly local game store) as well as checking out the official website for the game you have chosen (as well as the plethora of fan-sites that no doubt exist). You should also try looking through the Army books and supplements for the army you are considering. Each book is an indispensable guide, a tome of knowledge that covers the background and history, detailed rules, troop lists and the all-important points values for each and every model in the army! Talk to other gamers who use the army you are considering, ask them about the strengths and weaknesses of the army and how they chose their forces. Not only is it a great way to learn about your potential army but you will make some friends and find some potential opponents in the process.

USING POINTS VALUES

The points value system of most games is really quite easy to understand and immensely useful. To explain it simply, every model in a game is given a points value to represent how effective the model will be on the battlefield. Additionally, the points system allows you to choose the size of game you would like to play. A small game with 500 or 1,000 points per side will last no more than an hour or two, while a battle between 2,000 or 4,000 point armies will take an evening or longer to finish. It is quite easy to structure the size of your game depending on how much time you have to play, as well as the size of your army.

COLLECTING SMALL BLOCKS OF TROOPS

Though some veteran players purchase an entire army at once, most of us purchase ours in small, manageable blocks. You may have the lofty goal of fielding a massive 4,000-point Dark Elf army with which to crush the weakling High Elves once and for all, but it's much easier to buy it in smaller chunks. As you play you can decide what else you need to add to your force by judging what was lacking during your previous battles.

I suggest that those new to the Hobby try building their armies in manageable block of around 500 points. This smaller number is far less unwieldy then trying to accomplish everything at once. In this manner you can work your way up to larger games, painting your miniatures as you go. As you play these smaller skirmishes, you not only build upon the knowledge of how your army works, but you'll also figure out what additions would make your army a force to be reckoned with!

START YOUR ARMY WITH CORE UNITS AND TROOPS

Everyone wants to paint and field a lethal General mounted on a massive dragon or a truly venerable Space Marine Commander! However, the best way to learn how to play a game is to move around a lot of troops, seeing how they function in tandem and testing their resilience against the enemy.

When I refer to "core" I mean the mainstay of a particular army or race. The core troop type of a Space Marine army is the battle-hardened Tactical Marine, equipped with a Boltgun and his near-impenetrable Power armor. Later, you can add more specialized units into your army. Add some elite troop types like the unstoppable Space Marine Terminators to lay down some devastating firepower or the much-needed swiftness of the Land Speeder and its screaming antigrav engines can give you fast-support where you need it most.

ADDING ELITE TROOPS TO YOUR FORCE

After you've collected, painted and played a few games with some of your core units it will be time to add some exotic items to your army! Rumbling tanks bristling with devastating heavy weapons, war machines that lob massive rocks high into the air to crush the foe and special characters that have a rich history all their own are all possible and worthy additions. Each army has an impressive assortment of elites that will help you overcome your enemy and send them running for the hills!

GIVING YOUR ARMY A PERSONALITY

A wargame army is, in many ways, like a character in a story. As such it requires a back story and a personality all its own. The game you have chosen likely has a 'universe' in which the battles described by the game take place (referred to as 'fluff' by most veteran gamers). Tailoring fluff for your army can give it a personality and explain why you choose certain troops, why the color scheme is the way it is and why the banners and tactical markings are the way they are. For an example of a 'fluffy' army, check out my 18th Lyubov Light Infantry for the Imperial Guard of Warhammer 40K.