From Robert Piepenbrink
Hopefully an actual article or two will follow shortly, but I wanted to get a note off congratulating you on MWAN 120. I always look forward to my MWAN, but this may be the best issue since I've been a subscriber. You did the whole gamut--scenarios, uniforms, organizations, rules, philosophy of wargaming, product reviews and craft tips. A couple are outside my period, but not a bad article in the lot. Now, if you can just get Mr. Haggart to come through with some scenarios for the Hungarian War, I can feel another 10mm army coming on. They can fight my existing Austrians, and somehow those Crimean-vintage Russians are just bound to follow. Since I already have Second Empire 10mm French, every army involved will have two potential opponents.
(Editor's Note: Thanks, Robert, for your kind remarks MWAN #120 did turn out very well, thanks to the many contributors!)
From Timothy Boyd
First, my compliments on the latest MWAN--one of the best yet: filled with interesting articles (including that really first-rate one on the Hungarian Revolt of 1848-9 and Mr. Mustafa's report on his pilgrimage to Lancaster and, and, well, the list would include most of the magazine). As well, I very much enjoyed your and the said Mr. M's thoughts on wargaming. We don't have to justify it-it's a hobby, after all, not something which threatens the health or safety of millions--but I think that it's always good to try to understand what we do and why we do it and, in my opinion, the two of you have done an excellent job in thinking out loud about what we all do for fun.
It's been a busier time than ever here in Lockport, NY. What with the twins now a year + 2 months old and more active by the day, there's always less time for reading and painting than I would like, but the emotional and intellectual compensations of having those two tiny portions of curious, sprouting humanity in my life every day more than make up for any hobby fun I'm losing. My project to work on the boxes in the basement, pulling out, organizing, fleshing out (where necessary), and painting those metal hordes I've acquired over the years and abandoned continues. Since last spring, I've: finished the Russian Civil War in 20mm, rebased the 5/6mm Zulu War, completed the little St. Clair Expedition project in 20mm, and am now working on finishing California 1846, the Seminole Wars, the RussoTurkish War and the Boer War, all in 15mm. Oh yes--and priming what seem like endless rows of Russians and Swedes- for the Great Northern War. When I've painted the latter, I'll have a rough representation of western warfare from 1700 to the 1920s, European, North American, and colonial, on the shelves in my study/wargames room. There will still be lots to fill in which I won't have dug' out yet, but it should be a good start.
As I excavate, I'm amazed at just how much stuff I've invested in and yet never done anything more with than plan for, buy, remove from its box when the postman or Mr. UPS brought it to my door, then tuck away. I know from letters in MWAN that this isn't an uncommon activity among gamers, but I'm still surprised. I should add that this new method of not investing in new periods at the moment, but completing old ones instead has been very satisfying. As I tackle each new/old project, I'm reminded once more of what first made that project interesting as well as finding real satisfaction in finishing lots of things left half-done. But--it's time for bed. Tomorrow is the last day of classes here at SUNY Buffalo and I'm giving an exam in my two huge (250 students in one, 350 in the other) World Civilization classes as well as reading about Odysseus' men being turned into pigs by Circe in my Greek 301 class and, if I don't turn in now, I'll only be good for being propped against a wall as a warning to students of what happens to people who pull too many all-nighters!
(Editors Note: Thanks, Tim, for your "annual" letter, which I always look forward to and am amazed each year that it comes so soon! I certainly have to agree with you that it is quite satisfying to actually finish a project rather than to have a number of them going on at the same time. That must be why I feel a sense of satisfaction when I do eliminate what I refer to as 'periods of interest" about once or twice a year! Always good to hear from you!)
From Martin Connell
I greatly enjoyed Sam Mustafa's thought provoking "The Games We Play" article, as well as your editorial response. Wargaming inherently deals with some very unpleasant topics: violence, death, winning through death and violence, and makes all that into entertainment. This is what Sam's friends were so upset about. Doubly so because the horror is in some way connected to them. But ironically the entertainment industry does much the same thing with very little outcry. Much of modern cinema is about these same topics, both fictional and factual. "Saving Private Ryan" was gripping, horrifying and filled with death and violence. It was critically and publicly praised. And for all that I, like many others, had nightmares for days after seeing it - I still enjoyed seeing it, it was still entertainment.
There are a lot of movies about wars, and while an incredibly small percentage of the populous will protest seeing them, the general public still thinks it's ok to see them, it's ok to own then, and it's ok to collect them. So I ask myself, what's different about the two mediums: movies and wargames? 1. Let's face it - calling it "wargaming" is feeding into a lot of biases before you even get started. 2. Movies are a known medium. Everyone's grown up with them. This wargaming thing is pretty alien. What people are unfamiliar with makes them uncomfortable and generally less tolerant. 3. Movies can portray something other than unpleasant topics. You have musicals, comedies, romances, etc. Your first introduction to movies will probably not be a "Saving Private Ryan".
So, what's to be done? 1. Don't call it wargaming. I say I like to play games. I say I like to play games with miniatures. And sometimes I say I like to play historical games with miniatures. But unless I'm talking to a gamer, I won't call it a wargame. Yeah, I know it's annoying and you kind of feel like a sell out - but language shapes perception. 2. Emphasize to people that the medium of games with miniatures are good for a variety of fun things - you can recreate James Bond adventures with the Thunderball rules, you can have silly Victorian races around the pyramids, and you can recreate Gettysburg. Once a person becomes more comfortable with the medium, a specific instance of the medium is less threatening. 3. Remember everyone has a hot button. Even Sam misses this when he says, "I think everybody agrees that playing a game based on a battle of the American Civil War is OK". When I shared his article with a friend who is African-American, my friend kind of blanched and said seeing the ACW played triggers something in him. He can't imagine anyone wanting to play the southern side; to collect the figures, research the troops, and represent a general supporting the southern viewpoint. Even the name of a rule set - "Johnny Reb" - invokes a really negative reaction - and this guy's a gamer! 4. We have to keep in mind that wargaming is currently dominated by white suburban males. Even in our variety we represent a very small perspective. The good news is that the number of women and other minorities that play games with miniatures appears to be on the rise (no data, just my perception of convention attendees). I suspect that, in the future, we are going to have to adapt to shifts in game topic and style well beyond our current norm as more of these new perspectives become part of the hobby. And as the hobby morphs to accept the variety, it will become a hobby more palatable to the general public as the general public will be already representated within it.
From Scott Knox
Wanted to let you know that I just purchased a copy of Sam Mustafa's recently published' "Grande Armee" rules. These look like a great set for a truly "grand tactical" approach to the larger battles of the period. And, since no re-basing of figures is really required, I can use my 15mm Napoleonics based as they are for Empire. I'll simply group them on 3"x3" magnetic trays/bases when playing GA. (I'm going to contact the folks at Wargames Accessories to see if I can get some magnetic trays done in the 3" x 3" format. I currently base all my figures on the their metal stands. Then I organize them on the WA magnetic "unit stands"/trays for whatever rules system I'm using. In fact, I first learned of the Wargames Accessories line of products through MWAN. Good stuff!!)
From Terry Gore
The first issue of our new online e-mag, Sabretache, will (hopefully) be available Saturday. We will try to have it up on the Saga Publishing website (below) sometime on the 15th, depending on when Rich can download it and post it. Sabretache deals with issues and wars, wargaming, figures, scenarios and battle reports from the period following the Renaissance period ... that period not covered by SAGA, up through the end of the 19th century. The first issue is heavy on the Franco-Prussian War, but also contains many other items. Since this first issue is a free download, you can check it out at your leisure and see what you think. We will be charging the same for it as for the e-version of SAGA, $12.00 per year for those who would like to subscribe. SAGA's website http://www.sagapublishinq.com/
From Ken Bunger
I have both Castaway and Eureka figures (and about 2000 other painted FPW 25's). The Eureka Prussians are really beautiful figures (well cast, proportioned and accurate). I would also suggest the old Frontier line which is fairly extensive. I believe the shop in Florida that took over the range might still distribute them. I use the Suren 30mm with my large 25mm's. They are also beautiful, not that expensive and available from Tradition USA or Sweden. They also still make the true 25mm Tradition range of FP War (originally sculpted by Stadden). The Battle Honors 25mm French, Austrian and Saxon 1866 range is great. You can use the Saxons (with a little conversion) as Prussians in feldmutze. The new Battle Honors WWI Prussians in Picklehaub have some conversion possibility as well. I hope this helps.
From Russell Stratton
Thought I'd drop you a line as you may be able to point me in the right direction. I'm currently reading Soldier Sahibs by Charles Allen, an excellent book on 19th Century North West Frontier, if you haven't seen a copy and are interested in the period, as you would say "Highly recommended"!
The down side of my renewed interest in the NWF is that I'm looking for some figures to use as the Corps of Guides, I've a good number of Afghan, British and Indian figures but no Guides cavalry. The last campaign I ran was along the lines of a series of large skirmishes using individually based figures and I'll probably do the same this time. I've had a look on the internet and the only company I can see who currently produces these' figures is Old Glory, but I would need to either buy 3 packs for both mounted and dismounted figures or 2 packs but have 1/2 a pack of dismounted unused. I'm looking for 12-16 mounted figures with the corresponding number of dismounted, ideally with a variety of poses. Do you know of any companies which produce these figures or alternatively produce figures that could be easily adapted?
(Editor's Note: Project sounds interesting as does the book, Russell; I'l have to check it out! The only place I know of is THE FOUNDRY, and I think they are now making their NWF figures available again. Good luck and let us know more about your project; oh, check out J&T MINIATURES for the BICORNE NWF line which is very good and fits in with OLD GLORY and FOUNDRY.)
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© Copyright 2003 Hal Thinglum
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