Miniatures... why and how...

OK, Let's talk about miniatures and their use in gaming..

Their are games where using miniatures is a must, Like BATTLETECH... where having miniatures really gets the play going... of course you can use flat maps with the Hexes, Terrain without hexes (using a ruler or pieces of string to determine line of sight and distance) or you can create maps with hexes ( This is my favorite to play on)

Now in most Role Playing games, there are ways to incorporate miniatures if it is desired. There are elaborate setups for dungeon tiles and terrain available for purchase.  I prefer the BattleMats as I only want to detail to players what they have to have a spacing for.

I still use mostly Pencil and paper to detail scenes and perspectives but I have used an extensive amount of minis to do that also

Mostly, if there is more than 6 players and 10 monsters I go to the Minis

Back in the day, I used Ral Partha Paints and a Magnifying glass

Battlemech held in place and ready for detail painting

This is one of the best tools you could use for detail work.

Although not as good as the 2 figures I had Professionally done for me, I am pretty proud of them.

My Professionally done figures

So, using figures or scribbling on paper is a fun way to add additional dimensions to your game. Like using mood music or lighting...