Blog Update Part 2

Enough dust has settled on the blog -  time for an update.

I have now cleared out almost all the larger scales leaving me with just 6mm figures and a small collection of 2mm. Its bad enough wanting to play out every conflict throughout history but in different scales as well!

In my previous update I had decided to call it a day on my terrain tiles and switch to gaming mats. The primary reason being to save space and I also liked the idea of creating naturally looking undulating ground. Several mats were purchased from Tiny Wargames and another from Geek Villain. The sea mat from TW included hexes for Bag The Hun rules.

So far I have tried out the sea mat and a TW rocky grass mat (you will see these in future postings). So having got the mats and photographed my terrain tiles prior to selling it was all good to go. And then! There is no doubting the quality of the mats but to put it bluntly, in my opinion they are not as good as my tiles. The urge to sell them quickly drained away and I have now decided to keep them.

The mats will not be wasted. The sea mat and the mat from Geek Villain which is destined for the Peninsular War or games set in southern Europe will certainly be used again. I also anticipate using the grass and especially the desert mat. My only complaint regarding the TW mats are that they are slippery making it difficult to place figures on hill slopes. The GV mat is fleece and hopefully will create a little more friction. 

Since my last posting I have played a couple of ACW games, the introduction to my N.Africa campaign being an RAF v Italian air action and a Napoleonic skirmish in the Napoleonic campaign.

Current projects have been reviewed and new ones added. A central theme has been to introduce campaigns to as many of my periods as possible.

In chronological order:

1. Ancients.

I have finally started my first Ancients campaign ever! Focussing on my existing collection this is centred around the Roman invasion of Britain in 43AD. 'Hail Caesar' produced a scenario and campaign book which I have used to formulate my own system. 

2. Wars of the Roses.

Kingmaker campaign to continue with my son.

3. ECW.

I shall continue playing the occasional historical scenario but it is my intention to introduce a campaign for this period as soon as I have time.

4. Napoleonic.

Playing battles from the Peninsular War and my long-standing campaign will continue.

5. ACW.

I hope to play Gettysburg within the next 12 months and other historical scenarios will occasionally be played. I have now commenced a campaign using the Warplan 5/5 system (as used in my Napoleonic campaign but rather more modest in size). 

6. Colonial - Zulu Wars.

Rorkes Drift followed by Isandlwana to be played. In time I will seek out a suitable campaign.

7. WW2 N.Africa.

I have now cancelled playing any further one-off battles from Operation Compass and replaced them with a campaign of the same operation. 

8. WW2 Eastern Front.

Work continues towards the 'Reconnaissance in Strength' mini campaign.

9. WW2 North Western Europe.

I should be ready soon to start playing Op Market Garden games with the possibility of turning this into a campaign. Other historical scenarios are in the pipeline and a possible larger campaign associated with D Day/Normandy.

WW2 - Op Nostalgia Campaign discontinued.

I covered many of the reasons for this in my last blog. It has been replaced with the Op Compass campaign.


For the future, I intend now to reboot the blog but postings will be a little less than before. I intend to concentrate on AAR's and hopefully showcase 6mm figures as well as the benefits of solo wargaming. I also need to review how I complete the AAR's. They will be shorter and thus not such of a slog to read through. All being well they will be entertaining and contain enough information for the reader to be able to follow the action.

Quite simply I need to balance the amount of time I spend on each facet of the hobby. The blog was becoming all-consuming previously and rather than give up on it entirely, this should enable me to continue what is still an enjoyable exercise.

I will post AAR's on the games already played over next few days and weeks.