More Musings
In 1981 when I began gaming, it was a very different world, obviously.
Historical wargaming tended to have a few periods which were considered to be the core of the hobby; Ancients (encompassing the Dark Age and Medieval eras) , ACW, AWI Napoleonic, WW2 and Moderns, generally in 25mm with the exception of WW2 in 20mm and Moderns in 1/300. You also saw naval in 1/1200 and 1/3000. To be fair, I also saw my first 15mm game at that time and it was ACW.
Quite a lot you might think, and you'd be right when compared to what is available these days, but these were the 'staples', the meat and two veg of the hobby, and a neophyte would do well to take an interest in at least one of them because it pretty much automatically opened doors at a club and allowed you, unless your elders and betters were complete arseholes (much rarer than these days, I assure you) you'd be able to bring a few figures to the table for a big game, whilst you built your own collection, and also learn about the nuances of the period.
I remember the first time I saw a 25mm Wars Of The Roses game at Sheffield Wargames Society and I was fascinated. I asked questions, joined in for an hour or so, and learned that there was more to it than just lining up and shooting each other.
35 years later, I tried to introduce a friend who hadn't benefitted from a childhood like mine, coming to the hobby late, and try as I might I couldn't get him to even try it because all he saw was a bowline and boredom.
I guess we do all have our favourite periods, but I also think that the wider variety of periods these days and a plethora of rules have fragmented the hobby. Periods are being treated like clothing fashions and unless you are very quick indeed, you will be wasting money on many projects because by the time you get a force together, the fad has passed. The companies have made their money and moved on.
I saw this myself with the Bolt Action Korea fad, which, after a few emails between myself and Warlord, I knew they were not going anywhere with it - and haven't. I bailed quickly as a result, but had it been properly rolled out, I'd have been in there for the long haul, for sure.
When I played my first ECW game with Roy Gunson in 1982, it was not as mainstream as today, moreover, Roy had armies in 15mm, at a time when ECW tended to be 25mm Hinchcliffe & Minifigs.
I got hammered, and you may think I would have walked away from that at age 14, vowing no more, but Roy took the time (whilst mocking me gently, as was his right) to explain the tactics, the relation between pike and shot elements and the use of cavalry and dragoons. It made sense, and I was hooked. 38 years down the line and I still am, so Roy did his job!
As you will have seen recently, I've begun an ECW collection, using al I've learned over the decades and on a scale that as a lad I could not have done. True, I have employed a painter for 90% of the work (worth every penny when you have less time ahead of you than behind - and yes, I am looking at you Mr S.) but against the tide of choices available, I've returned to one of the classics.
In fact, I've also just commissioned my painter of choice to also produce an AWI collection for me before Christmas, again a classic, but not a period I got around to as a youth, despite drooling over photos of Peter Gilder's collection (I seem to recall that a certain friend of mine, late of this parish, owned part of that very collection at one stage.) and once, making start, when I was truly so poor that really I should have been eating rather than buying little lead dollies.
But, now, I am really thinking about what I'd like to play, what size of collection will give a good game, allow flexibility of force selection and look stunning on table or shelves. AWI works because there is not much cavalry, so it stands out on the table, whilst the long linear formations offer a lot of bang for the buck visually. 24-30 man units look just right, and have the right 'feel' as you manoeuvre them on the tabletop.
My ECW uses larger units than I have ever used in any scale in the last 4 decades, but that is just because I fancied getting away from my field strength 24 figure units and take a chance with paper strength 36 man units.
What I am not interested in, is partaking in wall pissing competitions or games of 'mine's bigger than yours' anymore. I've done that and trust me, many of the blokes who have continued to do that over the years look like wankers from the sidelines.
I recently saw a a social media post where a gamer posted pictures of his 25mm Napoleonic cavalry, built and painted to his tastes, and very nice they were, too. But then along came someone known to me, let's call him Mr Big Bollocks, posting a snarky comment and a picture of a mass of cavalry, deriding the original poster for his pitiful collection.
And that dear reader is when I blew my top and ranted at the screen. What's the fucking point in doing that? Does the thought that you may have put someone off the hobby for life, make your tiny penis throb? Well...
No, I will build sensibly sized armies that can be used (so far a modest 500-700 figures has felt right for a given project). I am not saying that over time I won't increase the size of the collection, but not at the expense of actually getting a game.
Let me tell you, that you can have a decent ECW game with a brigade of foot, two cavalry wings and a couple of sakers, so if you have limited space or funds, aim for that, not the entirety ion the forces at Marston Moor. Much better that you play some games whilst you add those extra units, unless like me you have the luxury and bloody-minded determination to have a force painted. Actually, you will learn more about a period if you play games with the building blocks of the typical forces.
Also, as I have said before, read a good selection of books and don't be a slave to only reading what is in fashion. Speak to those old crusty bastards with the chipped Minifies armies at the the local club. After all, they will have been gaming that period for decades, and will have learned a thing or two - So could you!
Well, I need to sign off and go and do a day's work, but I'll leave you with the latest pics from my painter who has, as the images show, almost finished 2 infantry regiments, 2 cavalry units, a dragoon unit and my artillery train guards:
TTFN
Historical wargaming tended to have a few periods which were considered to be the core of the hobby; Ancients (encompassing the Dark Age and Medieval eras) , ACW, AWI Napoleonic, WW2 and Moderns, generally in 25mm with the exception of WW2 in 20mm and Moderns in 1/300. You also saw naval in 1/1200 and 1/3000. To be fair, I also saw my first 15mm game at that time and it was ACW.
Quite a lot you might think, and you'd be right when compared to what is available these days, but these were the 'staples', the meat and two veg of the hobby, and a neophyte would do well to take an interest in at least one of them because it pretty much automatically opened doors at a club and allowed you, unless your elders and betters were complete arseholes (much rarer than these days, I assure you) you'd be able to bring a few figures to the table for a big game, whilst you built your own collection, and also learn about the nuances of the period.
I remember the first time I saw a 25mm Wars Of The Roses game at Sheffield Wargames Society and I was fascinated. I asked questions, joined in for an hour or so, and learned that there was more to it than just lining up and shooting each other.
35 years later, I tried to introduce a friend who hadn't benefitted from a childhood like mine, coming to the hobby late, and try as I might I couldn't get him to even try it because all he saw was a bowline and boredom.
I guess we do all have our favourite periods, but I also think that the wider variety of periods these days and a plethora of rules have fragmented the hobby. Periods are being treated like clothing fashions and unless you are very quick indeed, you will be wasting money on many projects because by the time you get a force together, the fad has passed. The companies have made their money and moved on.
I saw this myself with the Bolt Action Korea fad, which, after a few emails between myself and Warlord, I knew they were not going anywhere with it - and haven't. I bailed quickly as a result, but had it been properly rolled out, I'd have been in there for the long haul, for sure.
When I played my first ECW game with Roy Gunson in 1982, it was not as mainstream as today, moreover, Roy had armies in 15mm, at a time when ECW tended to be 25mm Hinchcliffe & Minifigs.
I got hammered, and you may think I would have walked away from that at age 14, vowing no more, but Roy took the time (whilst mocking me gently, as was his right) to explain the tactics, the relation between pike and shot elements and the use of cavalry and dragoons. It made sense, and I was hooked. 38 years down the line and I still am, so Roy did his job!
As you will have seen recently, I've begun an ECW collection, using al I've learned over the decades and on a scale that as a lad I could not have done. True, I have employed a painter for 90% of the work (worth every penny when you have less time ahead of you than behind - and yes, I am looking at you Mr S.) but against the tide of choices available, I've returned to one of the classics.
In fact, I've also just commissioned my painter of choice to also produce an AWI collection for me before Christmas, again a classic, but not a period I got around to as a youth, despite drooling over photos of Peter Gilder's collection (I seem to recall that a certain friend of mine, late of this parish, owned part of that very collection at one stage.) and once, making start, when I was truly so poor that really I should have been eating rather than buying little lead dollies.
But, now, I am really thinking about what I'd like to play, what size of collection will give a good game, allow flexibility of force selection and look stunning on table or shelves. AWI works because there is not much cavalry, so it stands out on the table, whilst the long linear formations offer a lot of bang for the buck visually. 24-30 man units look just right, and have the right 'feel' as you manoeuvre them on the tabletop.
My ECW uses larger units than I have ever used in any scale in the last 4 decades, but that is just because I fancied getting away from my field strength 24 figure units and take a chance with paper strength 36 man units.
What I am not interested in, is partaking in wall pissing competitions or games of 'mine's bigger than yours' anymore. I've done that and trust me, many of the blokes who have continued to do that over the years look like wankers from the sidelines.
I recently saw a a social media post where a gamer posted pictures of his 25mm Napoleonic cavalry, built and painted to his tastes, and very nice they were, too. But then along came someone known to me, let's call him Mr Big Bollocks, posting a snarky comment and a picture of a mass of cavalry, deriding the original poster for his pitiful collection.
And that dear reader is when I blew my top and ranted at the screen. What's the fucking point in doing that? Does the thought that you may have put someone off the hobby for life, make your tiny penis throb? Well...
No, I will build sensibly sized armies that can be used (so far a modest 500-700 figures has felt right for a given project). I am not saying that over time I won't increase the size of the collection, but not at the expense of actually getting a game.
Let me tell you, that you can have a decent ECW game with a brigade of foot, two cavalry wings and a couple of sakers, so if you have limited space or funds, aim for that, not the entirety ion the forces at Marston Moor. Much better that you play some games whilst you add those extra units, unless like me you have the luxury and bloody-minded determination to have a force painted. Actually, you will learn more about a period if you play games with the building blocks of the typical forces.
Also, as I have said before, read a good selection of books and don't be a slave to only reading what is in fashion. Speak to those old crusty bastards with the chipped Minifies armies at the the local club. After all, they will have been gaming that period for decades, and will have learned a thing or two - So could you!
Well, I need to sign off and go and do a day's work, but I'll leave you with the latest pics from my painter who has, as the images show, almost finished 2 infantry regiments, 2 cavalry units, a dragoon unit and my artillery train guards:
TTFN
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