Ah, the allure of historical miniature wargaming. The thrill of commanding ranks of soldiers across meticulously crafted battlefields. The satisfaction of seeing your painted miniatures deploy for battle. But let’s face it: building a complete army can seem like an insurmountable task. Whether you’re eyeing Napoleonic legions, Roman cohorts, or WWII platoons, the prospect of painting dozens or even hundreds of miniatures can be daunting.
Many enthusiasts start with grand ambitions only to become overwhelmed by the sheer scale of their undertaking. Boxes of unpainted lead and plastic accumulate in what veterans jokingly call the “pile of shame.” But what if there was a better way? A method that allows you to build, paint, and most importantly, play with your army from the very beginning of your journey?
The Stage-by-Stage Approach to Army Building
Building an army in stages isn’t just a practical approach. It’s a strategy that keeps the hobby enjoyable and sustainable. Rather than waiting months or years before you can field a complete force, you can be playing games within weeks while continuously expanding your collection.
This approach has historical precedent too. Real armies throughout history rarely appeared fully formed. They grew, evolved, and adapted based on needs, resources, and lessons learned in combat. Your miniature forces can follow the same organic development.
The Benefits of the Staged Approach
Building in stages offers numerous advantages beyond just making the task less daunting:
First, it allows you to learn as you go. You’ll develop painting techniques, discover effective color schemes, and perfect your approach with each batch of miniatures.
Second, it enables you to play games earlier in the process. Many rule systems accommodate smaller-scale engagements that require fewer miniatures.
Third, it helps you avoid burnout. Painting 20 similar miniatures can be meditative. Painting 200 can feel like forced labor.
Fourth, it gives you flexibility to adjust your force composition based on gameplay experience. You might find that those four units of light cavalry aren’t as effective as you’d hoped, allowing you to pivot before investing more resources.
Fifth, it provides a series of achievable milestones, each offering its own satisfaction rather than deferring all gratification to a distant endpoint.
Planning Your Stages
Effective staging requires thoughtful planning. Here’s how to map out your army’s growth from skirmish force to battlefield behemoth:
Stage 1: The Core Force
Your initial force should be small but playable. Aim for about 25% of your eventual target and focus on essential units that represent your army’s character.
For a Napoleonic French army, this might be two infantry battalions, a light cavalry squadron, and a gun. For a Roman army, perhaps two cohorts of legionaries and a unit of auxiliaries.
This core force should be balanced enough to participate in small games. Many rule systems explicitly support this scale of engagement. Field of Glory offers “raid” scenarios. Bolt Action has patrol-level engagements. Even grand-scale systems like Black Powder can be played with reduced forces.
Take time with this initial force to establish your painting standard and basing approach. These first units will set the visual template for everything that follows. Don’t rush them.
Stage 2: Tactical Options
With your core force complete, the second stage expands your tactical flexibility. Add specialized units that complement your core and address its vulnerabilities.
If your medieval English core includes longbowmen and dismounted men-at-arms, consider adding mounted knights or light cavalry for mobility. If your WWII German force centers on infantry and a machine gun team, perhaps add a PAK anti-tank gun or an armored car.
This stage should bring you to roughly 50% of your target force size. At this point, you can participate in standard-sized games, though you might still be somewhat outnumbered against completed armies.
Stage 3: Strategic Depth
Now we’re building serious options. Stage three adds redundancy and specialization, bringing your force to about 75% completion.
Add duplicate units of your most essential troops. Your Alexander the Great Macedonians might gain additional phalanx units. Your American Civil War Confederates could add more infantry regiments.
This is also the time to add more specialized elements. Consider units that might not be useful in every battle but shine in specific situations: engineers for sieges, elite units for desperate assaults, or logistics elements for campaign play.
Stage 4: Completion and Specialization
The final stage brings your army to full strength and adds unique elements that give it distinctive character. This might include high command elements, rare unit types, or army-specific special units.
For a Samurai army, this could be your daimyo’s elite household guard. For Napoleon’s Grande Armée, perhaps the Imperial Guard units. For a Viking force, maybe a berserker unit or ship crew for raid scenarios.
At this stage, also consider adding non-combat elements that enhance visual presentation: camp followers, baggage trains, supply wagons, or vignettes depicting camp life.
Practical Staging Strategies
The concept is sound, but how do you actually implement it? Here are practical approaches to make staged army building work effectively:
The Painting Schedule
Create a concrete painting schedule with realistic targets. Many wargamers find that committing to painting a specific number of figures per week works better than vague intentions.
A reasonable target might be 4-8 infantry figures per week, depending on your standard and available time. Cavalry and artillery naturally take longer. This pace allows most gamers to complete Stage 1 within a month or two.
Track your progress visually. A simple spreadsheet or checklist can provide motivation as you tick off completed units. Some painters keep a “painting journal” documenting their progress with photos, which becomes a valuable record of your hobby journey.
Batch Painting vs. Unit Completion
There are two schools of thought on painting approach. The “batch painting” method involves working on multiple units simultaneously, completing each painting step across many figures before moving to the next step. This is efficient but can feel like a production line.
The alternative is the “unit completion” method, where you finish one unit entirely before starting the next. This provides more frequent moments of satisfaction as units are completed but may be less efficient overall.
Many successful painters use a hybrid approach: batch painting similar units but completing each battalion or regiment before moving to different troop types.
The Centerpiece Strategy
Each stage of your army should include at least one “centerpiece” element that excites you. This might be a characterful commander, a detailed gun emplacement, or an elite unit with elaborate uniforms.
These centerpieces serve as motivation to complete the less exciting elements. Knowing that you get to paint that magnificent general’s carriage after finishing two battalions of line infantry can provide the necessary push to get through the rank-and-file troops.
Period-Specific Considerations
Different historical periods present unique challenges and opportunities for staged army building:
Ancient and Medieval
Armies from these periods often feature relatively homogeneous troop types, which can make batch painting efficient. However, they frequently require large unit counts, particularly for horde armies like Persians or certain medieval forces.
Start with a balanced core that reflects the army’s character. For a Roman army, begin with legionaries but include at least some auxiliaries to provide tactical options. For medieval forces, ensure you have both missile troops and melee elements from the outset.
One advantage of ancient and medieval forces is that many systems allow for allied contingents, letting you add variety while still fielding a coherent force. Your Late Roman army might start purely Roman but add Visigothic allies in later stages.
Pike and Shot Era
Armies of the 16th-17th centuries present an interesting challenge with their blocks of pike and shot formations. These units typically require significant numbers to look visually impressive.
Consider starting with smaller “commanded shot” detachments or small tercios that can be visually effective with fewer models. As you expand, these can be incorporated into larger formations or kept as skirmish elements.
For these armies, terrain becomes particularly important for smaller games. A well-crafted village, redoubt, or river crossing can create compelling scenarios even with limited forces.
Horse and Musket Period
Napoleonic, Seven Years War, and American Civil War armies typically require substantial numbers of similar troops. The key is finding rule sets that scale well.
Systems like Sharp Practice or Rebels and Patriots allow for company-level engagements that work perfectly for Stage 1 forces. As you expand to Brigade or Division level games with systems like Black Powder, you can still field your force by reducing the number of battalions per brigade.
For these periods, consider starting with a reinforced brigade as your Stage 1 target. This provides a coherent force under a single commander that can function independently in larger games.
20th Century Conflicts
Modern periods offer perhaps the easiest entry point for staged army building. Many popular systems like Bolt Action and Chain of Command are built around platoon-level engagements that require relatively few models.
Begin with a reinforced platoon, then expand to company level with support options. The final stages might add specialized elements like engineers, heavy weapons platoons, or armored support.
The variety of unit types in modern forces makes each stage particularly interesting, as you’re rarely painting large numbers of identical troops.
Playing with Incomplete Armies
The whole point of the staged approach is being able to game while you build. Here’s how to make that work:
Finding the Right Rules
Some rule systems explicitly support smaller engagements. Look for skirmish variants of popular systems or rules with flexible force organization.
Many historical periods have dedicated skirmish rules alongside mass-battle systems. DBA and DBMM for ancients, Sharp Practice and Black Powder for horse and musket, Chain of Command and Bolt Action for WWII.
Don’t hesitate to modify existing rules for smaller games. Most systems can be adapted by simply scaling down force requirements proportionally.
Scenario-Based Gaming
When playing with smaller forces, scenario-based games are more satisfying than straight “line ’em up and fight” encounters. Objectives like securing a bridge, escorting a VIP, or raiding a supply depot create compelling narratives with limited troops.
Historical scenarios are particularly suitable. Many famous battles had smaller actions on their flanks or as preliminaries that can be recreated with modest forces.
Progressive Campaigns
Campaign systems offer an excellent framework for staged army building. Your force can grow organically through the campaign, with new units arriving as “reinforcements” as you complete them.
This approach creates a narrative around your army’s development. That newly painted elite unit isn’t just a hobby achievement. It represents the veterans who distinguished themselves in previous battles and earned their status.
Some gamers even incorporate painting progress into their campaign rules, with new units becoming available based on painting achievement rather than arbitrary timelines.
The Psychological Advantage
Perhaps the greatest benefit of the staged approach is psychological. Hobby burnout is real, and it claims many ambitious projects. By breaking the monumental task into achievable chunks, you maintain motivation and enthusiasm.
Each completed stage brings its own satisfaction. Rather than endlessly working toward a distant goal, you experience multiple moments of accomplishment. Each new unit doesn’t just bring you incrementally closer to completion. It expands your tactical options and refreshes your gaming experience.
Most importantly, this approach keeps the focus on enjoyment. Historical wargaming should be a pleasure, not a burden. The staged approach ensures that you’re always making visible progress and regularly reaping the rewards of your efforts.
So put aside the daunting master plan. Break down your dream army into manageable stages. Focus on that first core force, paint it to a standard you’re proud of, and get it onto the battlefield. Before you know it, you’ll be commanding the grand army you envisioned, built through patience, persistence, and the joy of progressive achievement.
