"Historical Gaming Roots" Topic

Which activity was most responsible for leading you to involvement in historical wargaming?

Probably the fact that my dad was a WWII vet and I played with toy soldiers when I was a kid. My brother introduced me to Richthofen's War when I was about 8 and I've been addicted since.

I always loved toy soldiers. Jack Scruby's ad in BOYS LIFE led to my first purchase of metal minis -- but I had large collections of plastic knights and Civil War soldiers long before that.

Who knows; just born that way?

But I was born in 1946, and every man I knew, growing up, had been in a war.

Off topic, a bit, but my father, in 1936 or so, was an Eagle Scout escort for a Confederate veteran at one of their last reunions, in Shreveport, LA. Then, in 1945, he was at an Army Air Corps base in northern France when an ME262 flew in, not to strafe but to land and surrender.

So from a direct link with the Civil War to jet fighters, in less than a decade.

My dad was a model railroader, he would take the family to historical sites for vacation and he liked to play boardgames. Stir well, throw it in the oven and let set for a couple of decades.

I've always liked toy soldiers, and when I was exposed to minis, that was it.

The Marx toy soldier sets.

Never a better Christmas gift!

mjc

Plastic army men as a kid.

The Marx sets, yes indeed; that was Christmas.

Same as Sundance. My Dad and several uncles and every one of my good friends' Dads were WWII vets. My brother and I played with toy soldiers ever since I can remember…probably about 1957 or so when I was 4 or 5. And always watched every war movie and TV show about war. First game was Heritage's American Civil War, later Blitzkrieg, then Panzerblitz, then SPI games, then miniatures.

Christmas = Marx

Military family, plastic soldiers, and an uncle that said, hey we should use dice instead of just knocking guys down.

He wasn't a wargamer just a guy playing with his nephew that was sick of just saying bang bang and tipping things over.

Then the difficulty was trying to teach my frends (and rolling dice in a sandbox!).

Marx Toy soldiers, and the old G.I. Joe.

Avalon Hill and SPI board gaming. I had of course heard of miniatures, but that only nuts played them.
Then, at a weekend get together for boardgamers in the wilds of New Jersey, I played Napoleonics.
I also played Trafalgar in a slight detour to Altoona.

When I got back, I placed a Minifigs order for something or other, and shopped for some Airfix.
I was just starting to get bored with boardgames, and minis caught my eye.

Just think, If it were not for that weekend in New Jersey, there might be a John the OFM on stamp collecting sites instead.

Plastic army men, 1/76 Airfix models, and a copy of Panzer Leader I received for a birthday present.

Rob

Met a bunch of guys at the Philadelphia Compleat Strategist.

Came over from board games.

DM

Avalon Hill, SPI and a copy of Wargamers Digest sold in the store that carried SPI in the mid-seventies.

Two painted 1/76 Airfix ACW armies donated by an old gamer neighbour as a kid (maybe age 7 or 8) followed by WW2 Matchbox kits in late grade school.

Same as most of the others; Dad, uncles, cousins, most adult males we knew were WW2 vets. Throw in my Grandfather, a WW1 vet and his cousins (although the cousins were in the Austrian army). I remember seeing a few surviving Spanish American war vets as a Cub Scout one Memorial day circa 1957. My brother and I watched all those WW2 movies which were shown almost daily on afternoon TV. We always had toy soldiers, at first the metal guys from the 5 and 10 and then the plastic guys. We built model airplanes, tanks, ships; anything and everthing. Also had American Hertage's Civil War game followed by AH Gettysburg. When Airfix figures came to the US we were really on our way.

If this becomes a poll, please include a selection for "Never did historical gaming."

I have played with toy soldiers as long as i can remember. As
A trained historian, I am just doing the same thing on a more historically accurate basis.
Weaselhoffen.

Playing soldier with my cap gun Tommy gun or throwing dirt clods to "hit" Rocco mini tanks lead to chess and board games. Then about age 15 my eyes were opened to miniature gaming thanks to Airfix and Grant's "The Wargame." Forty years later I've never looked back.

Growing up in the 1950's and 60's ment our dads were WW2 vets. Tons of war movies and westerns on TV. Mark sets (Ft. Apache, Alamo, Civil War) then Rocco tanks and Airfix soldiers. Milton Bradley games Broadside, Civil War, Dogfight. Then Avalon Hill at 12 years of age. Followed by SPI. Played first miniature games at Pacific Origins in 1980. But still only a board wargamer until 1996 when I fell in with a group that played both board and miniature games. Now it's 90 percent minis.

I started with an absolute love of history (US history to start). I quickly learned that military history really held my interest, specially the horse and musket periods. Couple this with military playsets as a kid, enough toy guns to outfit a neighborhood army and an interest with model railroading (I had layouts as a kid), the natural progression was wargaming. I started with boardgames, historical miniatures and role playing in 1978 at a small game shop in my home town. The rest as they say, is history.

I got into wargaming as a result of my grandfather's exploits in WW2 which got me interested in history in general. This lead to lots of Airfix, Timpo, and Britains figures which lead to wargaming in the form of Charge and the various Airfix books.

Britains toy soldiers (Knights and Saracens) – Dad got them as a link to the old country but they likely started my interest.

Blue box D&D when I was about 12, then to Warhammer and on to historicals in my mid 20s.

Never was really much of an historical gamer. Dabbled in Sea and Air combat, which (with the exception of Clear for Action) were all just really board games using 3D counters.

Any other non-fantasy gaming is more "cinematic" (i.e., Pirates, Cowboys, Gangsters, Pulp, etc.) than historical…

Similar to McKinstry – local hobby shop stocked AH / SPI games and then started carrying Wargamers Digest – hmmmm, you didn't shop at Leisure World, did you ?

Marx sets c. 1952 was the beginning. We lived in
Richmond, Va., and (as Scouts) used to do errands
and (gratis) yard work for some of the shabbily genteel
old women (daughters/granddaughters of those who'd
sacrificed for The Cause) who lived in what's now called
the Fanlight District. Visited the Old Soldier's Home
(then at the end of Monument Avenue), but don't recall
any OS there (a surviving wife or two, IIRC).

The indoctrination I received at the hands of these folks
was counter-acted by my Yankee (NJ/Pa.) relatives, then
counter-counteracted by my Confederate (NC) relatives.

All in all, it led to a LOT of reading on the ACW, and
gaming the ACW w/Marx, followed by WWII w/Marx.

And then I met Larry Brom, gamed w/Larry in the 60's
(he lived about an hour away at the time) and the rest
is history…

Played with toy soldiers as a kid. Then found some early Airfix figures – learned how to paint have not stopped yet

My dad was career military and all of my uncles and my maternal grandfather were WWII veterans. My paternal grandfather was a WWI veteran. Then came an interest in military history around 6th grade and when I was in high school, a friend introduced me to Avalon Hill wargames. In college, I was exposed to miniatures gaming and the mind-perverting devil game D&D and have been hooked ever since.

Dave

Comic book toy soldiers were the first hint. Then came a copy of Blitzkreig wargame when I broke my arm in the 5th grade. Oddly it was carried in the pharmacy and caught my eye. This then lead to a subscription to Strategy and Tactics and an ad for Hinchiliffe minis

Films and Airfix figures.

A whole bunch of us played "army" using toy guns all over the neighborhood and the nearby Bethlehen Steel Plant in the '60s. Watched every Western and War movie on TV or in the Theater. Read and swapped comic books galore. Had shopping bags full of HO and MARX toy soldiers. Every year at Christmas we'd put up a train set platform and I battle my way back and forth across it countless times. Started playing board wargames in grade school. Started miniatures about ten years ago. It has been a long slow descent into my addiction.

Hello, my name is Mike. I'm a leadaholic!

My mother bought the Morschauser book for me and my two brothers. After that the airfix figures and models got oranized into armies and it was game on. This soon led into the foray of metal miniatures (20mm ACW from K&L) and thats the way its been for 40+ years.

Airfix toy soldiers and rubber band wars my brother and I played on the floor in the dinning room under the table.
VR
James Mattes

Playing with toy soldiers and a grand tour of ACW sites in Virgina when I was about 6. Oh and GI Joe.
VR
James Mattes

Airfix and Commando comics.

Dad was a Marine and an Avalon Hill wargame player. Those two facts plus the presence of military books in my house from a young age are what got me started.

Marx and Airfix figs combined with getting the Ballantine's Illustrated Book on Patton when I was 8. I then bought most of the series and am still buying them to this day. I started to get very interested in history. The American heritage books on the American Rev, FIW and ACW with the maps showing miniature like figures battling also helped stimulate my interest. Later came Avalon Hilland metal miniatures.

Thanks,

John

The cover art on the box of "PanzerBlitz".