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It’s the Christmas season, and even though you may have done a bunch of shopping around Black Friday, if you’re like me you still have a lot to do–that’s where this Christmas wargame gift list comes in.

While I have posted affiliate links to these products (I’ve gots to pay the bills) know that I’m not adding anything to this list solely because it is going to putting a ton of money in my pocket. If that was my goal, I’d try to sell you a Sony 85 Inch 4K Ultra HD TV X80K Series. But I’m not. These are all my legitimate opinions.

Also, this list is a little different from my standard Christmas wargame lists: it’s not necessarily all about wargames. This is entirely a list of things I like. The fact that I happen to really like wargames will color the list, but it won’t overwhelm it.

Also: note that not everything on this list is particularly new. Some of it is brand new, but some of it is years old. Some of it is still sitting in preorders and some of it is out of print. Is this convenient to you, the buyer of Christmas wargames? No. But is it also easier for me to make a list? Yes.

Books:

The Collected Works of Henry Hyde.

This includes the wonderful Wargaming Compendium, but also Wargaming Campaigns and the three-volume Tabletop Battle Tactics. For as good as these book are, they don’t seem to get the press that they deserve–at least not in the online discourse that I see. The first two books should be a staple on every wargamer’s shelf, and Tabletop Battle Tactics is a must for any competitive gamer (or anyone who just wants to up their game).

Every Tool’s a Hammer, by Adam Savage

Yes, it’s the Adam Savage from Mythbusters. This book is wonderful for a lot of reason that will appeal to the hobbyist in all of us wargamers. There’s a lot of opining and thoughtful insight into the Why of making stuff, but there’s also a ton of great tips about essential tools, how to organize a workshop, how to make lists, how to keep a notebook of projects. It’s one of my favorite books from one of my favorite YouTubers. (If you don’t watch Adam’s Tested YouTube channel, you owe it to yourself. Here are a couple of my favorite videos: A Custom Nerf Sniper Rifle, The Hellboy Samaritan Prop, and the interviews with Johnny Fraser-Allen, a magnificent sculptor of miniature wargame terrain.

The End Is Always Near: Apocalyptic Moments, from the Bronze Age Collapse to Nuclear Near Misses, By Dan Carlin

Dan Carlin is one of my favorite historians, and he would argue that he is not a historian, but the fact that he’s been creating fantastic historical content for close to fifteen years means he’s definitely a sort of historian, even if he might not have a degree. This book, which builds on his wildly successful podcast, explains (as the title suggests) that we humans always seem to be on the brink of destruction. And it’s not to downplay the fear, but neither is it to fearmonger. It’s just a fascinating look into all of the dangers that we have historically faced throughout history.

Waterloo (Sharpe #11) and Waterloo: The History of Four Days, Three Armies, and Three Battles, both by Bernard Cornwell

Bernard Cornwell is my favorite historical fiction author, writing some of my favorite series like the Saxon Chronicles and the Arthur series. And, of course, Sharpe, which is how I was first introduced to him. This is a truly riveting piece of historical fiction, but Cornwell wasn’t satisfied with just writing fiction, so he followed it up with the non-fiction version. It is a testament to his depth of research into his fiction books that he knows so much about the facts–but that shouldn’t surprise any of his readers.

The Gun Seller, by Hugh Laurie

This is in my top three books of all time and while it really has nothing to do with miniature wargaming, it’s just such a fantastic book that I have to sing its praises every chance I get. It’s a spy thriller with a plot tense enough for Clancy, but its written by one of the funniest people of the modern era. There’s moments of brutal action, and there’s moments of laugh-out-loud non-sequiturs. It’s an amazing book.

Christmas Wargame Miniatures

This list isn’t about wargames that I’d recommend (I’ll get to that in a bit) but just miniatures that I really love. First, some Games Workshop, and then some not Games Workshop.

Harbinger of Decay

I don’t know what I can say about this model that hasn’t already been said. It’s a beautiful mix of Blanche and Frazetta. I got one, and it’s a joy to paint, even for my so-so painting skills. There is something in this miniature that is missing in so many others–emotion. When you look at the Harbinger of Decay you feel something. It may be depression, it may be menace, it may be fear. But you feel SOMETHING. And I love that.

Freeguild Cavaliers

I love everything about the Cities of Sigmar aesthetic, and it is glorified in the Freeguild Cavaliers, the knights that are at once beautiful and yet ragtag. There is so much over-the-top baroque detail, but it’s mixed with a Don Quixote level of Golden Helmet of Mambrino-style delusion. One of the small things, but perfect things, about all the Cities of Sigmar is the glorious transfer sheet that accompanies all of them. It is one of the few times when decals work perfectly with fantasy miniatures. I loved painting these five and will be buying five more–at least.

Legions Imperialis Baneblades

I love (almost) everything about the Legions Imperialis, but especially the vehicles, and the best of the vehicles are the Baneblades. It is truly stunning how they pack so much detail into such tiny models. To look at the (admittedly professionally-painted) miniatures you would think that they’re full-sized. The only downside to these beautiful miniatures is how expensive they are (two Baneblades for $50 is steep) but there’s no denying they look great.

King Trugg

My favorite miniature that I’ve ever painted was a Troggoth (the Dankhold Troggoth, which you can see on my Instagram). So you won’t be surprised to learn that I was thrilled with the release of King Trugg. He was one of the few models that I preordered and made sure to get on release day. I don’t think I did the best paint job on him, and I regret that, but I’m not above stripping him and trying over. I think he’s really a great centerpiece.

Hunter and Hunted: Warcry

I’m including the whole box here because it has not one but two of my favorite warbands in it. First, the Wildercorps are some perfectly perfect Cities of Sigmar models (I’ve already said how much I love Cities of Sigmar) but these have DOGGOS. I love these guys. There’s so much character to the soldiers, and the dogs are just… great dogs. No half-gryphon Stormcast dogs. They’re dogs. And that’s great. The other half of the box is the Gorgers, and they’re a really excellent take on the Ogors, a range that is getting really painfully old. The story that goes into these characters, combined with some truly magnificently scary sculpts, makes them must haves for me.

The Skalvian Explorator

I love Squats. I have loved Squats for 35 years. And Leagues of Votann help to scratch that itch, but Leagues are exactly Squats. But Squats live in Necromunda, and they’re phenomenal. And while people will criticize the Leagues of Votann vehicles (I happen to like them, but there are a lot of detractors) this Skalvian Explorator is a beautiful Squat vehicle that takes them back to their mining, working class roots. This thing is sadly a Forge World product (not that Forge World exists anymore) but it’s really the kind of thing that you want your little Squats miners to be rolling around in.

Ushoran

The Flesh Eater Courts have never really appealed to me–at least aesthetically. Their lore is very cool and one of the most interesting backgrounds in all of Age of Sigmar. But they have historically looked old and anemic. But this new glow up for the entire range is breathtaking and nowhere is it more clear than in thier leader Ushoran. The size of a Greater Daemon, this guy is a hulking covered in detail and with the base to be a proper centerpiece. I have no doubt we’ll see a lot of Ushorans at the Golden Demon awards.

Non Games Workshop Miniatures

Not all of my Christmas wargame picks come from Games Workshop, of course. There is a wealth of miniature wargame stuff from other companies that is just as fun and engaging.

Landsknecht Ogres

I bought these on a whim, and I still don’t know what I’m supposed to do with them, but they were so much fun to paint. Whether you arm them with their medieval weapons or their modern guns, they look awesome, and Landsknecht clothing is such an opportunity to play around. I am always trying to talk myself out of buying more of them, but I think I need another box.

Dystopian Wars Hunt for the Prometheus

So this is a whole game, rather than just a model, but I’m including it because the whole thing is just so much fun. The ships are technically steampunk, but they look more Gothic than the traditional Victorian look of steampunk. If I have any complaints about them (and I do) it’s that there are no clear instructions on how to put them together. There’s a diagram included, and there are more diagrams on the website, but they’re not as clear as they should be and a lot of guessing happens. But once you figure it out–they’re awesome.

Shatterpoint We Are Brave Pack

I’m not entirely sold on Star Wars Shatterpoint, mainly because I think that the miniatures draw too much from the cartoons and not enough from the movies (not that I don’t like the cartoons; I just don’t like the art style). But this pack of Padme Amidala and her retinue is really terrific. Queen Amidala’s costumes are one of the best parts of the prequels, and you get two great costumes here, plus the handmaidens robes. I really like these.

Pike and Shotte Epic Scale from Warlord Games

I have a love-hate relationship with Warlord Games’ Epic scale miniatures. I always buy them and I always try to paint them and they look pretty good, but then I’m overwhelmed by the sheer number of them. This happened with the American Civil War and the Battle of Waterloo, and yes, I bought a box of Pike and Shotte (the Scots Covenanters) and got through a couple of sprues before it just kicked my butt. But they look so good!

Ravaged Star

The miniatures to come out of Miniwargaming.com, Ravaged Star are a really solid launch that any wargame company would be proud of. I struggle to paint them, but I think that’s because I struggle to paint ANY chaos model (the first rendition of Ravaged Star are effectively 40k Chaos proxies) because of ALL THAT TRIM. But the models look really, really good, and the material they’re made from is really terrific–it holds detail well, but isn’t as rigid and breakable as resin. It’s a great start for what seems like it’s going to be an ongoing and growing Christmas wargame venture.

Wargaming Gear

Citadel Clippers

Look, I’m not trying to be a Games Workshop fanboy, but Citadel clippers are just so much better than the cheaper alternatives. I really, really hate the Army Painter clippers, and any generic brands have been poor. If you want some really EXCELLENT clippers, though, go with Tamiya. Very expensive, but smooth as butter.

Winsor and Newton Paint Brushes

I have struggled for decades to find good paint brushes that last the test of time and keep a point, and I feel like I’ve tried everything. But it wasn’t until this year that I broke down and bought a Winsor and Newton and it has truly been a game changer. I got a size 1 back in June and it is as pristine as the day I bought it. 100% worth the twenty-odd dollar investment. For Christmas, wargame materials like this will never go amiss.

Red Grass Games Wet Palette

I’ve tried a bunch of different wet palettes over the years, but the Red Grass Games one is the best at doing exactly what it says it’s going to do. The only thing I regret is that I have the smaller size and I always feel like I’m running out of room. On the other hand, I always bring it with me when I travel, so the small size is welcome.

Movies

If your family is anything like mine, Christmas is a time for watching movies, and many a Christmas wargame has been played with a film on in the background. And while some of these might not be “fun for the whole family” kinds of movies, they’re definitely “fun for wargamers movies”. Here are my top 10 Christmas wargame movies I like to watch to inspire my wargaming (in no particular order):

The Dirty Dozen
Band of Brothers
Saving Private Ryan
1917
Dunkirk
Glory
Patton
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
Hacksaw Ridge
Fury

Music

I completely recognize that musical tastes are subjective, but these are the top albums that I like to have playing in the background while I’m playing a Christmas wargame. Your mileage may vary.

The Last of the Mohicans soundtrack
1812 Overture
War Pigs – Black Sabbath
All Along the Watchtower – Jimi Hendrix
Fortunate Son – Creedence Clearwater Revival
Zombie – The Cranberries
For What It’s Worth – Buffalo Springfield
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Soundtrack
Lord of the Rings Soundtrack
Braveheart Soundtrack