War Gaming – Not just another form of modelling

It’s always a good idea to do your research on something before going ahead and marketing to a specific target group. So I though it would be a good idea to check out Wargaming, as I’ve been thinking about it for a long time. Of course we “tag” items for #wargaming, dioramas etc, but I needed to educate myself a little bit more. Let’s face it, Model Builders Supply has a lot of products that suit that hobby perfectly. it’s just that if it isn’t marketed to that group specifically we may never see sales from them.

So, I just attended a wargaming mini-convention this past weekend and I have to admit, it’s pretty cool! Here’s what I learned from my visit: The models are scaled differently from what I am used to in the architectural, model train or dollhouse world, however the whole model should be all the same scale. They use measurements like 20mm and 28mm which represent the size of the figures, there’s many different types – WarHammer 40K being just one of them. Some games have props ie: buildings, landscaping, rocks, ships and much more, others are simply board games with dice. Unlike a static model, these game pieces can be moved around or taken off the board completely, including the landscaping.

There were all ages in attendance, playing together, and guess what? no cell phones. I even discovered some MBS trees and bushes had been purchased, and put to good use on some of the games.

There’s more to war gaming than just modelling, there’s strategy, as any gamer knows they need that to succeed.

I’m not a gamer and probably never will be (not exactly sure if “gamer” is how they like to be referred to), but I see a lot of potential in this market, my mind gears were spinning as soon as I stepped through the door and I’m very excited by the prospect of creating products for this market.

It would appear that it’s not always about the model (as it is in my business) but more about the playing of the game.

I will accept all forms of comments that will educate me on this topic.