Warhammer and Miniature wargaming’s biggest hurdle isn’t buying in; it’s finding someone to play, and this new survey shows why opponents feel so scarce.
You can have three armies painted, packed up, and ready to go, then still hit Friday night with nobody across the table. That’s the gap the Great Wargaming Survey keeps seeing, and it has very little to do with how much plastic you own.
Their 2026 survey is live now, but the previous survey is still worth reading because it says a lot about the tabletop gaming community overall and which games people end up sticking with.
The survey set out to track collection sizes, favorite periods, and preferred miniature scales, but it actually ended up showing that the hobby is far more about people than products.
- The real finding: miniature wargaming is a human activity first, so finding opponents is harder than buying an army.
- What the data showed: background interest, creativity, and camaraderie were the biggest reasons people wargame.
- If that holds up: opponent deserts are caused by poor coordination and limited shared spaces, not a lack of players.
Miniature Wargaming Was Never Only About the Minis
The 2025 results kept coming back to the same point: people aren’t drawn in by the games alone. They’re drawn in by what they can do with them.
Historical or fictional background interest ranked first among the reasons people wargame. The creative side, including painting your miniatures and building terrain, came a close second while the social connection and camaraderie finished third.
Sure, plenty of hobbyists still play to win, but competition is only one part of it. Gaming, painting, collecting, history, and spending time with other people all share the same space, with plenty of games offering different ways in.
The Survey Kept Landing on the People, Not the Stuff
When respondents were asked what they liked most in their own words, thousands of answers clustered around three things: games, people, and craft.
Creativity connects the history reader, the painter, the terrain builder, and the person showing up for game night. The prep and the playing may be separate activities, as Miniature Wargaming the Movie showed, but the community is what makes them feel like one hobby.
That’s Why the Opponent Desert Stings So Much
For a social hobby, a surprising number of players still end up doing most of it alone.
The survey calls this “opponent deserts” as players may be nearby, but they can’t always find one another. Wargaming depends on visible groups, compatible schedules, introductions, and a regular place to meet. Another box of models from Games Workshop or anyone else doesn’t solve that.
That’s why your local game store (or club) matters way beyond its shelves. Shared spaces and meeting places turn scattered players into a scene. Losing one makes it harder for everyone playing any of the game system alternatives to Games Workshop to find a game.
Final Thoughts on Miniature Wargaming as a Human Activity
Overall, miniature wargaming is a human activity first and a product hobby second. Opponent deserts prove it because they’re a problem you can’t solve by spending more money on.
That’s why the current survey is worth taking ten minutes to fill out. Every response helps show how people actually take part in the hobby and why shared gaming spaces matter (among other things) are more important than, say, product releases.
So fill out the 2026 survey, then spend some time seeing who’s looking for a game in your area!
🔗 Related Reads:
- Miniature Wargaming the Movie: A Documentary About the Hobby
- Which Warhammer Game to Play and Why
- 28 Games Like 40k: Best Tabletop Miniature Wargames
- How to Paint Miniatures: Paints, Glazes and Airbrushing
What actually keeps you at the table: the games, the people, or the paint?
