New Plans and Review of the Rule-sets I have

 After my unexpected trip to Istanbul/Constantinople I had the chance to take a fuller stock of my collection. I also was able to save some future money by bringing some stuff over to Elko. A green cloth for a gaming surface, dice, my printed Battlefinder cards (a nifty little Perfect Captain tool for generating campaign maps and random terrain), my Liber Militum Tercios Cards for my New Model Army. 

On the other hand I also made big decisions. I put up some stuff for sale (6mm French and Prussian Napoleonics, already sold, my Grand Tactical 1859-1866 rules) and left my 28mm New Model Army with Nacho for him to attempt to find a seller. Pretty much the only thing left from my old collection are my 10mm Greek and Ottomans for 1897, which once more I was not able to bring over (had to leave at my mother's in law) for a next trip.

But I did gain a new addition to my collection, which is a small Death Guard force for Kill Team/40k, a present from my good friend Onur. There is an active community here, and I will use participation in these games as a way to build social capital for running some historically or historically inspired games. And I hope to maybe get my hands to some painted Brettonians, I had left at my friend's Chris house. 

But in many ways I am at a tabula rasa point, and can start a new collection. Which leads me to make a serious and extensive review of the rules-systems I have in order to see which I am keen at making a collection for.  I used to think that you get the miniatures and you will find the rules, but I know find that have a set of rules that really makes you want to play provides more motivation for collecting miniatures. I guess the worm has turned. So here goes a big review. In a future post I will then lay out my plans for collecting for the next two to three years.

Rules
Altar of Freedom
Interest in Collecting or Playing them	Very high. While I think BBB work better for me in many aspects, the command-and-control rules are superb, and I just love the work the designers have put into it and in supporting them.
Compatible with 36x36- One Hour Philosophy	Fort Doneslon Scenario   2nd Kernstown Scenario
Existing Collection	Nope
Collection Plans	Get a collection for use with these two scenarios (6mm)
Bloody Big Battles
Interest in Collecting or Playing them	Very High. I love Chris Pringle’s rules so much I published a scenario book with him.
Compatible with 36x36- One Hour Philosophy	It will be an interesting question, but I want this to work, and I will make it work. A couple of scenarios (Oeversee, Yalu, Port Arthur)  fit a 3x3 foot table, and I am working on more (2nd Velestino, Grimbovo). Will be the rules I use for 1919-1922 Greece-Turkey War scenarios
Existing Collection	10mm Greeks and Ottomans for 1897 (2nd Velestino, Grimbovo)
Collection Plans	Rebase to 30mm the existing stuff. Perhaps get some other scenario specific forces. Collect in 6mm Greece-Turkey 1919-1922 forces
DBA, To the Strongest (TtS)
Interest in Collecting or Playing them	Very High! I love DBA. It was my first war-games rules system, and my first proper miniature army was an Essex 100 Years War French
Compatible with 36x36- One Hour Philosophy	Easily!
Existing Collection	None
Collection Plans	Collect 15mm forces 1) Historical Matched Pair Sicilian Normans vs. Komnenean Constantinople Romans   2) Fantasy Matched Pair Artesian Expeditionary vs. Thessid Imperial set in the setting of Mark Smyli’s Artesia Comics
Saga: Age of Magic
Interest in Collecting or Playing them	Very High!
Compatible with 36x36- One Hour Philosophy	Easily!
Existing Collection	Working on 28mm collections based on 15th Century Europe inspired by Mark Smylie’s Artesia Comics Friend has a 28mmmatched pair for old Saga (Anglo-Saxon vs. Viking)
Collection Plans	Complete two matched 6 point factions.   Add fantasy elements to Anglo-Saxon vs. Viking Factions.
Liber Militum: Tercios
Interest in Collecting or Playing them	Very High! I just adore these rules and enjoy them a lot.
Compatible with 36x36- One Hour Philosophy	With reduced base sizes, and at 500 point games yes
Existing Collection	No, Sellling my old 28mm ECW Army
Collection Plans	Make two 15mm forces, New Model Army vs. Montrose. Yes not historical, but the historical match up’s are boring. This is a dream match up. Come on, history denied this us. I will not deny it to myself.
Neil Thomas 19th Century Rules
Interest in Collecting or Playing them	Middling. I love the simplicity, but BBB is just such a much richer experience
Compatible with 36x36- One Hour Philosophy	Yes for the Minigame
Existing Collection	What works for BBB works for this
Collection Plans
Basic Impetus
Interest in Collecting or Playing them	Low. I like a lot about these rules, but they will not work as well for my stipulations as DBA or TtS
Compatible with 36x36- One Hour Philosophy	Not easily without adjustments
Existing Collection	What works for DBA/TtS works for this
Collection Plans
Fleet Action Imminent
Interest in Collecting or Playing them	Very Low. I would play if someone else runs them. Never was able to wrap my head around their rules.
Compatible with 36x36- One Hour Philosophy	Smaller Actions sure
Existing Collection	Nope
Collection Plans	No Interest
Full Thrust
Interest in Collecting or Playing them	Middling to Low. If someone else runs, or if I find someone to collect with. I like their ideas, they are a great gift to gamers by the designers, but never really got into them
Compatible with 36x36- One Hour Philosophy	Smaller Actions sure
Existing Collection	Nope
Collection Plans	No Interest
Great War Spearhead
Interest in Collecting or Playing them	Very Low. I love a lot about these rules. I love the dedication of the creators, and the support they have provided. I love their scenario books. But I was never able to wrap myself around their mechanisms. Indeed despite reading the rulebook a couple of times, and watching a good introduction video I could not envision how this plays. This also made it hard for me to create scenarios (which is my benchmark on whether I understand a set of rules). I also dislike the scale
Compatible with 36x36- One Hour Philosophy	Not without serious adjustments
Existing Collection	What I get for 1919-1922 will work for these, but I will prefer BBB
Collection Plans
I Ain’t Been Shut Mom
Interest in Collecting or Playing them	Very Low. I like the Lardies work, and this was my second foray into their system. This one did not work for me. Neither the scale, nor the rules
Compatible with 36x36- One Hour Philosophy	Nope
Existing Collection	Nope
Collection Plans	I might get into WW2 gaming if I find another collector willing to do so, but in that case I think I will advocate for Chain of Command or O Group
Kiss Me Hardy
Interest in Collecting or Playing them	High. I would love to get back into Kiss Me Hardy. I love the rules (my first foray into Lardies work).
Compatible with 36x36- One Hour Philosophy	Smaller Actions Yes
Existing Collection	Nope
Collection Plans	If I find interest in a group, I might invest in some 1/4000 ships
Knchete, Pyke and Sworde
Interest in Collecting or Playing them	Very Low. Many nice ideas but Saga gives me the same kick with a more interesting game. A good cheaper alternative to it, but since I forked the money, why not play Saga instead.
Compatible with 36x36- One Hour Philosophy	Easily!
Existing Collection	What I have for Saga would work for it, but then why not play Saga
Collection Plans
Maurice, Might and Reason
Interest in Collecting or Playing them	Very Low. I respect and love Sam Mustafa’s work because it respects people like me, with little space and time. His dedication to scalability is an example more designers should follow. I love the period. That said these two sets are the least scalable of his rules.
Compatible with 36x36- One Hour Philosophy	Not without adjustments
Existing Collection	Nope
Collection Plans	Might be interested in 1700-1790 conflicts if I find an opponent and space
Mayhem
Interest in Collecting or Playing them	Some interest. I have yet to play these, and I did a army list book inspired by Glorantha.  I really want to give them a run, but Saga: Age of Magic seems a better fit for my play sensibilities.
Compatible with 36x36- One Hour Philosophy	Easily
Existing Collection	What I get for Saga: Age of Magic should work for this
Collection Plans
Perfidious Albion
Interest in Collecting or Playing them	It is a fun game and the simplest of the 19th-20th century naval rules. But it can also be frustrating. Would play if others are interested
Compatible with 36x36- One Hour Philosophy	Small actions (1-3 ships each side)
Existing Collection	Nope
Collection Plans	Not interested in starting something, except if there are other interested to do so.
Lassalle II
Interest in Collecting or Playing them	There is a lot that I like about Lassalle II, but simply put the Napoleonic Era does not inspire me much. I will happily play with others, and teach to others, and will join a communal project drive, but will not get into it on my own. Blucher makes more sense for my preferred level of strategy (operational, theater) for this era.
Compatible with 36x36- One Hour Philosophy	Yes
Existing Collection	Nope
Collection Plans	Only as part of a communal project.
Shako and Drum, Smoothed and Rifled
Interest in Collecting or Playing them	Not really interested in Skirmish games in the Napoleonic or 19th Century European period. I prefer operational games instead.
Compatible with 36x36- One Hour Philosophy	Yes
Existing Collection	Nope
Collection Plans	Not interested in starting-collecting something
Federation Commander First Missions
Interest in Collecting or Playing them	Would love to play again
Compatible with 36x36- One Hour Philosophy	Yes
Existing Collection	Nope
Collection Plans	If there is interest could invest in a small force and Federation Commander: Klingon Border
Rally around the King
Interest in Collecting or Playing them	Nope
Compatible with 36x36- One Hour Philosophy	With adjustments
Existing Collection	Nope
Collection Plans	No interest in collecting for this.