The State of My Hobby...

[SV52]

.. or how I adopted anything and everything and learned to 'love' chaos.

I've no idea how I ended up messing about with wargame figures as I was a dedicated 54mm figure modeller. Especially as I didn't know anybody who was into the hobby so it would be a solo effort. Anyway one day I bought a Minifigs Marlburian army, read too many David Chandler books, 25mm was about the only scale in those days and it was organized and sized for WRG oatcake edition.  Needless to say the thing was huge and I carted it around the country through several house moves and now and again it got paid attention to. Thirty years later it got finished by breaking it up into two different armies, neither of whom had an opponent.

The hobby was laid aside for many years until I had the time, resources and interest to get back into it.  This was through the good offices of DBA and 1/72 plastic ancients, never had a day's luck since.

At time of writing I've got so many armies I don't know what to do with them (result of being a soloist, one army begets an opponent), selling them is out of the question. Scales are also 10mm, 15mm, 1/72 and 25/28mm.  Periods are ancients, right through to WW2 as well as fantasy and sci-fi. Even worse some of the opposing forces are in different scales.  For example, at the time of the bicerntennial I bought a British force in 28mm for the AWI based on Guilford Courthouse.  Needed an opponent, so what did I do? Built one in 1/72 plastic and 20mm metal. Recently bought another one in 28mm.

After all this I've become aware that I'm not that keen a gamer, so I've been searching around for a set of rules that fit my short attention span. Currently that's a combination of bits from Irregular Wars, One Hour Wargaming, Hordes and Heroes, DBA, HOTT, Warhammer 40K and others.  The mixture is still stewing, all based on Kallistra hex terrain.

I'm 66 years old, so I gotta settle down.

I should have started thus:
- Choose one scale for skirmish
- Choose a smaller scale for larger forces
- Sort out the rules first
- Stick to one figure supplier if possible
- Join a club

Any of this familiar?  I'd be interested to read of others' experiences.

[Ithoriel]

I must have been around ten when my mother expressed some concern over my preference for games with toy soldiers over more traditional pursuits, like football. My father assured her, "It's a phase." and,"He'll grow out of it." They're still waiting

I started with Airfix figures and marbles in the early 60's, moved on to Airfix ships and Fletcher Pratt's rules in the mid 60's, land wargames followed a few months later. Armies have been bought, sold, traded, upgraded, improved, rebased, repainted and extended.

I have the same armies in more than one ... several ... more scales than any sane person should.

I don't just buy one side. I don't even "just" buy two opposing armies. Just one example, my 6mm Sumerian project (two small Sumerian armies to fight each other) has grown to the point where (if I ever get them all painted) I can field a historically attested force from the mid-sized city state of Shurrupak at 1:1 scale!! Plus Amurru, Old Kingdom Egyptians, Gutians, Melukhans and Elamites. Megalomaniac? Moi!?

My forces stretch in time from around 2,000,000BC to 40,000AD and in space across the galaxy.

They say wargamers can't die while they have unpainted lead to deal with. If that's true I must be practically immortal

As to joining a club ... that's just exposing yourself to even more temptation!

[fsn]

I seem to be a outlier.

I have told this story before, but some of the newer chaps may not have heard it. My wargaming was pretty flat prior to my divorce. Once freed from the shackles of matrimony, I had a few shaky years but then decided to start anew. I threw away all my Peter Laing 15mm, the 1:300 microtanks, my miscellaneous 20mm and the odds and sods like the Airfix waterline Bismark and 12 Tribal class destroyers. The only thing that was left was my WWII 20mm - and I look at them carefully every now and again as storage gets tighter.

I started from scratch. I wanted one scale, one manufacturer, every period from Babylon to Blake's 7. 25mm and above was a non-starter. Them's for skirmish games and old men. I toyed with 20mm and 15mm, but they were too big. I thought about 6mm, but that was too small. Then I tried 10mm and it was just right. Then I looked for manufacturers. I sent for sample orders - a Churchill and some British WWII infantry, and it was when the Churchill of a certain manufacturer looked too "nice" that I knew Pendraken was the place for me. Also, I phoned and talked to Dave, so who could resist?

I've dipped into most of the Pendraken ranges - 'cepting Saurai, and League of Ausburg (not enough variety for me) and Colonial, and AWI, well in fact anything between Marlborough and Wellington ... all right I've dipped into quite a few of the Pendraken ranges ... even Fantasy - but that was for a conversion.

At the same time as I abandoned my heterogeneous collection, I threw away all my enamel paints - including some Humbrol Authenticolour - which I miss greatly. I now paint entirely in acrylics, but don't feel very confident in bright, colourful uniforms which is why I have a separate "Napoleonic Lead Mountain".

More recently, I was lured by Tumbling Dice, so went a bit mad on 1:600 scale aircraft, and then 1:600 scale ships and then 1:3000 scale ships (all WWII).

In summary then, I am pretty good at sticking to my 10mm rule, and am slowly building up little forces; squadron/company size in WWII*, 400 figures per side in medieval and ACW, platoon sized skirmish games for the Spanish-American war, but I know I am building up to fielding rather large Napoleonic forces - a Corps of Wellington's army at Waterloo with battallions of 80 figures - then French, Prussian, Russian, Austo-Hungarian and Uncle Tom Cobley an all. Actually, I'd like to field an 1815 Ottoman Army. That would be fun.

If only I could get the hang of painting colourful uniforms.


*OK, my British 1944 has a squadron of Cromwells, one of Churchills and one of Shermans, plus odd funnies, but who's counting?    

[Leman]

Funny old world; the only scale I've ditched is 20mm - mainly Airfix, although there were a few Hinton Hunt and Jacklex in there. For the last 50 odd years I have had all sorts on the go, but can still only really field:

two 15mm WOR armies
two 15mm ACW armes
two 10mm SYW armies
two 10mm FPW armies
two  6mm FPW armies
two  3mm ACW armies
two  2mm APW armies
one 28mm Post-Roman Saxon army
one 15mm Venetian Italian Wars army
one 15mm WWI BEF 1914
one 10mm post-Roman Arthurian army
one 10mm WWI/White Russian army

That works out at approx one army every four years - pretty naff, although I have sold off a small number of armies (20mm ACW, 6mm ACW, 15mm FPW, 10mm FPW - that one was probably the daftest move, although those are the armies currently appearing in my BBB FPW campaign). There are however all sorts of projects to be completed, and at the moment I am finishing off a 28mm Saga army and then it is on to my 15mm 1914 Germans. Too much in the lead and plastic mountain to mention, but you can definitely see the butterfly in what I have been up to.

[Orcs]

I started playing using Charge or how to play wargames with Airfix Napoleonics.  Then played WW2 20mm using Operation Warboard.  Microtanks using Donald Feathersones (blessed be his name) Rules.

Then a friend came round with some lovely painted  15mm Mikes Models (Essex) renaissance figures. Loved the colour and variety and I was hooked on Real wargaming using the Gush rules.  I then did moderns using WRG . All playing with this one friend.

I got married and went into a hiatus, only painting figures and playing ww2 occasionally at another friends.  When I moved again I Joined the local club and it moved on from there.  Getting Divorced also boosted my hobby. I now have a group of friends who all have free time during the week. Three of us have tables  so we get two full days gaming ( at least) every month, plus weekly club nights.  I also have more time to paint and more money to spend on my hobbies so its very dangerous

6mm
WW1/Russian Civil war
British
Russian
German

10mm

Dacian/ Warband army
Early Imperial Romans
Parthian - Awaiting paint

Wars of the Roses - Both Sides

Marlburian _ British.
                  Spanish - awaiting paint  

ACW Union - Awaiting paint
ACW Confederate- Awaiting paint

North Africa British
                 German
                  Italian
Early war  Polish
              German
              Belgian
Awaiting paint
              BEF -
              Russian -              
               Fallshirmjager

15mm
Hebrew
Modern Africa
Italian Wars

20mm
WW2 North east Europe

28mm
Vikings
Gondor
Orcs
Dwarves
Elves

On top of this lot I have a load left to paint

400 15mm Italian wars
100 28mm Orcs
100 28mm Gondor
300= 15mm Napoleonics (from 30 years ago)

So like Ithoriel I should be immortal

[SV52]

So it's not only me then.  A lot in there I recognise.  Great stuff, many thanks for sharing 

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Okay...
I started young, aged 11, and got into early 1st edition Warhammer. Then I got introduced to 6th Edition, WRG WW2, DBA, DBM, and from there...
Never stopped.
The wife just shrugs it off, but it pays for her sewing lessons...
My most lax period was during 1998, where I didn't paint for 9 months as I was working away, and during teacher training when I only painted three tigers and 150 Amerindian cavalry.
I appear to paint more often for friends these days than myself, but actually, I'm just ahead this year...

What have I got (painted):

6mm
Greeks
Macedonians
Vikings
Huns

15mm
WW2 British
WW2 Germans x 2
WW2 Russians
WW2 Americans
There should be more here, but I sold out before the market crashed...
Vietnam NVA
Later Imperial Romans.
Maximilian Adventure French
Maximilian Adventure Mexican Republican
WW1 British
WW1 Germans
Plains Indians
US Army for Pony Wars
Napoleonic British 1815
Prussians 1806

28mm
Tau
High Elf/Melnibonians
Halflings
Marian Romans
Scots
Various generic sci-fi
Many Blood Bowl teams
Various 28mm fantasy skirmish figures (Frostgrave et al)
1:1200 galleys Carthaginian
1:1200 galleys Romans

1:2400 British Naval WW2
1:2400 German Naval WW2

1:600 Tumbling Dice planes
Russian WW2
Finnish WW2
Late War British
Late wat American bombers
Late War German jets
Modern British jets
Modern soviet jets
Modern Argentine jets

Star Wars Armada imperials
Various sci-fi starship fleets (mostly from Drew at Studio Bergstrom)

10mm
FPW French
FPW Prussian
FPW Wurttemberg
FPW Bavarian
1866 Saxon
1864 Prussian
LOA Anglo-Dutch
Polish & Lithuanian Commonwealth
Tudors
Samurai
Mongols
Picts
Later Imperial Romans
Republican Romans
AWI British
AWI American
Woodland Indians
7/12 of the Warband armies
Fantasy armies not covered by Warband.
Falklands British
Falklands Argentine
Timecast Soviets
1980s Western Europe British Armoured
Mitanni

And that's after selling off a load!

[petercooman]

So for me:
- Choose one scale for skirmish
Skirmish for me is in 28mm. In general. Do have 10 mm ww2 forces, and pendrakens zombies and survivors

- Choose a smaller scale for larger forces
Again a mix: 28 mm for napoleon and fantasy, 10 mm for ww2 and acw. I do not plan to do big scale for large battles anymore. Small scale is just more handy to store. Would like to try 15mm though, the only scale i never did!

- Sort out the rules first
As i have said here on the forum, i have been sorting out my rules for a while now. Sticking to the same family of games to reduce downtime. Using the same rules engine means you don't spend much time looking things up when you should be playing.
I talked about it here:      http://www.pendrakenforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,17523.0.html

- Stick to one figure supplier if possible
Almost impossible for me. I like to stick to one as much as i can but just doesn't work. Generally i stick to one supplier for each project though. ( except for napoleon, where i mix perry and warlord games)
The problem here is the games i play. You have IP games like terminator or LOTR, so you have limited choices in manufacturers. Mixing up scales also means you have to use different suppliers. And not everyone having a complete range makes it even harder.


- Join a club
Got a group of friends to play with so that counts as a group i think!

[FierceKitty]

Started in big Airfix plastics with trashy rules in the 1970s; discovered 6mm in the 80s; cut back severely to 15mm pike and shot and 6mm SYW in the 90s; and discovered the One True Scale in the new millennium, with 6mm houses and 1:1200 ships in supporting roles.

Current holdings:
Ancient

Bronze age Greeks
NKE
Imperial Assyrians
Midianite alliance
Scythians
Northern Indians
Ch'in
Han
Achaemenid Persians
Classical Greeks
Thracians
Alexandrian Macedonians
Seleucids
Antigonids
Pyrrhics
Nabatean alliance
Early Gauls
Iberians
Numidians
Later Carthaginians
Republican Romans
Imperial Romans (WIP)
Hunnic alliance (WIP)
Early Byzantines (WIP)
Sassanid Persians (WIP)

Medievals
Ayyubids
Franks, 3rd Crusade
Comnenan Byzantines

Pike and Shot
Oda
Takeda
Ming
Ava Burmese
Moghul Imperial
Moghul Rebel
Renaissance French
Renaissance Spaniards
Conquistadors (WIP)
Incas
Mexicans (WIP)
Cavaliers
Roundheads
Scots
17th century Turks
Zaporozhian Cossacks
Poles
Muscovites
Swedes

Horse and Musket
SYW Prussians
SYW Austrians
Dixies
Dam' Yankees
Victorians
Khedival Egyptians
Mahdists
Abyssinians
Zulus

Modern
WWI aircraft - British, French, German
8th Army
Afrika Korps

What have I done with my life!?

[SV52]

The 'butterfly effect' seems to have been rampant among forum members over the years.  Compared to some of you guys I dont think I am as muxed ip as I thought I was    Marvellous responses.

How about 'Desert Island Discs' time?

Table and terrain a given.
Blk, Wh, silver, gold. red, blue, green and yellow paints a given along with the usual sundries.

1 Book (history or hobby)
1 Example of electronic medium
6 Armies of your choice

I typed this thinking I had a quick answer, turns out I don't.  This could take some time.

[petercooman]

How about 'Desert Island Discs' time?


1 Book (history or hobby)
Napoleonic wargaming by Neil thomas

1 Example of electronic medium
My phone, with my ganesha games pdf's on it

6 Armies of your choice
To spend a lot of time
Waterloo french
Waterloo british and allies

To get the pirates of the carribean feel
Pirates
British marines

For big games (there will be room on that island)
Bkc pendraken british
Bkc pendraken germans


That was easy

[SV52]

Excellent choices. 

Out-thought me with the 'phone.

However it's disallowed, no point being on a desert island with one of those

Audio/visual, DVD/MP3

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

How about 'Desert Island Discs' time?

1 Book (history or hobby) A Day of Battle David Ascoli
1 Example of electronic medium ipad, with Total War Rome on it
6 Armies of your choice
FPW Prussian/German (all Corps)
FPW French (all Corps)
WW2 Americans
WW2 German
Star Wars Imperial Fleet
Star Wars Rebel Fleet

[Leman]

Book: A Day of Battle David Ascoli

Electronic medium:  absolutely no chance!

6 armies:
FPW French
FPW Prussian
SYW Prussian
SYW Austrian
Italian Wars Spanish
Italian Wars French

[petercooman]

Excellent choices. 

Out-thought me with the 'phone.

However it's disallowed, no point being on a desert island with one of those

Audio/visual, DVD/MP3

Tablet or phone. It's practically the same. Without reception, a modern day phone IS a tablet so..   

After a week the battery will be dead anyway. Just need enough time to carve some of the special rules/tables in a rock or something.