"Newbie with questions" Topic

So I'll start by saying hello. Now on to my plethora of questions. I am very new to miniature wargaming. The only experience I have is Risk and a game called wings of glory.

I am interested in getting started, but have a lot of questions. I am mostly interested in the revolutionary war. I have also narrowed my rule search down to muskets and tomahawks or black powder. Does anyone have an easier rule set to start with? Or recommendations? I have yet to purchase miniatures either. Should I go with 15mm or 28mm? Metal or plastic? How large of a base? How many figures per base? What else will I need I'd assume dice? How many and what kind?

I am sure there are questions I am forgetting but I'll start with these. Thank you all for the help.

First and foremost, you need to decide what scale you want to play. In miniatures wargaming, "scale" refers to the size of the battles you want to fight. Fore example, Muskets And Tomahawks is a "skirmish" level game. That is, each figure represents one soldier. Such rules are usually kept for small engagements, not usually more than about 50 per side. Black Powder is for a full battle, with your figures representing perhaps 15 men each. They move on the table as units, not individuals. If you were to replay the battle of Monmouth, for instance, you would use BP, not M&T.
There are a number of popular AWI (wargaming-speak for American War of Indepepndence) rule sets for "battle" sized games:
British Grenadier
Loose Files and the American Scramble (google it- you can get it free).
Guns of Liberty (easy to learn)- Go to their Yahoo group to order the rules for about $10. USD
BP is considered a bit generic for AWI. Base sizes/number of figs on a base will vary per ruleset. The same with what type of dice.
I prefer 28mm for AWI, and Perry has a nice set of British Infantry, and a soon to be released set on Continentals- both in plastic. But anything else you would need to get in metal, which can get expensive with 28mm.
If on a budget, 15mm metals will help save money and space.

Welcome aboard.

Isn't M&T a skirmish game? Do you want to game skirmishes/small actions or battles? Most of your questions are simply a matter of personal preference, what size gaming area you have, how much you want to spend, etc. Your basing, dice, etc. will be driven by your rule set.

Edit: I see you are in Philly. Have you tried to find any gaming groups in your area to see what they are doing and play in a game?

IMO start small, then build up, skirmish level gaming with Perry 28 mm figures, maybe some conquest games miniatures.
Researching, collecting, painting all part of the hobby. Don't make it 99% part of the hobby, having a game is important.
Start small, paint what you've got before you start another project, good luck.

79thPA makes a great point, make sure you have someone to play with, they may have figures AND terrain (which is another component that you have not thought of). You will need a ground cover/cloth, trees, buildings, fences etc.
I would suggest Blue Moon AWI figures, they are bigger than 15mm but they have a great line and they paint up well.

Another option is to cruise here or on ebay for painted figures unless you have the time and talent to paint your own.
Good luck and welcome to the madness!

Once you decide on the figure scale, here are my painting suggestions for how to amass your armies:
TMP link

There are wargaming clubs here in Philly? I have a good friend I would play with, so finding someone isn't a problem. I think I want to use the blue moon figures. They look nice. I am also leaning towards muskets and tomahawks. I like the idea of the smaller scale. 1 figure is equal to 1 man is probably a good way to start as well.

I do have a rather odd question though. Where can I buy a copy of muskets and tomahawks? websites in north America? or stores near Philadelphia?

Thank you all very much for the responses. It is greatly appreciated

I give away copies of my Fife & Drum rules for the AWI. The "rules" fit on one side of a standard 8.5" by 11" sheet of paper. I use them for my convention games where there is a premium placed on the game participants learning the rules quickly. Usually, everyone has the rules mechanics figured out by the second turn.

contact me at:

altefritz1740@yahoo.com and I will send you a copy of the rules.

Architects of War carry Muskets and Tomahawks.

link

You could get plastic 1/72 scale figure cheaply to see do the rules suit you as 28mm metals and even 15mm metals are expensive.

See Plastic soldier review site.

link

For example Indians link

Seven years war plastics are scarce but American War Independence figures are readily available.

Additionally consider using figures unpainted for your first couple of games and paint them later.

Buy Black Powder!

It is simple, and customizable, and nothing is written in stone.

Plus even if you don't use them, the rules themselves are entertaining enough to leave on the coffee table for guests to puruse.

The rules you named are great for a newcomer to the hobby--easy to understand and play, and will be plain fun later. Once you get the experience expand into others.

Keep in mind that these two rule sets are very different in approach and level of play.

Welcome to AWI gaming, Thomas.

Most of us started off in the same place you are now. I have a fairly decent sized AWI collection which I put together over the years without any real plan in mind when I started.

My suggestion is as follows: given your location in PA, attend a few gaming conventions before you start to spend on your collection. You just missed Cold Wars in Lancaster in March, but Fall In will be there in November. There are usually a dozen AWI games at those conventions, give or take a few, which use a variety of rules. There is also NJCon in June which will have the Battle of Springfield in 25mm.

If you want a longer road trip, you can try Historicon in VA in July. There will be plenty of AWI games there, plus vendors that carry the figures you will need.

Once you see what the games look like, you can pick the figures and rules that you like the best. You may also decide that you prefer another period, such as FIW or ACW. Better to find out now than after you have made a major investment.

Good luck and welcome to the fight.