• Explore the World of Miniature War Games

• Collect Miniature War Game Figures

• Find Miniatures & War Games on eBay

• Buy Miniature & War Games With Confidence

Explore the World of Miniature War Games

Explore the World of Miniature War Games

As a war gamer, you control your own miniature military and engage enemy troops commanded by another player. Gamers usually battle on a tabletop or floor following an intricate set of published rules known as a ruleset. In a sense, the ruleset is the game, outlining the rules of engagement, including how to move troops, fight, and score. It also provides the historical or fictional context for the game. Without it, all you have is a collection of static model figures.

Miniature war game rules come in all sizes and degrees of complexity from simple to sophisticated. All use tape measures and rulers to determine a troop’s movements and range of weapons, and dice to settle skirmishes and hand-to-hand encounters.

Experience the past with historical miniature war games

Historical miniature war games steep players in the great military campaigns that shaped the modern world. Most focus on Ancient history (prior to 8th Century AD), the Middle Ages, the Napoleonic era, the American Civil War, World War I, and World War II. For example, Flames of War, a fast-paced game with simple movements, focuses on World War II, using 15mm soldiers and tanks.

Stimulate your imagination with fantasy miniature war games

Fans of fictional miniature war games engage in futuristic or mythological battles of the imagination. The trend toward these fantasy and futuristic (science fiction) miniature war games began in the 1960s with Chainmail, a set of war game rules that allowed players to create individual characters with unique traits and attributes. Chainmail strongly influenced the Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game and the later Warhammer miniature war game. Fantasy wargaming took off, capturing the imaginations of a new generation of players.

Two game companies are key players in the fictional miniature war games market: Games Workshop and WizKids, Inc. Games Workshop supplies wargamers with hugely popular games such as Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000, and, Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game and a large inventory of tabletop miniatures (under the Citadel brand). WizKids games such as Mage Knight, HeroClix, and MechWarrior cater to younger gaming audiences. You’ll recognize WizKids miniatures by their distinctive “Clix” rotating base that keeps track of combat statistics. Figures are packaged in starter, booster, and expansion sets much like collectible cards and are classified according to rarity. Popular fantasy and sci-fi miniature war games include:

• Warhammer: Warhammer lets you rumble with ogres, skirmish with lizard men, and flirt with the undead in a wild Earth-like world of fantastical beings. Start simply with a beginner’s boxed set or proceed to more complex warfare.    

• Warhammer 40,000: Explore the futuristic universe of space marines, monster plants, and exploding acid spiders in Warhammer 40,000, the sci-fi spin-off of Warhammer. Match wits with your opponents in this gothic space-age war game.    

• MechWarrior: Leap forward to the 32nd Century in MechWarrior, a futuristic war game featuring supercharged robots with nothing on their minds but annihilation. Like the other Clix-based games, a rotating dial keeps track of your robot’s points.    

• Mage Knight: Play warlord in this fast-paced, strategic game of crusader warriors, elves, and goblins. Mage Knight games end after just 50 minutes, making this one of the more rapid games in miniature wargaming.    

• HeroClix: If you like comic book heroes you’ll enjoy HeroClix, a superhero spin-off of Mage Knight. Pitch Spiderman against the Fantastic Four, or assemble your own army of Marvel, DC, or Indy heroes and villains.    

• Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game: Recreate battles from Tolkien’s "Lord of the Rings" trilogy and movie. If you still have time after that, play the other six games in the Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game series and collect hundreds of model characters along the way.    

• Dungeons and Dragons Miniatures (DDM): The heroes, villains, and monsters in this miniature war game are based on creatures from the popular Dungeons and Dragons role-playing games. The pre-painted plastic figures of DDM are marketed as collectibles and can be purchased, like trading cards, in packs and expansion packs.    

• Star Wars Miniatures: You saw the movies, now play the Star Wars Miniatures war game produced by Wizards of the Coast, makers of Magic the Gathering. Build a squad of rebels, take on Darth Vader, and may the force be with you.    

• Warmachine: If you’ve ever dreamt of becoming a mighty soldier-sorcerer, become one in Warmachine, a dark kingdom of steam power, gunpowder, and thundering robotic gladiators.

Collect Miniature War Game Figures

Collect Miniature War Game Figures

Invest in what you enjoy. To begin playing, you’ll need enough plastic miniatures or metal miniatures to build a small army. You may also want to invest in miniature war game scenery, adapt manufactured terrain, or create your own. Half the fun of wargaming is playing on a detailed battlefield of hills, structures, and obstacles.

Scale your miniature war game army

Miniature soldiers, figures, and scenery come in all scales (or sizes), measured in millimeters. Popular scales include 6mm (roughly equivalent to 1:300 ratio), 15mm (1:107), 20mm (1:80.5), 25mm (1:64), 28mm (1:58), and 54mm (1:30).

Restrict your collection to one or two scales. Larger-scaled figures are easier to paint and view, while smaller scales allow you to launch bigger campaigns with large armies. Research the sizes other gamers in your area collect. Miniature warfare is a social event, and you’ll want to own scales that match those of your opponents.

Paint your miniature war game figures

You can buy both unpainted miniatures or painted miniatures. Many collectors prefer to paint their models and consider the artistry a major appeal of the hobby. How intricately you paint will depend on your finances, time, and artistry.

Many historical gamers painstakingly research their armies and perfect their color schemes to ensure historical accuracy. Research will also pay off for fans of fictional war games. Fantasy hero costumes often reflect historic styles. Are your soldiers medieval-like, modern, or futuristic? History books, comics, fantasy art books, and science fiction illustrations are excellent resources for color schemes. When you're ready to paint your miniatures:

• Clean and remove rough edges: Wash your miniature with soapy water to remove mold residue. Scrape mold lines and imperfections with a small hobby file or hobby knife.    

• Strip old paint: Remove paint with Pine-Sol (good for plastics) or acetone nail polish remover (for metals).    

• Prime your figures: Paints won’t easily adhere to plastic or metal, so first apply several thin coats of white spray primer to your miniatures.    

• Paint your figures: Use acrylic paints for speedy drying. Start with a base coat to the hardest-to-reach areas. Wipe your brush on a palette before detailing with lighter paints. Use small, clean brushes.     

• Finish with a varnish: In a well-ventilated room, seal your model with a clear matte coat of spray varnish or sealer.

Search out other miniature war gamers

Hobby stores, game clubs, and wargaming groups can all help you get involved in the wargaming community. Before joining a group, ask a few questions to find out if they play historical war games or fantasy war games and determine which ruleset they use. Study the rules before joining a game. Also find out what scale miniatures they use and if you can participate with your own army. Some groups provide miniatures for scheduled meetings. Although new gamers can often jump in and play, ask if beginners are welcome in a group. You may want to observe several gatherings to familiarize yourself with the rules and decide if you will fit into the game.

Find Miniatures & War Games on eBay

Find Miniatures & War Games on eBay

Once you know what type of miniature wargaming items you want, go to the Toys & Hobbies portal, click the Games category on the left, then click the Miniatures, War Games category and start searching for item listings on eBay.

You will also find historical war game miniatures at the Toys & Hobbies portal by clicking on the Toy Soldiers category on the left.

• Categories: The Categories list on the left side of each page will help you narrow down your listings by item type. You'll find links for Warhammer, Battletech, MechWarrior, HeroClix, Lord of the Rings, and more. As you dig deeper into the site you'll also be able to narrow down your choice by brand.     

• Keyword search: Search eBay listing titles for specific words. For example, if you want to find Flames of War painted miniatures, type “Flames of War” (without quotation marks) into the Search box. Click "Search title and description" to expand your results. Visit eBay's Search Tips page for more tips on searching with keywords.

If you can't find exactly what you want, try shopping eBay Stores, tell the eBay Community what you want by creating a post on Want It Now, or save a search on My eBay and eBay will email you when a match becomes available.

The eBay Toy Finder can also help you find hot and award-winning toys appropriate for kids of any age.

Buy Miniature & War Games With Confidence

Buy Miniature & War Games With Confidence

Before making your purchase, make sure you know exactly what you're buying, research your seller, and understand how eBay and PayPal protect you.

Know your purchase

Carefully read the details in item listings.

• Figure delivery costs into your final price. If you spend a lot of money, make sure the seller will insure the item when it ships.

• If you want more information, ask by clicking the "Ask seller a question" link under the seller's profile.

• Always make sure to complete your transaction on eBay (with a bid, Buy It Now, or Best Offer). Transactions conducted outside of eBay are not covered by eBay protection programs.

• Never pay for your eBay item using instant cash wire transfer services through Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.

Know your seller

Research your seller so you feel positive and secure about every transaction.

• What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have?

• What do buyers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise?

• Most top eBay sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money-back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions?

Buyer protection

In the unlikely event that a problem arises during your transaction, eBay and PayPal are there for you.

• Pay safely with PayPal: PayPal enables you to pay without the seller ever seeing your bank account or credit card numbers. In fact, PayPal protects buyers 100% against unauthorized payments from their accounts. Plus, with PayPal Buyer Protection, your purchase can be covered up to $1,000.

• eBay Security & Resolution Center: Visit the Security & Resolution Center to learn how to protect your account and use eBay's quick and efficient resolution tools.