[Shandy]

Oh, “chameleon” paint schemes, that’s the idea! And the last straw I needed to convince myself to get them as soon as they are here…

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

Hi!

We’ve now played our third game of Wandering Star – finally a victory for my Quar!

For a detailed report and more images, visit http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com/2014/10/31/the-extraction-third-wandering-star-game/

I’ll put the rules up for download shortly.

Cheers

Shandy

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

They could work as mecha for my Quar… those are tiny guys anyway, one of them could be imagined to fit into the belly. I really like the design.

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

Oh, they are nice… I wonder how they would look with 15mm….

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

I like ‘Gaming Matters’ and ‘Make Games Not War’ – the last one also stresses the ‘making’, which is such an important part of our hobby.

What about

– “The games we play.”

– “Conquering your imagination.”

– “Adventures in Miniature” (may sound too much like LAF…)

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

15mm Wars of the Roses

15mm Dark Age (SAGA)

1/2400 napoleonic naval

started painting but not yet played: 15mm early medieval Andalusia (probably using Hail Caesar)

… and 15mm sci fi

 

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

Hi!

 

I’ve decided to occasionally announce updates to my blog in this thread.

First up is some painting and building: Test-playing the new sci-fi rules has rekindled my motivation to finish some of the 15mm sci-fi stuff that is lying around… I’ve done some scratch building, but I’ve also finally painted up the lovely tank I got from the Darkest Star Kickstarter:

For more images, visit

Sci-Fi Painting & Building

 

Cheers,

Shandy

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

Yay! I’ll be there. And I’m looking forward to grabbing some Critical Mass 15mm sci fi stuff….

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

I consider myself foremost a gamer, although making stuff is very important for me and I certainly spend more time painting and building than gaming. Interestingly, I was never much of a modeler as a kid (I started a couple of kits but I can’t remember finishing one ) and I enjoy painting and building more now than I did as a teenager – it’s provides a good compensation to my job. I enjoy the social and narrative aspect of the game, when playing the game generates an exciting story. Figures and terrain help me to get immersed into the story, that’s why I prefer miniature wargames to boardgames.

But most of all, I enjoy the immense creative potential of wargaming and the immense creativity of war gamers – just look at all the cool projects, terrain, rules and scenarios made up by people! It seems that wargaming is about letting the imagination run free and then translate it into material objects, and those material objects in turn spark the imagination anew – and there’s no limit to it, you can go on experimenting and gaming and building and trying new stuff… don’t like the rules? Make up your own! Don’t like the scenarios? Create your own! Etc. It’s this openness I like most.

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

Nice paint job William! Paul, I’d be interested in the comparison shots, if they fit with 15mm my willpower might crumble… and my nephew would love the big guys! Oh my.

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

Funnily enough, as you mention X-Wing, it brought me back into wargaming… I got it when it came out and was glad there was no painting to be done. However, some weeks later I started to get ideas about scratch building asteroids and satellites for the missions, and then I ordered a Senator’s shuttle at Shapeways and moseyed into the local game store to buy paints, and from that moment on I was lost… 

Meaning that painting and crafting seem to be a constitutive part of wargaming for me. So if I had the money, I’m not sure I would pay people to paint stuff… I would commission lots of sculpts of figures however (apart from the dedicated gaming room William mentioned of course)!

And lovely looking set up, Mick!

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

Thanks! We’ll play a couple more test games and that I will put a pdf up for download.

It’s an interesting experience forcing oneself to keep things as simple as possible – with sci fi, there is always the temptation of making one more special rule or differentiation for yet another of those nice models…

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

I enjoy painting and building stuff and the diy aspect of the hobby is very important for me. However, I see with some trepidation the increasing level of, for a better phrase, model-railwayisation – playing tables become dioramas where every detail looks just perfect. My skills are not sufficient for such things and frankly I enjoy a bit of a ‘gamey’ look to my wargames. Does this mean I will never be able to host a game in a convention, as my table will never look like the stuff you see in WI or on some shows?

Especially to introduce newcomers, I think it would be great to show that you can have a lot of fun without investing incredible amounts of money or time – why not stage a game with a felt mat (SHOCK HORROR)? It can be as fun as a game with custom made boards where every tuft of grass is from Silhouette and cost a fortune… (this incidentally raises the issue of the cost of building things yourself, which can be higher than buying them, especially if you strive to reach a very high standard, as the raw materials can get quite expensive).

 

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

Hi!

We’ve now played another game and tested the vehicle rules – still working fine. I have lost, but that was because my tactics were broken, not the rules 

For a report, visit http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com/2014/10/17/second-sci-fi-playtest/

Cheers

Shandy

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

Last year’s CRISIS… two envelops (second hand) with the labels ‘Roman fleet’ and ‘Carthargian fleet’ 1/1200… and, what makes it worse. I don’t even know what really was in there! 

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

I like “A World of Wargaming” – it’s positive and doesn’t imply a need to legitimize, as “This is our hobby” may do. Also, it makes clear that this site indeed is about wargaming and not some of the antics other sites cater for…

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

I like photos. However, I’ve ordered stuff from companies that have no photos (& sometimes was in for a surprise (sometimes pleasant & sometimes not so)).

I understand that most of the companies I order from are small one-man shows, so I’m pretty understanding about delivery times etc. – usually, I’m in no hurry, the lead pile is big enough to keep me occupied…  And I have had very pleasant shopping experiences with companies that are rather old-school in their approach to the shopping experience, like Hovels.

However, if there is one thing I don’t like it’s not answering emails. Sometimes, I have a question about a product (especially if there are no photos) and I’d really like to get an answer. It doesn’t have to be immediately and it may even be “I don’t know”, but getting an answer is nice.

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

I can highly recommend Khurasan. But their horses are considerably larger than most other manufacturers, so they will not mix in units. Looking good though, with varied and dynamic poses. If you need single figures, Donnington are quite nice (you want their ‘new era’ figures). Both go together, I use single Donnington to add some variety. Essex depend, most are fine if a bit bland, and as has already been said the poses are limited. For some ranges, Museum Miniatures might work. Baueda do some quite specialized Dark Ages figures which are nice.

Gosh, there’s so many 15mm manufacturers out there… I’ve got figures from most, but only very few ranges, mostly Normans and Vikings and early medieval Spanish/Andalusian.

Oh, and not to forget Peter Pig: I’ve got their Wars of the Roses figures, I like them a lot, they have some great poses; however there are people that don’t like them as they look a bit ‘well fed’. They are a bit smaller than other manufacturers.

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

Time, space and money – or better, the lack of those – make me focus quite easily. I’ve got a couple of core periods and scales and plan projects quite meticulously, so the ‘oh shiny’ syndrome normally doesn’t grab me. Also, waiting helps a lot- I can get excited quickly, but most of the time, the excitement  is gone after a week or two.

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

From what I have read, the new ACW rules by John Hill, Across a Deadly Field, seem to be more on the simulation side of things. However, the problem seems to be that they take quite a lot of time to play – a battle on a weekend, they say. For me, personally, this is not feasible – I don’t have that much time at my hand.

I don’t think the market is necessarily scared of the word ‘simulation’, but it is rightly scared of rules that create games that take a long time. Many people don’t have that time. So I am looking for rules that, indeed, give “a fun fast game that still gives a flavor of the period” – and with rules like the ones produced by TooFatLardies, I don’t think it’s an empty phrase.

But then I have always been fascinated what could be called ‘elegance’ in games design – mechanisms that, while quite simple, manage to model quite complex processes and open up lots of possibilities. The TFL shock points are something like that.

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

Thanks for the hint Kieran, I didn’t know about the Navar buildings – seems they have at least some for the age of sail.

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

Good question as I have to come up with something for my new project. Up until now, I use a piece of felt delineating the wooded area and put scenic bases with 2-3 trees on it. Looks reasonably well and is easy to use. As I don’t like to fiddle around with terrain while playing, easy to use is paramount.

For the new project (medieval Spain, so woods are rather sparse pine tree affairs), I’m thinking of making a larger scenic base and inserting smaller bases with trees into ‘holes’ as Paul said. Not individual trees though, that would be too fiddly.

I always wanted to build one of those dense woods where the trunks form a barrier around the base and the treetops are a removable roof, but never managed to. My one effort stalled due to using the wrong materials.

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

Thanks a lot for the images! Hm, I might try the smaller ones… but first, I’ll probably give scratch building a try…

Nice paint job btw!

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

Thanks, I’ve seen the Langton buildings on their web site but assumed that they would be too large for 1/2400 – what do you think? Are they reduced in size for 1/1200?

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

That looks really nice. And I’ll steel the idea with the golfing tees 

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

Be warned, some of the stuff inside is disgusting!

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

I love magazines (some more than others) and I like to read the paper version (same with books). What I am looking for is pretty much covered by MW/BG, I have to say: Great ideas for scenarios and rules mechanisms, covering other scales than 28mm, terrain building tutorials, reviews of new products…. History is fine, but better something that is outside the trodden path and gets me to think about doing something I haven’t thought of before. And that has a connection to gaming.

What I really like is to see images of actual games, I don’t like dioramas just done for the photoshooting. I don’t mind home made terrain & figures, mine certainly won’t look better.

Most of all, I want to be inspired by a magazine and get new ideas to think outside the box!

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

I agree with Richard Lee! I am interested in naval wargaming in some periods, but not in others.

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

I usually play with one regular opponent and without umpire. I love to design scenarios, so we mostly play scenario based engagements. Our games are 2-4 hours (preferably 2), we normally agree to a turn limit as we usually don’t have the time or stamina to play longer than that.

Once started, I’m quite focussed on a project, so I plan ahead, read reviews and do some research before I try something new. I’m rather disciplined when it comes to buying wargames stuff (not so much with books, unfortunately…). However, if someone invites me for a game, I would try anything I guess (apart from things I feel uncomfortable with on a thematic level).

And yes, I use fan made material and get a lot of inspirations from magazines and blogs!

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

Very nice! I’m increasingly tempted to use these rules for my upcoming El Cid project…

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

My green felt mat! 

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

A huge pile of newly arrived lead – 15mm Almoravids and Spanish for my El Cid project. I ordered bits and pieces from all manufacturers to see what I could use, so it’s quite a chaos. However, I’ve already started painting some Spanish heavy cavalry, going well so far thanks to Henry’s horse color chart from The Book 

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

We play in our living room on a small (4×3) dining table. Everything has to be removed after play. That’s why I went 15mm, with distances scaled down by one third we can get decent sized games. Also, things are easier to store as storage is also limited in our small city apartment. Oh, and I also paint on this table, which is why my table edge has acquired some colorful marks 🙂 On the other hand, I enjoy spending time with my girlfriend and prefer to work in the same room as she – I guess I wouldn’t use a dedicated workshop much.

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

Rich, thanks for the link, great to see that Pulp Alley works in a sci fi setting – I just made the plan to try to use it instead of Tomorrow’s War: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com/2014/08/08/changing-alley/

Cheers,

Shandy

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

I’m glad I don’t  do 28mm – I never could do that heraldry! Very well done.

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

Thanks John, that is fascinating! Interesting point about the ‘space navy’ – never thought about why we always refer to them as navy…

Another common denominator seems to be the concept of world building in the sense of defining a set of circumstances and rules of interaction and then following through what would happen – controlled flights of fancy, so to say. a simulation, but not in the sense of simply imitating reality, but running a program to find out the consequences of initial parameters – like climate simulations.

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

In academic history, there is no Dark Ages anyway, it’s all subsumed into the medieval period.

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

Thanks Henry, never heard of Lyall before… interesting that he wrote rules as well as novels.

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

Mick, I really like your articles in MW/BG, great work! And very nice terrain on your blog.

Concerning Dark Ages, I’d vote for including them here – if only for selfish reasons: I’m about to start an El Cid project which sits right in between DA and medievals (if you believe the WRG periodisation), and I’d rather pester you in this board with my questions…

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Shandy]

Hello!

I’m Thomas and have restarted wargaming about 2 years ago. As a youngster, I played GW’s Space Marines (the original Epic), subscribed religiously to Miniature Wargames (early Ian Dickie) and even had a Prussian SYW army which I never managed to paint due to General Laziness. 2 years ago, my girlfriend and I watched Wil Wheaton’s TableTop and got hooked to the whole gaming thing. I bought X-Wing and all went downhill from there…

At the moment, I play Ganesha Game’s rules in 28mm (pirates), SAGA in 15mm, Wars of the Roses in 15mm (Sharp Practice variant), sci-fi in 15mm (probably going to change rules, we realized we don’t like Tomorrow’s War), napoleonic naval in 1/2400 (Kiss me Hardy). Pretty eclectic, although it turns out my main interest is medievals and I’m pretty much a 15mm guy – my painting skills are just good enough to get a decent result in an acceptable time and we don’t have much space for gaming and storage anyway.

I really like the idea of this forum, thanks to Mike and Sam for doing this!

Cheers

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Author]

Posts