The 36 inch x 36 inch gaming table decision

Updated for a more realistic plan 

Those of you that followed by old blog, already know that I was thinking on downsizing to collections that could be played on a 36x36 playing area. Now that I came to the US I considered a bit whether to relax this. Considering my finances, space, the need for collections to travel, and lack of available time, I have decided to stick to it. Pretty much if your game cannot accommodate a 36x36 playing area, and a one to one-half hour gaming time, then it is not for me. That does not mean your game is bad. It probably is brilliant, but it is not for me (pretty please consider us poor smucks when designing games)

This has led to some more decisions on collecting miniatures inspired by Stillman's Rules (of Warhammer fame)

1) If you are not buying rules and miniatures as part of a group activity, do not buy rules if you already do not have a miniature collection for them. 

2) If you are starting a collection for your own amusement, always get a matched pair. You may eschew this rule only if you are guaranteed other players for at least one game a year.

3) You must have a collection for each rules-system you have paid money for. If you are not willing to do so, retire the rule-system.

3) 28mm miniatures will only be used with skirmish games or small scale tactical games

4) Said skirmish games must give a good game in one hour to one half-hour, on a 36x36 inch gaming area

5) Mass Battle games must give a good game in one hour to one half-hour  on a 36x36 inch gaming area

6) You many not go above 15mm for mass battle collections. 

7) You will make the effort to have good and aesthetically pleasing terrain options for that 36x36 inch gaming area

8) For historical mass battle gaming, you will build matched pairs for specific historical scenarios that can be accommodated on a 36x36. Make the appropriate terrain. 

9) Design scenarios for 36x36 table size. If you design a scenario for a bigger table size, be frank and clear to people that you will not playtest it. 

10) Any board war-game you buy must fit in a 36x36 playing area, and have a average playing time of one hour to one and half hour. This must be the central offering of the game and not just a auxiliary scenario.

Considering these rules, and taking a look at the various systems I paid money for, a plan for future purchases can be made. I summarize my thinking in this table 

Rules-Set	Collection	Matched Pair	Modifications for 36x36 Table	Budget
Altar of Freedom	6mm for Battle of Fort Donelson scenario?	Yes	None, stick to the scenario and make it nice.	50 USD
BBB	Greek-Ottoman 1897, 10mm Pendraken	Yes	2/3 Measurements or make scenario specific set-up for Velestino. Translate scenarios to 3x3 and only make 3x3 scenarios in the future (may make larger for other people)	Done
19th Century Wargaming			None
Tercios-Liber Militum	New Model Army 28mm, Warlord Miniatures (needs an opponent)	Yes	None, play Companies Lists or 500 points games	150 USD
BBB 1912-1922	6mm Greeks and Turks 1919-1922?	Yes	2/3 Measurements, or make only 3x3 Scenarios for own use (may make larger for other people)	100 USD for figures
Great War Spearhead			Stick to Divisional Level Actions
Basic Impetus	Known World Factions 15mm? 12th-13th Century Generic Feudal/ Harnic-Lythian Inspired 15mm?	Yes for Known World, no need for 12th-13th Century	Use 60mm Base Width	200 USD
DBA
To the Strongest
Mayhem
Rally Around the King
Knychte, Pyke and Sworde	Known World Factions 28mm, Perry Miniatures	Yes	Works fine at 36x36	100 USD
Saga: Age of Magic
Kiss me Hardy	1/4800 Scale Ships?	Yes		150 USD
Kill Team/ Warhammer 40k	Death Guard, 28mm Games Workshop	Not needed	Works Fine for Kill Team and Combat Patrol	100 USD
Labels: Italics: Planning phase Bold Italics: Some Progress Bold: Done Project Commercial rules I own that I know I will not play : 1859,1866, I Ain’t Been Shot Mum, Fleet Action Imminent , Might and Reason, Maurice, Lassalle 2, Perfidious Albion, Shako and Drum, Smoothed and Rifled.   Free Rules are not included here.

This adds up to about 850 USD (I rather over-price than under price, though I have a feeling many of the collections will be cheaper than I think) for miniatures, and say 500 USD for terrain, paints etc. If I budget 200 USD per year on the hobby (15 USD a month), then I can complete all these projects in the next seven year period. That should be the aim.

Of course as Old man Moltke said, no plan survives first contact, but still a plan, and especially a budget can help a lot. 

This plan has a couple of pros: it includes 28mm collections that can act as a gateway to get people to try the other games on their. It includes naval gaming options that I have found are always popular. And the collections should be mobile enough, that I can always take something with me when visiting war-gaming friends in Greece or Turkey. 

Wargaming News August-November 2022

 Hello!

With the generally ridiculous twitter situation (remember somebody gave that guy 44 billion to do this), I should remember, and remind you I also have a blog. 

Quite naturally I have not had any chances to play wargames these months. All of my time has been devoured by the move. I did spend money, a bit too much, on wargaming related stuff (picked up copies of To The Strongest Army Lists, DBA version 3.0, Basic Impetus, Saga: Age of Magic  plus some RPG books for inspiration). I also bought and sent presents to my gaming friends in Turkey.

Gaming Wise, I did not play anything. I did check out the two gaming spaces in town, and will probably join the local Kill Team groups, and try to convert some of them into Saga: Age of Magic as a gateway to historical wargaming. 

I did buy a box of Perry Miniatures War of the Roses Foot knights. Yes I had foresworn 28mm, but I am working on a Saga adaption for Mark Smylie's Artesia Known World setting and wish to use them for it and Age of Magic and as a way to convert 40k/Kill Team players to historicals.  While I love the Perry Figures, my eyes are not what they used to be in locating the small pieces (too many pieces, too much lego) that make up each figure. Still it is some hobby activity. 

I have also written a scenario for a Battle in the Known World Setting (Devin Gara), prepared two factions for Saga : The Known World (Western Aurians and Manon Mole Bandit Knights), and working on DBA lists. So lots of activity behind the scenes. 

Arrived at Elko, Nevada

Well it is done. After 9 fruitful but also stressful years in Turkey, I have returned to the US. The family will follow in September. I am now at Elko, Nevada, and there is quite a gaming scene, supporing two game clubs/shops (XP Games and Troll Cave) plus a good comic books/game store (Frank and Fred Comics and Cards). I am not able to fully enjoy them as I lack a car, and while the two is fairly walkable, they are a bit beyond a brisk 15-20 minute walk from my place. Miniature Gaming wise, it does seem that most people play GW games, mainly 40k and AoS which I am not fond off. But on the other hand a chance to meet people and who knows, maybe get some of them to try historicals or historical themed fantasy (Saga). If you stumble on tbe blog and are a wargamer looking for something else than GW, leave a commnent.

Visit to the Battlefield of 1st and 2nd Inonu (Bozuyuk-Avgin-Kovalitsa)

 This Monday I had the chance with Onur and Nacho to visit the battlefield were the Battles of 1st Inonu/Bozuyuk and 2nd Inonu/Avgin-Kovalitsa took place during the 1919-1922 Greece-Turkey War (Asia Minor Campaign/Turkish War of Liberation).

You can see a video mainly in English from my visit here

You can see a video mainly in Greek from my visit here

Photos with descriptive labels and the information posters I used to orient myself (click for larger images)

BBB Champion Hill 1862

 After a very very long time, I got to play a game of BBB with Nacho. We ran Vincent Tsao's Champion Hill 1862 scenario. We used my old 10mm ACW Pendraken  collection (now gifted to Nacho) .

We had a blast, once more appreciating what a great operational level system BBB is for 19th century, early 20th Century gaming. I commanded the Union and Nacho the Rebels. I lost too much time with traffic jams, and then his unit on Champion Hill proved more stubborn than historically, while Bowen's unit held fast forcing my lines back. In the end I took the hill, but could not push on for more objectives. A good balanced scenario. Losses were comparable for both sides, about the equivalent of ten thousand men, but of course this will be more heavy for the smaller Rebel army.

The Table set up 

Union reinforcements

The table during action

Another action shot

 

The Table at the end of the game 

With the front line in red. Union is to the bottom of the picture.

Various action shots!

Some more wargaming Might and Reason

 Our monthly game with Nacho and Onur two weeks ago was a battle pitting early 18th century Ottomans and Hpasburg Imperials in a game of Might and Reason. It ended in an Imperial victory over the Ottomans in what was mainly a learning game.  Figures were 1/72, a collection of Zvezda, Mars, and Strelets

A Character for my friend Nacho's upcoming TRPG "Magic and Phoenix: Chronicles of the 4th Age"

 I created a character for my friend Nacho's upcoming TRPG "Magic and Phoenix: Chronicles of the 4th Age". Right now most information is in Spanish, but he is also working on a English translation