Battle for the Galaxy

Hobbies. Most people have one. The hardest part of joining a community is just that, joining. It can be a little intimidating on your own. Walking past the shop, always gazing in, watching people paint together, play together and laugh together. I always wondered how these people got involved, did they know each other? Is there a way for like minded people to meet and play the game? I just didn’t know. That was until I became friends with someone deep into the hobby. On more than one occasion he would show me his models and current projects. Over a few beers he would tell me all the stories and the lore that gave the game depth, that gave it life. And to tell you the truth, I fell in love. The intricate stories of multiple authors working together, the community that was always there to help either with game play rules or just painting tips. It seemed like it was my cup of tea. So I decided to jump head-first into the world of table top gaming. I bought my first army starter kit and again, I fell in love. Putting the models together, painting them, playing the game, everything.

The atmosphere was always electric. I remember the first Facebook group I joined at a local gaming café when I moved to London. I was a little nervous, worried no one would accept my game request. But almost instantly someone agreed. Entering the café was still nerve-wracking when going for a first game in a different city, not knowing what to expect. But of course, what greeted me were nothing but smiles and compliments about my models, and one hell of a game. They fully welcomed me. Which made me happy and fall in love with the hobby even more.

One of the best parts was definitely putting the models together. Using scissors to cut the little pieces out, following the instructions and using glue to connect the pieces. Even though they were just little plastic men, attaching them together and watching them form into a little plastic soldier was oh-so-satisfying.

Then there was the matter of painting, something that was slightly more intimidating. This part of the hobby came with practise, but again, it was serious fun. Your battalion, sharing the same colour scheme, standing together like true brothers in arms. It was magnificent, even if my painting skills were seriously lacking from those picture-perfect Instagram painters. But who cares? It was fun and I knew my painting skills would improve with time. And they did. I went from a simple base coat to experimenting with different brushes and brush techniques, layering, edging and dry brushing. My boys never looked so good and ready for battle.

At any level of painting ability, the community is wonderful. Either at a novice level or legendary, you’ll receive compliments and tips from just about anybody that plays the game. When I was a beginner this was an excellent environment to thrive in and it pushed me to keep up the hobby and advance my skills.

Then there is another step, if you so choose. A step that I only discovered later on into my army building after finding creators on Instagram. Base building is a way to really make your army pop. I’ve experimented with different ways to decorate a base and one of the best ways is a simple cardboard.

Simply get the model and the base you want to decorate and use a pair of scissors to cut the cardboard into different shapes to form a rock. Then use glue to stack the cardboard pieces up (this is forming a rock so you really don’t have to be neat with it) and watch the bedrock take form.

Then give it a layer of technical paint (preferably something with a rock tone). Dry brush it to bring out the detail.

All that will be left to do will be to glue your soldier to the new base. All he needs is a little paint and he will be ready for battle.

So thank you for reading about something that brings me happiness - building and painting armies and being a part of an awesome community. I look forward to meeting you at the table top.