"Why the American Revolution?" Topic

What got you into gaming the American Revolution?

Smaller battles and smaller units are a plus.

Serendipity.

A local gamer was selling off his unused 15mm AWI collection at a flea market. It was a great price, painted and ready to play, and I already had all the "early America" terrain I needed from my 15mm ACW gaming, so the decision to buy it was a no-brainer.

The smaller battles/units aspect turns out to be the thing that keeps bringing me back. My ACW collection has moved to the back of the closet and my AWI collection gets all the horse & musket gaming action now.

- Ix

The small battles are a big factor. And there is not much cavalry. How I hate painting horses!

Its very different to the Seven Years War due to the lack of Horse and the more difficult terrain. Lots of Redcoats appeals too!

Love of horse & musket warfare, combined with important battles so small I could command battalions, squadrons and gun sections without bathtubbing.

My parents bought me the Mollo uniform book during the Bicentennial. I found the uniform variety fascinating then and still do today.

As said above. Smaller battles .
The isolated nature of the battles.
The differing infantry types, including Indians.

martin

I should say it was the manageable sized battles and the great books on the AWI that I had read. The great figures being released by Fife & Drum and Kings Mountain Miniatures certainly got my attention. The decisive factor though was that I walked into Historicon where Wargames Factory was selling their newly released Continental Infantry for an extremely good price. I found another vendor who was selling boxes of Perry British infantry cheap.

An image of Brunswick dismounted dragoons, and a friend sold me some unpainted lead at a good price.

A little bit the desire to go American. I had been mostly European if my history preferences. Also, the ability to deal with everything from formal 7YW battles to irregular warfare historically. And less numbers than Napoleonics (my favorite period).

Always liked 'army men'. My mom bought me my first pack of AWI swoppets when I was 9 or 10. Been a huge AWI devotee ever since. Love other eras but this is my go to.

And as Bill N stated with the recent release of some very nice miniatures, this has only reinforced the appeal.

Readily available Airfix plastics, it was some time ago!.

A member of the group providing the minis/rules

My side won.

Airfix + no cavalry to paint.

I got into it at the 1975 GenCon when the Minifigs booth at the Horticultural Hall in Lake Geneva had almost half the counter displaying samples of their entire 25mm AWI range. Bicentennial fever then kicked in and I was hooked.

I was sold instantly and spent every last dollar I had at the show getting enough figures to start on, as did several of my gaming companions.

The range was fairly extensive so no having to wait for them to getting around to fleshing it out to have enough to complete units or your army. You could buy what you needed and get it on the table as fast as you could paint it.

Still have those figures today in my collection.

From Pell's Point to White Plains and then the no man's land of Westchester County NY provides lots of skirmish opportunities. Also influenced by Drums Along the Mohawk. Lived in Westchester County for 58 years.

Peter Gilder's Hinchcliffe range for the bicentennial. That and the National Geographic book on the Revolutionary War by Bart McDowell my parent got in 1967. Let's just say my figure collection and my AWI library have grown, but those were some early inspirations.

My favorite era hands down. "David vs. Goliath. The Uniforms, various terrain and buildings, The different types of units, etc. …Love the ACW too, but AWI wins with me.

I think it was a combination of the Mollo Uniform book and my parents buying me a copy of the Sketchbook 76' during the Bicentennial. My father was a construction contractor and we built a fair number of custom homes in the Williamsburg and Yorktown, VA area. I recall one of the bulldozer blades striking a 6 lbr cannon ball over near Glouster Point, across from Yorktown, and everyone not understanding why it was there. I recall one of the folks from the state pointing out that ball had a "broad arrow" – I was 10 years old and I recall searching endlessly at the library to figure out what it meant. It was year before I solved the mystery.

Pat

Good story, jarhead.