Help me choose my next project

[mmcv]

If I were to offer just one dimension to help you choose, it would be asymmetry: how different are the opposing armies' weapons and doctrine? As a general rule, asymmetric opponents make for more interesting tactical tabletop challenges. Eg: Franco-Prussian (Krupp and needlegun vs Lahitte and Chassepot); Austro-Prussian (Lorenz vs needlegun). And once you get into those 'hyphenated wars', if you're not too fussy about headgear or greatcoats etc you can reuse the armies against different opponents (Crimean Russians vs Hungarians; Austrians vs Hungarians, French, Prussians, Danes, Italians; Prussians vs Austrians, French, Danes; and so on).

ACW loses out a bit on the weapons & tactics asymmetry dimension (though the armies still differ in other ways). But, since you asked for nominations, a couple of my favourite ACW battles that have produced great games are Chickamauga and The Wilderness. Paradoxically, the notoriously dense wooded terrain generates games that are all about maneuver - it limits the effectiveness of artillery which can otherwise pin everyone down in protracted firefights.

Good luck in finding new projects that suit your tastes!
 

Thanks, I agree on the "hyphinated wars" but part of me is thinking I'm maybe best just staying in 2mm for those given the large scale of the maps and terrain needed and the grand manoeuvres involved. I already have a core of the British, French and Russians from my Crimean and if I end up doing the rest of the Crimea battles that'll give me plenty more Turks and Sardinians too, which gives me some interesting options and jump of points for some of those other conflicts, including Russo Turkish. Plus headgear and coats aren't so much a concern at that scale. I probably just need an army in dark blue and in white and that should cover most of the main players?

I think you hit the nail on the head on the ACW though and why I maybe have some subconscious reticence towards it. While the history, characters and campaigns are interesting, many of the battles give the impression of being slogging matches and whoever can "get there firstest with the mostest" as the well-spoken General Forrest never actually put it.  It's maybe the symmetry of forces that lend to that impression, though I imagine there are still a lot of interesting battles to be had with the right scenario.

With Pendraken's excellent range, multiplicity of nations, interesting battles and Kronoskaf's superb website to draw information on uniforms, flags, equipment, organisation, battles and personalties, the Seven Years War has to be a favourite contender - and that is just the European theatre.

Seconded (or is it thirded) for the Peninsular to take advantage of the new and existing ranges.  If you are happy to bend history just a little you can have French in an array of uniforms and headgear, Spanish in all sorts of pretty colours and a few guerillas loitering around the table edges.  Lots of tactical challenges 

Okay, so Seven Years War and the Peninsular seem to be the frontrunners here. I think I had been originally gravitating towards SYW, but I could be swayed towards the Penisular. 

Any love for India? Asia? Africa? South America?

China is probably difficult until the fabled Boxer Rebellion range is done to give enough proxies for the various conflicts, but there are a few potentials in India and South America for some interesting conflicts... 

[hammurabi70]

Well there are a wide range of wars in India: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Anglo-Indian_Wars

These should give some asymmetric conflicts that might use Crimean British; the Sikh wars are interesting as their armies are, perhaps, closest to European style.

[mmcv]

Well there are a wide range of wars in India: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Anglo-Indian_Wars

These should give some asymmetric conflicts that might use Crimean British; the Sikh wars are interesting as their armies are, perhaps, closest to European style.

Yeah, I suppose what I'm asking here is what people's experience of them are to play are to help narrow down a list of potentials. I know there's the recent Mutiny range and there's Anglo Afghan ranges (presumably could proxy Sikh from amongst them?). But then as you say that could easily be an extension of my 2mm stuff using the British rather than going 10mm, though by that point were the Britsh in khaki and/or pith helmets rather than red and black? I am more than a little tempted by some of the subcontinent stuff BUT I'm planning on doing the Indian Army for my Great War project, which might leave me a little tired of turbans if I'm doing 19th Century India too. 

[fsn]

This is the kind of thing that gets me started.

[Chris Pringle]

Well there are a wide range of wars in India: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Anglo-Indian_Wars

These should give some asymmetric conflicts that might use Crimean British; the Sikh wars are interesting as their armies are, perhaps, closest to European style.

Oh yeah, India gives you asymmetry in spades. I've played quite a few of Mark Smith's scenarios, they're great fun and provide a very distinctive flavour.
https://bloodybigbattles.blogspot.com/2022/07/newly-published-bloody-big-battles-in.html

[FierceKitty]

A reminder that SYW includes world-shaping battles in India too.

[sultanbev]

As a source of inspirations or not, my current 19th century projects are:
28mm Ethiopians, which can be used from Napoleonics to the end of the century, and a good opponent for everyone's colonial era Egyptians, Brits, Italians, Turks, Mahdists before you get into ahistorical adventures.

28mm Afghans 1st Afghan war, a bit on hold as there are no suitable regular cavalry available in plastic, and no Sepoys to fight them with.

28mm Turks 1877, an army I've actually completed, shock horror. Unless anyone makes lancers in fezs, I won't be adding to these. Currently fight them against friends Brits, Russians, and even 1878 Afghans.

I won't be doing any more 28mm armies after these, as we've found the figures are too big for the ground scale we use, even though we have the frontage about right, which limits manouevre on the table too much, even on a 10 x5' table.

10mm 1812 Austrian Expeditionary Corps, French 5th Corps, Russians to be decided, Brits/Portuguese/Spanish for Salamanca. To add War of 1812 when Pendraken bring out that range.

10mm 1790s Revolutionary Wars in Italy would be one I'd consider, there are a good selection of 1790s Italian state armies, as well as the Swiss to pick from.

10mm Wars in India would be my other pick if the figures were available. Marathas, Ghurkas, Sikhs, Mysore, Baluchis, an eclectic mix of regulars and rabble {that's probably a good name for a set of wargames rules} to fight Afghans or EIC or more likely each other.

I still have 15mm Persian and Ottoman Turkish Napoleonics which are again an interesting mix of regulars and irregulars, with lots of troop varieties.

One of my colleagues has a massive 15mm Carlist Wars range, which is a good stand alone project, with assorted foreign legions involved. Not sure if it's doable in 10mm though.

[John Cook]

If it is asymmetric you want, how about the Jacobite 1745 Rising.  I did it a few year ago.  You have all the Hannoverian types in the SYW range, plus there are the French Royal Ecossois and the Irish Piquets to add a bit of variety to the Jacobite army.  Not much cavalry though but enough to make it interesting.  Loads of different clan flags.  The armies are manageable and the period lends itself to a campaign.  The Jacobites can win but it is difficult even if you don't factor in the incompetence of their leaders.  Give the Jacobites plenty of muskets – there were ten recovered at Culloden for every claymore sword and the Jacobite army wasn't the amorphous mob it is often depicted as.

Have you thought about some early stuff like the Dark Ages.  The Norman Conquest is asymmetric enough.  Two quite different armies and Hastings, like Culloden, is a small battle with manageable armies.  The Normans should have it far from all their own way and it also lends itself to a campaign.  I haven't done it myself but there is also Stamford Bridge and the Norwegian aspect to the period too.

The early ACW can also be quite interesting asymmetrically speaking with units armed with a variety of weapons from flintlock smoothbores, percussion smoothbores, through the variety of different rifle-muskets to state of the art Enfields and Springfields.  Shiloh was my first 10mm project years ago, mainly because everybody else was into Gettysburg which I find about as uninteresting as Waterloo as battles go.  If you want a smaller army there is Bull Run and the uniforms are not entirely blue and grey.   

[mollinary]

I don't want to overcomplicate this, but the Wars of the Austrian Succession in the 1740s offer some interesting battles. On the whole they are smaller than their SYW equivalents, but still hardly skirmishes!  It gives a good go to the Saxons, an attractive army, while having loads for the Austrians and Prussians. Mollwitz is a great sized battle to start with, reasonably balanced and not too big. I have played Chotusitz, Kesselsdorf and Hohenfriedberg over the years, and all gave great games. Uniforms are broadly similar, as are flags, and your opponents are likely to be less familiar with the actions. In September I will be going on a battlefield tour which will include Mollwitz and Hohenfriedberg, along with a shedload of SYW stuff. My enjoyment of this hobby is based on the combination of history, battlefield walking, figure painting and wargaming. 

[mmcv]

Thanks sultanbev some interesting ideas there.

10mm 1790s Revolutionary Wars in Italy would be one I'd consider, there are a good selection of 1790s Italian state armies, as well as the Swiss to pick from.

That's one I hadn't considered or know much about so some investigation to do there for me.

If it is asymmetric you want, how about the Jacobite 1745 Rising.  I did it a few year ago.  You have all the Hannoverian types in the SYW range, plus there are the French Royal Ecossois and the Irish Piquets to add a bit of variety to the Jacobite army.  Not much cavalry though but enough to make it interesting.  Loads of different clan flags.  The armies are manageable and the period lends itself to a campaign.  The Jacobites can win but it is difficult even if you don't factor in the incompetence of their leaders.  Give the Jacobites plenty of muskets – there were ten recovered at Culloden for every claymore sword and the Jacobite army wasn't the amorphous mob it is often depicted as.

Have you thought about some early stuff like the Dark Ages.  The Norman Conquest is asymmetric enough.  Two quite different armies and Hastings, like Culloden, is a small battle with manageable armies.  The Normans should have it far from all their own way and it also lends itself to a campaign.  I haven't done it myself but there is also Stamford Bridge and the Norwegian aspect to the period too.

The early ACW can also be quite interesting asymmetrically speaking with units armed with a variety of weapons from flintlock smoothbores, percussion smoothbores, through the variety of different rifle-muskets to state of the art Enfields and Springfields.  Shiloh was my first 10mm project years ago, mainly because everybody else was into Gettysburg which I find about as uninteresting as Waterloo as battles go.  If you want a smaller army there is Bull Run and the uniforms are not entirely blue and grey.

Jacobite is an interesting idea. I did design a Culloden scenario a few years back but never played it out, may have to fish out the game pieces I made (was just 2d) and see if it inspires.


My aim here is more for a fire and manoeuvre project. I already have a fairly decent Medieval collection which scratches that itch at the moment nicely.

Bull Run might be an interesting on to dip my toes into the conflict and see if my reticence is justified. 

So many interesting options to choose from!

[mmcv]

I don't want to overcomplicate this, but the Wars of the Austrian Succession in the 1740s offer some interesting battles. On the whole they are smaller than their SYW equivalents, but still hardly skirmishes!  It gives a good go to the Saxons, an attractive army, while having loads for the Austrians and Prussians. Mollwitz is a great sized battle to start with, reasonably balanced and not too big. I have played Chotusitz, Kesselsdorf and Hohenfriedberg over the years, and all gave great games. Uniforms are broadly similar, as are flags, and your opponents are likely to be less familiar with the actions. In September I will be going on a battlefield tour which will include Mollwitz and Hohenfriedberg, along with a shedload of SYW stuff. My enjoyment of this hobby is based on the combination of history, battlefield walking, figure painting and wargaming.

Interesting... Very interesting...that could be a nice starting point into the period. Presumably those armies could then go on to fight in the SYW? I'm not fussy about minor uniform changes if that's a factor.

[mollinary]

Interesting... Very interesting...that could be a nice starting point into the period. Presumably those armies could then go on to fight in the SYW? I'm not fussy about minor uniform changes if that's a factor.

Certainly, the uniform changes in Prussian and Austrian armies are few (Prussian dragoons go from white to light blue coats, although for some regiments this happened during the war in 1745). I use the same troops for both periods. The Saxons have already transitioned from red to white uniforms before the WAS and continue to wear this in the SYW. Go for it!

[Westmarcher]

Listen up. And doing the WAS means you could also consider The War of Jenkins' Ear between Britain and Spain.

I said ...  Jenkins' Ear!  ...  The War of Jenkins' Ear!

.... oh! I give up ...   

  

[mmcv]

Listen up. And doing the WAS means you could also consider The War of Jenkins' Ear between Britain and Spain.

I said ...  Jenkins' Ear!  ...  The War of Jenkins' Ear!

.... oh! I give up ... 

  

Indeed! You make a strong argument with many valid points.


Was doing a little research into WAS and it's definitely a contender. Start with Prussians and Austrians then expand from there through WAS and SYW. Once the British get involved then that's Jenkins's Ear and the Jacobites in the mix. I even have rules with Mollwitz as a sample scenario.  

Bit of a tangent but I have also been interested for a while in some of the South American conflicts, the War of the Pacific range is quite nice.

I think I'll probably pass on the 19th C hyphenated wars (loving that shorthand term) and keep them 2mm for now. India as well I'll leave for future consideration.

Right now my main contenders are getting into the soldier kings era, possibly with Mollwitz, getting into Napoleonics with the Peninsular, maybe starting with Maida, or starting in the ACW with a small Bull Run project or the like.

Or stuff it all and start painting some Bolivians.

[mmcv]

Okay so I think I've ruled out ACW for the moment, it'll have it's day another time.

Still wavering over South America.

I've picked up a biography of Fredrick the Great and a few overviews of the WAS and browsing through the many available on the Peninsular.

Anyone any good recommendations for resources for WAS/SYW and the Peninsular? Websites, books, podcasts, videos etc?