Welcome one and all to the first Napoleonic Association Wargaming column. The aim of this section is to have a regular by-line directed at Napoleonic wargamers, but specifically for members of the Napoleonic Association. What's that I hear you cry? "I thought they were a bunch of re-enactors!" Well, until late last year, so did I. However, it turns out that a large proportion of NA members are already closet wargamers (ooer) and the association wants to encourage more wargamers to join up. That's where I come in. I have been brought on to this year's committee with the aim of doing just that, or to crash and burn dismally in the process. So why join the NA? If nothing else, it can give you a good forum to discuss principles of Napoleonic warfare with like-minded folk, as well as these barmy re-enactors and studious researchers. Like the Ancients fraternity, we claim to be deeply interested in our subject, always striving for that play balance between gaming and realism, but how much active discussion have you seen lately? The Society of Ancients and their magazine, Slingshot, do this admirably. Can we not follow suit? Neglected It seems to me that in the last couple of years Napoleonics, which to my mind is the primary Wargaming period, bar none, has been hugely neglected by all the major multi-period glossies in favour of little known wars I for one have hardly ever heard of. First Empire itself has taken a much more historical angle, although you wouldn't believe that if you'd listened to some of the malarkey being spouted at last year's NA annual general meeting. I know that many of the hard nosed Napoleonic gamers now grudgingly read First Empire. I have been told at shows that it is 'slowly' improving. All I can say is that if that is the case then pull your fingers out to speed up the process. You know who you are. Get involved. put your money where you mouths are, even if it's only to slag me off. I can take it. I for one think its about time that we wargamers took over the NA and directed it where it should go. And we all know that means more playing with toy soldiers. Have you noticed that in the last decade that if you tell people you are a wargamer then they think you mean 'paint balling'. At first I was appalled at this, but in the last year or so I have grown to realise that this is the best thing that could have happened. Now I tell people straight - "I play with toy soldiers." I'm not ashamed. It's what I do, and I love it. What's more I couldn't give a pig's burp for what anybody else thinks, either. Toy Soldier Killers This column is a forum for Napoleonic Toy Soldier killers to air their views. If you are already a member of the NA, write and tell me something interesting. If you aren't, then write and tell me why not, and what it would take to get you to join. For my part, I intend to ruthlessly review the products of any company with the nerve to reply to my letter. At the end of this article you will find a list of wargames I'll be putting on at NA events this year. If you are in the association and you would like to give me and the erudite Rob Jones a hand in running them then contact me. Games While I'm at it, a quick word about these games. I noticed a couple of article in Wargames Illustrated attacking all aspects of display/participation games, primarily on their attractiveness, it seemed to me. The games I will be involved in will involve primarily my own collection, and I won't know until the day if they will be display or participation. If no-one wants to play, Jonesy and me go it alone. The emphasis, however, will be on gaming (and of course on plugging the editor's well known lousy rules system). Having fun is the most important thing. My attitudes have changed in the time since Issue 1 of F.E. when I lambasted Peter Gilder's rules at the Holiday Centre. Since then I have ever so slightly grown up, to realise that it was the playability of these rules that made the weekend so much fun. In fact, remembering that it WAS so much fun, I have been in contact with Mike and Gerry at the hallowed ground and I can tell you that on the weekend of September 8th-10th this year the first Napoleonic Association Tabletop Re-enactment takes place at the Wargames Holiday Centre in Yorkshire. Appropriately, considering the NA's involvement at the massive Waterloo re-enactment this year, it will be the struggle at Mont St. Jean. Gerry tells me that the game will be 'de-balanced' from the usual competitive format to make the battle more historically accurate. Whatever, the battle will undoubtedly be tremendous. I know that many of you will have seen pictures of the splendid set up at the Enchanted Cottage and now is the chance for NA members to sign up for the battle at a measly £75 a head, all in. For that you get accommodation, food and a unique Wargaming - sorry, playing with toys - experience. This is a substantial discount on the usual £95 costs, so there's a benefit to being in the NA already. You will also get to see your lowly-regarded writer in action, doubtless once more smashed out of his head on cider (we Wiltshire folk!) and moaning about the dice. So, drop me a line if you want to be a part of the game, and if you want to see me turn to you and announce theatrically "They're coming on in the same old style." First come, first served, I regret, as places are obviously limited. Don't send any money at this stage, though. Mike and Gerry do tell me that if this is successful future anniversaries will merit refights as well. Book now for Marengo in the year 2000! Napoleon Goes Postal Give your palpitating hearts time to calm down and then read on. For any NA member interested, I will be running a Postal Napoleonic Campaign through the pages of this column using the editor's atrocious Follow the Eagle system. What it will be depends upon your response. The more, the merrier. Drop me a line saying whether you want to be French or Allied and information will be published in Issue 22. Congratulations to Mr C. Gully (no, it's not a joke name, what's more his Christian name's Cliff, so no mocking) who by being psychic enough to respond before I wrote the article entitles himself to be Napoleon in the first game. Costs? I hear you groan. To NA members - NONE. To non-members, £15, but this entitles you to a year's free Napoleonic Association membership and six issues of this really dodgy magazine. MagWeb members: these costs are obsolete--RL Well, that's about all for the first Column. I hope I have inspired you to at least some heavy breathing. If you see me blundering about any of the shows this year (large, bearded, overweight - yes, I am Napoleonic's answer to the great John Treadaway) then feel free to approach and abuse at will. My only requirement is please be interesting. I should be wearing a very smart NA sweatshirt, if it ever gets delivered. And remember, keep playing with your collection. WARGAMING AT NA EVENTS. W/E July 1st/2nd - Fritton Lake, Great Yarmouth. B.Hol W/E August 26/28th - Margam County Park, South Wales. Back to Table of Contents -- First Empire #21 Back to First Empire List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1997 by First Empire. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com