If you've seen or played Games Workshop games before, then the name conjures images of mighty armies meeting headlong on the fields of battle, clashing swords, and the blistering spark of laser fire. If you haven't been lucky enough to play a Games Workshop game yourself, or you aren't very familiar with the Games Workshop Hobby, then you've come to the right place. This is the introduction tour. Throughout the tour there are numerous links to follow and explore more thoroughly, but for your first time we recommend reading straight through. If you follow a link and want to get back to the tour, just look for your friendly Orc Tour Guide.

The hobby starts when you pick up your first Citadel Miniature. From there you can try painting your model, then move on to collecting more of the army you like and playing a game.

Games Workshop boxed games are packed full with miniatures (two different armies), complete rules, templates, dice, and everything you'll need to play your first game. Any flat surface becomes the battlefield where you and your opponent march and maneuver with vast armies of Citadel Miniatures in a challenging test of skill and tactics, but the hobby doesn't end there...

The excitement and fun of a tightly contested battle is just the start of the Games Workshop Hobby. As your experience grows you'll want to expand your forces with new troops, war machines, and more. But remember, as your army grows, so will that of your opponents.

Painting Citadel Miniatures is a big part of the Games Workshop Hobby, and nothing will bring a tabletop battlefield to life like a well-painted army of Citadel Miniatures. If you've never painted a model before, and you're not sure how you'll do - don't worry. We always say that if you can write with a pen you'll be able to paint our miniatures to a good gaming standard. By using a few simple to learn techniques, like drybrushing and applying washes, you'll soon have an army to be proud of.

Your first few games will probably be played on a flat tabletop (like the kitchen table!), but many players can't resist the urge to create their own world of scenery, with woods, hills, rivers, and buildings. Not only does terrain vary the look of your battlefields, but it will also add new tactical challenges to your games. Whether it is a unit of Wood Elves marching through the forest to surprise an opponent, or a squad of Space Marines taking cover amidst the rubble of a destroyed building, scenery opens up whole new strategies for your games.

The Games Workshop Hobby is more than any one aspect - it is about gaming, collecting Citadel Miniatures, painting your models, and making terrain for your armies to battle over. At the center of all aspects of the hobby is White Dwarf Magazine. Each month Games Workshop publishes White Dwarf, and we pack it full of new rules, game tactics, painting tips, modelling workshops, and battle reports for all our games. White Dwarf also gives you the latest news, including game development and all the latest Citadel Miniatures. As Games Workshop comes out with new releases almost every week, White Dwarf is the key in keeping up to date!

The absolute best way for you and your friends to learn more about the Games Workshop Hobby is to stop by a Games Workshop or a Chapter Approved store. Not only can you find everything you'll need for the gaming hobby, but much more besides. All Games Workshop and U.S. Chapter Approved stores run special gaming and miniature painting events, as well as introduction games for beginners. If you aren't sure where to find the nearest store stocking Games Workshop products, we can send you a complete listing of all the stores carrying Games Workshop merchandise throughout the World, or you could look in the How to Find Our Games Section.

We'd rather you get to a store or shop that has a selection of our products so you can see the whole range of Citadel Miniatures in person, and maybe even see a game in progress, or try your hand at an introduction battle. Unfortunately there are still some areas with no local stores. In this case we heartily recommend the Games Workshop Mail Order Service, which can provide you with all the latest games and Citadel Miniatures.

To really understand the hobby and Games Workshop games you've got to get a chance to play! Since you've found us on the web, this will prove a bit of difficulty. In our own stores, or in Chapter Approved shops in the U.S. (or better gaming shops anywhere!) you could merely mention to staff that you're interested in playing and they would arrange a quick intro battle so you could check things out. After all, playing is a much better format to show you how fun the games are, as opposed to just telling you about them!

If you've never held a painted Citadel Miniature in your hand, or had a whole army of brightly painted models at your command, then you just haven't experienced the Games Workshop Hobby.

Whether you are interested in commanding a squad of heavily armored Space Marines in the grim future of Warhammer 40,000, or directing the action of a green horde of rampaging Orcs and Goblins in the fantasy setting of Warhammer, the Games Workshop Hobby really will bring all the action right onto your tabletop!

This introduction tour has basic information on all aspects of the hobby and links that you can follow to find our more about the areas that interest you most.

From the main page you can enter anywhere you'd like to go in the Games Workshop Universe. There is everything from basic information on all the Games Workshop games, to a more in-depth look at the different armies for each system.

If you know you want a Warhammer army to battle your friends Lizardmen force, but you don't know which to pick then check out the Warhammer Armies page. Here you'll find information on all the different races and tips on how to put an army together. If you want to dig further into the Citadel Miniatures Gallery you can get a large sampling of the available models for each range.

If you already play the games then you can check out the latest news and new releases, see what is in the latest White Dwarf, or check to see if a new store carrying Games Workshop products is opening up near you!

So surf around our site, and if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for Games Workshop and our Website, please feel free to get in touch with us.