ROLL CALL: Updated 13 Nov 2023: An illustrated intro to my current collections and some memories of past ones.

These are the Miniature Wargame collections or periods that I am still playing with.  Most get out once a year but as the games happen less often and the painting slows down. I am starting again to review what should stay and what needs to find a new home to lighten the load and get back to doing some mini-campaigns.  

My energy and hobby time still seems to be shrinking each year and despite some nostalgia for abandoned collections, my experience over the last few years suggests that focussing in is indeed allowing me to get more things done and improve the games I am playing so I am while I retain good memories, I am not really missing any of the partly built collections that I've cut. 

My 3 Primary Collections

1. Atlantica: Oberhilse and Faraway 1830's and 40's fictional games revived as my main wargame collection with some campaigns in mind. Refurbishment is in progress.
Last played 12 Nov 23. 

Aroostock War, Huzzah! 2011 using what became the Oberhilse and Faraway armies.

Air, land and sea expedition against a pirate lair.

2. In the Days of King Arthur.  40mm  Elastolin set in Post Roman Britain inspired by Rosemary Sutcliffe's books, Prince Valiant, and the Elastolin 4cm figures (still in development but almost there). 2-6 games a year, figures to be refurbished or added in a more regular fashion until all of the planned forces, individuals and "props" are done. I'm not sure how'll fit the Persians in, they only exist because of an ebay elephant. There is even a ...rumour...about occasional elements of fantasy..... and you know, once that stuff sneaks in........

Last played: 22 Jul 23 Rome vs Sassanid Persian.

Barbarians At The Gate.

5 Oct 21 Ellie's First Action.

and like his forerunner, Prince Valiant, our hero will cross the Atlantic one day.

Now with a touch of Fantasy: 

 

See "If you go down to the woods today" for a report on this....incident.

3. ACW . 1/72, mostly Airfix,  ACW.  2-4 games a year. Still more recruits waiting  in the cupboard but more terrain is the big thing now. This is my "historical" collection, capable of refighting historical battles, either small ones or parts of large ones, as well as TT Teasers.  
Last Played: 22 Oct 22

 

1 Mar 22: ACW Scenario and brief report. 

 April 2021.

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My Remaining Secondary Collections

1. Land of the 4 Winds. OS-25mm metal & 1/72nd  Medieval Fantasy using figures added over 50 years of wargaming. A semi-active collection kept largely for nostalgia so 1 or 2 games most years. I think I'm going to start getting serious about dealing with the horde of figures in the cupboard that need work. Making the armies bigger won't increase my pleasure but emptying the cupboards and reducing the "to do" list probably will and may get what's left out on the table more. See my Gathering of Hosts blog.

Last played: 20 Jun 23.

2. The Wars of Henry VIII. 40mm 16thC including a large proportion of original homecast figures, as well as many by  Elastolin, Doug Miller, and a few others. I have an emotional attachment to these, partly because the first army I built largely using figures I had sculpted and casted, partly because Rod Dean & I earned the "Best in Show" award at Cold Wars in 2005, and partly to family history of the period where some historians say the charge of the rather tardy Macfarlane contingent into the rear of Queen's army was the tipping point in the battle of Langside,  A game or two every couple of years.

Last played: 15 Sep 22

Anglo-Scots Battle. 18 Nov 22

Rough Wooing Anglo-Scots game Oct 2020

3.  WITH MACDUFF TO THE FRONTIER: The Anglo-French Struggle for America & Not Quite The Seven Years War (when I don't have enough room to play Charge!). 40mm, mostly home cast,  mostly Prince August, including conversions, using With MacDuff to the Frontier rules, largely as published in the Courier. Eventually I should rewrite them more clearly and include suggestions for a slightly streamlined Big Game version 

14 Nov 21 MacDuff scenario and the rules as printed in the Courier Magazine.

4. ATLANTICA: The 2nd Oerberg War.  Small Colonial games set in the early 20thC using 40mm glossy toy soldiers and some early armoured vehicles and modern artillery and machine guns.  A couple of games once in a while.

Game played 13 Oct 2023

A game from June 2021

5. Atlantica: The NorthWest Campaign 1870's fictional teaser style games (54mm mostly homecast). This exists largely due to nostalgia for my old toy soldiers, some of who have been refurbished and take the field again.  The rest are largely homecast figures with many conversions. This collection is being downsized but will be kept and used.

Last game of 2022

Played indoors....or out!

Battle of Plum Run Hill (Sep 2022)

or on the road!

The 1/76  Battle in a Box Version

Last Played: 14 Oct 23

Retired Collections

Over the last 20 years I have let go of more figures than I have kept but I haven't forgotten them and the good memories of games and friends. Here is just a tiny glimpse of some of the more recent retirees.

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The Defended Border: The War of 1812. 40mm Scruby + various homecast figures.  I have decided to once again merge this in with the fictional Atlantica Wars.

Pre-blog 40mm 1812 battle of Maguaga, multiplayer game on my old 6'x8' table. 

Fort Meigs test game.

Huzzah 2013: Fort Meigs. Last appearance for my 1812 armies.
Stout Lads that they were (at least the S&S ones).

Chrysler's Farm in 54mm c2002-ish

Wars of The French Revolution: From Flanders to Brittany, The West Indies and Syria
 42mm, using rules currently called "A Whiff of Dice", essentially a new version of my older  "Morschauser Meets MacDuff" rules which became "Hearts of Tin". Last played: 20 May 23 

Packing up at Huzzah! 2023: Syria, 1799: The French broke the Turks on the last turn, forcing Lt. Tootler to retreat with his party of sailors and Marines.

A solo test of a game planned for Huzzah 2023 in Portlane Maine.

Battle of Ville St. Etienne: 26/27 Dec 21

First Charge of the York Hussars.

A shot from a Virtual Huzzah, remote multiplayer game, May 2021.

 54mm Zulu War

Refurbished Britains' figures against (largely) A Call to Arms Zulus. A game every couple of years. These don't take up much room and the Brits do double duty. Rules: The Square Brigadier. or The Portable Wargame. 

Last game of 2020

Last Played: 31 Dec 20

 The 1950's.  Fictional mid 20thC Wargames including some toys that I've played with for 60 years!!

June 2021

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Battle for New France and Acadia. 30mm 18thC miniatures battling for control of Acadia and Quebec.  The basis of this was a collection of 30mm figures, my first metal wargame figures, that I bought in 1973. The figures were originally commissioned for a diorama of the 1759 battle on the Plains of Abrahams for a museum in Quebec which I once had the opportunity to view. Mine were part of the surplus which a dealer was selling off and have probably fought less than a dozen battles in 35 years despite being near and dear to my heart. I finally found just what they have been needing, a new home  where there are some of their kin and where they will see the light of day and get to fight again. 

15mm French Revloution. Figures from 7 or more manufacturers for 1st Coalition, French Republic, The Vendee, Anglo Holland in 1799, West Indies, and various over campaigns in the works. All gone now.

18thC Turks. 

A nascent 25mm Portable Wargame army using original homecast figures as well as various conversions. Not likely to happen now but still in the cupboard. Their only opponent would be a friend's 25mm SYW Austrians, unless I cast up or bought some old school 25mm opponents.  Don't hold your breath!

  

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