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Monday 4 March 2013

Major- minor and... er middling.

You know how its fashioons in wargaming are rather well- changable. I've never been one of those "One period alone" chaps - for a start there too much interesting history out there for that kind of narrow view. However having said that certain period have engaged my interest more than others over the years. I've had ECW armis off and on since the late 70s and that along with Napoleonics probably ranks as my longest running interest. To be fiar napoleonics has been very off and on and is currently mostly off so just how do you quantify interest in various periods. Now- important point this- notice I say "periods" not "games" or "rulesets" . Its the historical period that always comes first never a set of rules or a mere game. It might be a game that will START a train of thought but something else will take over- usually a book or actually several books only the books can get you "into" a period. Take for instance one of my minor interests- The AWI. I have smallish forces for both sides in 25/28/30mm (tyake you pick). I have possibly 20 or so AWI books - excluding Ospreys - I'm not currently doing much with these forces- barring painting a few Staddens- but have no intention of divesting myself of either the armies or the books. Currently I've comparativly few medieval troops of any description- a few 40mm WOTR and odd hundred years War display units in 28mm Yet I still have a fair medival library-Oman, Burne, Hardy, Bradbury , etc etc as well as some copies of comtempary chronicles.. How else do you get into a period without reading what went on. For many years Medivals of one sort or another were my Major interest. Off thboil now- except for the WOTR but again I keep the books. As for the Seven Years War That has been on my radr since the mid 90sand I can't actually remebr how it started- Fortescue probably and a fairly respectable library has come out of it covering most of the campaigns of the British army . Over the years I've spent far more on books than figures somehow they seem much more to the point somehow- after all figures are easy to come by some of the books I have have become fairly rare.- I couldn't afford 'em now!
Here is a picture of my "Irish Brigade" of my French 7YW force mostly Old Glory but with a single Stadden general
t these two shows Fitzjames Horse- again of the French Army.
So the question really is how do you divide up your periods. I suppose - currently ECW is my "main" period with 7YW sometimes up there AWI and Moderns being "middling"- though moderns has currently more importance that 7YW - at least I'm painting more of them. 40mm Nap and ACW would also be middling- but not doing anything currently - all the rest "minor" but alway with an opportuniy for one or the other of them to run up on the inside straight- depending upon the books I read.....

3 comments:

  1. I collect books more than figures, always have.

    Always Napoleonics blame Chandler , now in 20mm metal. Some WW2 Land Normandy and N Africa, probably due to my various relatives in these theatres, 1/300 to 20mm. Some Middle/late "lace wars" Austrian Succcesion to AWI, 28mm. Currently and reasonably recently (last 10 years or so) Nineteenth century in Europe due to the Continental Warfare Society - 15mm; plus League of Augsberg 1690 stuff, due to Barry Hilton and John Childs!

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    1. * meant to say the "lace war" stuff was Duffy's fault.

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  2. American Civil War was my first entree into wargaming, with an Airfix Confederate Army of 4 Infantry boxes (yielding 14 regiments of 2 command and 12 o/r each), 2 7th Cavalry in grey with yellow kepis, 2 artillery (4 guns), 2 wagon train (yielding a further infantry unit at the time though now I'd make them dismounted cav with shotguns). That was way back in 1974. A friend had showed me part of his Minifigs Napoleonic collection, and another had expressed enough enthusiasm to want to make a quick start. ACW was the way to go, I declared for the South, and off we went. I never before then knew you could actually buy figures in plastic so cheaply. All that above cost me $10 less change - easily manageable even for an impecunious student in 1974

    But Napoleonic 25mm metals followed quick, and was indeed where I wanted to go. I liked the Minifigs figures, and they remain my favorites, but have been flexible/heretical enough to mix in other manufactures just to beef up the numbers. Even the odd plastic unit has crept in, and my Prussian Army will be entirely 20mm plastic. I'm no purist.

    But I'm am intrigued by almost any period or war once I get to reading about it. There are some I won't wargame because the wars were too one-sided (Franco-Prussian war, which is a pity as the armies are so fine), or too short (Franco-Austrian war, 6 Weeks' war of 1866), or something about them sets my teeth on edge (Modern, especially if they involve any of the great powers)

    I'll stop here, as I'm beginning to perceive that the might be a blog posting in it!
    Cheers,
    Ion

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