"The most effective way to build a force? - Discuss" Topic

I've done a short blog piece on the topic here:
link

I'd mostly agree with the blog--but I'd advise doing a lot of that before settling on a period and picking rules. Certainly if a groups is working a period, build to participate--needed troops and matching basing.

If you're by yourself, I'd say try small and cheap--skirmish, microscale or picoscale--before committing to the time and serious money it takes to put two 28mm armies on a 4x6 or larger board. I've seen too many crash and burn projects for sale in flea markets about 10% painted and based. Some of them were mine.

And never forget that you should be able to look at a unit on a table and know what side the unit is on, what troop type they are and ideally what quality they are without putting markers on the table or consulting a roster. If that means cheating a bit on the historical mix of coat colors or number of flags, I'd say it's in a good cause.

Off to paint my 2mm DAK. The first consideration is that they never look too much like my 2mm Western Desert Force. All those Germans in captured British uniforms and vehicles painted with captured paint? Not on my table in that scale.

Paint a third, buy a third and have a third painted. Gets an army done quick.

I agree start small and grow from there. Once you are all in, plan and buy all figures that you will need (you know you will buy more later, but this gives you the initial forces).

Figure lines get discontinued and prices never go down.

With luck you will be able to get figures from more than one manufacturer.

Keep an eye out for second hand figures from other folks failed projects for some good deals.