Wargaming Gifts to put on your Christmas Shopping List

I'm sure we don't need to tell you that Christmas time is drawing ever closer, and, like many others, you might be struggling to discern your Space Marines from your Stormcast Eternals when looking at what to buy for your loved ones this Christmas.

Well fear not, Harry has put together a handy list of what to look for when buying for the Hobbyist in your life, check it out below!

Battleforces

If the person you're buying for is a lover of all things Warhammer, then Games Workshop have the perfect treat for you to purchase, each year they throw together Battleforces in a box and come absolutely packed with everything you need to start a brand new army for Christmas, or bolster one you already own with shiny new units!

Starter Sets

Now, Battleforces are all well and good, and can start someone off with all they need to play - but what if they're wanting to get into a new game? Or better yet, what if you want to get into a new game with them?

That is where starter sets come in! Here at Athena Games we have a wide range of starter sets for almost all of our wargames, why don't we have a closer look?

Warhammer Age of Sigmar and 40,000

These 2 games are arguably the head honchos of the wargaming world, and have a huge range of starter kits for all their games, whether it's the big 2 or any of their standalone games. For the big 2 however, there are starter sets for buyers of all price ranges - 3 in fact!

Each box comes with the rules you need to play a game of Warhammer 40,000 or Age of Sigmar on your kitchen table - each box gets you more models to play with, starting with the smallest at £32.50, going up to £65 and maxing out at £105 - all of these boxes are incredible value for money - and if you really want to treat the Age of Sigmar fan in your life we still have boxes of Dominion in store!

Marvel Crisis Protocol

How many people do you know that love their Marvel media? Perhaps they're excited for the up and coming Spiderman film due to come out before the end of the year?

If this sounds like something you or a friend would be interested in I can strongly recommend Marvel Crisis Protocol. Produced by Atomic Mass Games, Marvel Crisis Protocol features a huge and expanding collection of paintable minis, all depicting your favourite Marvel heroes and villains.

Once painted you can pit your chosen heroes against a friend (or foe!) and fight to see who comes out on top. The Marvel Crisis Protocol Starter set features 10 highly detailed minis showcasing Marvel favourites, including Spider-Man, Iron Man and Captain America, and even contains their darkest foes - Red Skull, Doctor Octopus and Ultron.

A Song of Ice and Fire

The show may be over (for the worst or better depending on your view) but in the Song of Ice and Fire miniatures game The War of the Five Kings rages on across Westeros!

A Song Of Ice And Fire takes people back to a simple era of wargaming, where movement trays were the norm, and adds interesting mechanics into the mix, chief amongst these is mixing the backhand politics and dealing of Westeros into the game - where your units wage war on the battle field, your NCUs (non combat units) vie for control of the board, bestowing boons on your allies or sabotaging the efforts of your enemies.

The game has a starter box set of Starks vs Lannisters, but there are also starter boxes for all the main players of Westeros - Targaryen, Baratheon, Nights Watch, Greyjoys and even Freefolk!

Dystopian Wars

If you've been into Athena in recent months you may well have seen a new addition to the wargaming area, one that features an ever expanding list of boats of all shapes and sizes - these boats come from Dystopian Wars and it has to be one of the more interesting games I have played in recent months set in an alternate 19th Century named the Dystopian Age.

This setting sees the discovery of a new, limitless power source that is used by the eight great powers of the Dystopian Age - with tensions on the rise the eight powers find themselves fighting for Sea and Air supremacy, with powerful naval warships.

All of the models in Dystopian Wars are greatly detailed and highly customisable. The rules and ship profiles are all digital and can be accessed online, with the developers constantly providing balance updates and changes.

The Starter Set pits The Enlightened, the Dystopian Ages architects, against The Commonwealth, a coalition that includes the likes of Russia, Lithuania and Mongolia and features an eclectic mix of fascinating ships, all of which are a joy to build and paint.

Star Wars

The popularity of Star Wars is certainly felt throughout the store at Athena, and it is no more present than in our selection of wargames. There are even different scales to consider, ensuring that each person has their game of choice.

Star Wars Armada is a large capital ships battling out in a game not unlike Dystopian Wars. This game sees each player taking on the role of Admiral as they control iconic battleships in the battle for space supremacy, including such iconic ships as the Imperial Star Destroyer and even the formidable Super Star Destroyer!

Star Wars X-Wing is a fast paced, high action dogfighting game featuring everybodys favourite ships. It is the job of the pilot to trust his flying and keen eye, navigating asteroids, mines and enemy ships to fight their way to victory.

At ground level we have Star Wars Legion, featuring all of the named and recognisable characters, much like Warhammer, these miniatures come unpainted, allowing for people to flex their creative muscles, and features all sorts of squadrons and armies, allowing you to recreate your favourite battles from the Star Wars Universe.

Scenery

Not only do we sell a wide range of miniature games, but we also sell some fabulous terrain that you can use to play with.

Our TTCombat range is a personal favourite, showing off just how many diverse ways wood can be used in tabletop scenery! From ruined buildings to rubbish bins we have it all, giving you a chance to gift something a little different this Christmas.

Accessories

Now, these are all great ideas, and provide an expansive mix of games, genres and scales, but sometimes all you need is a little stocking filler, something that you can hide in the back as a final surprise - lucky for you, almost every wargamer has need for more accessories! Whether Games Workshop is releasing new themed dice for their favourite army, or they need some new snazzy colours to paint their new minis, there are an absolute tonne of pocket-size prezzies that you can pick up from Athena.

And with that we are just about done with what we have for you in our wargame section of Christmas goodies! as always if you have any questions, or want to talk more about ideas about on what to get that certain someone then please pop on down or give us a ring! I will be more than happy to talk your ear off about the wargames we sell!