“In the grim darkness of the future there is only war.” That is a common saying for miniature hobbyists who play Warhammer. Warhammer is a tabletop game- one in which you build up an army, fight your friends, and bask in glory. To play Warhammer, you first need to choose what version of Warhammer you want to play. Currently, there are only 2 versions available; Warhammer Age of Sigmar (AoS) and Warhammer 40k (40k). AoS is more fantasy based; you have knights, magic, crazy monsters, and more. 40k however is more sci-fi themed, where you have space marines who are genetically modified soldiers made to go into battle, tyranids who are giant alien bugs, and even space orks! After you have chosen what version to play, you need to choose an army. In Warhammer there is no defined “good or bad.” Instead it’s what you want to be; find an army that looks cool and do some research about it. Warhammer is full of lore and different stories. 

When you find an army you like, you should buy some models. Warhammer makes different boxes called “Start Collecting.” These boxes are going to be your main starting point to this hobby. They tend to be from $85-$95 per box, Warhammer is an expensive game, so prepare for empty wallets. Warhammer models come on plastic sheets called sprues; cut your pieces out and glue them together for a complete model. Next in the model making process is painting, this can be very relaxing and enjoyable. YouTube has a lot of different tutorials and instructional videos on painting. Now you’re finally ready for your first game of Warhammer. To play the game you use six-sided dice to determine what you do, and rulers to determine how far you can shoot. For more in-depth instructions, click here for 40k and here for AoS.

Now what exactly makes Warhammer the best COVID hobby? Well it comes down to the process; you get to buy, build, paint, and play with your models, and you can involve your friends or go to a local game store to play there! Warhammer is built on creativity, something we all have a surplus of during quarantine. Being stuck at home all day can be very boring and leaves your mind wandering. So why not stop and get a box of figures?