Now that you've found us, you may be wondering just exactly what all the fuss is about... well, listen up then!

What is Wargaming?

First, wargaming is a hobby. Those of us that wargame with miniatures are using figures or models in a variety of scales to create something like historical or fictional combat as a competitive game. Each miniature can represent anything from a single man or vehicle to hundreds, depending on the rules in use. Players act as commanders. Generally speaking, gamers use rulers (or similar things) to determine the movement of the miniatures on the battlefield (or game area) and dice to help determine the results of combat. As in real combat, a combination of skill and luck determine the winner(s).

In a typical game at an MMGA event, there will be from 2 to many players playing as the commanders of armies or other forces. To date, MMGA events have featured miniatures and figures from 2mm to 11.5 inches in figure scale or height.

The game surface is mostly 3D and tries to represent the significant battlefield terrain. The gaming area is normally set on a table. The area varies in size, the main limit being that a typical gamer can move their figures on the table without falling on the table. The represented terrain can limit where or how fast a figure may move, and can give advantages or penalties to figures who are in combat or giving or receiving fire while in the terrain.

The objectives vary widely from game to game. One side may have to take and hold a particular village, escort a group of civilians safely across the table and into the town, rescue hostages, destroy critical supplies, or any of a thousand other goals. The other side must prevent them from doing so or have separate objectives of their own.

Simulation or Game?

Many wargamers are history and/or fantasy/science fiction buffs to some extent; but hobby wargaming is a social activity, as well as a technical exercise. Some wargamers prefer a realistic and detailed simulation of actual historical combat, even though this often leads to more complex rules and slower, longer, and sometimes more frustrating game. Others prefer simple rules for a fast-moving game with a definite conclusion, even though this may mean sacrificing a certain amount of realism and believability and ignoring many details.

Since a hobby is an activity for personal enjoyment, both these philosophies are perfectly legitimate as long as the person holding them is enjoying their own particular style of wargaming.

In the MMGA, you can find players espousing both philosophies of gaming. – sometimes using the same rules! Some games are intensely serious, while others are just plain silly. But almost always, the games are fun social activities.

Historical and Fantasy Gaming

Gamers have an enormous choice of subject matter. Rules and miniatures are made for every major historical period and region of the world – although some may not be easy to get. In addition, rules and miniatures are made for imaginary fantasy and science fiction universes.

Most gamers combine the historical and fantasy aspects to some degree. Even historical gamers like to play engagements that might have been, rather than limit themselves to actual historical battles; some even fight battles between armies that never met, such as Japanese samurai versus Aztec warriors. Some create armies for nations that never existed.

Straight fantasy gaming (which could be thought to include science fiction) create battles based on myths, legends, published works, cinema, and personal imagination.

Satisfactions of Wargaming

Wargaming is a hobby combining at least four types of recreational activity:

• It is an intellectual activity. The knowledge of history, literature, psychology, and various mechanical and technical subjects are a large part of the enjoyment.
  
• It is an art and craft. The figures must be painted, the models must be built, and the terrain and accessories constructed in such a way as to combine practicality with visual appeal.
  
• It is competitive. Any game with winners and losers is competitive.
  
• It is a social activity. Games usually require at least one – and preferably more – opponents or partners.

The main advantage of the wargaming hobby is that it fulfills so many different recreational needs at one time. A main disadvantage is that so many of those in the hobby are of the same gender (guess which one), though it's possible that some gamers consider that an additional benefit :)