If you’ve recently discovered Warhammer 40k, wargaming, or any other assortment of tabletop games, there’s one thing you’ll need above all else: a space to play.
A regular kitchen table might be okay for smaller scale games, but if your armies continue to grow, so too does your gaming space.
As of today: The standard Warhammer 40k table size is 4′ x 6′
It’s a slightly awkward size that you won’t typically find in a regular furniture store. Which can also eat up a lot of space (so having something portable is nice).
And you’ll probably want something you can comfortable sit at for several hours.
Not to mention you’ll want some side tables and storage for all your not-in-use figurines and games.
So what are your options?
- Buy a premade wargaming table (Most expensive)
- Use existing furniture to construct your own (Most practical)
- Build your own table from scratch (Most cost effective but requires some building skill)
Keep in mind: Building your own table from scratch is only cost effective if you already have all the tools and some carpentry skills (or know somebody who does).
1. Easy and Budget Friendly Warhammer Table
Let’s start with the easiest builds and move up from there.
If you want something quick, simple, and budget friendly – simply push together two of these plastic tables. Now place a gaming mat or some felt over top and you’re ready to play.
Perhaps not the fanciest thing ever, but it certainly gets the job done.
This particular table is 72″ wide by 30″ deep. Putting two together and you’ll meet the 6′ x 4′ requirement (with 12 inches to spare).
The beauty of this setup is you can fold it away when you’re done gaming.
Add MDF plywood on top for an awesome tabletop
If you want to upgrade to a proper gaming surface I recommend just placing a nice smooth piece of MDF (plywood) over top of your plastic tables.
This also works great if your table surface isn’t quite large enough. Simply place this bigger surface on-top to accommodate a larger gaming space.
Keep in mind – most hardware stores can cut your plywood to size within the store. So you can walk out with a perfectly cut 6 by 4 foot piece (as long as your vehicle can fit it).
In order to stop the plywood from sliding around the table we can use Velcro strips stuck to the bottom of the plywood and the top of the table.
Plywood Still Too Big?
Is a 6×4′ piece of plywood still too cumbersome for your space? Or maybe you don’t exactly have the trunk space for a giant piece of wood.
No problem; try cutting it down to 2 or 3 equally sized pieces (3′ x 4′, or 2′ x 4′). Push the pieces together and place a gaming mat over top.
Pro Tip: Screw in some door hinges to the underside of your cut MDF so you can fold it away and store it.
2. IKEA Wargaming Table
We need something at least 6’x4′ – the problem is most tables don’t come in this size.
Our easy IKEA Solution – Buy 2 LINNMON tabletops and screw in 5 ADILS table legs to each one (4 on each corner and 1 in the center.) Now push the tables together.
The final size works out to 78 3/4″ by 47 1/4″ Which is just barely shy of a full 4 feet wide.
Total cost:
- 2 LINNMON table tops: $48 x 2 = $96
- 10 ADILS table legs: $4 x 10 = $40
- Total = $136 USD
What’s nice about this is you have a nice black finish and table legs (or white if you fancy). It’s a little easier on the eyes than just a piece of plywood placed on top, and it’s still within a decent budget.
3. Easily Make your own table
Hey, remember that big piece of MDF we talked about earlier? What if we took the IKEA table legs from the previous tip, and just screwed them into our big piece of plywood?
Instant Warhammer Table.
But you don’t have to use standard table legs.
IKEA has these sawhorses that work great and have adjustable heights.
Or you can make your own table legs.
4. Construct your own Warhammer Table from Scratch
We’ve covered all the simple solutions. Now let’s flex some carpentry skills.
If you’re confident in your ability to make a sturdy table, then all you really need is some plans. Here’s some of the best builds I could find on the interwebs.
1. Build a Sturdy Workbench Inexpensively
The ideal recipe is a workbench – they’re sturdy, large, and cheap to build.
In this particular case the workbench is 32 inches deep. For our use we’ll need to make some adjustments and extend it to 48 inches.
A workbench is perfect for a dedicate gaming space (or man cave as some prefer to call it). Not to mention the extra shelves at the bottom is a nice feature.
Check out the build instructions (and video) here.
2. MDF Warhammer Table
Hey remember that MDF we talked about earlier (again)?
What if you build a frame around it and placed felt or sand on the surface. Add a few 2’x4s for legs and customize it to your heart’s content.
This is taking our simple MDF table and upgrading it.
How to build an MDF wargaming table.
3. Incredible Custom Gaming Table
This is next level. But I wanted to include something for all the over achievers out there.
Take a peek under the hood and you’ll find space for game storage as well.
In their instructions they mention this cost under $400 (which is impressive given the final product), and was built with just hand tools.
If you’re feeling up to the task – RoguePirin has generously provided some very detailed step-by-step build instructions.
5. Just Buy a 6 x 4 Gaming Table
When all else fails, you can always throw in the towel and buy a pre-made folding table.
There appears to be 2 main options (when it comes to online shopping).
I’ve never used either of these products, but they do seem very convenient for folding and storing.
The UrbanMatz G-Board Folding Table
I’m not associated with either of these brands – but I’ve heard good things. They’re lightweight and easy to store away.
