Zoxe's Getting Started Guide

Just the Basics

With Kingdom Death shipping, the ol' internet has been full of people coming forward to ask about assembly and painting basics.

This is my attempt to take some of the scary out.

To get started with assembly, you really only need a few things.  You can buy a pre-packaged kit at the Friendly Local Game Store (FLGS) that's "branded" towards miniatures/wargaming.  That's certainly a viable way to go - I don't fault anyone for wanting a turnkey solution.  But of course, you can also assemble your own kit, and maybe save a few bucks.

(After the KDM campaign, saving a few bucks might be something we all need. Hah.)

Disclaimer:  This post is a mix of how I got started, tools I currently use, and my opinions on the subject matter.  I'm not a pro modeler, and your goals may be very different than mine.

I got started with miniature assembly and painting after GenCon2015, where I bought Shadows of Brimstone on a whim.  I bought the game not really expecting to do much "modeling" and just wanted to play the game.  What I found, however, was that I actually enjoyed the assembly/painting aspect of the hobby as much as playing the game itself.  Since then, I've spent far more time than I intended working through my ever-present SoB backlog.

But here's what I recommend if you're just getting started....

I.  Beginner Tools

I considered doing a turnkey kit, but I've been doing radio controlled models since I was in junior high. I already had a wide variety of hobby tools already available in my garage, so I raided that loot and filled in the remaining blanks.

Here's my thoughts on the bare essentials:

• Work surface.  If you're careful, this can be some old newspapers on the kitchen table.
• Sprue Clippers. Any small side cutters will technically do the job.  The blue handled Xuron that I currently use were cheap on Amazon.  
• Hobby Knife.  My handle is perhaps 30 years old, but still works well with a fresh blade.
• Extra Hobby Knife Blades.  Most people use the triangular tip #11 style.  Available at the game store, but cheaper at places like Hobby Lobby and Walmart.
• Plastic Cement.  This type of 'glue' is intended for plastic models.  It uses a solvent to actually melt the soft plastic of some miniatures to weld the parts together.  The choice of brand and style can sometimes be hotly contested, but here's my recommendation:  Tamiya Plastic Cement.  It's thin and flows well, and has a brush in the cap that provides exceptional control in both amount and placement.
• Superglue.  Loc-tite brand is shown in the header image, but most brands will do the job.  Generally intended for resin models (plastic cement does NOT work for resin) but can be used for plastic models if you prefer.
   
• Optional: Small file set.  This is usually listed as "must have" on most beginner lists, but I truly don't use them all that often.  My set came from Harbor Freight almost 20 years ago.
• Optional: Fine sandpaper.  I use this more than the files.  I have 150-grit in the picture, but actually have a wide variety within arm's reach.  I buy the small squares intended for hand-held sanders because they're a convenient size (and because they fit my rarely-used sander in my garage).

I didn't intend to write a "how to assemble" blog, but I know that it can be intimidating to jump in ... this video provided by Flying Frog is a decent look at how to use the basic tools and actually shows the basics of sprue clipping and gluing.

II.  Intermediate Tools

Intermediate Tools, more specialized for miniature modeling

Beyond the bare-bones basics, there are all kinds of things that can be used for our hobby.  These are some ideas, but your exact list is going to depend on what areas of the hobby you intend to explore.  The sky is truly the limit here, but some of the most common tools on the bench are:

• Cutting Mat. Alvin offers many sizes. My new 18x36" version is the backdrop of these pictures.
• Citadel Moldline Scraper.  The back of a Hobby Knife works pretty well, but I've found this custom-made tool to be worth the investment for large areas and curved surfaces.  The more I use it, the more I like it.
• Pin Drill.  I'm showing ArmyPainter in the picture, but there are several on the market.  Generally used for adding magnets and metal reinforcing pins (aka "pinning"), I've also used mine to vacate little details that get filled with glue during assembly.
• Dental tools.  The set I got on Amazon was inexpensive, and is labeled a "Wax Carver" but as a wide selection of picks, scrapers, and spoon-shaped tools.  Useful if you are using Green Stuff (or other hobby putty) to fill gaps or augment bases.   
• Rubber Tipped Carving Tools.  I use these more than the metal tools.  Something like this set from Amazon will work well.
• Tweezers
• Dremel Multi-Tool.  I don't use my Dremel often, but when it's necessary to grind, shape, or cut - the Dremel is the powered tool of choice.  The best example I can give is that the one of the Shadows of Brimstone models had a mis-cast head - too much plastic where the head attached to the shoulders.  A ball-end grinding bit in my Dremel on low speed allowed me to hollow the brain cavity out so that the head sat flush.  Doing this by hand would have been messy and time consuming.

That's it for now, watch for Part II - Painting Basics.