I appear to have reached a new stage in my hobby, what I am calling my 'Imperial Phase'. I have literally gamed and lived within the hobby for over 45 years now. I have painted for fun (and since I was 14, profit) , gamed, written rules, a book ( another is in the works ) run one of the most successful bring and buy's at a major show for nearly two decades, and managed and then owned a bricks and mortar store. And, I am tired...  But in a good way. Yes, with the exception of loathing the integration of 'politics' and 'identity' ( which have no part in playing with little metal dollies )   into what is supposed to be a refuge from the real, my tiredness, is because I have pretty much exhausted my options for 'something new' .  I learned about 5 years, maybe a decade ago, that the industry, now ruled by 'big box' companies pushing ( who could have seen that coming, 25 years ago? Let alone 45. ) over-produced, high priced rules and chasing of ...

In 1984, I first really got an interest in wargaming the Renaissance. Some older friends in the 5 clubs I gamed with every week, were ECW re-enactors, By The Sword Divided had been on TV for a while, and I had fallen under the Mephistophelean, the Machiavellian, grasp of Lloyd Powell, whom I looked up to as one of several role models, who collectively shaped me into the misanthropic and opinionated ne'er-do-well I am today. But more importantly, Lloyd really got me interested in the Italian Wars and Wars Of Religion, and even today, over 4 decades later, when I need to check something about that wide period, I will still pick up the phone and call him at his repose in the Tower Of Doom overlooking the Rivelin Valley, from where he plans the reintroduction of the Feudal system and the arming of certain government agents with the longbow and shoot to kill instructions. But, I digress, as always... I love the colour and pageantry of the period and I have developed a acute aesthetic se...

 This is a little temporal interlude, so to speak, which is fitted in before other events I'll no doubt relate, such as 'The .44 Magnum as laxative' or 'Toolboxes in self defence'. Perhaps even 'What have you got in that ammo box sunshine?' I was wandering around Fackham Hall this morning, when my eye fell upon two samll boxes on what is otherwise a book shelf. They were a sealed and opened copy of the 1981 Metagaming microgame 'Trailblazer'. In 1983 I purchased my original copy in a 50p bargain bin even which Games Workshop sometimes ran. I took it with me to Thornbridge Hall in the Peak District, on a week long residential with school in the summer of '84 where we generally spent the week, sketching the scenery or in the evening, simplyfucking about - well, most of the rabble did - unless like a small group of us, you locked yourself in your room (3 of us to a 6-person room - LUXURY) roleplaying and boardgaming. Thornbrisdge Hall is now private...