Every now and then I reflect on my gaming and what I am collecting and why. This inevitably leads to wiping the slate clean and moving on to something new. Well, the last couple of weeks have seen that process in full cry.
I've decided to go big into 15mm - WW1, Punic Wars and the Peninsular War. To fund this transition I have sold the SAGA Normans and Anglo-Danes, and all of my companies for In Her Majesty's Name.
Why would I do this? Something has always sat uneasy about the armies and periods that I collect. They always seem to be a dabble in a niche interest and not a representation of what I fundamentally want in a wargame. And what is it that I want? Do I even know? Well, lately it has been a wave of nostalgia, and that nostalgia is for pushing around 20mm Esci and Airfix Napoleonics 20 odd years ago. It isn't so much the plastic figures with flaking paint or the wooden block terrain with lego trees that I miss. It is the size and scope of the battle - about a dozen units on each side with 16 infantry or 12 cavalry to a unit. My aim is to be able to play some solo games in the evening, sitting in my lounge or at the dining room table, or sometimes in the shed where I can leave them set up on the proper wargames table if I need to. Rules have been selected - Flames of War for WWI, Drums and Shakos Large Battles from Ganesha Games for Napoleonics, and Ancient and Medieval Wargaming by Neil Thomas (with a few little extra rules) for the Punic Wars.
Painting has ground to a halt as I always lose impetus when I'm thinking of moving in different directions, hence this blog going quiet over the last month. I do plan to get back to the Gallic Wars SAGA at some point, but it is now definitely on the back-burner. My projects for the next year or more are now all 15mm. I'll probably start with 1918, then Napoleonics, then Ancients and finally 1914, but that is all subject to change based on what the weather is doing on any particular day.
On another note, I am very, very excited about the release of Ganesha Games' new superhero rules, Power Legion. I have been holding out for these for some time, and I am definitely not disappointed. I had them spiral bound yesterday and read through them last night, and they are exactly what I have been looking for in a set of Superhero rules. If it wasn't exam marking time this weekend I'd be playing my first game. As it is, I will probably have to wait another week.
Nate
The past is not what it used to be...
ReplyDeleteI can sympathise, I have often wrestled with what it is I want out of my hobby and frequently it turns out that I am somewhat sub-consciously herded by hobby trends.
Nostalgia has its place (quite a big one in my case), but remember that you are no longer that person and while it seems attractive, there was a reason why you stopped playing that way back then.
Hope it works out though!
Thanks Jim
DeleteIt is always impossible to relive the past, but I guess this is more a case of wanting to play a type of game that I haven't played in a while. If worst comes to worst, I can always sell them off down the track and start again!
It's always good to shake things up and re-evaluate various aspects of life. It's very easy to accumulate great piles of figures and terrain for games you don't enjoy, and before you know it your energies are so scattered you don't really achieve anything! Sounds like you have a solid plan, good luck with it :-)
ReplyDeleteCheers Paul. I think this one should work out.
DeleteAn occasional "clearing of the decks" can be quite therapeutic. You are not alone, my friend. Interests change over time and a path in a new direction can inject vigor into YOUR hobby.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck to you!
Yeah. Sometimes it just feels good to sell off some stuff and start from scratch with a bit of enthusiasm. I just need to make sure that I don't do it too often!
DeleteNate…when you find out precisely what you want in a wargame (and you know, “precisely” means exactly and definitively and immutably)…you may be the first wargamer ever to do so! You’ve got so many great ideas, and I can sympathise completely with you. Barely a film or book goes by these days before my head is turned and my brain is distracting me to something else which is of course (apparently) newer, more awesome-er than whatever I might be doing. So…I share your (hopefully temporary) frustration. Yes, you’re most certainly in the worldwide club of wargamers, Sir! So clearing the decks, re-focusing and concentrating can be a good thing to embark on. Steadiness brings its own rewards….errr, ….eventually! Best of luck, mate, with whatever you’re doing :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sid. I really admire the dedication that you have shown to your WWI projects, and it is the same with Scott and his Lord of the Rings. It would be nice to take a 28mm project and focus exclusively on it, but my butterfly nature won't allow me to do this. I hope by choosing three periods in particular (I've already got all of the Superheroes and Star Wars sorted) to build it will give me focus with variety, if such a thing is possible.
DeleteOh no IHMN so good. Hope they went to a good home
ReplyDelete