• Explore the World of Miniature War Games

• Collect Miniature War Game Figures

• Find Miniatures & War Games on eBay Australia

• Buy Miniature & War Games With Confidence

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• Legal Disclaimer

Explore the World of Miniature War Games

Explore the World of Miniature War Games

As a war gamer, you command your own miniature military and engage enemy troops controlled by another player. Gamers usually follow a complex set of published rules called a ruleset and play out the battles on a tabletop or floor. The ruleset provides the fictional or historical context for the game, as well as outline the rules of engagement, including how to move troops, fight and score. You can say that the ruleset is the game. Without it, all you have is a collection of static miniatures.

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

Experience the past with historical miniature war games

Players immerse themselves in the great military campaigns that shaped the modern world in historical miniature war games. Many focus on Ancient history (prior to 8th Century AD), the Middle Ages, the Napoleonic ear, World War I and World War II. For example, Flames of War, which focuses on World War II, is a fast paced game that uses 15mm soldiers and tanks.

Stimulate your imagination with fantasy miniature war games

In fictional miniature war games, players engage in mythological or futuristic battles of the imagination. Fantasy and futuristic (science fiction) miniature war games first started becoming popular in the 1960s with Chainmail, a set of war game rules that enables players to create individual characters with unique traits and attributes. Chainmail had a strong influence on the Dungeons and Dragons role playing game as well as the later Warhammer miniature war game. From there, fantasy wargaming captured the imaginations of a new generation of players and took off.

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 HeroClix, MechWarrior and Mage Knight cater to younger gaming audiences. WizKids miniatures are easily identifiable by their distinctive "Clix" rotating base which keeps track of combat statistics. Similar to collectible cards, figures are sold in starter, booster and expansion packs and classified according to rarity. Popular fantasy and sci-fi miniature war games include:

• Warhammer: Have a brawl with ogres, battle with lizard men and flirt with the undead in Warhammer, 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: Match wits with your opponents in Warhammer 40,000, a gothic space age war game. This sci-fi spin off of Warhammer allows you to explore the futuristic universe of space marines, monster plants and exploding acid spiders.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• MechWarrior: Jump into the 32nd Century in MechWarrior, a futuristic war game featuring supercharged robots bent on destruction and annihilation. A rotating dial keeps track of your robot's point, as with other Clix-based games.  

• Mage Knight: Play warlord in this fast paced, strategic game of crusader warriors, elves, and goblins. One of the faster games in miniature wargaming, each Mage Knight game is only 50 minutes long.

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

• Warmachine: Play a powerful soldier-sorcerer in Warmachine, a dark kingdom of gunpowder, steam power and thundering robotic gladiators.

Collect Miniature War Game Figures

Collect Miniature War Game Figures

Invest in what you enjoy. To start off, you will need enough metal miniatures or plastic miniatures to build a small army. Playing on a detailed battlefield of structures, obstacles and hills is part of the fun so you will want to consider investing in miniature war game scenery. You can also create your own terrain or adapt manufactured ones.

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. You can launch bigger campaigns with large armies using small scaled figures whereas larger scaled figures are easier to paint and view. Research the sizes other gamers in your area collect. You will want to own scales that match those of your opponents as miniature warfare is a social event so be sure to research the sizes that other gamers in your area collect.

Paint your miniature war game figures

Miniatures are available both painted and unpainted. A lot of collectors like to paint their own models and consider this artistic aspect of miniature wargaming a major appeal. Your artistry, time and finances will determine how intricately you paint.

In order to ensure historical accuracy, many historical gamers put a lot of effort into researching their armies and perfecting their colour schemes. Fans of fictional war games will also benefit from research. Fantasy hero costumes often reflect historic styles. Whether your soldiers are modern, futuristic or medieval-like, you will find fantasy art books, science fiction, history books and comics excellent resources for colour schemes. When you are ready to paint your miniatures:

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

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

• Prime your figures: Make sure to apply several thin coats of white spray primer to your miniatures prior to painting them as paints won’t easily adhere to plastic or metal.    

• Paint your figures: For speedy drying, use acrylic paints. Start with a base coat to the hardest to reach areas. Before detailing with lighter paints, be sure to wipe your brush on a palette. Use small, clean brushes.     

• Finish with a varnish: Seal your model using a clear matte coat of spray varnish or sealer. Be sure to do it in a well ventilated room.

Search out other miniature war gamers

Hobby stores, game clubs, and wargaming groups can all help you get involved in the wargaming community. Ask a few questions to find out if a group plays fantasy war games or historical war games, as well as to determine which ruleset they use before joining. Study the rules before taking part in a game. Also find out what scale miniatures they use and if you can use your own army to play. Some groups provide miniatures for scheduled gatherings. 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 familiarise yourself with the rules and decide if you will fit into the game.

Find Miniatures & War Games on eBay Australia

Find Miniatures & War Games on eBay Australia

Once you know what type of miniature wargaming items you want, go to the Toys & Hobbies portal. Click on Miniature Games or War Games under the Games category and start searching for item listings on eBay Australia.

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

• 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 Battletech, Mechwarrior and Other under Miniature Games, and Lord of the Rings, Warhammer and Other under War Games.  

• Keyword search: Search eBay Australia listing titles for specific words. For example, if you want to find HeroClix miniatures, type “heroclix” (without quotation marks) into the Search box. Click "Search title and description" to expand your results. Visit eBay Australia'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 Australia Community what you want by creating a post on Want It Now, or save a search on My eBay and eBay Australia will email you when a match becomes available.

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 Australia and PayPal protect you.

Know your purchase

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Know your seller

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

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• 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 unauthorised payments from their accounts. Plus, with PayPal Buyer Protection, your purchase can be covered up to $1,500.

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

Need More Help?

Need More Help?

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Legal Disclaimer

Legal Disclaimer

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