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Hey everyone! I'm new to this forum and just discovered it today, inspired by my recent fascination with wargaming after watching my first Warhammer battle video. I'm interested in learning about other wargaming companies that could potentially compete with Games Workshop. Any recommendations? It seems I haven't come across many others, so perhaps there are some hidden gems. I'd also love to hear about their pros and cons. Thanks!

GW is the most well known and largest of the main wargames companies but its the Jack Daniels of Wargaming. Everyone knows JD and often will have it in a bar as a causal drink but its defo not the best game and its an entry point to many people for other games with different flavours and depth when it comes to gameplay. I might be stretching that analogy somewhat…..

What does make GW a huge player is the depth and history of lore that comes with it. So you could be into a GW setting for years (like 40k), know all the stores and characters, but never play the game on the tabletop or buy a GW mini.

Other companies that im big fans of:

Wyrd – makers of Malifaux (my main game)
Corvus Belli – makers of Infinity
Privateer Press – makers of Warmachine & Hordes
Goblin King Games – makers of Moonstone
Mantic Games – makers of Kings of War and other games

other wargames:

Silver Bayonet, Saga, Oathmark, all the Star Wars games, A Song of Ice and Fire, Bolt Action, Dystopian Wars etc……. So many out there.

Sunno wrote:
GW is the most well known and largest of the main wargames companies but its the Jack Daniels of Wargaming. Everyone knows JD and often will have it in a bar as a causal drink but its defo not the best game and its an entry point to many people for other games with different flavours and depth when it comes to gameplay. I might be stretching that analogy somewhat…..

I don't drink but the analogy seems apt. It's like Monopoly in board games or D&D in RPGs or MTG in card games. Very basic, very outdated, very unfocused but also the most recognisable, for many people actually the synonym of the entire genre, because they don't know any alternatives.

I'd think that to find companies that do better than average (not as good as GW, though) you need to check ones that produce more than just one flagship game, no matter how good. For example CMON, apart from producing a pretty popular wargame (ASOIAF), also make dozens of incredibly popular board games, like the Zombicide line, or the trilogy of area control games from E.Lang.

I don't think any other company comes close to GW in the Fantasy and Sci Fi wargaming sphere.

Privateer Press used to do alright, but they've gone downhill since.

But you do get some individual games that do fairly well in competition with it. Generally, these are the ones with a big IP tied to them. So the various Star Wars games, the Song of Ice and Fire wargame and so on.

Aside from that, everyone is fairly small, and not really comparable to GW in scale. A company like Mantic for example does alright with it's games but it has nowhere near the market that GW has.

My personal favourites out of these smaller fry are North Star for miniatures and some games, and Warlord Games for their game Warlords of Erehwon and Hail Caesar, both of which are written by one of the original creators of Warhammer, Rick Priestly.

Outside of GW there's a huge world of historical miniatures games, which tend to be miniature agnostic, meaning you can use miniatures from whichever company you like - the rules and miniatures are de-coupled. Time was that Historicals ruled the roost, but Fantasy and Science Fiction have been eclipsing them for a long time. Still, there's a deep well of historical players busily doing their own thing.

Are you looking for recommendations of miniature lines, game rule sets, gaming settings of particular flavor, or just for something popular?

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
Are you looking for recommendations of miniature lines, game rule sets, gaming settings of particular flavor, or just for something popular?

I'm looking for something popular and widely played, other than Warhammer and Warhammer 40k

Well if your flag is accurate then Atomic Mass Games' Star Wars games (Legion and X Wing) are both pretty big in Poland.

GW and it's games are in a different league from everything else out there. Not even the Star Wars games come close to the size and scald at which warhammer dominates the industry.

Troll Trader / TTCombat have a number of games under their umbrella - Carnevale, RUMBLESLAM, Dropzone Commander & Dropfleet Commander.

Wayland Games also has a number under their Warcradle Studios brand - Wild West Exodus, Dystopian Wars, Firestorm Armada, Mythos...

Argan wrote:

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
Are you looking for recommendations of miniature lines, game rule sets, gaming settings of particular flavor, or just for something popular?

I'm looking for something popular and widely played, other than Warhammer and Warhammer 40k

What is the lower range for “popular”? An order of magnitude fewer players? If you’re looking for comparable numbers, GW is your only option, just like Magic is your only card game option and Monopoly is your only board game option.


Are you asking to find out what you are likely to find pick up games for? Because that depends a lot on local factors, and you might be surprised. Maybe it will be Battletech, Star Wars Legion, Marvel Clown Posse (or whatever MCP stands for), or Kings of War. But nothing is even close to GW’s games in terms of “widely played”.

 ingtaer wrote:
Well if your flag is accurate then Atomic Mass Games' Star Wars games (Legion and X Wing) are both pretty big in Poland.

That is true. ASOIAF also has a relatively big scene and if you live in Warsaw, there's a pretty solid Warmachine community (full attendance of 20 at a local tournament today, although this game isn't doing well in other parts of the country). If you're ok with GW, just not their big, flagship titles, Kill Team has a really huge following, and with Poland "historically" being much more a Warhammer Fantasy country than 40k, I expect the same with The Old World.

Spellcrow with their argatoria game is based in poland, maybe that's something to look after as well?

Thank you for the recommendations, everyone. I've come across a few games that seem quite interesting, and I'm looking forward to delving into them for further exploration.

My top 10 games:

Marvel Crisis Protocol - Atomic Mass Games
Star Wars: Shatterpoint - Atomic Mass Games
Judgement - Gunmeister Games/Creature Caster
Warmachine/Hordes - Privateer Press
Monsterpocalypse - Privateer Press
Warhammer 40k - Games Workshop
Infinity - Corvus Belli
Malifaux - Wyrd
Guild Ball - Steamforged Games
Star Wars: X-Wing - Fantasy Flight/Atomic Mass Games

Honorable mention to Bushido by GCT Studios.

As many have noted, GW is very, very much bigger than anyone else. Even in their heyday Privateer Press had only something like 80-100 employees (I think they're about half that today) where GW have not been below 2000 for the last two decades and usually are bigger.

That being said, it is usually not difficult to find someone who plays one or more of these gsmes in most countries:

Atomic Mass games' Star Wars Legion, X Wing, Marvel Crisis Protocol or Star Wars Shatterpoint
Privateer Press' Warmachine
Corvus Belli's Infinity
Catalyst Game Labs'Battletech
Wyrd Miniatures' Malifaux
Mantic Games' Kings of War and Deadzone

And it is hardly impossible to find someone to play other relatively popular games by those companies, like Monsterpocalypse by PP, Star Wars Armada by AMG or even The Other side by Wyrd.

There are also historical gamers all over the place, and that is the only place I'd really say "find out what the locals play" before.you start because there are so many different types.

There are also many other games that can be found. Guild Ball is starting up again, Judgement is still going strong, Moonstone has gained a following, Bushido is almost a decade old and still with us, TTCOmbat's "dropverse" games (Dropzone Commander and Dropfleet Commander) have groups here and there, A Song of Ice and Fire, Dystopian Wars, Saga, Frostgrave, Freebooter's Fate, Godtear, Warcaster....usually there are someone, somewhere, playing all of these, even in relatively small cities like mine.

Once you cross into historicals you have periods. Rules companies don't tend to make models as well, but periods have multiple options.
People normally ask what do you want? There are so many options games are for style, detail, command and control, excitement, etc. etc.

I'm sure Conquest has a scene in Poland too, and the minis are made there.

Can't believe no one has mentioned Warlord Games and Bolt Action - probably a contender for the second most popular wargame after AOS/40k

Probably because we’ve tried to order from them…

Argan wrote:
Thank you for the recommendations, everyone. I've come across a few games that seem quite interesting, and I'm looking forward to delving into them for further exploration.

Whatever you discover, the best bet for a game is usually what is being played near you. Check your local shops, clubs or online groups. Great games have been suggested here, but that's of almost zero use to you if it's not what your LOCAL gamers are playing. Unless you're trying to build your own group, there's not much point investing in a game unless folks near you are playing.

Good luck. I hope you find a game that you both enjoy and can find local payers for.

"and can find local payers for."

Ii see what you did there....

Surprised nobody mentioned Battlefront and Flames of War. Is it gone?

It used to be strong back in the day.

PS I left historicals so I don't know how they fare nowadays...

stroller wrote:
"and can find local payers for."

Ii see what you did there....

Ha!
That was a total typo, but it's so appropriate I think I'll not edit it.

I think the best comparison for GW is microsoft, not the best but you can literally find it everywhere and anywhere you go.

The fun side note is that if you want to play something GW no longer supports like specialist games or older editions of fantasy or 40K it is easily accessible, you just have to find a group to play with.

Game companies currently in business- other than GW
.privateer press-warmachine/hordes, monster apocalypse
.atomic mass games-MCP, shatter point, X-wing/armada
.corvus belli-infinity
.warlord games-bolt action, konflict 47, black powder, victory at sea, etc...they also used to have antares but i think that got sold.
.battlefront-flames of war, team yankee
.fasa/fanpro/catalyst game labs/iron wind metals-classic battle tech/aero tech, battle tech alpha strike
.mantic-basically every GW game but for half the price with better written rules-warpath/deadzone(40K), kings of war(warhammer fantasy), armada (dread fleet),
.TTcombat-drop fleet/drop zone commander

Games that (still)exist as rules for free online
.forces of valor battle tactics WWII skirmish
.one page rules
.babylon 5 wars space combat simulator (also converted into star wars, star trek, battlestar galactica, wing commander etc...)

A Song of Ice and Fire by CMON is the best Wargame I've played and I've played many.

There is a large active scene in Poland, it is relatively affordable, has a great and recognizable IP, regular releases, free rules, good free app, community supported ELO system, etc. etc.

Only downside is that most other games (and particularly GW's efforts ) will feel like a downgrade after playing ASOIAF.

That being said, it is definitely low fantasy, so if high zany fantasy like Warcraft is your style or if you prefer more lavish models GW may be your thing.

My top 5 :

Warhammer 40 000 for lore and miniatures.
Kill Team with the new version this game is very good
Star Wars shatterpoint
AOS
MCP