I’ve recently been playing some wargames on the internet so here are my tips on how to play Warhammer over the internet.
We are all starting to adapt to what may become some permanent aspects of our day-to-day lives. For wargames, that means you might start having some digital battles! Check out what I found to be the best way to enjoy your digital game.
How to Play Warhammer Over the Internet
Decide who is going to “host” the game and pick from the models they have using as few proxies as possible. Also, if you can use smaller model count armies, that’s even better as it is going to be just one person doing all the measuring, movement, etc. For our game, we played orcs vs Skaven and I took Mawcrushers and Gore Gruntas, while he took Stormfiends and one block of 30 acolytes. It made it a lot better in that he was only moving a handful of models around the table rather than moving my block of 40 orcs.
Game Set-Up:
Keep it simple because you are not going to have a great view of the battlefield or be able to see what the dice are on the terrain. For us, we decided the only piece of terrain that had any sort of special rules was the centerpiece which was deadly terrain. We did not mess with any sort of realm choice and for a game, we just set up 4 objective markers and said each 1 is worth 1 point a turn that you hold it.
Game Board:
Not everyone has a full-size table they are able to play on, which is fine! Just be aware of size limitations so if your playing on someone’s kitchen table that is 4 foot by 4 foot or smaller be sure to use smaller armies. For terrain, anything will do. In our game, we used an assortment of pop bottles and kids’ toys that he had laying around. One thing that’s fun to raid is your family Christmas village (if you have one) and play a battle in the mortal realms surrounded by a 1920’s English village. But in reality, anything will work as terrain.
Camera/Lighting:
We both used our laptops for our recent game, where he placed his laptop, so it gave an overarching view of the battlefield. We decided to just leave it put though as having him move it around all the time would take forever and be annoying. He was a good sport though with measuring and when I would say I cannot really see the best positioning he would say this is what he would do, and we went that way.
Laptop cameras aren’t great so I would recommend placing it somewhere with a lot of bright light (not natural though) White light works best but most kitchens use a soft white light, just be aware you might need to bring in another lamp or something.
Software:
We used Zoom which I have an account for and it worked out great. I could certainly see facetime working also, though working better if you have a tripod for your phone or tablet. Not to mention those cameras tend to be of better quality. For the dice, I pulled up a dice roller website and did all the dice rolling since he was doing the measuring, movement, etc.
I would share my screen and roll the dice needed that way; though he generally took my word for it, there were a couple of rolls he wanted to see in person. (Love it when Skaven blow themselves up!)
Playing the Game:
One person is doing all the measuring, movement, etc. so be patient with them and if there is a forgotten rule or to let it go. It is a lot of work to basically move two whole armies one after the other. Take your time and if they get a move that isn’t perfect or wasn’t exactly what you wanted, just let it go. Playing over the internet is less than ideal, but you’re both there to have some fun and roll some dice (digitally). The best part of this game win or lose is geeking out and being able to play a game you both enjoy.
Social Aspect:
This is key in this situation as I still believe the best part of Warhammer is the social aspect of it. More than just you and your opponent invite other people from your gamming / painting groups to join your guys. Everyone could use some friends to talk to during these times and they can even get some hobby time in while they watch your opponent’s warp cannons blow themselves up.
Be aware though that your going to be on a speaker in other people’s homes so keep your manners about you (if they have small children do not swear type of deal).
Final Verdict:
Is it better than playing a game in person? Absolutely not, there is nothing that beats the feeling of rolling 30 dice as once and the all-important priority roll that you both roll at the same time. Is it better than not playing at all? Absolutely, we had a blast chatting away while our armies clashed into one another. (The orcs pulled out a victory) While the digital dice are not as satisfying as rolling them in person, you can see and hear the groans and smiles when the dice go your way or against it. Afterward, we did a post-battle chat and talked about various things beyond even Age of Sigmar. It’s nice to touch base with friends and hobby (even digitally) as well so if your gaming group has talked about doing it, I highly recommend trying.
Hopefully, things get better here soon and you’re able to get together with friends in person to roll dice and play with your toys. In the meantime, I do think that you can have fun playing with someone digitally. Give it a shot and let me know how it goes in the comments!
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