Warhammer (both 40K sci-fi and Age of Sigmar fantasy) is played on a table as a miniature wargame. Each player fields an army of models – individual soldier or vehicle miniatures – placed on a tabletop “battlefield” with terrain like buildings, hills, trees, etc. . Players alternate taking turns: they measure movement distances with a tape, move their units (often in groups or “squads”), then attack opposing units with ranged weapons or close combat. For example, a Space Marine model may move up to 6 inches then shoot at enemies within, say, 24 inches. Attacks are resolved by rolling dice and comparing to the models’ stats (hit rolls, armor saves, etc.). Armies must obey the game’s rules (each unit has a “datasheet” of stats and points cost) and are usually balanced by an agreed points limit. Games typically last 1–3 hours and can use dozens of models per side; larger armies take longer to move and play.
Terrain models are not just decoration – they create cover and obstacles. For example, the Warhammer 40K wiki notes that the playing area is “a tabletop model of a battlefield, comprising models of buildings, hills, trees, and other terrain features”. Some miniatures have special rules too (like “psychic powers” akin to magic in Age of Sigmar). In all versions, the emphasis is on tactical maneuvering and storytelling: players imagine a battle between, say, human Space Marines and alien Orks, or elves and monsters, using the rules and models as a framework. (In Age of Sigmar, players similarly take turns moving human, elf, dwarf, or orc models with medieval weapons and spells.)
Each Warhammer game also has a narrative or lore context. 40K is set in a dystopian far-future where “in the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war”. Humanity fights endless wars against aliens, demons, and gods; the setting is developed through many novels (the Black Library) and is famed for its “grimdark” tone. Age of Sigmar (its fantasy counterpart) features the stormcast heroes of Sigmar battling forces of Chaos and monsters across magical realms, with armies of humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, etc.. In both games, knowing the lore enriches the experience (e.g. understanding faction rivalries and famous characters).
Miniatures, Assembly and Painting
Warhammer miniatures arrive in plastic (or resin/metal) kits that you assemble and paint yourself. “Games Workshop sells a large variety of gaming models… players are expected to assemble and paint themselves”. Each box contains sprues of unpainted parts (arms, bodies, heads) and instructions. The hobbyist clips out the parts, glues them together into complete figures, then paints them with fine acrylics. The design and painting of models is a hobby in itself – indeed the wiki observes that “assembly and painting of the models is a major aspect of the hobby, and many customers… buy models simply to paint and display them”. (Some fans literally collect and paint armies just to display, even if they never play.)
Most Warhammer miniatures today are injection-molded plastic (polystyrene) – sturdy but detailed. Large vehicles or monsters often come in multiple pieces to assemble. Specialized characters and armies are sometimes made in resin or metal (alloy) if produced in smaller runs. After assembly, the entire army is usually undercoated and painted with tiny brushes and hundreds of colors to match the army’s theme. Painters often add basing details (rocks, grass tufts) to each figure’s base for realism. Because the rules treat painted and unpainted models the same, painting is purely artistic.
For newcomers, Games Workshop and third parties sell starter sets that bundle simplified rules with pre-selected armies. For example, AoS offers Starter Boxes (like Dominion, Soul Wars, Skaventide) containing two opposing armies and a slimmed-down rulebook. These help beginners get playing quickly. Used miniatures, crowdfunding kits (e.g. Kickstarter armies), and smaller “battle boxes” also make entry easier. Because accessibility is key, many players begin at a local game store where they can borrow models or join starter events. Overall, you can jump in with minimal gear and a few models, then build up from there.
Kitbashing and Custom Models
Advanced hobbyists often kitbash — combining parts from different kits to create unique models. Kitbashing “basically… take a bunch of different kits (plastic, resin or metal) and use them to make something new… and often unique”. In practice, this might mean swapping the arm or head of one figure onto another, or cutting and re-gluing pieces in new ways. For example, you might graft a hammer arm from one model onto another body, or sculpt added details with putty. Even simple swaps (“snipping bits and pieces out of sprues and sticking them together with glue”) give your army a personal flair. More ambitious kitbashes use a hobby knife, bits of green “putty”, and careful sculpting to seamlessly merge parts. Warhammer’s rich range of armor, weapons, and organic parts (especially the shape-rich Ork kits) makes these conversions quite creative. Kitbashing is unofficial but widely accepted by friends; it’s a way to make characters with their own story or simply to stand out.
Miniature Production Process
Modern Warhammer miniatures begin with a sculpt or 3D model, then are mass-produced into kits. Hobby companies (including Games Workshop and its partners) now often sculpt digitally. A sculptor “refines a 3D render on a computer over the course of two to four days”. The design is then printed on a high-resolution 3D printer (layer height ~16 microns) to create a prototype. (These printers stack ultra-thin layers, so the printed master looks almost perfectly detailed.) Artists might also add minor hand-sculpted touches (using putty like “green stuff”) at this stage, but digital tools let them quickly rearrange parts and mirror details.
Once the master model is approved, manufacturers make a silicone mould of it. For plastic minis (the usual GW models), this mould is used to create injection-molding tools or vacuum-cast production blocks. For example, resin figures are cast by pouring a two-part liquid plastic into the silicone mould under vacuum (to eliminate air bubbles). The resin mix (often a 50/50 two-part polyurethane) hardens within minutes into the familiar gray plastic components. These components are then cut from the mold and cleaned (removing flash and molds lines), then assembled into sprue trees for packaging.
Metal minis (less common now) follow a similar idea but with molten pewter. Two circular metal mould halves are made and spun on a centrifuge; liquid pewter is poured into the center, and centrifugal force “fires the metal into the cavity” filling every crevice. After a brief cooling, the cast components are hammered out, trimmed, and cleaned. (Metal casting is hotter and more hazardous, but gives a different feel – ironically, some fans say resin brings out detail better because metal shrinks slightly on cooling.)
All these processes turn one original sculpt into hundreds (or thousands) of identical models, so players around the world can field identical armies. For collectors, knowing this process helps explain why miniatures sometimes have small mold lines or slightly warped pieces – these are artifacts of molding and are usually trimmed off.
Warhammer Community and Events
Warhammer has a huge global hobby community. Players meet at local game stores, clubs, conventions, and online forums to play games, trade tips, and admire each other’s collections. Many communities form around shared interests: lore (novel discussions), painting clubs (competitions and shows), tournament teams, or even just friendship circles. Officially, Games Workshop supports this with community content (their Warhammer Community news site, painting tutorials, livestreams) and by hosting large events.
One of the biggest official gatherings is Warhammer Fest (previously “Games Day”), a multi-day convention usually held in Europe or North America. Warhammer Fest 2023 was touted as “the biggest official Warhammer event ever”. Over a weekend, it features everything from live previews of upcoming 40K and AoS releases, painting seminars, hobby classes, and demo games, to tournaments of every kind. A highlight is the Golden Demon painting competition (for expert hobbyists to show off their best miniatures). Fest also hosts friendly tournaments and narrative events — but wins and trophies aside, the emphasis is on learning and fun.
Games Workshop’s Warhammer World (their UK HQ museum-store) also runs regular official tournaments and game days. For example, they hold multi-day Grand Tournaments for Age of Sigmar and Kill Team (the 40K skirmish game), where players play 4–5 games over the weekend with fixed armies. These events reward not only winning players but also best-painted armies and best sportsmanship. The Warhammer World schedule (see events listings) shows Age of Sigmar Grand Tournaments, themed weekend wars (like Scourge of Gyhran), Blood Bowl cups, and more. In summary, official events are well-organized, inclusive, and a great way for newcomers to see the hobby in action.
Outside these, many independent conventions and expos (e.g. AdeptiCon in the US, local gaming conventions) include Warhammer tournaments, but the GW-sanctioned ones (Warhammer Fest, Open Days, Golden Demon) are the flagship occasions. In between events, the community keeps active on social media (Facebook groups, Reddit), local store bulletin boards, and hobbyist blogs. All told, the Warhammer tabletop community is massive: from casual players who just build and paint in their garage, to highly competitive players who travel the world for tournaments, to collectors who memorize the lore and display armies.
Sources: Official overviews and community news; hobby and production articles; community event announcements; kitbashing guides. Each citation provides factual detail backing the above descriptions.
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