The 5 Secret Rules of Wargaming

Every hobby has its unspoken codes of conduct, and tabletop wargaming is no different. Sit down at a games table almost anywhere in the world, and you’ll soon pick up on them — those unwritten rules of etiquette that keep play running smoothly. But here’s the question I want to explore in today’s video: do these rules make the hobby more fun, or do they sometimes act as hidden barriers that discourage newcomers from sticking around?

A couple of years ago, I made a video outlining my personal “top five rules of wargaming etiquette.” They were meant as a light-hearted guide to making sure everyone enjoys their time around the table. But on reflection, I realised I never asked whether those rules might also create pressure for new players who don’t yet know the invisible expectations. So in this new video, I go back to those same five rules and weigh up the pros and cons of each.

Courtesy, integrity, honesty, fairness, and conviviality are all good principles in life, but how do they work when applied to tabletop wargaming? Do they make a club more welcoming to outsiders, or can they sometimes feel like gatekeeping? I take a closer look, sharing my own experiences as a social historical wargamer while recognising that competitive players may have a very different perspective.

Most importantly, I want to open the floor to discussion. Do you recognise these rules in your own gaming group? Do you agree that they help the hobby, or have you seen them enforced in ways that drive people away? Whether you’re a veteran historical wargamer, a miniatures painter dipping your toe into gaming, or a complete beginner trying to learn the ropes, this is a conversation worth having.

The Secret Every Wargamer Shares

Today’s video takes a slightly more reflective turn, looking at something many hobbyists experience but rarely talk about openly: imposter syndrome in tabletop wargaming. It’s that odd little feeling that creeps up when you read comments, talk to other gamers, or scroll through painting posts online and suddenly think, “Everyone else knows far more about this hobby than I do.” It’s familiar, it’s uncomfortable, and it’s surprisingly common. But as I’ve discovered through countless conversations at recent shows, it’s also based on a complete misunderstanding of how this community works.

Every one of us arrives in wargaming by a different route. Some come in through history, others through RPGs or boardgames, others through painting, collecting, or social clubs. Our personal routes shape the way we learn, what we love, which periods we specialise in, and the areas where our knowledge is deep—or hilariously shallow. When you bring thousands of these unique journeys together, the result is a community full of extraordinary expertise, but spread across many different people. The illusion that “everyone else knows everything” comes from seeing many individual specialists at once.

The heart of the video isn’t about inadequacy—it’s about the shared passions that tie us together despite those differences. A love of storytelling runs through every corner of the hobby, whether historical or fantastical. A love of making things keeps us painting, building, converting, and creating. A love of playful competition keeps us rolling dice and swapping tales of glorious victories and ridiculous defeats. A love of learning keeps us exploring new techniques, new eras, and new ideas.

And, of course, there’s the universal joy of playing with miniatures on a real tabletop. Big figures or tiny ones, sci-fi or historical, epic battles or skirmishes—it doesn’t matter. The moment painted figures line up on a table, something instinctive flickers to life in the hobbyist's brain. That spark is one of the strongest threads holding this community together.