Plotting & Planning #2: A Decision! Or two.

This is about the historical periods that float my boat. I’ll try to keep the nostalgia as light as possible; there are many things I could expand on but I’ll keep them for other posts. Something to write about when I haven’t painted anything!

When it comes to ‘what toys make me happy’ I’m instantly drawn to 1/32! I have always loved this scale and spent many enjoyable hours with Britain’s, Timpo, Airfix and the like. Sadly, this also involved crawling around on the floor and spending hours in the garden (also on the floor - my knees were constantly grass-stained and mottled by concrete). Obviously, I’m too creaky for the floor and don’t enjoy long summer holidays any more. Tabletop 1/32 just isn’t feasible for me so sadly I will have to pass on this one.

So I’ve decided to limit myself to my ‘formative years’ of gaming; this was roughly from when I started in 1977 to about 1988 when I left the Staines club. By then I had hit on all bar one of the periods that will always keep my attention. These are....

1. The American Civil War
I wrote earlier about my hobby launch via the ACW, so this is a non-brainer. I stupidly gave away my original Airfix armies but I have amassed a decent collection of Blue Moon 18mm. These are superb figures, but they fall below my 20mm rule (although only just...). I may have to think hard about replacing them, but whatever happens there will always be ACW in this house!

2. Napoleonics
We all need colour in our lives! Another one that needs no thought.... I’ll keep plodding through the Frogbox. I hooked on to Nappies soon after starting full time work in 1985 and had my Austrian army ready for action by 1986. Spin forward 20-odd years and a fit of nostalgia was all it took to start again.

3. AWI
An antidote to the mass armies of the first two and an accidental discovery. In 1983 I acquired a copy of the Newbury Colonial rules which had AWI army lists. I had never considered it a colonial war, but it sparked an interest which was fuelled by the ‘new thinking’ that it wasn’t all about Wiley frontiersmen picking off redcoats from behind trees. I started with Spencer Smith plastics (he lived up the road. Nice chap), then 15mm, an abortive 25mm, 6mm and now up to 28mm. It’s an itch that needs continual scratching...

4. WW2 Western Desert
I’m a sucker for sunshine and sand. That first box of Airfix 8th Army has a lot to answer for...

5. Colonial
Oddly, not that successful, but probably because was trying to use Newbury rules! I started with Peter Laing then had a few Jacklex to play with when Esci released plastic Zulus.  Over the years I’ve realised that it’s best to go the Imaginations route and with Jacklex on a roll once again I will probably dive in, but in a semi-skirmish way. And I could always fuse it with...

6. Pony Wars
1983 was obviously one of those trial and error years as I dipped into a lot! One of the best was TTG’s Pony Wars, a fun Hollywood cavalry v injuns game which I set up in my bedroom using coloured card strips to play; essentially it was all in 2D! But the best thing is it can be played solo, as all the Indians and settlers are managed by dice rolls. I could never play a full scenario now, as they can take hours (even days...) to play out, but I could easily adapt the scenarios for fewer figures. I have a large collection of Airfix cowboys, Indians and wagon train. I just need to sculpt some cavalry!

7. 1866 Austro-Prussian
And finally, something stumbled onto by way of the Franco-Prussian and it’s much more interesting! Neil Thomas’ rules have given me some cracking games with Pendraken 10mm, but as my opponent has long since departed I moved up to Timecast (ex Old Glory) 15mm. This will probably be the smallest size of figure I deal with unless somebody does them in 20mm. This is the only post 1980s period I will stay with as it takes up very little space.

And that is it! Some definite and a couple of maybes which should keep me fully engaged until retirement and beyond. That’s the plan: on with the painting!