"Period: by "canon" or by preference?" Topic

Seriously, how many of us – and I'm guilty, for certain – have chosen to collect a period more because it is part of the "canon" of military miniatures than because we really, truly have the interest in the period? I'm not saying I – or you – don't enjoy the period once we enter it, buy and read the books, rent or buy the moves to watch, collect and paint (or have painted) the figures, and all that. But if we'd been left entirely on our own to decide what periods to game without any external influences (something of a practical impossibility, I understand), would choose to game certain periods instead of something else of greater personal interest? For instance, my American Revolution collection has nothing to do with external influence in the manner I'm referring to here; I just love the period and would be deep into it without owning a single miniature. On the other hand, I wouldn't own any Anglo-Egyptian figures without the influence of the movie "Khartoum" and those wonderful articles from Peter Gilder accompanied by those wonderful photos of his figures – especially at his Wargames Holiday Center. That, and it just seems to be "one of the periods to do."

Not saying this is in any way a bad thing. I've just come to understand this is a truth for me and curious if others have come to a similar conclusion about their own collections.

There is a tremendous breadth and depth to history and military history sure is broader than most gamers tap into (though there is a bewildering array of periods to choose from these days). But certain periods certainly take center stage. I'll allow all of you to decide amongst yourselves just which periods fit that last bit.

So, any admissions of the same out there?

When I was first exposed to miniature gaming, the feeling was "Napoleonics or nothing." I had read about in various boardgaming magazines.
When I got involved, though, it was in Ancients. And oddly, I felt for some time that I was an odd man out.
I branched out into TSATF and Zulus, and American Revolution. In each case, it was because I was INTERESTED in them.
I almost felt duty bound to "do" Napoleonics. So, I did. Twice. And my heart was not in it, so I promptly sold out.

Interestingly, I read a review of a book on Napoleonic uniforms in a boardgame magazine in the 70s. The reviewer sniffed that while it may be of marginal interest, it had "nothing to do with wargaming".

Like John, I only do stuff I'm interested in, although I am often influenced by the periodic enthusiams of my gaming pals, some of which are more persistent than others.

Being somewhat dull and unimaginative, I suspect much of what I'm interested in are actually 'canon' periods.

I've had ACW and AWI armies in one scale or another since the late 70s. I've hopped on and off a few band wagons over the years and I have always sold those other projects off.

You missed one: "circumstance".

I was lucky, when I started wargaming there was a large and welcoming local club. Most of my earliest choices were influenced by what was popular there, I just didn't know enough to wish for other periods. However I was a big fan of science fiction (which was not common at the club). When I tried to bring in scifi games they were welcomed with open arms.

As to circumstance, when I was first getting into 15mm I wanted to do ACW. A (not so local) local store had a big sale on all 15s and I traveled to it with money burning a hole in my pocket. By the time I could find the time to visit, all the ACW were sold out. All that was left was American Revolution. Well, I couldn't leave without buying SOMETHING so I got into a new, unintended period. I'm still playing (although with newer ranges these days).

Also, a period is attractive if it has the figures. I'm interested in the colonial Abysssinian campaign (Napier & Theodore). Where do I get Abyssinians?

Movies, Other gamers, new figure lines, and circumstance have all been the catalyst for me getting into a new period.

I think there is a reason why there were mostly ACW, Napoleonics, Ancients, naval games, ECW and SYW. It is because at the time (1970s – 1980s) those periods were the most popular and still are. Pretty simple.

I chose ACW because everyone in the club was playing ACW and it was the period I was most interested in. Before I joined they were playing all WRG Ancients.

John hit the nail on the head. I have been in and out of Napoleonics because everyone plays it and it is the period everyone should do. But I am not all that interested in it. I like the history and all but the rules and collecting for it is such an angst for me.

But now there are so many figures available for so many more periods. I finally was able to build a huge collection of 15mm FPW figs. Thirty years ago I couldn't.

Having rules and figures available is part of the equation. Companies are going to produce figs for the most popular periods first.

What size, Ochoin? I have some 15mm: Irregular, and the bizarre, moon-faced Gladiator range. I wouldn't have bought the latter if there had been better figures available at the time.

There's also the oddly structured Tin Soldier range: one pose each of a number of minor fringe tribes; not very useful (although, if 15mm DA is your thing it does include a Masai sculpt that could be mixed with the Irregular figure for greater variety).

There was another small range out there many years ago (Valiant?), but it's probably long gone.

In 28mm there's Bicorne, some of the Askari and Empress 1935 – 36 War ranges, and one of the Italian manufacturers.

My wargaming has always been "period driven" or perhaps "history driven" rather than "games driven" – still is come to that. I can only think of one exception to that- when I saw Dave Allsops first Old Glory 30mm(as he called them back then) ACW figures- they got me into the ACW which previously has passed me by
You might also add "knowledge driven" as Napoleoic(surperise) was my first period simply becasue I had a book on Waterloo my Dad got for me. As my jnowledge grew so my tastes changed as I became more aware of other periods.
So by the late 70s early 80s ECW was top dog backed up by Medievals and some colonials.

Despite trying to delude myself into believing I'm capable of enjoying the mainstays of the hobby, and even acquiring a few figures for both in the process, I've never been able to force myself to invest in or, apart from occasionally appeasing friends, play Napoleonics or WW2. I just can't seem to work up any excitement for them; generally my interests lean much more towards the exotic and obscure.

Never.

I only do stuff I'm interested in. Having said that.. "interest" can come from many different things.

"Ancients-" The Ancient World as C.B. Demille saw it is great. The real ancient world sucks. I do the movie version.

"Renassance"- Blood and Roses, guns and butter, money and beauty, saintliness and debauchery, concubines and chestnuts, sacrament and excrement, bright colors and chiaroscuro all rolled up into one, with fields of cloth of gold, men of butter and men of iron, a man with a golden nose and another with an iron hand, silks and spices, tinkling temple bells, golden roads, and golden coasts, galleys, treasures of the Indies, kingdoms of cannibals, and perfumed harem girls.

18th Century. A period where "generals maneuvered more than they fought" (an entirely sensible way to wage something as awful as war), an age of great art, great beauty, manners, culture, and one where the wise generals attempted to wage war virtually incognito. I go for all this 'Gentlemen of France, you may fire first" stuff. An age of Swift, Johnson, Jefferson, Hume, Burke, Lock, Washington, Watteau, Poisson, Mozart, Haydn, Hummel, the younger Bach's, Paisello, Scarlatti, the Salons.

Civil War: If you don't know and understand the civil war you can never know and understand America.

Early World War Two and between the wars. With this we come full circle. My game is one that Mel Brooks, or the Marx Brothers would put together. Think of Duck Soup, or the three stooges in "I'll never Heil Again."

I now almost exclusively game what I want to, usually because of the history, not what "everybody else plays".

I have a number of orphan armies with no opponents bought for various club campaigns and such. They sit in disarray and neglect.

Ancients remain a strong passion. I collect both sides because the rules I favor are not widely played locally to me. I love chariot armies, but still feel that every true Ancients player needs at least one elephant. The elephant in my current collection is played by a single unit in my 6mm Punic Warmaster army.

AWI I collect in single based 40mm, and mostly use for small unit and large skirmish games.

All Quiet on the Martian Front I jumped on because for years I have wanted to do War of the Worlds and just needed affordable tripods.

My "collection" includes earlier and later miniatures than those of my core interest period ("1066"), and a single box of coureur des bois, because my late best friend enjoyed gaming early frontier so much. WW1 air combat was the other core interest I had from childhood along with "knights". Those are the only two "periods" I stay active in. Early movies and books fed that interest in the boy, and the grown man always notices when anything about them crosses paths….