I have always maintained that one of the most detrimental factors for modern wargame design has been the comparatively cheap rent for houses with large sitting rooms in Nottingham, England, during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
With all that space available to Games Workshops’ designers, it made sense to think big. This thinking would then infest the rest of the industry, and the idea that wargaming had to be done on at least a six-foot by four-foot table became way too common. Granted, this is an oversimplification of things, but it has also always been a theory I have liked, and it’s not like I will get to say it anywhere other than at the start of this particular article, so here we are.
As a younger man, I loved these big-scale games, but these days, I prefer my wargaming to be more respectful of modern real estate costs and my time. If I can find something with a small model count and a restricted play area, then I am all in. The good news is that skirmish wargaming has never been in a better place, and there are plenty of different games and systems to choose from. This list contains some of the very best small-count miniature games on the market today.
Infinity by Corvus Belli
Infinity might just be the best skirmish game in the world right now. This is because it is, in essence, split into two games. Infinity Code One is a simpler, cut-down version of the more complex Infinity N4 rules. You could even argue that there are three versions, as buying an Operation starter kit contains two full forces, a bunch of tokens, and all the rules you need to play with them. As far as model design goes, Infinity leans hard into science fiction with magnificent armor, strange creatures, lots of robots, and interesting factions that are based on plenty of real-world inspirations. As for the mechanics, a fantastic reaction system means you don’t just have to sit there and let enemies shoot you. Moving and taking action means exposing yourself to a potential reaction from your opponent; everything involves calculation and risk.
This is one for fans of science fiction who don’t want to sit around and wait for their opponent to play their entire turn before they can get back into the action. Be warned; it is highly addictive and extremely well supported by Corvus Belli, who maintain a constant flow of miniature releases, along with strong support for their competitive scene. The downside is that finding other players can be tough compared to some systems, so check with your Friendly Local Gaming Store to see if they host nights or try to find local groups. Overall, Infinity can be dense, but it’s incredibly rewarding, and there is a reason why fans of this game are also extremely loyal to it.
Arena Rex by Red Republic Games
Do you love gladiators but fear the blade? Then Arena Rex is for you. Set in a somewhat mythical place where burly men, slightly less burly women, and all manner of beasts and creatures can duke it out on the bloody sands of an arena, this fun and addictive battle system is fantastic for quick games. It walks a fine line between accessible and inviting while being very tactically deep for those who want something competitive.
As you only need three models per side to start, and the usual team size is five miniatures each, it’s a great option for beginners or those who are shy about painting models. The rules are also available for free from the Arena Rex website. The game uses a very interesting damage tree model in the attack phase, allowing players to pick a path down a tree that combines damage values and different effects. As for the miniatures themselves, the sculpts are just beautiful. All the dynamic poses convey a real sense of violent intent that you definitely want from a game like this.
Kill Team by Games Workshop
It’s impossible to write this list for 2024 and not put Games Workshop’s Kill Team on it. While there was a lot of trepidation in the Kill Team community when the new version was announced in 2021, I feel that those concerns have been alleviated over time. Kill Team is currently the best game set in the Warhammer 40K universe as the new main Warhammer game struggles to find a firm footing with a lot of players, and Necromunda is slowly falling apart under the weight of its own bloat. (Just one man’s opinion, no need to send Kal Jericho after me!)
Kill Team is managing to stay reasonably sleek, tactically engaging, great fun to play or watch, and reasonably priced, for the most part. The seasonal model leaves a lot to be desired, and Games Workshop’s inbuilt FOMO is all over this game, but picking up some rules and a Kill Team or two and keeping it casual results is one of the best science fiction themed tabletop experiences you can get from GW at this point in time. It can take a while to really get the flow down. There is little reason you can’t wrap up a game in under 60 minutes when you get the system memorized, but there is certainly a learning curve to get there.
Cyberpunk Red: Combat Zone by Monster Fight Club
A surprising new game that makes an entry onto our list, this licensed game from Monster Fight Club takes everything you like about Cyberpunk (the world created by Mike Pondsmith, not the overall genre) and makes it into a slick little skirmish game. A fantastically intuitive system means this one is straightforward to pick up and very rewarding for new players. Everything is based on colors, and your skills, dice, and measuring tools all use a Red/Yellow/Green color system to make it very obvious as to what you need to do and when.
The starter box comes with two gangs, the metal-infused Maelstrom and the slick Tyger Claws, some very solid cardboard terrain, a plastic cargo container, and everything else you need to play the game. The rounds are quick and brutal, and the rules avoid succumbing to the bloat that some designers feel gives depth, but players can find off-putting. This is highly likely to grow in popularity over the coming years, and it definitely deserves it. To make things more interesting and emotional, there is also Edgerunner’s version of this game on the way, so if you want to get David and the gang back together for one last shot at becoming Night City legends, this is your chance.
Judgement Eternal Champions by Creature Caster
Ever felt like scrapping it out to represent the interests of uncaring gods? This two-player game pits small bands of warriors against each other in exciting and dynamic hex-based fights that last about an hour. What makes this one really fun is that your heroes can level up while you fight, getting access to new abilities.
Originally developed by Gunmeister Games, Creature Casture stepped in to revamp the game and rescale it to 32mm. You can also bet your last dollar that the miniature quality is through the roof, thanks to the involvement of Creature Caster, who are known for their high-quality sculpts and production techniques. This is a lot of fun, plays quickly, is quite tactically deep, and you only need to drop the cash for one box if that is all you are in the mood for. That said, that starter box still has some premium pricing involved.
Relicblade by Metal King Studio
Metal King Studio is a somewhat unassuming yet accurate name for the work of Sean Sutter. A one-man band, Sutter designs his games, does all the illustrations, and all the sculpting. This leads to a fantastically unified vision and style, and everything about Sutter’s work oozes character and charm.
Relicblade uses an interesting Action Dice system to perform actions and is yet another game on this list that is easy to learn yet deeply tactically engaging. It’s also designed to be played in a small area, on boards of just two feet by two feet, and with small miniature counts of around four, if you wish. This is another coffee table special. If you have ever wanted to finish playing out a skirmish battle between a bunch of fishermen and a wizard and his pig-men friends on your lunch break, this is likely the game for you.
Warhammer Underworlds by Games Workshop
Warhammer Underworlds is one of the best Games Workshop games out there right now, blending their traditional miniature combat with some deck-building flair. You can go halves on a box with a friend and have everything you need to have exciting, character-focused battles. Assorted groups of heroes and villains have headed into the Wyrdhollow (although the setting changes a lot due to a seasonal-type system) to find knowledge and power and, of course, to knock lumps out of each other.
Unlike most of Games Workshop’s systems, this one is hex-based, so if you dislike open-table systems, this might be more to your liking. A recent addition called Rivals means you can just dive right in without thinking too much about the deck-building if you don’t want to. The best part is that everything is backward compatible. If you decide you are in love, you can grab old warbands, boxsets, and anything else and just enjoy them without worrying too much about things, as all those warbands and maps can be used whenever you like.
Rumors abound that Warhammer Underworlds might be reaching the end of its time as a Games Workshop offering, so if you plan on buying in, the time is now. As someone who still plays Second Edition Warhammer 40,000, and the original Necromunda, there is no reason to put down a good ruleset.
Marvel Crisis Protocol by Atomic Mass Games
While it’s usually easy to dismiss a tie-in game as being a bad idea, that’s not quite how it works in the realm of the tabletop. There are lots of fantastic games out there based on movies, comics, and books, and Marvel Crisis Protocol is a highlight of all those efforts. In Marvel Crisis Protocol, you pit differing teams of superpowered folks against each other. Spider-Man, Captain America, and Tony Stark can team up to take on Mr. Sinister, Magneto, and Mystique, should you wish.
The game has a massive array of different characters available, and figuring out team compositions is easy due to an affiliation system. If you get enough members from a certain affiliation into your team, you’ll even get a little bonus. Marvel Crisis Protocol is a fantastic game, but it has to be said that outside of the main core set, it is also costly. You are paying for the license on this one, with individual miniatures costing way more than you might be used to paying. Still, if you have the cash to spend and the will to win, this is a superb option.
Carnevale by TT Combat
Carnevale has one of the best-value two-player starter sets on the market right now. This small-scale skirmish game takes place in an alternate version of Venice. You can jump through the windows and over the waterways of some stunning Venetian architecture as deadly assassins, terrifying monsters, fabulous aristocrats, and all manner of weird and wonderful creatures. The two-player starter set comes with two gangs, along with all the cards, dice, tokens, and templates you might need. You also get some decent-quality cardboard buildings and a nice set of cardboard gaming titles that you can move around to make different maps.
Carnevale is a fun ruleset, but what the designers have really tried to do is give you a fantastic storytelling sandbox to have a lot of fun with. This is, in my opinion, one of the most slept-on skirmish games on the market today, and the miniatures contain incredible character for people who prefer a slight glint of the 1990s style in their minis.
Godtear by Steamforged Games
Godtear is another hex-based game in which players compete over a small map. You build teams out of preset groups of champions and their followers and can have up to three champions on each team. It’s a solid game with engaging rules, and I’d consider it Steamforge’s best game to date—yes, even better than the recently returned Guildball.
It is both quick to prep and quick to play, and by the time you get to grips with the rules, it becomes a very smooth system. The ease of loaning a champion to your friends and trying out new combinations for your team is a joy. I also think the overall designs that the sculptors have gone with are interesting and result in fun to paint miniatures. Also, for folks who just don’t like having to build your miniatures, these are all single-cast characters. Starter sets come with two teams, and you can happily play the game with one team a side, making it pretty affordable to dive in and see if you even like it.
The Drowned Earth by Olmec Games
If you want to check out The Drowned Earth, you can head to the website right now, download the rules, proxy the models, and then order your faction after you finish your first game. The Drowned Earth is an incredibly fun universe where humanity is desperately trying to cling on in a world where they are no longer the apex predator.
Played on a three-foot by three-foot table, you can have a team of just five miniatures as you cavort around waterlogged levels, engaging with a rule system that has a heavy emphasis on movement and dynamic action. The Drowned Earth leans pretty heavily into risk and reward in its system, and players who are willing to lose it all for the sake of an exciting fight and good story will find a lot to love here.
BattleTech: Alpha Strike by Catalyst Game Labs
While we all know that BattleTech is one of the premiere tabletop systems of all time, I will not wax lyrical about the hex-based system today. Instead, I will implore those of you who have yet to try this wonderful game to try the Alpha Strike box. This box will give you everything you need to play a game of BattleTech that drops the hex grids and a lot of the complexity, turning it into a more traditional skirmish game.
If you have been put off by it in the past, then Alpha Strike is such a reinvention of the formula that I’d argue it’s a whole different game, but it still gives you a way to engage with the amazing BattleTech universe and the wonderful sculpts. The starter set is reasonably priced and comes with everything you need for a two-player game, so there is no reason not to dive in with a friend.
Moonstone by Goblin King Games
Moonstone has, arguably, the best sculpts on the market right now. If you never actually play games and only ever paint, I don’t think you can find stronger examples of charm and character than the incredible work that comes from Goblin King Games.
Don’t get me wrong, the game system itself is wonderful, but it’s hard to get past just how amazing the miniatures look. If you have been longing for a mix of classic fairytales and Terry Pratchett’s classic Josh Kirby-era book covers, you are going to be in heaven. As for the rules, this is a really fun system that focuses more on cards and shared decks than dice, so it offers something unique to players who are looking for something interesting. Like some other games on this list, you can download the rules for free to see what they are like.
Batman Miniature Game by Knight Models
Bat-fans who are in the mood for a fun tabletop game can jump into this effort from Knight Models and play as The World’s Greatest Detective or any of his allies as they take on the ultimate Rogues Gallery. The miniatures are fantastic, and even some of the more unfortunate and close to meme-worthy criminals, like Clock King and Calendar Man, have fantastic models.
Best of all, the rule set works to keep things feeling rooted in the world of Batman. Bats and Boy Wonder won’t be tanking shotgun rounds or anything like that. You’ll want to strike from the shadows and engage in tense tactical moves if you plan on bringing justice to the streets of Gotham.
Warcry by Games Workshop
A lot of folks out there would say that Warcry is Games Workshops’ best game right now, and they wouldn’t be wrong. With a rule set that doesn’t get bogged down in pointless complexity, just enough control to take advantage of good luck and save you from bad, and drawing from some of the very best miniatures on the market right now, Warcry has everything going for it.
Despite recently becoming another victim of Games Workshop’s seasonal pricing model, you can still get some great starter sets. Because of the nature of the game, it is also home to some of the company’s very best sculpts. Warcry blends simplicity and dynamic action to give players a fantastic experience that will keep them on their toes.
Remember, as substantial as I have tried to make this list, it is limited by my own experience as a player. I can’t really speak to the quality and attractiveness of games that I have not played, but there are hundreds more skirmish-level games out there to spend time with. There is also a huge volume of model-agnostic games to sink your teeth into that I didn’t even explore here.
