How to Play Warhammer Fantasy Battle

Choose an army and paint the miniatures. The rules of the game state that no unpainted miniatures can be used on the field and the miniatures, some pewter and some plastic, all come unpainted. Painting the army can take months, so it is best to play with other people's armies until you are sure you like the game. eBay can also be a great source for painted miniatures.

Build your army. One of the great things about Warhammer is that you can customize the army every time you play. Agree with your opponent on the points value of the armies you will each field. About 2,000 points is a good place to start. Every army has some specific rules regarding how many points can be spent on character figures, magic and other specialty items, so be careful not to have too many generals and not enough troops.

Set up the table. Cover the playing surface with a green or brown cloth to depict the field where the battle takes place. Add terrain features including hills, trees, lakes and streams. It is often a good idea to let someone who is not playing place the terrain, as terrain can impede movement and give a distinct advantage to one side or the other.

Place your miniatures. Roll dice to see which player goes first. Generally, the person who goes first must also place his miniatures on the table first, allowing his opponent to set up in response to his miniature.

Battle on! Troops can move, charge and fight. Spellcasters can use magic, and siege weapons can be used to kill or demoralize the enemy. Combat is determined by rolling a number of six-sided dice against your opponent. In some cases, he will be allowed to roll dice to represent his armor's efficiency at blocking the blow. The game may continue a set number of turns or until one side has defeated all the enemy troops.