Save Me From Myself!

[Guy Farrish]

A couple of weeks ago I saw an aar online of a game played about a period/war I’ve toyed around with playing off and on for years. I had some figures and a set of rules I bought at a show once, but ‘real life’™ got in the way and fifteen years later (about ten years ago in fact) I sold the figures unpainted. I have played free kriegsspiels based on the war and the conflict still appeals. I checked the rules  by the way  – ‘of their time’ is the kindest thing I can say about them.

So my interest was rekindled and I checked out figures and commercially available rules and hummed and hah’d for a few days. I wondered about writing my own rules. Then I thought sod it, I’ll see what the best contender rules look like and ordered a copy.

A week later and I have read a(nother) book on the conflict on Kindle, refrained with steely determination from buying figures on the fly knowing I would end up with more of what I didn’t need and needing more of what I didn’t have. But the rules haven’t turned up yet and I notice my eye wandering to another period entirely.

In the days before t’internet I might have compressed all this into an afternoon of circling stalls in a show (see above) and come away with anything from a handful of ‘trial’ figures to a couple of armies, several sets of rules and a bag full of books.

I know I should just calm down and wait for the rules to arrive and organise armies and then purchase the figures, paint them, base them and play, but once the eye starts to wander it’s hard to control. With a show it was buy then or indulge in the long distance dance of catalogue perusal, post and only a month later delivery of half what you wanted with an apology and an owing note saying the rest  would be on the way ‘soon’.

Now I have infinite choice, but still unfortunately finite resources of space, time and cash. Question is folks do I say stuff it and wait, while distracting myself (two Sassanid v Late Roman games played already to this end – nothing like the period planned by the way) or do I indulge and say buy a load of Goths?

If only the rules would arrive!

[McKinstry]

I apologize if this doesn’t help but it strikes me that Goths are complimentary to Sassanids and Romans as they can be either allies or enemies for the Romans.

Since my armies are in 6 and 10mm, the space and cost issues are ameliorated so that may not help anyone of a 28mm persuasion.

The tree of Life is self pruning.

[Guy Farrish]

Well it probably pushes me the way I was trying to avoid! :^)

Goths were in the frame for exactly the reason you suggest – and they would be in 6mm so space is a plus there.

I suspect Goths will be bought regardless to be honest – the other possibility is likely to be 10mm.

My more numerous figure armies all tend to be 10mm and below these days.

One very persuasive vote for lack of patience then!

[willz]

Life is too short to worry about what toys to buy or not to buy, just go with the feel Guy.  Paint, play and have fun, you can always sell them on,

[Guy Farrish]

Good point, well made Willz!

I think I was having one of those moments of crisis the infinite choice the internet brings. When it was buy at a show and you were stuck with it, it was easier- but as you can see with my purchase c25 years ago the outcome may have been less than satisfactory!

[willz]

I had similar feelings some 8+ years ago Guy when I decided to down size my wargame collection and started to sell items at wargame shows.  At first I felt sad selling them, then I realised that if I really wanted them or similar there was always Fleabay and Etsy.  I have found that this hobby is a great leveller and having building skills over 50+ years I can always rebuild the stuff I have sold.

As I have said Fleabay or Etsy is very useful for finding wanted wargame stuff, “Pickclick” is also vey useful for searching for stuff.  Remember wargame items sold or not bought are just projects waiting to be created.

[Benjamin Cato]

I base my buying decisions on the time I have available for a project not the cost. While I am quite stingy with my hobby expenditure (something I am trying to change 🙂 ) I find having the time available is the biggest constraint.

I assume that there will always be figures available somewhere so buying them just in case is not necessary – although I don’t always stick to this.

As for having the right number or type of figures, I tend to just use what I want / have and ignore the rules when necessary.

So I would say if you have the time, buy the figures!

[Rod Robertson]

Guy Farrish:

As the Roman poet Horace advised, “Carpe Diem!”. So get off your plucking arse and get your new minis without delay! Lead poisoning, the frustration of missing self-imposed deadlines, no free time and possible short-term financial insolvency are the reasons we took up this hobby, correct? Live the dream and just imagine yourself crouching down from your divine perch to see your newly painted hosts in battle array on the table before you. You are a god of war and all gods need sacrifices laid before them. You know you must; you are the scorpion and the minis are your frog in the river. Strike now.

Cheers and good gaming.

Rod Robertson.

[Guy Farrish]

:^)

I appreciate your forthright approach Rod!

Cato – always the preferred option!

Willz – thanks. I suspect this came over as more of a cri de coeur than was intended. It was more of a foot stamping exercise because the rules hadn’t arrived (still haven’t – aarrrgh!).

The whole thing is not unrelated to rationalisation however. I think I said a while back in response to Norm’s ‘defence review’ that I was thinking of doing something similar.

Units have been identified, dead ends marked and trips to tabletop sales and bring and buys planned to dispose of the hardware.

Wargaming abhors a vacuum however and this was part of a planned modernisation programme. I’ve been planning Goths for years but the other idea (I’d say ‘plan’ but that dignifies it) has been around even longer. Hence my dithering.

I’ll end up doing both. Or something else entirely!

I’ve been using proxies for Napoleonic Italians for years – I could always…

[Darkest Star Games]

As I tell my wife “I have to buy them (minis and rules) now so that I will have them for when I retire because they may go OOP and not be available in the future.”

It gets a rye smile as she know s they will most likely go into a Doom Box for some unspecified period of time before resurfacing…

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[kyoteblue]

Buy the armies….you know you want to, all the cool kids have them…

[OB]

Most of  my impulse buys have worked out but I still try and resist.  Too much stuff rather than anything else.

That said I’m now doing the Russian Civil War in 15mm and I’m thoroughly enjoying it.  No previous interest at all. There you go.

Also, to quote Primo Levi “If not now, when?”.  Gratify that impulse.

OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/

[Cacique Caribe]

Darkest Star Games wrote:

It gets a rye smile as she know s they will most likely go into a Doom Box for some unspecified period of time before resurfacing…

LOL.  I get the same kind of smile every time I order new minis and terrain stuff.  And a roll of the eyes.  🙂

 

Dan
Loads of WIPs: https://www.flickr.com/photos/9593487@N07/albums/with/72157710630529376

[Guy Farrish]

Well the rules arrived and while they haven’t put me off the idea of the period, I think I shall be writing my own rules – which actually makes things easier.

I knew I was taking a chance as there isn’t a lot about them out there. The author hinted they were intended for ‘large skirmish’ games of about 50 figures a side but could and had handled c500 figures a side!

Dicing for which individuals have been hit in a unit gives me pause for thought on the viability of playing 500 figures a side in a realistic time frame.

The other thing no-one mentioned in the reviews I read and one flip through video was the fact the action sequence is card driven.

I can handle random activations – I quite like Sword and Spear for a fast ancient game – but you have to have a lot of other things going for you to sell me card activations. Especially when I have to make all the unit specific cards.

I think it fair to say they aren’t the rules I was looking for. I was thinking about modifying them – quality driven activation for example rather than the card system, but then I thought: Why tinker when you can make a set that does exactly what you want from scratch? So I think that is what I shall do.

The good news is this hiccup hasn’t diminished my enthusiasm for the period, rather it has confirmed my intention to purchase the figs!

Now to add the rules to the list of things to sell.

[Darkest Star Games]

Great!

So when are you going to stop teasing us?

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Guy Farrish]

Not teasing, but I didn’t, and don’t, want to appear to be slagging off a perfectly fine rule set in public that many people seem to like a lot.

And as for what the conflict is: I am afraid I have my own nefarious reasons for keeping that close to my chest for the moment! Sounds enticing doesn’t it? It’s not, they are very mundane reasons in fact, but it will remain under wraps for now.

Sorry!

[Author]

Posts