"Napoleonics Losing Popularity?" Topic

Not sure we can do a straight comparison between shops Now and Then. The rise of t'Interweb has brought about great changes, most of them positive. I couldn't be a solo Napoleonic gamer without it.

I'm not the greatest fan of Warlord Napoleonics, but they are at least marketing historical ranges alongside their fantasy/SF stuff. It might draw in some newbies.

Are we talking US or UK, or other countries? I always had this idea that the demographics in the US skewed older for war gamers and more ignorant of history for the average person than in other countries.

I never liked Napoleonic games. To each their own.

I am 50 and I just played my second of Napoleonic war game ever and the second in three weeks… so from my perspective Napoleonics are raging! Not sure if it is just the rules or who I am playing with but both games took quite a while to play- today I arrived at 9:15 am and left at 8:00 pm. If that was a younger players introduction to Napoleonics I could see it being a bit of a deterrent.

I should probably modify my statement a little bit. On one hand, my comment sounded dire. On the other hand, I just launched my own Horse and Musket model range . . .

Played some last month at DayCon,based on Grand Armee. Aspern-Essling was the battle,I had the Austrian right flank. End result,historical repeat,kept the French at bay.

Napoleonics is the one period that our entire club can agree on. We all have other interest, some play ACW, WWII, SYW, Ancients etc. But everyone is always up for a Napoleonics game and it doesn't matter what rules are being used.

Now that I have finally found a set rules I like I am doing the 15mm battalion thing as soon as I am done with my current project.

Napoleonic "miniatures" wargaming is NOT on the decline depending on how you look at it…. Long ago there were FAR FEWER periods, scales, rules, and miniatures produced period! Of this much smaller niche hobby Napoleonic's was a very dominate force. The hobby grew and diversified resulting in a bigger hobby, more choices, and the Napoleonic dominance of the hobby diminished, simple as that. The "ohh bright shiney" effect! Given the number of scales and figures produced and sold show that the Napoleonic period is still going strong. The gamers tend to be older and more established wargaming veterans playing games with like minded players in their homes, club houses, and not hauling them down to a shop where the figures are no longer sold (thank your internet, good and bad!) Bottom line is the Miniatures wargaming pie is MUCH bigger, the Napoleonic's slice is a smaller slice of a bigger pie! While we are on the subject some of us out here in Los Angeles area of California are looking to get a regular group of Napy players together! (15mm currently using the time tested Age of Eagles rules) Please PM me here or email vonkluge@ca.rr.com