To get started with Black Powder, the first thing you will need is the rulebook, which provides you with all the necessary information about setting up your games, creating your armies, and of course, the rules for gameplay.

Next, consider purchasing a Starter Army. These boxes provide a ready-made force that's perfect for beginners, with a selection of infantry, cavalry, and artillery units. Alongside this, you'll also need some dice, a measuring tape, and probably some scenery to make your battlefield come alive.

The mechanics of Black Powder are designed to be simple and intuitive, allowing you to focus on grand strategies rather than intricate rules. Units are given orders (like advancing, firing, or charging) through the roll of dice, and these orders may or may not be carried out based on the result. This reflects the chaos of battle and the difficulty of communication in an era before radios.

Battles are resolved through a combination of dice rolls and unit statistics. For instance, when a unit attacks, its effectiveness depends on its current strength, the type of unit, its target, and a bit of luck on the dice roll.

In Black Powder, you can command armies from various nations and periods. From the disciplined lines of the British Redcoats to the fierce charges of the French Cuirassiers, from the American Civil War to the Napoleonic Wars, the possibilities are vast. Each army has unique units, providing varied strategies and playstyles.