"What to game" Topic

Looking for some advice. I am toying with the idea of immersing my self in one era in terms of wargaming and studying. My choices are the Era of the American Revolution, War of 1812 or everything (Ancient to Modern).

Which of the three interests you most?

Although "everything" is not really a choice of period …

I like the tactical aspect of the of the horse and musket period , which include FIW, AWI, War of 1812, Napoleonic and ACW.

I chose to exclude the Napoleonic and ACW because most the battles are large multi-divisional encounters, which makes fighting at 20:1 ratio problematic…so many figures. So, I chose the War of 1812 because most of the battles are divisional level and below. Plus it has so many interesting encounters and variables like gun boats, Indians, militia etc. Nonetheless, I think FIW and AWI would fit this requirement as well.

Once you have decided on the period then you need to decide on a set of rules.Even if you do not intend to game with others a good set of rules with give you a sound framework to build your armies.

I chose General de Brigade rules. Even though they are Napoleonic they are most suitable for the War of 1812. After all the War of 1812 was a subset of the Napoleonic wars.

Why General de Brigade?

General de Brigade (I have tried BP, Shako2 and others); it is a good balance between realistic rules that reflect Napoleonic tactics and quick play rules. It is scaled for 25mm and 15mm figure scales…inches for 25mm and cms for 15mm…throughout the rules for quick reference.

I like the 20:1 ratio, which forces one to consider the terrain vis a vis the formation the battalion is in. I also like the orders regime that forces one to think ahead and mitigates the 'sky general' aspect of most games. Units within a brigade must operate within the order constraints.

Most importantly I like the morale system that applies to units, brigades and divisions. This provides more realistic play so that units do not fight until the last man standing. The divisional size (there are corps optional rules if needed)is ideal for War of 1812 war gaming.

GdeB Deluxe has a page with suggestion rule adjustments for War of 1812 gaming. We have added our own addendum to reflect the realities of the War of 1812 battles.

Importantly, Gde B has an active forum to discuss the rules and their possible interpretations A great set of rules and highly recommended.

Lastly, the active blog is overseen by the rules author David Brown, which provides a venue for rules discussion for those seeking clarification. I find this blog most helpful.

If you decide on the AWI or FIW period, the G de B has set of rules for each period.

I hope this helps and good luck with your choice.

Hmmm…I think the 'everything' choice would provide plenty of variety!

I've usually found it nice to have a main period and one or two little periods. I can sustain doing Ancient Greeks and Persians or Vikings and their enemies better if I can alternate my painting schedule by painting a regiment of Napoleonic Saxons once in a while. This also allowed me to be a "team player." If the rest of the group wanted to do Napoleonics, my Saxons were useful, and added variety, but the really enthusiastic guys did the British, French and Austrians. Still, I helped.

Grelber

I think the American Revolutionary War would be quite interesting: big enough and long enough to be very varied. I think the war of 1812 might feel a bit limited to choose as a single focus wargaming period.

Check this blog out for good AWI inspiration: link

"Everything" lacks a bit of focus, tbh. Dabbling in lots can actually be more frustrating.

I got into the First Crusade period and have found it fascinating. Ideal for campaigning and gaming. Lots of great reading too.

+1 to Whirlwind.

What periods do you game now?

I have AWI it's been an interest for years. Just visited Saratoga and went to Guilford Courthouse last Spring.

I'd wait a bit and get on with studying option C) – everything. Having studied it for a few months or more you'll have a far better idea of what you are drawn to and therefore what stands most chance of being a successful wargames project for you.

Unless you are buying painted figures or playing boardgames the biggest single mountain you have to climb is painting the armies so it's important/vital that the period you choose holds your interest for long enough so that when the passion for painting hits a low ebb, as it probably will at some point, you have enough intellectual interest in the period to be able to continue with the project.

If you really do want to do AWI or 1812 I'd start looking at the figures and rules available and buy some samples of the ranges you like the most to see how you get on with painting them. If you don't enjoy painting a particular scale you should probably take that off your list.

I think you are going at this the wrong way. Decide what period interests you most and then wargame that. With good rules it will give you an insight into the period that interests you.

I suggest American Revolution.

The period lends itself to both skirmish gaming (usually at 25/28mm scale) and larger battles (in either 15mm or 25mm). When it comes to figures and rules, AWI is well supported by various companies and writers. There are always AWI games at larger conventions so you can try out the period. Fall In will feature several such games.

Plus, with AWI you often end up adding the French and Indian War as a bonus. American militia figures work for both periods. When you want them to shoot at the British, run an AWI game. When you want them to fight the French, go with an FIW game.

Once you have AWI/FIW covered, you can decide if you want to add War of 1812, which is the least popular of the three periods. I've run games in each era, both skirmish and larger battles, like New Orleans in the War of 1812. They are all fun. It just depends on what mood you are in and how fast you want to get started. A dozen figures on each side will get you going for a skirmish game for FIW or AWI.

Good luck and enjoy the games.

Naps. When in doubt, Naps. GdB is a great ruleset.