Newbie to historicals...

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 3:41 am

I'm new to the forum (see my post count) and am intrigued by historical miniatures.

I used to play Games Workshop games, when I was in high school 7 years ago. Recently I've restored my interest in the hobby but feel that Sci-Fi GW stuff is not really my cup of tea. The models are prohibitively expensive, and the creativity is restrictive when people say "Your army is cheese; it doesn't fit the fluff." If I am to be restricted by storyline, I'd like the story to be relevant, and I find history is relevant.

The armies I am interested in are:

Early Romans
Maccabean Jews
Byzantines
Knights Hospitaller
Medieval German
Renaissance with Aquebuses and Swiss Pikemen and stuff
British AWI or German Mercs
Napoleonics
Confederates
German WWI (I love the Helmets)
British Sudan
American WWII
Modern USA

I live in Michgan north of Detroit. Is there anyone on this board who lives nearby? If so, I'd be more than willing to adjust my army preferences to the rules and time period you play.

Also, suggestions on scale, terrain, etc. would be appreciated. (For WWI how do you make moveable trenches?!)

Thanks a bunch,
Rob

Post by **barr7430** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 10:58 am

Welcome Rob!

Home of Rock n' roll indeed! My fave Kiss track is Detroit Rock City

We have many members from the US and Canada but of course it's a BIG AREA so I'm uncertain whether there are any in the Michigan area. We have over 500 subscribers and probably an additional 100 or so who are forum members but not Newsletter subscribers. The site does get hit pretty constantly and at the moment the average is about 300 per day which means a lot of repeat traffic. The reason for the explanation is that it is likely that people who are in your general area WILL see the post

With regard to advice on the periods you are interested in I can confidently say that all with one or two exceptions have been the subject of discussion or information exchange on the forum. Posted questions invariably get answers pretty quickly and I know for a fact that there are very many knowledgeable chaps out there from: US, Canada,UK, Sweden,Germany,Italy,Netherlands,France,Australia and many other places who make regular and valuable contributions to the forum.

Best approach is to be as SPECIFIC about your question as possible then the answer should at least come close to what you are looking for...

Hope you find the place interesting...

As a starter for 10.....Moveable trenches?.. a strangely coincidental question as I personally have just built four feet of moveable trenches for my Flames of War collection. These are constructed on 40 thou Plasticard and I hope to post some pics very soon. Not a major job to do but a little fiddly!

All the best

Barry

Bluebear · Post by **Bluebear** » Sun Jan 29, 2006 4:55 am

Rob,

I think that you'll find that Historical Gaming is a very rich and satisfying hobby.

If I was you, the first thing I'd do is call up or visit ALL of the game/hobby stores in your area. I'd check out bulletin boards in those shops AND talk to the staff. I would be very surprised if you didn't find a few "contact numbers".

Next, I'd contact those people. Talk to them and let them know you are interested. Find out what periods they are gaming in . . . and, while it might be something you are interested in, it might also be a period you never really considered.

Most gamers are happy to introduce a newcomer to their favorite period -- and they either have both sides of a conflict or have a friend who has an opposing army (or both).

Try whatever they are gaming -- you might like it -- and even if you don't care for it, most gamers know others who play different periods so you should soon find someone who has similar interest.

Oh, yeah, if you can, go to any gaming convention that has Historicals and just get a taste of a lot of different periods and rule sets . . . and remember, you can often get a good feel for a rule set just by watching the folks playing it.

Good luck, this is a great hobby.

-- Jeff "Bluebear" Hudelson

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sun Jan 29, 2006 7:54 am

The problem I have is that there appears to be no historical selling hobby shop near me. I've searched a 20 mile radius and found 1 Games Workshop Store, that doesn't sell GW Ancients, A private store who sells every fiction wargame known to man but only sells weird scales of historicals like 54mm (he will mail order from anybody but has a minimum of $150 I think, and a model train store. I think I have a connection that might have a friend that plays but I don't know. I'll check the BBs and also see if my connection pulls through. I'll also expand the radius a bit. I don't like the idea of going to Lansing or Ann Arbor just to go shopping but if that's where I can find this stuff, that's where I'll look. I hate mail order, it's not instant enough.

Thanks for the advice,
Rob

kutusov · Post by **kutusov** » Sun Jan 29, 2006 11:36 am

Hi
Lots of good advice in the previous posts I get the impression that like the UK wargames shops are a bit thin on the ground in the US,most stuff I get to see at shows or you could order a sample from a supplier.

Have a look on this link from the newark club in the Uk which lists American Clubs among other things it might help you.

www.newarkirregulars.org.uk/

Kutusov

Bluebear · Post by **Bluebear** » Sun Jan 29, 2006 11:55 am

Rob,

I posted a request on three other "group lists" for Detroit area gamers to contact me. Since these lists all have well over a thousand members each, there's a decent chance that someone will contact me.

Send me your email and I'll forward any answers I get to you. My email is -- bluebear@uniserve.com

-- Jeff "Bluebear" Hudelson

Post by **barr7430** » Sun Jan 29, 2006 12:15 pm

Jeff,

e mail tabs are at the bottom of each post

B

Bluebear · Post by **Bluebear** » Mon Jan 30, 2006 2:15 am

Rob,

I found a webpage that lists about 27 game clubs in Michigan. Now I don't know how current all of the information is . . . or how close you are to them, or how many play historicals, but here is a link to them -- should give you some contacts

http://home.adelphia.net/~adurston/NAGCL/NA3.html#MI

-- Jeff "Bluebear" Hudelson

Bluebear · Post by **Bluebear** » Mon Jan 30, 2006 6:26 pm

Rob,

I got a couple of replies (which I hopefully forwarded to you) about groups near your area. There is also a Convention coming up on March 4. Here is the link:

http://www.proorcon.net/

Conventions are a great way to "sample" a lot of periods/rulesets. I strongly suggest attending. Wander around, look at everything and play in a couple of games. Visit the "Dealer Room" and buy new toys.

-- Jeff "Bluebear" Hudelson

thinredline · Post by **thinredline** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 12:16 am

Welcome to "the Other Side",

Always glad when I hear of someone "seeing the Light" and abandoning GW and Fantasy in favour of the Historical side of the hobby.

I am sure the above respondants have set you on your path of discovery

Thinredline

Bluebear · Post by **Bluebear** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 1:16 am

Thinredline,

Yes, I got a note from a gamer in Detroit that I'd put in touch with Rob. He has let Rob know about groups, conventions and stores in the Detroit area.

And, yes, I agree with you. I'm appalled at the (to my mind) exorbitant price of GW miniatures. It is easy to put together a large historical army in 28mm for less than a very small force of GW miniatures . . . and in smaller scales the difference is even more astounding.

I'd also like to point out the flexibility of the Web in enabling us to help Rob. I'm here in western Canada, posting on a website from Scotland. With a few posts to other lists scattered around the world, I was contacted by people who chould help Rob -- people who I'll probably never meet.

It just goes to show how effective each of us can be in helping to expand our hobby.

-- Jeff "Bluebear" Hudelson

thinredline · Post by **thinredline** » Sun Feb 05, 2006 11:33 am

Bluebear,

No argument from me on that

This medium is a godsend, and sites like this one, invaluable in spreading tips, ideas and knowledge throughout our hobby.

Bob Lauder
aka Thinredline

martin terroni · Post by **martin terroni** » Sun Feb 05, 2006 9:50 pm

Why you called Blue bear

, p.s I like the logo

Bluebear · Post by **Bluebear** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 1:48 am

I like the color blue and I've always liked bears . . . so when I needed an online nick, I just picked "Bluebear".

-- Jeff