It's been a long
time since I've picked up a gaming project… or even played a game
for that matter. But I miss my hobbies so I decided it was time to DO
SOMETHING. I have some limitations, though. Things are not as they were.
First, my work
schedule and transportation limitations require that I host any games
I want to participate in. I simply can't get to other locations at
the times that gaming is taking place. Most likely, I'll have to
provide figures for both sides. Maybe these will be solo games. Maybe
I can introduce some of my co-workers to wargaming.
Second, I rent a
townhouse so a permanent set up is not appropriate. I will probably
move (again and perhaps again after that) in the next few years.
While I currently have decent space for gaming, I must consider what
will be required when I move and whether I will have gaming space in
the next place. While current playing space is not limited, storage
space is.
Third, budget gaming
is needed. I am semi-involuntarily semi-retired. I don't have a lot
of cash to sink into the hobby—but I've always been em… er…
economical. An addendum to that: I think historical gaming in the US
is dreadfully hurting for manufacturers and retailers. I want to
invest my hobby money in supporting US companies. Paying 25% to 50%
for shipping from overseas is a non-starter as a bad investment.
Finally, in the past
I've derived a great deal of enjoyment from painting very detailed
figures. I was a pretty decent painter. In fact, the visual aspect of
a game used to be my primary goal. But my diminished eyesight simply
won't allow me to go down that path. Details that were
quite easy on 25mm or even 54mm figures are now quite difficult.
Well, perhaps I should say unsatisfactory. What used to be enjoyable
is now slow and frustrating. If a hobby is no longer enjoyable, it's
time to find another. Yet I keep coming back. I have to be cognizant
of my limitations in order to maximize the enjoyment.
All these
considerations led me to decide that small scale gaming would
provide the most benefits and avoid the most frustrations.
There are a couple
of historic periods that lend themselves to representation in small
scales: masses of uniformed men in close proximity. Ancients,
perhaps. But I still have quite a few 25mm ancients and I abhor the
idea of duplicating a period in multiple scales. The Napoleonic wars
are a good candidate. But the uniforms are so colorful, so detailed,
I don't think I could crank out the painting without getting seduced
by the details. In addition, the numbers needed might overwhelm my
budget. I've seen some very impressive Anglo-Zulu battles in 6mm. But
I think these battles lack variety. Something more consistent in
appearance with the ability to scale from small battles to massive
ones would be better. All these considerations led me to 10mm
American Civil War gaming. If 6mm ACW figures were made in the US I'd
probably go with that. But they're all made in Europe. In addition, I
have a number of co-workers quite familiar with this period. Good recruit
materially, I think. Target acquired! 10mm ACW it is.
There are a handful
of American manufacturers of 10mm American Civil War figures: GHQ,
Old Glory, Cracker Line/Plank Road. Old Glory would have been the
least expensive route but I ruled them out fairly quickly. I don't
care for the thick irregular bases that I see in the pictures of
their figures. In addition, I have a bit of a bias against Old Glory
from long ago so I wasn't too disappointed when dropping them from
consideration. I want to give both the GHQ and Cracker Line figures a
presence in this project. But I'm not entirely sure they are
compatible with each other in size. The GHQ, while quite cleanly
sculpted and cast, appear significantly smaller than most other 10mm
figures.
Cracker Line/Plank
Road meets all the requirements for beginning this project. They appear
to be compatible with most of the other 10mm lines. They are
manufactured in the US. Pricing is comparable to other lines and they
have an active web presence. I appreciate the variability of the poses and
the fact that the line is complete, perhaps even expanding. Since the
initial armies will be so small in scale, and uniform in appearance,
I want to add all the bells and whistles to make the gaming table
visually interesting—artillery limbers, dismounted cavalry, horse
holders, individual command stands, etc.
So, to begin the
project I ordered an infantry regiment, a cavalry regiment and an
artillery limber from Cracker Line. I'm testing the waters. The next
step is to determine if I enjoy painting the figures or if this is a
lesson in frustration.
Stay tuned.
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