Reply To: Hold Until Relieved AAR

[Shaun Travers]

I don’t play enough WW2 either. While I love Ancients, the spectacle of WW2 always makes it a close second. I love reading rules too and am definitely a rules junkie. I started blogging to test out all the different Ancients rules I have. After about 25 of them, I decided to write my own flay play set for a 2’x2’ table. I must have about 100 WW2 rules as well and have consider testing them out as well. In fact, since early last year I have had a 2’x2’ table setup and two draft blog posts ready to play out two easy rules. I have 8 other rulesets chosen ready to play, just to see how they work on the table, rather than in my head. But I got distracted by my own rules again. I loved Take Cover!! when I used to play it in the early 2000’s but some of it is a little clunky. All I am doing with my rules it trying to streamline Take Cover!! Over 2014 it seems that I am fairly content to how my rules work and I like them! They are designed to be very fast and for a battalion with a ratio figure scale of 1:10. But I have the itch to scratch to play the other rules. While I do not make gaming resolutions at the beginning of each year as I know shiny distractions will occur, I really want to get in 2-3 WW2 games with some different rules. I seem to be able to cope with lots of different Ancients rules, but I find WW2 harder to move between rulesets.

I find I cannot play if the kids are around. They are still young-ish, and everyone says you will regret not spending as much time as you can with them at this age so I tend to find time for them when I can. My wife and I are catching up on some movies and TV shows we have been wanting to watch since last year, so the small free time in the evening is with her rather than the minis. And lunchtimes (when I have them!) I used to read about gaming but I am engrossed in an ancient Roman detective series (Marcus Didius Falco) and read it instead. And I also have a distracting sideline project that I mull over in my mind (portable WW2 game based on the old CCG Tank Commander).

I dream too that when they are older it means I may have more time to play but again, discussing it with others it may or may not be the case.

Regardless, it sounds like both you are I are having a great time, whether we are pushing figures, reading rules or doing something completely non-gaming.

Bolt Action does seem interesting and have a story with it. I have a friend I have known for only about 3 years. When I first met him, he play Warmachines lots and was playing it competitively. Bolt Action came out and he took that up with a vengeance, even running some tournaments. As he says WW2 is amazing – there is all this history behind it (he could not care at all about the fluff behind Warmachine). Just before Christmas he got introduced to Chain Of Command. It is now his rules of choice and plays it lots. I have read about gamers going Fantasy -> Bolt Action -> CoC but never met one!