Thursday 24 August 2023

Wargaming keeps you young.

My last post was way back in June when I came back fired up after a great weekend wargaming with some wonderful gamers. Sadly the enthusiasm I had melted away very quickly. Its sometimes hard to identify why this type of issue happens. All wargamers suffer from such issues, some never return to our hobby, but most thankfully do return and appreciate just how important their hobby is to them.  
I can only apologise for posting this downer, especially as it has become a recurring theme for me and worryingly it has become more frequent. I find it annoying in that the actual hobby is bursting with life, from new ideas, rules, figures and countless improvements from paint to actual knowledge and research. It is a veritable hive of activity.

 I attribute my ennui to an age thing and no matter what, one cannot fight the inevitable, BUT one can slow ageing down. Bruce Springsteen once attributed his longevity to Rock and Roll, he claimed it slowed down the aging process. I think he was right on the money except my longevity is down to wargaming, rock and roll and immaturity. So hopefully I will rise above such trivialities as aching limbs, poor eyesight and hairy nostrils.  Sadly painting has been the first victim of my inactivity. I have started to use my brush again and completed the terrain I needed for Xenos Rampant, so that was a positive. I also completed the lovely figures, that the generous Iain Macmillan sent me.   


I think my favourite is the lovely Stadden figure of Cardinal Richelieu, it must be about 50 years old, but the quality of sculpting has stood the test of time. And talking of which, last months Wargames Illustrated,[August 2023] was a good issue for all collectors of old wargames figures, especially Rick Priestly and his tribute to Mini Figs. Like Rick I continue to buy up old/ early wargames figures, ideally as cheaply as possible and hopefully badly painted.  
I now have two Ancient Persian armies, my plastic one made up of Wargames Atlantic and Victrix figures and then my Persian army or Garrison, Mini Figs and Hinchliffe figures. My favourite? The old one full of telegraph poles, wonky horse legs and dodgy research. It is difficult to articulate why this is, nostalgia? Perhaps. Simply being old and wearing rose coloured glasses? Maybe.  But whenever I see them placed on my table I find a warm glow coming over me, and no it isn't my prostate kicking in.
All my armies, be they SYW, ACW, ECW, Ancients all have contingents containing early wargames figures. They aren't compatible with the later ranges, but I dont care, although I do keep the units in separate brigades where possible.  
Another figure I was very kindly given was from Mark Taylor after my defeat at the last Billhooks tournament has also been completed. The Games Workshop Bretonnian Green Knight is still a beautiful figure from probably one of their best ranges. This one had to be painted as a Burgundian commander naturally. Totally unhistorical, but eye pleasing to me. Happy days.


 


16 comments:

  1. Nice to see you back, and I love the Richelieu figure

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  2. I applaud your frankness and honesty and also your eclectic tastes from teh Cardinal to Xenos and quite frankly why not - as Feynman said - "Why should you care what other people think"

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  3. Great to hear from you again Robbie, I get the odd week when I don't feel like painting as much and I am thinking of reaching the end on some of my projects. Mainly as I want to do more gaming, my outlook is there is no rush chillax and go with the flow. I hope to live forever or die trying😁.
    That cardinal fig is a must for me.
    Happy gaming and painting,

    Willz.

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  4. That Stadden figure of the good cardinal is a cracker, lovely figure and very well painted. I think we all go through times where it is hard to do things hobby wise, I know I do, it does usually wear off and I batter back into it! Got to agree about older figures, got a load of Garrison SYW figures recently and they are cracking little guys.

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  5. We all go through these periods of ennui every so often, so don’t worry. You’re doing some painting (and very nice your output looks!) and the desire to fight a wargame will soon return. I’m about to start eight weeks of radiotherapy and I’m also not in the mood to actually wargame, but I’m keeping busy by rebasing and flocking the bases of my WW2 collection. I know that my enthusiasm will return: I’m just not forcing it t present.

    All the best,

    Bob

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  6. Glad to know you are still breathing Robbie! Indeed all aspects of our wonderful hobby are good for our mental and emotional health, if not our bank balance! Keep on keeping on with your old figures if they make you happy! Hope to see you at The Other Partizan in October.

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  7. Nice to hear from you and as others have already said, we all go through these periods now and then, so you are not alone. I've had no desire to actually put on a game at home for many, many months now, but have enjoyed reading, planning projects and actually keeping on track on the painting front, which is a shock!

    A fine mix of figures and the Green Knight is a blast from the past and a pleasant one too:).

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  8. Robbie good to hear from you, will you be at Border Reiver if so can touch base. I guess getting in a funk is definitely an age thing. The good thing is it doesn’t matter and just do what you want. For me it’s painting and reading old magazines ( nostalgia) You’ve done a cracking job on those figures. I just think we reach a point where we almost go full circle and end up where we started 40-50 years ago but hey it’s been fun getting there 😁

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  9. I'm pretty sure it is an age / nostalgia 'thing'. I too love vintage figures - I try to argue it's because they have more motion or are less chunky, but beneath it all it's just the realisation of the long deferred pleasure of obtaining what I lusted after when everything worked but I had no funds. I also find them more interesting to paint as I like the freedom of painting in a bit of detail, or not, as the mood takes me rather than having it sculpted in and demanding your attention with the paintbrush.
    I know current figure ranges are often more historically accurate but still prefer my Hinchliffe ECWs which probably owe more to Victorian sensibilities... (https://napoleonictherapy.blogspot.com/p/robs-hinchliffe-ecw-collection.html)
    The next project I'm starting to collect lead for is to recreate the Hinchliffe armies for the Battle of Dara from Chandler's 'The Art of Warfare on Land'.

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  10. Now I just happen to have unpainted and badly painted Hinchliffe Byzantines purchased in the mid seventies after seeing this book. Just in case anyone is interested....!
    Ronnie

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    1. I might be interested - I don't want to post my email here but perhaps we could get in contact via Robbie?

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  11. That would be great but maybe difficult unless he can suggest something. Otherwise I could just post my email address (and delete it once you've taken s note).

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  12. If Robbie doesn't have your email then we are stuck unless you do post yours here. If you do I'll let you know when I have it and at the same time ask Robbie to remove it.

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  14. Hi Robbie, I think it is fairly common for many of us are starting to look backwards over our shoulder one way or another.

    I have a sense (that I suspect is wrong) that things were just more fun and simple back in the day and that I have lost something in my journey …. Even though wargaming today is brilliant and probably more vibrant than it has ever been.

    But having given it some thought, I think perhaps what is true is that back in the day, we didn’t have a lot of money, so collections were more focussed. I think now, I am pulled in too many directions by the goodness that is around me and I need to streamline and focus on fewer things and increase actual gaming …. Does that resonate with you (or is it just me :-).

    Anyway, glad you are getting back into your stride.

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    1. ROBBIE,WHEN YOU DIE CAN I HAVE YOUR FIGURES??
      JOHNC

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My 6mm Napoleonic set up.

My 6mm Napoleonic set up.
Austria 1809.

Austrian Hussars

Austrian Hussars
Hinchliffe figures

Austrian Grenzer

Austrian Grenzer
Austrian Grenzer

Smoggycon 2013

Smoggycon 2013
Smoggycon 2013

Smoggycon 2012

Smoggycon 2012
Smoggycon 2012

Smoogycon 2009

Smoogycon 2009
My French getting another beating