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Skirmish Wargames: Future or Fad?

Tabletop Minions

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In this video, I'll talk about whether the current explosion of skirmish miniature games is a permanent structural shift in the wargaming industry, or if it's just a passing fad.

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20 Comments

@mikey_vengenz 5 months ago (edited)

I love the spectacle of an army game. Building an army is fun. But skirmish games allow me to buy into more games and play more games in less amount of time. At a point in my life where time and money are a rare commodity skirmish games are my preference right now.

@evileyeball 5 months ago

The reason I have of late been choosing Skirmish games is because it lets me paint a bunch of different forces and do a bunch of different hobby

@nurglerider781 5 months ago

"A person cannot love a game if they cannot love losing that game." - G.K. Chesterson

@davidjarkeld2333 5 months ago

A Fad? I've played skirmish wargames since the 80s ... maybe it's just a phase

@esinohio 5 months ago

At the hobby store I play at, the skirmish games are king right now. For many of our club members, it boils down to money. It's simply cheaper to play most skirmish-style games.

@trevorharvey6928 5 months ago

The biggest draw for me is that there are a lot more solo and co op skirmish sized games than army games.

@ym1259 5 months ago

I’m a skirmish kinda woman. Short and sweet matches where you learn and meet new people. I couldn’t handle 5-8hrs playing. I may “if” I retire. lol.

@rustedbeetle 5 months ago

I've never been interested in army scale games, only skirmish. For the investment someone needs to play one army game, they could instead invest in several skirmish games. Variety is the spice (and dice) of life in this instance. With skirmish games, you can dabble in sci-fi, fantasy, history, alt-history, modern, absurdist, eldrich horror or religious battles. Chang it up every week.
I guess there are people who enjoy painting 250 nearly identical Marines for one game, but I find that repetition exhausting. I prefer character minis, giving each one time and consideration.

@kentryu3484 5 months ago

whatever grows the hobby is good. Attendances at wargaming shows are going up and its great to see it doing well.

@verpine3534 5 months ago

My miniature wargaming hobby began with Battletech as well. I then ventured into WH40k and Warhammer Fantasy. When GW came out with Blood Bowl and Mordheim - especially Mordheim - I realized my preference was for skirmish style games. I liked being able to play multiple games in a day. I liked using smaller tabletop real estate. And I liked developing my models as individual characters which gave my warbands or teams more depth and provided me with more personal enjoyment.
The rules for skirmish games also tend to be less voluminous than those for army games, and as I creep up more rapidly than I'd like in years, the simpler the better works best for me.

@Killzone0729 5 months ago

As someone who frequently falls asleep in bed watching YouTube and wakes up, sometimes hours later, confused about what is playing... HOW DARE YOU GOOD SIR! Lmfaoo 😂

@alexandrekabes1349 5 months ago

Beyond the narrative aspect I'm fully on board with, the advantage of skirmish wargames is you can collect more of them. If you only need 5-20 minis per game, you can have a varied collection of games. Also means you're less likely to have brought those minis and have no one to play with.

@hogger95905 5 months ago

I wonder what percentage of skirmish players are ones who used to play army sized games then eventually said “I don’t have time for this anymore” and went to the skirmish games.

@NitroDicer 5 months ago

One Page Rules Firefight and Age of Fantasy Skirmish are great Systems

@johnfavaro8008 5 months ago

I can't imagine skirmish games going away, they are cheaper, easier to get started, play faster, and take up less room in my home.

@armondocommandomemedo5511 5 months ago

For me, I love skirmish games because they feel more interactive. I gave warhammer 40k a few honest games but it got boring when it wasn't my turn and the only thing I did was roll defense dice. I wanted something that felt more like I was more present. So I picked up kill team to try that out and it fit me exactly. It felt like a game of chess but over the top exaggerated. Now I exclusively play skirmish games. I respect full size army games as they wouldn't be so successful if they were awful games. It just isn't my thing. To each their own.

@Shogun0099 5 months ago

I will say that I honestly prefer the pace of army games, where you tend not to lose as much over one screwup.
That being said, what doesn't love army games is my wallet, and my ADHD that simultaniously wants me to have an all-painted army, while also refusing to find motivation to paint the army.

@bobwhelan5636 5 months ago

I tend to end up with a skirmish army.

@MrDocSaturn 5 months ago

Full disclosure, I've never played Warhammer, but the full army activation just throws me off. Not only are the games 3-4 hours long, but there will be 30 minute periods where you aren't actually doing anything. I think alternating activations is the future.

@thegreatchimp 5 months ago (edited)

They'll remain popular for several inherent traits: Smaller space required to play, much less time required to paint, set up and play, and lower costs than buying a full army. As long as peoples time, living space and money are limited, they will always have their appeal

In particular, its financially feasible to buy every model in your chosen factions for many skirmish games. Trying to do that in an army game, well that's a hell of a lot more cash