The TechRaptor Wargaming Gift Guide

Finding the perfect gift for someone who plays wargames can be tricky. Are they deeply enmeshed in a game system or new to the hobby? Do they have shelves upon shelves of miniatures, or are they just starting their collection? No matter whether the person you're gifting is brand new to wargaming or a seasoned veteran, the TechRaptor Wargaming Gift Guide has something for everyone on it!

Wargaming Gift Guide Suggestions For New Players

This section of our wargaming gift guide covers games that are perfect for newcomers to wargaming, all serving as a fantastic entry point into the hobby.

Conquest First Blood 2.0 Two-Player Starter Set

Conquest: First Blood is an amazing skirmish wargame with approachable (yet still slightly crunchy) rules and miniatures that have some of the best sculpts you'll find on this wargaming gift guide list. As we've spoken about in our unboxing of this starter set, the Conquest: First Blood 2.0 Two-Player Starter Set is an amazing entry point into the system, including miniatures for two skirmish forces (the orc-like W'ardrhûn and the Roman-inspired undead Old Dominion), two rulebooks, and more. Though it's not the simplest of skirmish wargames out there, it perfectly blends tactical decision making with dice-chucking combat. MSRP: $165 USD

Star Wars Legion: 501st Legion Battle Force Starter Set

The Star Wars Legion: 501st Legion Battle Force Starter Set is one of the newest releases for Star Wars Legion, the SW-themed miniatures wargame, and an obvious choice for our wargaming gift guide. With easy-to-grasp rules and iconic characters from the world of Star Wars, this wargame is one of our favorite games in the galaxy (read here for our review of the Clone Wars Starter Set). With armies comprised of the Galactic Republic (Clone Troopers and Jedi from the prequel trilogy), the robotic prequel Separatists, the classic trilogy Empire, and the Rebels we all know and love, Star Wars Legion is an amazing entry point for gamers looking to get into wargames. This set contains a full regiment, allowing players to field an army of Clone Troopers led by Anakin Skywalker. And it's part of a new line of Battle Force Starter Sets, giving one player all the tools they need to battle amongst the stars. Other release (new and upcoming) in the Battle Force Starter Sets line include a Separatist Invasion box full of roger roger-ing robots, frost-coated Echo Base Defenders, and the snowy and sturdy Imperial Blizzard Force. MSRP: $150 USD

Warhammer Warcry: Heart of Ghur Starter Set

Getting into the wide world of Warhammer may feel daunting, but a starter box like the Warhammer Warcry Heart of Ghur boxed set is one of the easiest ways to jump in. We absolutely loved this set when we reviewed it over the summer, and had to include it in our wargaming gift guide. The basic gist of Warcry is this: you and an opponent play this easy-to-learn skirmish game as warring chaotic factions trying to find ancient artifacts in a ravenous, wild jungle. With two very unique new factions included in this box -- the destructive Horns of Hashut and the poison-wielding Rotmire Creed -- it's one of the best intro's to the game, even if it is a bit expensive. MSRP: $195 USD 

A Song Of Ice And Fire Tabletop Miniatures Game Starter Sets

All of the games we've suggested so far in our wargaming gift guide are beginner friendly, save for one major hitch: they all require snipping, gluing, and building models (before we even talk about paint!). If that all sounds too daunting for the would-be wargamer on your list, A Song Of Ice And Fire Tabletop Miniature Game is the perfect option. In this game, inspired by the novels by George R.R. Martin (and not, it's worth mentioning, inspired by the TV show), each box contains fully built, beautifully detailed minis in colored plastic. This game is a "rank and flank" game, meaning miniatures are placed on a tray with other models in their unit, and move as a group. There are so many amazing armies to choose from in this game, from Starks and Lannisters to the Baratheons, the Greyjoys, and even a brand new Martell set (among others!), there's a play style and flavor for everyone. Whether you start with a two-player starter set, or a single-player starter set like the Lannister set pictured above, there are so many ways into this game. Lannister Starter Set MSRP: $109.99 USD 

Wargaming Gift Guide Suggestions For Veteran Players

This section of our wargaming gift guide features product recommendations for games who are already well-versed in the world of wargaming.

Warhammer 40,000 Leagues of Votann Combat Patrol

What do you get the wargamer on your list who has tons and tons of (likely gray, unpainted) plastic lying around? Play it safe and get them something brand new! The Leagues of Votann are the newest army just introduced for Warhammer 40,000, and these "space dwarves" are ready to put the hurt on anyone who dares oppose them. This Combat Patrol contains 19 unique models, all released within the last few months, and this set makes an incredible intro to the army. To help them fully field this army, consider also picking up the Leagues of Votann Codex, which contains all the rules needed to play them on the table. MSRP: $150 USD

GameMat.eu Pre-Painted Terrain

Being a veteran wargamer means saying goodbye to piles of books and empty soda cans meant to represent castles and towers, and finally upgrading your table space with premium looking terrain. Though a bit pricey (in part because of folded in import tax costs), we trust GameMat.eu for all of our favorite resin terrain. Sturdy and expertly painted, they have a huge range of options - from the above-pictured Medieval Town to castles, desert terrain, lava sets, and even nuclear fallout zones. Each set comes with multiple pieces of terrain (the Medieval Town includes three houses, a ruined house, a statue, and various crates and other scenery) and is so skillfully painted it will immediately plus-up your battlefield. Medieval Town MSRP: $119 USD

A Subscription To Wargames Illustrated

Being a long-term wargamer can sometimes lead to feeling like you're running out of inspiration. We play the same games, paint the same minis, and even though there's no hobby quite like wargaming, falling into a rut is only natural from time to time. So if the wargamer on your list could use a bit of a creative boost, we can't recommend enough a subscription to the fabulous Wargames Illustrated magazine. Packed with gorgeous photography, interviews, army lists, and sneak peeks at upcoming releases, Wargames Illustrated is truly a treasure trove for tacticians and hobbyists alike. MSRP: £60.00 / year in the UK (you can buy single issues from a variety of retailers if you're not in the UK or EU).

Wargaming Gift Guide Suggestions For Hobbyists

This section. ofour wargaming gift guide highlights gift ideas for wargamers who love to paint, build, and create exciting terrain as much as they love fielding their armies on the table.

Army Painter Speed Paints

If the wargamer on your list is seriously into the "hobby" side of wargaming (and by that we mean the building and painting of minis and the creation of custom terrain) don't hesitate to snag them Army Painter's Speed Paint Starter Set. With the full suite of colors pictured above, this set has everything they need to paint up almost anything they could need in their army. Speed Paint, released this year, is an amazing new creation that claims to need just a single coat of paint to get highlighting, base coat, and wash effects onto your primed model. We've tried it out (along with Games Workshop's contrast paints, which we also love) and were seriously impressed by the results. MSRP: $45 USD

Bob Smith Industries Maxi Cure/Insta-Set Combo Pack

Don't mind us, we're just getting deep in the sauce here. If you really want to impress your wargamer giftee and make them think you're fully enmeshed in their world, pick them up this absolute lifesaver of a hobby product. Bob Smith Industries Maxi Cure/Insta-Set Combo Pack not only includes BSI's incredible super glue (which has a nice consistency and holds strong), but the accelerant spray in the pack has probably saved this hopeless wargaming reviewer hours (for real) by instantly setting the included super glue. Dry fit your components first, then add glue to one piece and a quick spritz of the spray to the other, and as soon as they come in contact with each other the bond is instantly set. I truly can't recommend this product enough! MSRP: $15.50 USD

Woodland Scenics River/Waterfall Learning Kit

Woodland Scenics is a well-loved company in the miniature world, be it wargaming, model trains, or doll houses, hobbyists flock to Woodland Scenics to create stunning modeled designs. If you've got a wargaming hobbyist on your list, we can't recommend enough their Learning Kits, like the Rivers/Waterfall kit pictured above. Complete with everything you need to create stunning scenery effects (and a helpful how-to to guide you through the process), this kit and others like it make for great gifts. MSRP: $19.99 USD

We'll keep this list updated, so check back often for our favorite gifting recommendations!