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Guy FarrishParticipant
Ancients – Impetus and (but more) Spear and Sword at the moment – occasionally get WRG 5th edition out – look at them and put them down again.
Early Mediaeval – Dux Bellorum
Mediaeval – Lion Rampant
Italian Wars – Impetus
ECW – WRG George Gush (shhh – don’t tell anyone)
Thirty Years War – Tercio and my own set- imaginatively entitled 30 Years War
Looking at 7 years war – Honours of War
Napoleonic – Volley & Bayonet
ACW – Longstreet & Volley & Bayonet
WWII – Blitzkrieg Commander and WRG Armour Infantry 1925-50 (1973)
Vietnam – Cold War Commander and Buckle for Your Dust and Andy Callan’s Vietnam rules
Cold War in Germany (gone hot – don’t just sit there for 45 years looking across the table at each other) Cold War Commander – occasionally WRG 1950-85
Modern(ish) platoon level – No End In Sight
Some of these are ‘when I get around to playing’ – so not for a few years for some of them but I will play them all again.
Guy FarrishParticipantSecond that – the ads are not intrusive and very informative. They don’t slow loading down (in fact when I was running adblocker that slowed loading down more!) I was glad to turn it off for this site.
(And with any luck Mike will then be able to buy a full sized violin.)
Guy FarrishParticipantYou should do it – you’d be …Squids in!
Sorry, I’m just leaving…
Guy FarrishParticipantWell done Russell.
(Sorry it’s delayed – been busy)
Lovely figure.
Guy FarrishParticipantThere should be a stop motion feature film starring these guys.
I can hear them now!
The voices!
Seriously I can see these in a film. Just brilliant.
Guy FarrishParticipantGreat stuff!
And best wishes for your daughter’s campaign.
Guy FarrishParticipantReally love these. Don’t get me wrong I love a lot of the more traditionally representational figures too but these have a real appeal. Always said there is never just ‘one’ style of game, figure or painting and these prove that in spades. Brilliant!
Guy FarrishParticipantBought an eclectic mix of cheap individual 54mmish plastic figs from Woolworths and when flush from local toys store Baileys, which had Swoppets and similarly expensive figures. Can’t remember anyone being always ‘bad’ guys – depended on the scenario (usually what film I had watched recently or what we were playing at school). These were mostly cowboys and Indians and knights.
When Airfix came along it was definitely a hierarchy of Brits, Americans, Russians, Germans and Japanese in descending order of ‘goodie/baddie’ continuum. The Brits always won, even Churchill kits versus Tigers. But then my Dad had fought in the war so it never for a moment seemed a strange thing.
Guy FarrishParticipant85 years isn’t so bad a journey, anyone who has driven the M1 or M25 could cope with it. The question is more, do we go blind or send probes etc first?
85 years!
Sounds a tad optimistic for 24 trillion miles!
Even M25 drivers might find the c70,000 years at current travel speeds a bit of a bore.
The trick is to go now, discover near light speed travel on Proxima b in 70K years, zip back to earth with the technology to arrive just after we send the probe and send people to Proxima b to negate the need for the first probe to go.
Brian Cox isn’t going to like that.
Guy FarrishParticipantThis guy really flies in the face of everything I normally think of as what I like about wargaming: history, gaming over collecting, and function. Yet he remains one of my favourite figures – certainly the favourite single figure I still own I think. He isn’t the best painted, and to be honest he has never actually seen any tabletop action as I never got around to buying enough 25/28mm SF figures to fight an actual skirmish never mind a battle (and I have no idea about rules).
So what DO I like about him?
Well there’s something bizarrely pleasing about the figure as a figure, and I love the weird armour/space suit that looks pretty impractical to me – a triumph of form over function but lovely for all that. I bought him in a model shop in Gloucester c1990 , along with 5 or 6 other SF figs, since sold,on a whim one boring Saturday morning. Just after that I fell madly in love with a girl in Cheltenham, so much so that wargaming was put on hold, and then I went on an overseas posting. He, along with my relationship, went into cold storage. He emerged some years later, the relationship not so much. So he is a reminder of the follies of (comparative) youth and he sits there on my windowsill as I type, not likely to ever actually do anything except whisper in my ear that I am human.
Guy FarrishParticipantHmmm? What’s a hobby?
Played a lot of rugby – can’t describe that as a ‘hobby’, great fun but quite serious.
Lots of sports – but again shouldn’t a ‘hobby’ have an element of frivolity, relaxation?
Powerlifting? Frivolous (the way I do it) Relaxing? No.
Ok – walking – again started off quietly – six or seven miles on a Sunday afternoon. Mountain walking and long distance paths stopped the frivolous side of things.
Reading – okay that’s relaxing (but I keep an Excel spread sheet of what I have read with reviews – maybe not).
Writing – not relaxing any more, work again.
Motorbikes – 16 they were fun, and then mid life crisis – fell off twice but in one piece- bike in garage. Any buyers?
Don’t collect things intentionally – the house is full though – all sorts.
Thrash a guitar – 5 chords! No – seriously 5! The last 2 are hard work though.
No. No hobbies. Thanks for asking.
Guy FarrishParticipantLooking forward to seeing it.
Welcome!
Guy FarrishParticipantAnother Wargamer – define ‘gamer’.
That might work in the US (don’t know where you are from) but in the UK shows don’t usually distinguish between ‘gamers’ and non ‘gamers’ at the door – those putting on a game for demo or participation usually are exempt from entry fees but those members of the public playing in participation games certainly aren’t. Most of the public entrants just wander around chat to people, buy stuff and leave – they don’t generally play any games.
As for abuse of family tickets – usual deal at most non wargames venues is two adults two kids at a discount from individual adult child prices. Up to the individual group of punters if their family exceeds/falls short of those criteria.
Can’t see any excuse for ‘ladies’ free entrance. ‘Partner free’ might just be okay but may of course be open to abuse – define partner. Best if all entrants pay – kids half price.
As for it not being a big deal re price – well it isn’t and that’s the point, it IS a matter of principle and the principle is women aren’t the ‘weaker sex’ don’t need mollycoddling by men and wargames should be gender blind.
Guy FarrishParticipantNever done that I’m pleased to say (watch this space having said that out loud…)
Have drunk my paintbrush water by accident, and cleaned my brush in tea and coffee cups. So glad I changed to acrylics from enamels!
Guy FarrishParticipantI used to buy quite a few as casual interest starting points,because as NCS says, pre internet they were a not bad (usually) resource. Since the internet you can pick up a lot of the info there. Free info is worth what you pay for it of course, but at least it’s free, whereas some Ospreys should have been given away. If you want a quick beginners guide to a subject in one accessible place however, I still think they work in general.
The trouble is the quality can vary dramatically (or has done over the years). I know of one or two academics who have written titles under a nom de plume/guerre(?) and their works are brilliant value. But as they don’t advertise who they really are, you don’t know unless you know what you are getting. There are others which will leave you having to unlearn a lot of stuff before you work out what really happened.
Osprey seem to be branching out into more obscure subjects, often not particularly historical as such (the gaming titles, particularly the fantasy and SF ones) which might be good for gamers generally, but makes me wonder if they feel they have covered the historical field as well as they can. I think there are titles and subjects they could revisit, some in the light of new research, some just because the originals were, how shall we put this? Less than a hundred per cent accurate?
Given the prices I’d still pick one or two up for a quick guide if I were starting a new period/theatre of ops, and if I weren’t such a crusty old git who already thought he knew it all!
Guy FarrishParticipantCurrently non-Facebook but thinking about it- not for wargaming though, but for publicising my (non-wargaming) writing. So far the advice I’ve had about which is the best way of using this vehicle for my avowed purpose has been… what shall we say? Contradictory?
Like fora for wargames.
Still use some Yahoo Groups.
Blogs are okay, especially if organised with landing page and some side pages for more permanent material and if material on the blog page itself is well tagged for looking back through an interesting subject. Interaction on blogs is problematic sometimes, given that many comment facilities are turned off or strictly patrolled; understandably given the nature of spammers and trolls.
Guy FarrishParticipantSorry Kaptain K but I find rules that strive too hard to meet case IV can be really annoying. I take your point about defining salient criteria – eg ‘Flank Attacks’ but when rules define EVERYTHING they drive me mad- eg
‘This set of rules uses dice to generate random numbers in some situations where the element of uncertainty is required to be factored into a calculation. In these rules the term ‘dice’ refers to regular cuboids marked with the positive integers one through six. The number showing uppermost when the dice have been thrown and come to rest again is the number to be used in any relevant calculations. If the die does not land squarely with one surface resting flat to the tabletop (or dice box or similar container provided for the purpose of bringing the dice securely to a halt) then the die shall be deemed to be ‘cocked’ and the number so generated (even if it appears that the number uppermost would have remained uppermost if the die had continued in its movement to land flat) is invalid and the die must be rerolled in an appropriate manner to obtain a clear number.’ And on and on and on.
Also the catch all about agreeing a means of deciding disputes makes perfect sense. No set of rules however well written survives first contact with a user who does not know the writer and wants to win.
House rules and interpretations rarely result from mistakes in writing but rather derive from the reader wanting something else to have been written, despite the clear evidence of what the writer intended.
Poor old Phil Barker spent years trying to chase his tail to clear up ‘loopholes’ that the players generally didn’t want closing and existed mostly in the minds of people who wanted another set of rules from the ones written.
Guy FarrishParticipantAnd well worth persevering Norm, thanks for that.
Good report and nice pics- doing Waterloo (even just the bit around La Haye Sainte in 54mm does seem a little bonkers! But looks very good.)
I’ve never bothered with BritCon because I’d always assumed it was a competition weekend -now I know there’s more I may get myself sorted next time and attend.
Thanks.
Guy FarrishParticipantHi,
I think you need to have the image hosted elsewhere on the web: Flickr or similar, and then click on the insert image button on the bar (looks like a mountain in a square) and put the image url into the pop up source box.
Mike may be along in moment to tell me/you there is a better way. That one works though.
Guy FarrishParticipantWargaming was it Sir? I’m sure it was. And those ‘mushrooms’ are just an accident because you ‘forgot’ to boil the compost. Almost ‘magic’ hey? Ahem. Would you mind just coming down the station and explaining that for the Sergeant then?
Guy FarrishParticipantQuite keen to read – but no link visible to me.
Any chance of another go at posting the link please?
Guy FarrishParticipantOh, go on then… How do you know that there are other types of glue for sticking wood together, which is very annoying if you want PVA for scenic purposes?
Guy FarrishParticipantOld Glory (UK)
Foundry
both do ranges (both in inconvenient amounts from memory but they do them)
Irregular do some as well -different style but individuals available.
Redoubt has a small selection (the wings are on the horses not the figures so don’t be confused when looking at the catalogue- the hussars are not listed as ‘winged’ but you need the eastern horses with notches for wings)
I think Hinchliffe models have some (Hinds now) and Minifigs have one.
Guy FarrishParticipantVery pretty!
(18th Century?)
Guy FarrishParticipantDon’t know if they ‘used to’ have another range but they have these now:
Guy FarrishParticipantNo problem with the work of professional painters at all! More power to your/their elbows. I love looking at some of the work produced.*
My only concern is that tyros think THEY have to paint like that when they start as an entry cost to the hobby.
They don’t of course but some seem to take that message home from some of the shows.
*I am also intrigued at changing fashions in styles of painting and why styles that were hailed as ‘the best’ 20 years ago are now passé. This isn’t simply technical or artistic development or improvement but is a definite stylistic change. I’m waiting for block painting in Humbrol gloss enamel to come back in fashion!
Guy FarrishParticipantI’ll be honest and have to say that I haven’t, but probably because I have only just started getting into SF and don’t know/encounter many/any players as yet.
On the other hand I have experienced the Olympic experience with historicals. Ie: ‘that’s fantastic but beyond my reach.’
I’ve known young and potential wargamers look at the display games at shows and come away thinking they’ll do something else.
The intended effect of huge numbers of superbly painted historical figures on immaculate model railway quality terrain may be to inspire but it seems just as likely to intimidate younger and starter gamers. The perceived acceptable levels of skill, time and money required are too much for some.
I’m not suggesting all shows should consist of games where 20 badly painted figures on a chalked board represent Waterloo but a half way house might be good.
The message should be that you don’t have to be a brilliant painter or own several thousand pounds worth of lead to be a wargamer.
Kids in particular need alternatives laid before them. They should be welcomed whether they choose the several thousand 28mm superbly painted figure rout,e or the good enough painted skirmish game avenue. The perfect should not be the enemy of the good.
Guy FarrishParticipantSorry to bring this down to filthy lucre, but I was interested and then checked prices in the UK (not exhaustively, just a quick online search) and with most at £46+ its on the edge of my interest/cost curve. (just seen one at £37)
Then I see McLaddie quoting $36 – even with the disastrous exchange rate it comes out at c£27.50 – what is going on?
I am used to the ‘transport/exchange rate/etc’ reasons and I used to expect a straight 1:1 translation of dollar prices to pounds for boardgames but this seems excessive. Is it now standard to expect this level of difference between dollar and pound prices?
Guy FarrishParticipantThanks – been hedging about whether to do these in 10mm or 15mm for ages – looks like its going to be 20mm!
Guy FarrishParticipantReally lovely stuff there Pat.
Fair enough – I wish someone would make some, I would definitely be tempted.
I’m sure I should ask this on the Ancients board but as I’m here – who made the Assyrians?
Guy FarrishParticipantI suspect it is simply an historical accident.
Airfix laid a massive base for 1/72 plastic figure collectors/gamers in the UK. That was nearly all historical. They were priced at the toy market.
Other historical producers and ranges found a ready market.
SF never had that base and the lead wargame manufacturers who saw a market stuck to their own (non-scale) figures. Tooling a production line for a range of figures that traditionally has been low (ish) volume/high unit price is a big gamble. The switch to resin and plastic for existing manufacturers had an existing (captive?) audience. A new scale venture wouldn’t have that.
Just a prohibitive market entry cost for the perceived return?
Edit: Sorry Pat posts crossed – Yes, it s the old joke isn’t it – how do you make a million in the wargame business – start with 2 million.
Guy FarrishParticipantYes, same thing on Chrome on a pc – looks like the header photograph is a tad too wide.
It’s left justified for me so I am only missing a bit of the Blog List on the right (and I can slide over)
But the content it is great!
Really enjoyed that and will be back.
Thanks.
Guy FarrishParticipantCue a Bertha’s Beach sign – ‘It is Forbidden to Ambush the Penguins.’
I might have a use for the Walrus and Elephant seals.
Guy FarrishParticipantNo, sorry. Don’t ‘get’ Tarzan and don’t suppose I ever will. I shall give it a miss.
Guy FarrishParticipantI don’t think the figures are 1/600 by the way Rod! Reading the report they are GHQ -still great painting but not quite the dexterity required for this effect in 1/600!
Really good stuff though bishnak!
Guy FarrishParticipantI was going to say there isn’t anything, but I do have a hankering for some pretence at scale – you know: how big a unit is supposed to be, what the ground scale might be etc. I am prepared to accept fudges on range/movement relationships and especially on time/turn issue, with the old ‘includes some dithering/command transmission’ face saving allowed. I like to be able to pretend that the writer at least thought about what he/she is modelling rather than just made it all up.
I don’t need (actively don’t want) all the research in the book – worse yet in detailed rule mechanisms – but I do like to think that the reason a simple rule is framed the way it is, might be because it reflects the outcomes of the research rather than a straight wet fingered guess.
Don’t mind a couple of pages of explanation about the thoughts, research, ideology behind the rules – but in a separate section that doesn’t interfere with the actual use of the rules in anger. (or joy).
Guy FarrishParticipantWell I think a lot of people actually think they were shorter than that, and probably spears – but for arguments sake:
Turks WITH pike and Qin WITHOUT! You might as well play fantasy! (I shall now run and hide).
Guy FarrishParticipantHow about cardboard bases painted the colour of the uniform? How about cartoon drawings/paintings of the troops (Arthurian v Saxons Dark Ages) directly on the mdf bases?
I did have 2mm blocks grey and blue for ACW (still have them somewhere). which worked brilliantly for army level games or Kriegsspiel.
I’m with Arthur all the way. I know him and a less patronising chap you would be very hard pressed to find.
I haven’t read his latest piece but I think that the perfect can be the enemy of the good. And if the gentlemen who wrote the responses listed haven’t heard the ‘not good enough for selling the hobby’, ‘it ought not to be allowed’ ‘why were they allowed a table’ in response to some demonstration/participation games that didn’t adhere to the ‘aesthetic’ prevailing at the time, they are very lucky.
It depends what you want from wargaming. If it’s a panorama of beautifully crafted and painted toy soldiers on model railway terrain – that’s fine. But some people like the recreation of history, the tactical interest, the involvement in the action. So if you want/are able to combine both, that’s fine. But you shouldn’t have to defer the latter because you haven’t got or don’t want the former.
I’ve played campaigns on OS maps with a perspex overlay and chinagraph pencils, Ancient battles with painted mdf bases, and Renaissance battles with hundreds of lovingly painted 25mm figures. They’re all wargaming and knowing that a paper and pencil can give a game every bit as entertaining as the assembling of hundreds (thousands?) of pounds worth of painted metal figures is very reassuring – to newcomers and old stagers wanting a change but lacking the commitment or spare change to shoot for the one style every time.
I’m definitely with Arthur.
And who says that the current style of painting wargame figures is the ‘right’ one anyway? Styles and fashions change – and simply because we have a fad for blending and shading in acrylic now doesn’t mean lining, washes, block painting or any of the other variants we’ve used over the years were wrong. Painting styles aren’t ‘progressing’ towards any perfect style. They’re changing. It’s fashion. Like most fashions – the best thing to do is ignore it. There’ll be another one along in a minute.
Guy FarrishParticipantThat’s really cool Jack.
I admit it threw me for a second when your page came up with the adobe style buildings in situ!
Makes sense now I’ve read it.
Looking forward to seeing the whole thing.
Re the flock, I’ve used matt varnish spray in the past and that works pretty well to set it. It still rubs off under heavy use though.
Would the hairspray affect the rubber in any way?
I’ve seen railway modellers use dilute pva glue to fix ballast, dribbled on with a dropper, but they have crazy patience. Some of them use it on grass flock away from the tracks sprayed on with a garden mister and they reckon it sets it rock hard. Worth a try on a test piece to see how it looks. Don’t know how it would affect the look of the rest of the terrain that isn’t flocked though – they only use it on big grass areas where the glue sinks in.
Really looking forward to reading about/seeing this in use!
Guy FarrishParticipantDo you drink straight from the jar or just lick the brushes?
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