CONFESSIONS OF A SOLO WARGAMER - Part 1

Randomly Accessed Memories of Miniatures

According to the typed and laminated label secured with magnetic tape to the black plastic storage container, the contents of ‘Wargaming Bin - 6’ include the following: assorted copies of eight-plus volumes of The Courier magazine; a handful of copies of Historical Gamer; a couple of copies of Military History magazine, and nearly a dozen programs from LITTLE WARS, this last being an annual wargaming convention, sponsored by HMGS (Historical Miniature Gaming Society - Midwest / please see http://www.hmgsmidwest.com/ for additional information) and held at various locations within a comparatively short drive (approximately 30 minutes, give or take) of the city of Chicago. I confess that I don’t often inspect, refer to or even have reason to inspect or refer to the contents of this particular bin. Near the end of February 2022, however, while struggling to find a way to introduce my next blog post and simultaneously struggling (or procrastinating) to continue a Hail Caesar scenario wherein Spartans were engaged with some Vikings, I took a few minutes to take a look at what has been sitting quietly or waiting patiently in what might be called a plastic tomb.

The “collection” of Courier magazines is by no means complete. I do have Volume 1, Number 5 though, which was published in March-April of 1980. (Wait a minute . . . that’s 42 years ago!) On the cover, there is a large black and white photo of Jack Scruby at his workbench or in his workshop. The issue contains articles written by Bob Beattie, Ned Zuparko, and Larry Brom among other contributors. Issue Number 82 of the “new” Courier has a full-color cover. It appears to be of a 25/28mm WWII game, taking place somewhere in Russia before the heavy snow and merciless cold has set in. Looking briefly at the article list, I see that Bill Rutherford wrote a comparison/contrast essay about three sets of WWII rules. Paul Koch wrote something about using DBA-like rules for Napoleonic gaming. Bob Beattie was there again, this time writing something about the “new” DBA 2.0 rules. Shifting to Historical Gamer or Historical Miniature Gamer magazine, I could find no date information for Issue 7. (I have the first seven issues.) There was a full-color cover however, and the table of contents listed articles by Howard Whitehouse on building terrain; Brian Beale’s complimentary review of Duke Seifried’s “extravaganza” at Origins 2005, and a group effort interview of Scott Bowden that was conducted at Historicon 2006 and afterwards. As subjectively interesting as it is to review some of these stored wargaming publications, I should like to narrow my focus to the programs obtained from attending, apparently, nearly a dozen LITTLE WARS conventions. Specifically, I want to take a close look at the first program in my “collection.” This is the one from LITTLE WARS 2000. 

The program being in my possession, there can be no doubt that I was there. The “problem” is, I have no actual memories of attending this convention. To be certain, I do recall the location and the rather dingy or sub-par, at least to me, environment in which the dealer tables and games were held. I can remember that the facilities (i.e., washrooms) were certainly not suited to the volume and habits of the attendees. However, even after looking over the program for a couple of days, I cannot recall playing in any significant or memorable game, seeing an especially spectacular wargame, or finding some new and must-have product in the dealers area. Scanning the listing of events for the three-day convention, it can be remarked that many periods and tastes or preferences were catered to. For example, on Friday, one could choose from the following:  25mm Colonial, 20mm WWII, 6mm Napoleonic, or 1/144 Sci-Fi. The Napoleonic game was a refight of Lutzen (1813) using Napoleon’s Battles. The Sci-Fi game was called “Tatooine Scream - Pod Racing.” In the early hours of Saturday (Day 2 and by early I mean starting at 9 a.m.), one could choose from 25mm Pirate action (set in the 1700s), 25mm ACW (Gettysburg - Day 1), 1/600 ACW - Ironclads, or 20 mm War of 1812 - The Battle of Lundy’s Lane. The “Battle of Giza,” scheduled for six hours (from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday) caught my attention. This was a 25mm Ancients game for 4-12 players using home rules. The description or summary is worth quoting in full. 

Muwattilis has defeated Rameses at the Battle of Kadesh and has followed the 

        Egyptians down in to their heartland. The Egyptians will make their last stand 

        on the plain of Giza under the watchful eye of the Sphinx. The landscape is 

        dominated by the massive configuration of the Great Pyramid. The sculptures 

        cut in to the very living rock are reminiscent of Abu Simbel and the area is 

        further complicated with a number of exquisitely decorated temples. Indeed, 

        this barren landscape is a treasure trove of Egyptian art and tradition, and you 

        are there at the moment of this historic encounter. This is an “Uncle Duke” 

        extravaganza, featuring sound effects, background music, special lighting, and 

        Duke’s own CHARIOT rules. Prepare for a magnificent foray in the past!  

Having reread this—I want to call it an advertisement or commercial—several times now, I am starting to think that maybe I did happen upon this extravaganza while walking around the games and dealer area. Perhaps I even took some photos of this colorful and massive game. I would have to check my computer photo albums. Perhaps it’s my “advanced age” or perhaps a “conservative” or “traditional” belief when it comes to playing at war, but I find myself feeling a little exhausted or even overwhelmed on reading the description. Sound effects? Background music? Special lighting? Goodness! I am tempted to ask, “Is this wargaming or is this some kind of performance art?” (Sidebar: To what extent can wargaming be considered performance art?) 

The fighting or gaming wound down on Sunday. “Diehard” wargamers could get their fill by choosing from a reduced number of events. The variety of scales and periods was still abundant. For example, one could be a Viking, Saxon, or Norman in a 25mm Dark Ages scenario. One could also assume the role of a dashing 25mm Musketeer and defend La Rochelle. Another option offered enthusiasts the opportunity of “driving” a 1/64 scale Nascar “75 laps around a tri-oval race track.” If one waited until 10 a.m., then a 1/285 scale refight of Zehlendorf (April 1945) was available to 4-8 player-generals. 

I will conclude this section with what might be called “full disclosure.” First, I do not have a complete “collection” of LITTLE WARS programs. I have copies for 2000 through 2005, and then from 2010 to 2014. I am not sure why there is a gap from 2006 to 2009. I also don’t know why I have not kept any programs from the past eight years. I am fairly certain that I attended at least one or two conventions when LITTLE WARS was held in Lombard, Illinois. 

Second, and perhaps with some slight embarrassment or even regret, I have never joined HMGS-Midwest. This would have reduced the registration fee for getting in the doors of the annual event, but that savings would have been canceled out by the cost of joining HMGS. Never have I volunteered to run a game at LITTLE WARS, or even volunteered to help out in some way or another. I suppose these admissions could be counted as “black marks” against me and my wargaming character. As a further point, I am a confirmed solo gamer. Very early on, I was introduced to wargaming in a social setting (an after-school “club”) and I have played a number of games (plastic miniatures or boardgames) against a living opponent, but the vast majority of my gaming experience and life has been conducted on my own, playing against myself. It is not that I have a “phobia” about sitting or standing around a table with half-a-dozen strangers for several hours while moving troops and throwing dice. It is simply that my preference is for—lacking a better description—something more functional and minimalist than expensive, aesthetically pleasing, and competitive. There are other factors or variables, such as time, inspiration, convenience, and so forth. Thinking about my attendance at these historical conventions, I rarely went for more than one day of the scheduled three, and I was rarely there for more than six hours. I would estimate that my average stay was around four hours. I would circulate, taking in the variety of games and rules on display. I would sometimes “people watch,” wondering if there was some sort of causal relationship between the perceived health of many attendees and the comparatively sedentary nature of the hobby. I would also wander in the dealer area, more often shocked and dismayed by the price tags than I was amazed and impressed by the latest product or idea. I guess one could take a negative view of my attendance or experience at these LITTLE WARS conventions and “argue” that I was somewhat parasitic or even judgmental. I would “attach” myself to this annual host and “suck” some ideas out of the larger body. I would form new opinions or reinforce old ones about this or that topic. On the other hand, a less graphic or negative perspective would simply offer that I made an annual “pilgrimage” to get some new ideas, find some inspiration, see what was going on in the hobby, and maybe, just maybe, participate in a game if the period, rules, and scale caught my interest. 

I’ve had the program from LITTLE WARS 2000 for 22 years now. I have not kept an exact record (ironic, I know, as the program is in a hanging file that has a typed label, and that hanging file is in a storage bin with a typed and laminated label which would suggest . . .) of how many times I’ve retrieved it from its bin and looked at it, but I would venture it’s less than the number of fingers on both hands. Given this infrequent usage, I am compelled to ask what purpose does the program serve, and further, why I would keep something from an convention that I have no real memories of attending? Related to this line of inquiry, I see that LITTLE WARS 2022 will be taking place at the end of April. It will be held in a new location. As of this typing (early morning in late February), I wonder if I will decide make the drive out, register, and then spend several hours walking around? I wonder if I will buy anything or even participate in a traditional miniature wargame?

Addendum: March 04 - Unfortunately, I was not able to find any pictures from LITTLE WARS 2000. I might have had, at one point, a traditional photo album, but life events and a few days of  decluttering saw the cannibalization or recycling of these tangible photographs. I was able, however, to locate some photos from LITTLE WARS 2016. (That is odd. I have programs for some conventions and photos for others. I do not have programs and photos for the same gathering.) Following, please find more than several pieces of “eye candy” that might provide some distraction before the remaining sections of this “confession” are read. (Format Note: The decision was made on March 05 to divide an approximately 7,500 words long post into unequal halves and publish the pieces within a few days of each other.) 

Picture A / If memory serves, this was taken at one of the three or four tables reserved for an ADLG (L’Art de la Guerre) tournament. Evidently, it was an open competition, as this particular contest featured, I think, Romans versus Aztecs with a Spanish allied contingent. The color of the native troops and their European allies is quite evident. The uniformity of the Romans is also apparent. The lack of battlefield terrain is also apparent. This scarcity did not detract from the enjoyment of the player-generals, as I recall.

Picture B / I am not sure what scale this game was, but it was a WWII (or perhaps a modern contest - as the planes seem more like jets - they have no propellers), involving flights of German planes over an urban/suburban map. I am not certain what rules were used, but it appears that movement and perhaps combat was hex-based.

Picture C / A rather impressive game of the American War of Independence. This was a strategic-level wargame, as the table encompassed the entire 13 Colonies as well as Nova Scotia and Quebec. There are labels marking the various colonies and there are tiny buildings indicating large towns and cities. There are stands of troops, but I doubt these were for “traditional” battle use. I would guess that these “tiny men” served as physical symbols of divisions or armies, given the large scale of the endeavor. I cannot help but be reminded of the Avalon Hill boardgame 1776 as I look at this picture. 

Picture D / My guess is that this was a Bolt Action wargame. The individual figures mounted on circular bases and the model AFVs not mounted on any base suggest Bolt Action or some similar skirmish-level WWII rules. The terrain is impressive. Talk about your cobblestone streets! The detail on the shutters of the destroyed house are also worthy of a mention. 

Picture E / The large terrain feature, the white tents of the British camp, and the thin deployment of the infantry companies are three clues as to the identity of this large miniature refight. 

Picture F / The modern period was represented at LITTLE WARS 2016. Here, Russian helicopters fly in advance of ground troops advancing across modern-day European terrain. My guess is that this was a Flames of War variant, perhaps a demonstration of the Team Yankee rules? 

Picture G / Why watch Charlton Heston in the movie when you can become Ben Hur on a tabletop? While the terrain is somewhat simplistic, the focus is on the race, on beating your competitors. It appears that these races were well attended. I am given to wonder if someone somewhere, at some show or convention, staged a representation of the combats seen in the movie GLADIATOR? 

Picture H / A combination of miniatures and Commands & Colors Ancients. The hexagons are evident as is the overall size of the model battlefield. Conveniently, there are wooden holders for the display and organization of cards. The contest appears to be a 15mm one, and my guess is that one of the armies is Roman, of one iteration or another. 

Two Wargamers, Two Roads

In the September 10, 2021, post to his popular and well-regarded blog “Here’s no great matter” - A wargaming blog (232 followers as of 18 February 2022 and I would imagine, several thousand more casual readers/visitors; please see https://prufrockian-gleanings.blogspot.com/), Aaron Bell, the right honorable gentleman from New Zealand (formerly from Japan) admits and explains:

Knowing that there is no chance of my managing to paint up all of the armies in 

        all of the eras I would like to, I have been exploring an alternative approach. 

        While I have a decent collection of ancients armies, I have nothing for the horse 

        and musket era, and little chance of having time or spare money in the near     

        future to remedy that. So what is a person to do? Well, I’ve decided to         

        experiment with craft products and boardgames.

On the one hand, I am struck by the initial impression created. There is, at least to me, a tone of defeatism and negativity to these words. One could even suggest that there is a small measure of self-pity. On the other hand, there is a certain amount of realism at work here as well. Like many other participants in this wonderful and varied hobby, it seems that Aaron has problems separating his wants from his needs. I can completely relate, (indeed, I could be a standard-bearer for this contingent) for I have often wanted to attend one of The Society of Ancients Battle Day Events, but I don’t really need to do so. In similar fashion, I would like to have a collection of figures like and a blog as successful as the one established by James Roach (please see and prepared to be impressed with http://olicanalad.blogspot.com/), but again, I don’t really need those splendid models and I don’t really need to have as popular a blog. Like many others who play at war, to one degree or another, at least with specific regard to his hobby pursuits, Aaron might benefit from establishing some SMART goals.  (The acronym should be fairly familiar. S stands for Specific; M stands for Measurable; A stands for Achievable; R stands for Relevant or Realistic, and T stands for Time-Stamped. Please see https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/knowledge/other/smart-goal/ or https://www.sandiego.edu/hr/documents/STAFFGoals-PerfPlanningGuide1.pdf.) Here again, I readily admit that I could also benefit from establishing and working toward some of my own SMART goals. It is not my intention to find fault with or analyze this specific post made by a long-time blogger and well-respected member of The Society of Ancients, though I fear that some readers of this blog post may interpret this section and these lines as just that. Worse, they may view it as a kind of personal attack. As I live in a very glass house, my purpose here is not to throw stones. That would be very foolish as well as counter-productive. I admire and respect Aaron Bell. I read his posts as well as his contributions to The Society of Ancients Forums.  I have read, enjoyed, and been inspired by his submissions to Slingshot. I have, on a number of occasions, exchanged emails with the gentleman. I think he is an excellent representative of the hobby. 

Aaron’s comments—now approximately five months old, as this section is being drafted early in the morning of 18 February 2022—struck a chord. In addition to being able to empathize and sympathize with his feelings and situation, I was also impressed by the irony. It would appear that decades ago I came to exact same disappointing but realistic conclusion. To the limited and precious resources of time and money, I would add talent. Very early on, I realized that I was starting out in this wonderful and varied hobby with three strikes against me. Unlike Aaron, I do not possess “a decent collection of ancients armies.” In point of fact, I have no collection at all. I do not own a single painted and based miniature. What I have, instead, is a collection of rule books, some used and some just stored away. (All are arranged alphabetically in hanging files, and stored in labeled bins, of course.) I have a number of books about wargaming. I also have a couple of storage bins containing wargaming necessities such as dice, markers, rulers, and so forth. I also have an assortment of what might generously be called terrain pieces or features. Full disclosure: I do have two unpainted 25/28mm figures on my work/writing desk. These gentlemen stand, patiently and unmoving, just to my left, in front of the pile of colorful post-it notes and just to the right—as one looks at it—of my printer. One is French voltigeur, I want to say, with slung musket, full pack, and blowing a bugle. The other is a Viking warrior or some similar “Dark Age” personality. This fellow has a short chainmail shirt, an axe (not the two-handed variety), and a round shield that will sometimes stay in place but often lies at the feet of this tiny metal man. I really should glue it in place. Anyhow. Rather than dwell on what I don’t have or what I haven’t accomplished in the narrow terms of this hobby (I do quite enough of that in my life outside of wargaming), I started experimenting with alternatives to painted and based miniature armies at an early stage of my involvement. This flexible and functional approach or “method” has allowed me to command armies and formations ranging from British and tribesmen in Afghanistan during the 1880s to Prussians and Austrians in Europe during the 1750s to Athenians and Persians in Greece during the 430s BC. Reviewing Aaron’s September 10 post for the twelfth or thirteenth time, I had to chuckle, imagining the parallel universe wherein I decide to make the shift from colored cardboard counters to actual miniatures while he “graduates” from painted and based miniatures to other, non-traditional representations of armies and units of this historical period or that one.