"Figures first, or game first?" Topic

For those of us who do historical miniatures, certainly the ultimate goal is to put figures in a game – or at least for most of us. But do you also just add figures because you want them in your collection with less concern about whether they will enter a game or not? I know it applies to me – even if I do always hope any figure added will be in a game.

My best number to illustrate this is 608, at least. That is how many women and children I have in my old west collection, the vast majority of those without weapons. Those range from a few female gunfighters, some women at the army fort, the civilians in the towns and outlying areas, and the native American villages. Of course, there are a lot more men – both unarmed civilians and even more armed for the "good guys", the "bad guys", the cavalry, the native Americans, and even some "innocent bystanders."

Oh, and the 'at least' is because I know I have a few boys mixed in with my native reservation men and boys but I don't have the precise count but probably would add four more to that number.

When I started, about 30 years ago, it was definitely figures first. Over the 20 years or so, it has always been game first. I started to,realize that airways effectively wasting money by buying figures I didn't have a definite play to use. I now have 3 or projects I'm building (with specific OoB) toward at any given time.

Figures first aways.

Other than TSATF, rules come and go.

I would add that I have very few noncombatants.

*History first …

I pick a topic or campaign or … normally … a battle.

Read up, work out and play through the scenario picking amending or writing a set of rules – so:

*rules second

… then, working through the playtests, I work on replacing, updating and adding to my figure collection to arrive at bespoke armies for the battle … so:

*figures third

… and generally *layout fourth (the landscaping/terrain building always seems to come last)..

Phil

Same as Phil

now days rules 1st much cheaper investment
been suckered too many times buying figures only to find no rules suitable to my groups taste

I get figures first.

History first, then figures, then rules. Usually. Sometimes it's figures first when I see something that just catches my fancy too much to pass it by.

Eastern Renaissance is a good exaple of a period which is figures first for me. I love the look of this period. Still don't know much about the history, and don't have rules yet, but love the figures.

I like figures, games, and history all equally well, and any of the three might be first as I move forward with the hobby.

It depends. Sometimes,it's just love at first sight. The first time that happened was on seeing samples of the not yet released Tom Meir Landsknechts,at a Philcon,back in the 70s,and knowing I had to have them.
I wasn't alone there,of course. The Ral Partha guys said when some "old guy" came by and saw them,his mouth watered so much,his is teeth fell out. All us kids had a good laugh about that. Now I'm the "Old guy"(sigh).

Bought as many as I could afford, and then started looking for rules. Still looking.

I like figures, games, and history all equally well, and any of the three might be first.

For sure for me – I have some figs that will almost certainly never see the game table but I sure liked painting them

Usually like Phil: period, rules, figures.

Some years back the Mirliton Condotta figures called to me before anything else. So I'm not consistent.

History, figures, rules.
It's the history that sparks my interest. I then look for figures and rules are an after thought. Rules like One Hour Wargames or DBA however let me field figures from many periods with out having to buy several hundred.

Usually rules first, then figures. However, my VSF project which started in 1989 was figures first and has been going on for all these years with further purchases, but without any real rules until recently with In Her Majesty's Name.

History, figures, rules.

Rules come and go but figures last forever.

History, rules, figures.

Figures, game. History I got my Phd in it and have been reading it all my life, so I know the periods I'm interested in and those I'm not I'm NEVER going to be interested in. Rules- what a laugh! I write my own.

So for me it's the figures first (and as I do imaginations I have no problem using Nappy Chasseurs a Cheval of the Guard as Hussars from 50 years before, or taking 17th Century Cuirassiers and putting tricorne heads on them and using them as cuirassiers. If I like the figures, it's in. If not, it will never be.

The Games are the activity in which my friends and I get to play with toy soldiers. I'm not a collector so they have to be in there somewhere.

As Martin Rapier said, Rules come and go but figures last forever.

already selected my favorite periods and have armies in them.

I build to the game. So I'd say everything in my collection gets used at least once :-)

I'm with Phil too. Period, Rules, Figures. It has to be a period that I am interested in. Then find a set of rules. Then figures.

There is no point in getting the figures and doing the painting when I don't know anything about the conflict or can find rules that I like. How do you know what figures you need until you look at an OB?

Didn't this get compared/asked a few days ago?

Miniatures are the most interesting way to play wargames. So the game is first then the miniatures increase the immersion….

Interesting topic. It speaks to our priorities. I know guys who find a rules system they like and will play it no matter what period. Rules system gamers.

I know guys like myself who find a period that fascinates them. Then look for rules that fit the period. History gamers.

Then there are those who get excited by a well done figure range. They don't care if they never use them in a game. Figure gamers.

Like Extra Crispy, I collect and paint to the rules. I go by the scenarios first, so every figure can be used. Then if I want I build upon those figures.

I had this same discussion with Frank Chadwick about 25 years ago when I was with Stone Mountain. He insisted that he would write the rules when there were figures available while I insisted that the rules should come first so we could make figures for the period. So, it does matter which side of the fence you are on.

But now the same company that provides the rules also sells the figures.

I could give a rats rear end about the rules -- I have enough mojoe of my own to write some rules that would fill the bill for me. Now the figures, thats another thing my lads!!! The beautiful, elegant little gems, miniature masterpieces that are a wonder for the eye to behold --- wonderful columns of beautifully painted little people surging forward in perfect order, little flags valiantly waving in the wind -- all marching over master built terrain with small villages and towns just waiting to be "held" by bold defenders or "taken" by a determined attacker!! Ahhhhh --- for me anyway -- it is nothing but the miniature – ancient Roman, Mr Gaul, the barbaric Viking, ECW pikeman, the napoleonic soldier,reb,yank,GI, German, space Marine -5mm,10mm,15mm,18mm, 25,28,40--or whatever – without the mini who needs the paper?
Regards
Russ Dunaway

I am with Russ on his points. Figures always come first. Though I must say, I assumed that interest in a period was a given before acquiring figures. Apparently, for some, that is not so true – more power to them.

On the figure front, early on, I made an important decision and have never (yet) wavered from it and that was to stay in the 15 mm realm. The parenthetical is because I might go with a very small scale to get back into the Seven Years War – big maybe though.

I think it is the ideal period to game – it has a nice balance between infantry, cavalry, and artillery, it doesn't have the column versus line debate, it has a wide variety of troop types and world of opportunities for varied locations and scenarios. The challenge is I already have my French and Indian War collection well in hand and I have all the AWI figures anyone could ever want (in numbers, anyway – and a lot, lot more than that). So, I'm trying to resist. But it pulls at me, it pulls hard, that Seven Years War event.

Figures always come first.

This is a hobby about playing with toy soldiers and the visual spectacle of it all. The rules should serve the figures, not the other way around.

As has been said, rules come and go. 10 years from now, most of us will be using rules that still have to be written. But chances are we will use figures that are already in our collections.

If you build up your wargaming collection around a decent and solid collection of figures, you will be a wargamer forever. If it's only about the rules, you could as well play a boardgame or a computer wargame.