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The 10 Best Games Like Warhammer
What are the best games like Warhammer?
Warhammer 40,000 has dominated the world of miniature tabletop games since its release in 1987.
However, despite being the most well-known, it isn’t the only entertaining game you can pick up right now.
In fact, there are many Warhammer 40,000 alternatives, and today we’re looking at the ones all Warhammer fans should check out!
The 10 Best Games Like Warhammer
There are a lot of miniatures wargames to choose from, but only a few that can cater to Warhammer fans.
So, to create this list, we’ve considered gameplay, reviews, and sales of a variety of games to find only the best ones.
If you’re ready to find your next go-to tabletop title, here’s our list of the 10 best games like Warhammer:
10. BattleLore
Kicking off our list, we have BattleLore, a strategy wargame that is designed to be played by two people.
The game debuted in 2006, and set up typically takes between 10 and 15 minutes, with each game lasting around an hour.
However, experienced players can expect to finish a match in about 30 to 40 minutes since they won’t have to consult the rules as much.
All of the adventures in BattleLore come pre-constructed, aside from the Call to Arms expansion which gives players limited control over deploying their units.
When the game starts, players pick a scenario, which can be either designed by the players or selected from the manual.
The battlefield is then split into three areas, with each player receiving a left, right, and center flank section.
Players can then control their troops using Command Cards, with the goal of being the first to destroy a specific number of enemy units.
Easily as fun as the best free MMORPG games, this Warhammer alternative is a must-play for fans of the series.
9. Blood Bowl
Blood Bowl is a classic that first debuted to players in 1986, and it has received many re-released editions since then.
Set in an alternate version of Warhammer Fantasy, this game is filled with traditional fantasy characters, such as orcs, elves, goblins, and trolls.
This is a two-player turn-based tabletop game that is usually played with miniature figures to represent the players on the playing field.
Gameplay is a bit like a mashup of American football and Rugby in that the goal is to try and injure as many players on the opposing team as possible.
The current version of Blood Bowl, called the Second Season Edition, was released in 2020, and it’s considered the best version of the game ever made.
Unlike more serious tabletop games, Blood Bowl is a bit over-the-top, presenting extreme violence in a lighthearted way.
It also boasts a lot of parody easter eggs referencing real-world companies and products, such as the NFL, McDonald’s, and Budweiser.
There are also secret weapons that players can get, such as chainsaws, that really take things to another level.
Oh, and there are even in-game effects, including fans throwing rocks and injuring players before kickoff, which is hilarious.
Blood Bowl doesn’t take itself too seriously, which makes it one of the funniest tabletop games to play with friends!
8. Star Wars: Legion
If you’ve already played the best Minecraft Star Wars mods and are a fan of Warhammer, you won’t want to miss out on Legion.
This two-player wargame covers the Galactic Civil War, with one player serving as the Galactic Empire and the other the Rebel Alliance.
Star Wars: Legion comes with 33 miniatures and game cards in the base set, but there is also an expansion that covers the Clone Wars.
Before starting, players will have to assemble their respective armies, and this game provides a ton of flexibility while doing so.
The gameplay takes place over the course of six rounds, with a Command Card determining which faction goes first.
When it is a player’s turn, they can either activate a unit using a Command Card or draw a token to determine which unit they can activate.
Active units can perform two actions, either attacking or moving. For an attack, the custom dice have to be rolled to determine the outcome.
If you enjoy Warhammer 40,000 and are a Star Wars fan, you really can’t go wrong with this tabletop game!
7. Warmachine
Up next, we have Warmachine, a steampunk-themed wargame that first debuted in 2003.
This game supports over two players and revolves around battles between rival nations from the Iron Kingdoms fantasy setting.
Its most distinctive features are its Warjacks and Warcasters, which are steam-powered machines designed for war.
Heavily armored, these machines are like the tanks of this game, much more powerful than standard troops and capable of doing a lot of damage.
Along with this, players can also command a lot of troops, some of whom serve as gunners, technicians, or gunners.
While it has been around since 2003, Warmachine MKIV was released in early 2023, and it serves to reboot the universe and mechanics with new rules.
Unlike prior editions, MKIV allows players to swap Warcasters and Warjacks between battles.
Players can also equip different weapons of each arm, while Casters get racked spells that allow for more customization.
This is also the first game to have models that are 3D printed, as opposed to having been created with injection molding.
We would highly recommend checking out this fantastic tabletop game if you are a fan of Warhammer!
6. Dreadball
Dreadball is a futuristic sports tabletop game that is designed for two players, and it is easy to learn yet challenging enough to keep you engaged.
In Dreadball, two players take on the role of rival coaches trying to compete for victory on the tabletop pitch.
Like the best sports anime series, Dreadball is all about the hype of televised sports set in a sci-fi universe.
Unlike traditional football, we are strike zone scoring areas that provide players with a different number of points depending on where the ball goes.
All campaign play is done on a hex-based grind, and everything you need to get started comes in the box!
What’s more, players are encouraged to be creative with their teams, and the manual even has a section on how to create your own mutants!
A bit like Blood Bowl, Dreadball is a fantastic game, and you don’t even need to be a sports fan to enjoy it!
5. Gaslands
Like the best post-apocalyptic games of all time, Gaslands is set on a ruined Earth, and it is all about car-based combat!
What makes this game unique is that it’s meant to be played using Hotwheels or Matchbox cars.
Using these cars, players have to race, slam, and skid their way through the ruins of Earth in the hope of being the victor.
The premise of this game is that it’s set in an alternative universe where Mars was colonized in the 80s.
Following this, tensions began to rise between the two planets, leading to an all-out war that left the planet in ruins.
Gaslands is a reality-TV show set in this world that highlights competitors trying to become the top dog.
The template for this game is similar to the one found in Star Wars X Wing, as you place a car at the beginning of it and move it to the end to simulate maneuvers.
Each car is also set to a specific gear that dictates how fast it can go, and the higher the gear, the more damage you can do when slamming into others.
Gaslands is filled with all of the high-octane vehicular mayhem you could ever ask for, and it is a must-play for Warhammer fans.
4. Guild Ball
This mob ball soccer game is set in a historical fantasy world, with gameplay that takes anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours!
When the game starts, players are able to choose six characters from various guilds to fill up their rosters.
These characters have different abilities and statuses that can make them useful in different capacities during the game.
All of the gameplay takes place on a board designed to look like a pitch, and decisions are settled by using 6-sided dice.
While Season 5 of Guild Ball is slated to be its last, with no further new content planned, this game is still one of the most popular fantasy football miniatures games.
Even if you’re not a fan of soccer, Guild Ball has enough wacky elements to keep you engaged, and it’s quite addictive once you get the hang of it.
Best of all, the basic rules are incredibly easy to learn, meaning anyone can jump into this game without having to learn a novel’s worth of lore!
3. Marvel Crisis Protocol
If you’re a Marvel fan and also love Warhammer, Marvel Crisis Protocol is the tabletop game for you!
This game allows players to create their own teams filled with the most iconic characters from the Marvel universe.
Like Civil War, players can then pit their chosen teams against each other to find out which heroes will come out on top!
Unlike many other games, in Crisis Protocol, even the terrain of the map can be torn apart, thrown, or crushed during these superpowered battles.
The starting box for this game comes with 10 character miniatures, 9 terrain pieces, and all of the cards and tokens you need to get started.
While the characters come unpainted, you can check out the best airbrushes for miniatures and models to color them yourself.
There are also a ton of extra pieces that can be purchased separately, covering almost every character in the Marvel universe.
Players can also purchase additional terrain packs to create even larger, more interactive maps for insane campaigns!
Marvel Crisis Protocol is a must-play in our book, and being able to build your own superhero teams is simply awesome!
2. Infinity
The setting of Infinity is 175 years in the future, and its aesthetics can vary from sci-fi utopias to run-down shanty towns.
In this future, humanity has discovered interstellar travel, with the nations of the world racing to colonize distant worlds across the galaxy.
Players can create their armies using soldiers from these many national factions, which include everything from sci-fi templars to space Samurai.
Although it is definitely one of the most complex games on this list, this actually helps make the game even more fun once you get the hang of it.
For instance, there are a ton of intricate strategies you can come up with once you know the rules well enough.
When performing an action, players have to roll a 20-sided die, and to succeed, the number has to be lower or equal to the skill of the person performing it.
Making things even more fun is that any action performed within an enemy’s line of sight gives them the opportunity to react.
This means that even if it’s not your turn, you can have the opportunity to respond to actions and hopefully get the upper hand!
1. Malifaux
Taking our number one spot is Malifaux, one of the best skirmish games like Warhammer you can play right now.
This game focuses on the titular city, which lies through an opening into another world, and the gang warfare that takes place within it.
Instead of dice, this tabletop game uses a card mechanic, with numbers being randomly drawn from what is known as the Fate Deck.
These cards determine not just one-on-one conflicts but how much damage is done and the level of your defenses.
As a skirmish game, players only have to assemble a unit of 10 miniatures, as opposed to the 100+ units that other games boast.
This means you can focus more on specific characters, and losing one can be a significant blow to your firepower.
Another thing that Malifaux does really well is alternating activations, so you won’t have to sit around forever as your opponent wipes the board with you.
The only real downside is that the small models can be a bit of a pain to put together, but aside from that, this is a perfect game for Warhammer 40,000 fans!
Summary
We hope you’ve enjoyed our list of the 10 best games like Warhammer and found a few new ones to play with your friends!
When it comes to tabletop games, you really can’t go wrong with any of these, especially if you’re a Warhammer fan.
That said, we would highly recommend checking out Malifaux first, as it is the best Warhammer alternative!
Here’s a quick recap of the 10 best games like Warhammer:
- Malifaux
- Infinity
- Marvel Crisis Protocol
- Guild Ball
- Gaslands
- Dreadball
- Warmachine
- Star Wars: Legion
- Blood Bowl
- BattleLore
Have you ever played one of these Warhammer alternatives? Leave a comment below.
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