Everyone is always saying the cost of entry into our hobby is huge. And while this is definitely true most of the time, I’m here to tell you that this is not always the case. With a little creativity and knowing where to get models, you could have yourself a full army to join in the fun and not break the bank.

I’m going to make a few army lists for One Page Rule Regiments on a severe budget. I plan to do more off these with different armies in the coming weeks. This whole guide is essentially my love letter to Wargames Atlantic for releasing awesome models, at such insane prices. This does not include second hand stuff you can get on e-bay or anything like that. This is just how I’d go about it if I was starting from nothing in the hobby with a budget.

Mummified Undead – 1500 points
Think Tomb Kings from WHFB

I’ve written out 3 lists. The prices vary, but all come in under $150. They have very different play styles. The price does not include paint, brushes, bases, etc. Prices for all of that will be at the bottom of the article.

List 1 – Skeleton Horde: $109.85

This is the most expensive of the options, but it is the most well rounded I think.

For this list you’ll need:

• $69.90 – 2x boxes of Skeleton Infantry from Wargames Atlantic. You’ll get 64 skeletons in the box. That is a lot of skeletons. That takes care of all the Skeleton Warriors for the list and some of the Royal Guard.
• $34.95 – 1x box of Skeleton Cavalry & Chariots from Wargame Atlantic. This is probably the best deal of all time. There is no better option out there. In the Wargame Atlantic Cav + Chariots box you get: “Combinations could be 1 chariot with crew, 8 cavalry, and 8 foot warriors. Or 10 cavalry and 10 foot warriors. Or 2 chariots, 6 cavalry, and 6 foot soldiers. Models can be equipped with bow, javelin, or sword and with options for full command.” For under $40 USD… This is unheard of and it is the best deal you will get on models, period. With the box you will make your Royal Champion on Chariot, 1 Skeleton Chariot, 5 Skeleton Horsemen, 1 Skeleton Leader on a Horse, and the rest of the Royal Guard.

List 2 – Cavalry & Chariots: $79.90

This army only requires two boxes and comes in $30 cheaper than the first list. The list is FAST, and will dominate in Magic. You’ll have less activations than your opponent but if you play smart you can sway the battle early and control the board.

• $79.90 – 2x box of Skeleton Cavalry & Chariots from Wargame Atlantic. I’m gonna say it again. This is probably the best deal of all time. With these boxes you will make your 2x Royal Champion on Chariot, 2x Skeleton Chariot, 2x 5 Skeleton Horsemen, 2x Skeleton Leader on a Horse, and the Skeleton Warriors. 

List 3 – Bottom of the Barrel: $43.94

You could get away with buying one box of the Wargame Atlantic Chariot boxes and one of the Guardian Statue plastic Skeletons and you’d spend less than $50 on everything. I can’t say it’ll be great, but it’s cheap, easy to assemble + paint and easy to add on to.

For this list you’ll need:

• $34.95 – 1x box of Skeleton Cavalry & Chariots from Wargame Atlantic. Yup.
• $8.99 – Skeleton Warrior 20x Piece 2 inch Plastic Figure Set. These larger sized plastic skeleton toys would work great painted up to look like a stone statue. You could find these at your local dollar store, or here on Amazon for 9$ for 20 of them! Throw them on a 40mm base. Absolute steal.

Other Options

Here are some other options on the cheap for you to pad out the army if you’d like to go bigger, or if you’d like to just change up some of the playstyle.

$14.99 1x Skeleton Giant – A great reaper mini that would work great as a Skeleton Giant proxy.

$14 – 1x Skeleton Catapult – The Wizkid catapult is an insane deal. You can find it on amazon for a little less too. 

$15.99 – 1x Great Scorpion – This metal scorpion model from Reaper would make a great stand in for the Great Scorpion.

$12 – 1x Sphinx – If you want some big power on a huge budget, the Reaper Sphinx is awesome. 

Bases & Supplies

25mm – A 100x 25mm bases for $10. I can’t imagine you’ll ever need bases ever again. There are other options like AliExpress for comparable cost, but I am not recommending that route. I’ve ordered from them before in the past but the quality was not great.

25x50mm – 100x of these cavalry bases for $22 was the cheapest I could find. Same as above on other options. 

50x100mm – 10x of these chariot sized bases for $12 is a pretty good deal. Same as above on other options. 

Primer – This is my go to spray paint. Matte black and white always for a Zenithal prime. If you don’t know how to do a Zenithal prime, check out this video from Tabletop Minions.

Clippers – I own these and use them on every build I do. I love them.

Exacto Knife – We have literally have 50 of these sitting in our studio.

Super Glue – I buy all my super glue at the dollar store. “The Original Super Glue” is my favorite to use.