"Ideal Size for Wargaming Table" Topic

I'm contemplating a new home purchase with the prospect of having a dedicated gaming space that's basically 17x14 feet, and am thinking about the ideal size for a gaming table. Obviously, the bigger the better versus the constraints of the room, but for a gamer who games mostly at 15mm scale (or 28mm scale for skirmish), is there an optimal balance.

I'm thinking 5 feet wide…otherwise you can't easily reach the center of the table.

I'm thinking countertop height – 36 to 42 inches – to minimize having to bend over at the waist.

and I'm thinking at least 8 feet long…and wonder what gaming opportunities I might miss out on if I don't go to 10. The tradeoff being that the longer the table, the less room will be available to sit and move around it and/or add storage shelves, etc.

There there is the issue whether to leave the underneath open for stool/chair storage, or fill it with shelves or cabinets.

Appreciate any thoughts on the optimal gaming table size/configuration and how to take best advantage of a 14x17 space.

I game pretty much exclusively in 15mm and I'd say 8' x 5' would probably cover 99.9% of all the games you'll probably realistically ever want to play.

I have a little larger room and have a 10 x 6 in it with shelves for figures/bookcases etc. I would say about 9 x 5 (ping pong table size – that is what lays under mine)is probably your best bet – remember if you don't game on all your table it is very useful to have space to lay figures out on – or to have another game set up on.
Have storage under it – so useful for terrain and mats etc

Get 4 banquet tables. Also get 4 sets of table risers that raise them up about 6 inches.

You have table sizes of 5 by 6 (using 2) to 6 by 10 (using all 4) and can easily re-arrange as needed.

I have made several gaming tables over the years, if you stick with 4x8 that is a "full sheet" of building material---cuts way down on the labor

If you feel you must have a 5 foot side, I would suggest that 2 tables that are 5x5 are way better than a 10 foot talbe

Also…if you use an insulation board, it is pre manufactured with a surface good enough for dry erase

I have 4 banquet tables. Like Dynaman said, it works well. Two of them make a 5 x 6 table, which covers most games. Four of them will give you 5 x 12, if you do a huge battle, or 6 x 10, if you need more depth.
By the way, banquet tables are sturdy enough that you can lean on them to reach the middle, so a 6 foot wide table is not a problem.

The other thing to think about is movement of players around the table. Can one player slide by another during a game?

Matthew

I game in 40mm and my game room is 14'x24'. our table is 5'x15' and it is 28" high so the guys can sit down on chairs if they like. I put a skirt made out of material from the top of the table edge to the floor around the whole table. The table is completely empty underneath and that is where I store much of the terrain we use. The skirt hides what is under the table. I think a 5'x 8' or 10' table would meet your needs at your two scales. The height would be if you guys want to stand for the whole game or give them the option to sit when they want to. We usually have 12 to 15 guys playing and there is no problem getting them all around the table.

8x5 is my target size.

I have an 8 x 4 table but would really prefer it to be 8 x 5 for gaming purposes. If you do go with the longer version at 10', it would give you a little extra table room for all the incidentals that seem to pile up.

Obviously the thing to keep in mind is, "What else are you doing with the room?" Work space, painting space, storage, book/video reference, etc. Also keep in mind chairs/stools and how they will fit in to the space around the table.

I personally have a 6x4 and it fits all the gamesI play. Don't underestimate the amount of space needed for players to be comfortable. Players usually like to sit down and possibly get past each other to the toilet or tea making facilities.

Enjoy your table. Many players do not have such a luxury!!

Before I moved (have to redo when the new house is finished) I had two 4 x 5 tables on casters that could be arranged as a 5 x8 or 4 x10 depending. If I had one fixed size and finite space, I'd probably choose 5x9.

I have a 9 x 5. I'd like a 12 or 15 x 6.

I consider 6' the maximum practical width of table, and I always aim for that. 5' is sufficient to hold most games, but on some occasions actually feels cramped (esp. when maneuver room is at a premium), and an odd number of feet can be an issue with some geomorphic terrain systems. Some types of miniatures games fit on a 4' wide table (or even smaller), but not all.

I have only very rarely found a good use for a table longer than 8', but usually play on a 10' table, and infrequently 12'. The two permanent game tables I play on most often (at friends' houses) are 9'x5', and that's usually more than enough. (One of them began life as a ping-pong table, but I think the only original piece left is the table surface itself. :-)

For my own home I bought 72"x30" plastic folding tables, so I can make a 6' table in various lengths. The one thing I wish were different: I want them taller. Most store-bought tables are 29" tall, which is a backache waiting to happen. I would much prefer 34-36" tall tables, but have been unhappy with the stability of folding tables with extendable legs.

Also keep in mind chairs/stools and how they will fit in to the space around the table.

+1 zoneofcontrol

- Ix

I would suggest two 6x4s. You could configure as 12x4 if you want to do a couple of 6x4 games side by side, or 6x8 is you want a wider area. And you can build an easy to add extender to increase it to 6x10 by putting two braces with another 2' surface you can drop in.

I went with an 8x4 (based on sheet size). However, I also did two 4x2 floating tables now down to one. The floating tables were on wheels and matched the main table in height.

This allowed reconfiguration as needed. As an example both floating table at one end of the board for the first day at Gettysburg creating 8 foot at one end running up 4 feet with a 4x4 as the base of the "T". I find now, I most just use the 8x4 and the remaining floating table is used for staging.

Martin makes a great point about space for moving, sitting, getting up to pee, etc. 6x4 is plenty in my opinion. If you ever needed more space for a game, then a folding table could be added.

Wow…thanks for all the great advice. Lots to chew on.

I made an 8x5 gaming table for my shed, it's great, but for most games I've found that I reduce it to 6x5.

I would suggest having thirty inches around the table for players to move about. This would mean a 5x9 table and still give room for eighteen inches of shelving all around the walls. Where are the doors and do they open in or out? The four 72x30 banquet tables seem to be a good idea.

Keep in mind the access for getting large plywood or other sheet materials into a mostly or all finished room, much less any table assembly done outside. Tight corners, stairs, moving something you already had in the right place. Do you remember moving a couch? And for people to get through a door to/from a standard hallway usually takes away some space to be able to swing into a room.

Don't forget you may want to move out someday. And a bizarre layout might need to be converted to more traditional usage to sell.

A garage space with the door (insulated and disguised) if you really don't need that third parking bay, or the game room having the sliding glass door to the patio can be nice.

Okay, I've rambled enough. Have fun with the designing, and good luck with the execution.

I've used a Ping-Pong Table, 9' x 5', for the last 20+ years, and I game with 25-54mm figures, with the 25-28mm figures being the most commonly used. For the 54's, it is too small, but since those games are skirmish, it works alright. For the 25-28's, it is usually big enough. There are times when I wish I had more surface, but only a few times has this occurred.

My Table's undercarriage was weak, and had to be replaced, so I used two sets of folding table leg assemblies (local hardware store purchase), for each of two table sections. I found the seam to be an issue, until I installed steamer trunk clasps/hasps, to lock the two table sections together, tightly. One hasp on each end securely holds the two tables together, with a mild seam. This seam has not been much of an issue when I lay my cover over the top, since I installed the hasps, but prior, it was a real problem.

It is easier to cut a table down, compared to adding length and breadth. I would go with a minimum of 9' x 5'. Put it on saw horses, if need be, and play a few games. If it seems too big, then cut it down. Cheers!

We've used a standard 5' x 9' ping pong table for many years. More than enough room, and can be bought cheaply second hand. Some are even fold away, though I store terrain and some armies under mine. If the game ends early, you can always have a game of ping pong with your friends😀.

I bought nine 2x4 folding tables years ago and set them up as the situation calls for it--anything from 4x4 to 6x12.

I'd say flexibility is the key. Have a regular table you can move comfortably around, but have the capacity to stretch it to the maximum you can squeeze next to for the odd really big game.

The perfect table is another matter altogether. I actually lean toward 6x6--figuring a maximum reach of 3' board depth shouldn't exceed 6' and historical battles run more toward square than rectangular. But my theory has not kept me from setting up a 6x12 to accomodate as many players as possible, and filling it with 30mm or 54mm castings.

I have found 5x8 to be my favorite. I haven't played any games where I felt I needed more length. Playing on wider than 5 feet hurts my back (and I have long arms).

Sam's Club has 8' x 2.5' banquet tables instead of the normal 6' x 2.5'.

Two of them make an 8' x 5' surface that stores easily.

They are inexpensive, but not cheaply made. I used to have a dedicated plywood table that could be up to 10' x 6'. I like the Sam's tables a lot better. Storage is a breeze, set-up is easy. And I can use them for family functions as well.

I bought 4 5-ft banquet tables (30" wide), allowing me to have up to a 10'x5' for big games, or a pair of 5'x5' tables for smaller/skirmish games.

Also to consider:

Before installing cabinets around the walls, be sure that outlets are accessible, or add more – there are rarely enough as it is.

Lighting: ain't no such thing as too much (you can always turn some off), and photography and aging eyeballs favor more light.

Think about heating & ventilating: gamers are famous for poor hygiene, but even the cleanest will suffer if the room is uninsulated and/or stuffy.

Finally, with a dedicated gaming room, you can live the dream of gaming on a sand table! Might want to start a separate thread to work out those details.

Perry

The friend who hosts our weekly games recently converted a room, into a permanent games room. He went with 5 feet width, as that left room to get round the table and the middle of a table that size is also as far as most of us can reasonably reach. We settled on a 10 foot length, that left space for a couple of arm chairs and the vitally important refreshment table, as well as bookshelves. It also has the advantage that we can divide it into two 5x5 if we want to play a mini- tournament of Saga, Dux Bellorum or the like. Height is just enough to get Birley 15 drawer filing cabinets under, which hold the 10mm and 15mm figures for most of our games.

The table size does indeed need to fit the room.
Table height? Probably not as much of a difference than table width. My main table is 32 inches tall. My folded 'auxiliary' tables are 30 inches tall. The taller the table, the less you can bend over to reach the middle.

When my wife and I were buying our house an important factor, put not a deal breaker, was having space for a 6x12 table.

First, the average adult can easily reach to the center of a six foot wide table, so you can get some depth.

Second, my intent was not to have a permanent table of that size. I have three 4x6 boards, that I place on saw horses -- very easy to set up and take down. Also, it gives me flexibility. If we want to play a big game, all three tables go up. OTOH, if we're playing something smaller, I can just set up one 4x6. Of course, If I want something in the middle I set up two tables for 6x8.

As a side note, I also have a 4x8 mat that I can place in the middle of the 6x8 which provides more flexibility.

As for table height, I want people to be able to comfortably sit on a chair and play. As we get older, it's hard to stand for long periods of time. Nice to have the option to sit. (I use folding chairs to save space when not in use.)

The bottom line is that I didn't want to be locked into a single table size. I wanted the flexibility to play larger or smaller games by being able to easily set up and take down boards.

I bought a house just due to the fact that the family room was 25 x 18 feet. Built a 12'x6' table. Used it for several years. Got tired of it just sitting using space. Tore it apart and got a folding ping pong table that could be moved out of the way. Got tired of looking at that and got two folding tables from Wal-Mart. Each 2 1/2 ' x 6'. Put them in the closet when not using them. Now I just spent money on a fancy gaming table for boardgames that will give me a 3x 5' gaming area for either boardgames or small miniature games.

I have no desire to play a game where I have to stand up anymore. Walking around a 6' wide table to move figures is not something I want to do anymore. Except for Tactica I no longer play games with lots of figures in a unit. I prefer 1 Basel is a unit with as few or as many figures as I want on it.

MAybe it is because I am older or just outgrown the need to be bigger and better then the next guy. But I can have fun in a small area and have fun with my friends.

I have two tables. One is approximately 11'x 6' and the other is 5'x 6'. I would love to have a 16'x6' but it will require removal of a steel post in the basement and replacement of that load with a special load bearing truss. Maybe someday.

Having a longer table gives you options if you like playing large historical games. You can always use less for a game, but it is hard to add more. Although you could split it into parts that clamp or clip together to add flexibility.

I do prefer 6' wide as most folks can reach the middle, but better yet it allows me to keep an 1" or 2" clear of terrain near the edge so folks don't knock it off or damage it. I also heavily flock each game surface with loose scatter flock and some of the shorter folks like decorating their shirts with the flock. So this helps some.

Mine are just over 32" tall. I would like them a little taller since I am very tall myself. But I have to remember all of my shorter friends. It also helps when there are hills and elevations at the board edge that adds 4-6".

Five foot wide table butted against the 14' room width, leave 3 1/2' for people on each side, that's 12' and you now have 2' of width left for shelves, either 2' deep on one side of the room or 1' wide on each side of the room. Length, go as long as you can and still leave plenty of people room. And build table at a height that allows for storage underneath. Those who complain about a table too high – simple solution is sturdy bar stools, the kinds with backs and arm rests, swiveling. And on that wall where the table butts, some nice art work to suit your periods of interest. Good lighting overhead – daylight bulbs – and you are good to go.

Or that's what I'd do. Go your own way. And sing it, Stevie N.

I used to think I wanted a really long deep table, 6x10 or 6x12 more for looks than anything.

I used to use a ping pong table 5' by 9' and it worked really well. when the table broke I used the 3'6"x8 extra dining table my children use for homework and surprisingly really miss the extra depth and width.

I just built a 2 piece ping pong table topper for our family for Christmas that was designed to fit on the homework table. it is regulation 5' x 9'.

I really liked how it looks and it stores really well. It is very nice for gaming with boards or cloths on top.

it is heavy but that is not a problem for me at the moment.

12 x 6 with a short edge butted against a wall has worked well for for us for years. We sometimes play across a portion of it, just stick down a river/canal to define the edge.