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Re: Going over to the dark side?

Allan from Glasgow
Hi Alan,

sorry been cooped up for 10 months its starting to get to me I think.

I will have a quiet word with myself later.

bfn

Allan
I have been having a word with myself for months, at least now we're onto moody silences and pretending that we don't hear each other.

Generally I like Warlord stuff, though sometimes I have to question their design choices, the case in point being the bases for the Victory at Sea ships.

With regard to ACW I tried 1/72 ACW using Fire & Fury (very playable set of rules, simple mechanisms - the problem was even a small skirmish filled a 6x4 ft table tennis table.

15mm or 12mm or 13mm or whatever it is makes a lot of sense, the product is nice and reasonably priced. I'd say have a look, give it a whirl.

Re: Going over to the dark side?

The owner/boss was explaining in a YouTube video that this concept was inspired by seeing ACW-army-in-a-box toy soldier adverts in American DC or Marvel comics of the 1970s - and being in the UK, he was unable to buy them so was very disappointed. He found out later they were more "flat" plastic figures. I remember those adverts too. Fast forward to today, and his design and production team brought his pet project to fruition.

The advancing figures come in a strips of 10 figures together - that is connected or fused together shoulder-to-shoulder which is why they're able to achieve the goal of a 1000 figures or so in the box. But I noticed that there are no firing lines though - this may be difficult to "mass" produce in a strip where they're fused together in this format. So I'm not sure whether they will or can do firing lines next.

I did hear that other units (cavalry, zouaves) would come next, and that later he would do Napoleonics in this "epic scale".

I do wonder if the concept (strips of 10 or so figures together) could be used to create 1/72 scale advancing/charging soldiers, testudo or phalanx ranks in this way though.

Re: Going over to the dark side?

"even a small skirmish filled a 6x4 ft table tennis table."

Well,there's your problem. Tables too small.

https://bunkermeister.blogspot.com/2018/11/wargame-tables.html

7 X 44 feet is the proper size for a wargame table.

When I saw those figures I thought it was an interesting idea but picking their own proprietary weird scale is a bad idea. I hate when companies do that. Those who have 15mm armies already can't use the new stuff, and those who buy these are locked into that odd size that they can't expand unless the company makes more.

The little strips of figures idea is okay, if they were 1/72nd scale I might buy them, it would save on time and trouble basing the troops. We have seen Airfix and Strelets for decades make two figures on a base, look at the WWI American Army set by Airfix with the two men carrying a box between them. That was 50 years ago, if you can do two figures on a base you can do ten. Probably hard to do a firing line with horizontal rifles sticking over the end of the base.


Cheers.

Mike Bunkermeister Creek
Bunker Talk blog

Re: Going over to the dark side?

Have to admit, Star Wars was my first thought too. :joy: Napoleon is very disappointed though, he requests reinforcements for his armies immediately. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

Interesting idea, but yea the scale looks a bit off compared to orthodox 15mm which is unfortunate. Employing temporary skirmishers in front of the main ranks was very common in ACW, a tactic these would struggle to represent from what I can tell.

Would be curious to see if they can pull off regimental strips of cavalry, as that would be quite necessary if they went further back than ACW. But the positive possibilities are there.

Re: Going over to the dark side?

My own take on the subject is I liked the ESCI battle sets and still have a vacuformed terrain base or two stored in a closet somewhere I pull out occasionally for a shot. As far as 13 or 15mm scale is concerned, more power to anyone who wants to collect and war game them. I understand the idea of space to set them up and game.

For my money concerning moving into a new scale; it's like I said in a discussion over 28mm some years back. I've been playing and collecting 1/32 scale since I was five years old; though I had the occasional GIANT figure in my childhood I didn't really discover 1/72 (actually HO/OO Airfix figures) until my dad got stationed in Belgium when I was thirteen (1969). In my mid-sixties now I am not really in a position or inclination to start collecting in a new scale. I barely have space for all the figures, scenery, and accessories I've accumulated over the past going on fifty years.

But more power to anyone who can keep the hobby and interest in history going, no matter the format. I have my wants list but I reckon I have MORE than enough to keep me occupied the rest of my expected time on this earth.

Re: Going over to the dark side?

I seriously considered these figures but just don't have the time or space to go into a new scale. The overwhelming majority of figure collection is 1/72, some in 54mm, and than a small selection of 28mm sets. It's enough for me. It's an interesting idea and they deserve credit for trying something new, but there is still plenty in the 1/72 world to enjoy :slightly_smiling_face:

Re: Going over to the dark side?

Battle sets certainly have their place in the hobby. They act as a starter pack for those just beginning. Much like model railway enthisiasts have train sets of varying price points and model kit makers have sets that contain glue and paint to go alongside the model.

Much of the reason for me being into Napoleonics and 1/72 is due to the Airfix Waterloo set being a Christmas present when i was a little kid. However there was also the WW2 sets like the Airfix gun emplacement etc that I had back then.

As for scales, i settled on 1/72 as it was what I was used to. It was the scale those 1st sets bought me happened to be and was what I continued to get with my pocket money. Thinking about it i dont even think there was any other scales in my local toy shop, certainly nothing below 1/72-1/76. Now im older, the reason I stick with it is its small enough to not take up huge amounts of room but at the same time is large enough to be able to have a good level of detail. Strelets have shown that of recent.
I did think about going down the 15mm route when getting back into the hobby, but i decided i wanted to be able to see the detail without straining my eyes!!!

Re: Going over to the dark side?

I actually quite like this kind of format. Though I do like the 'old fashioned' way of collecting and assembling armies as well, I also think it is nice to occasionally have a project with clear boundaries and and a fully playable game as an end result. I have been collecting 1 / 72 napoleonic with the goal of building a Black Powder army for a while now. Unfortunately progress is slow, and since I know few people in my area playing historic wargames/ painting historics, I haven't played much yet. Managable projects like the Perry Travel Battle have been great for this reason, as they can be finished in a reasonable amount of time and produce a visually attractive game that can be played with friends (with no need for building landscape elements etc.) The only thing witholding me from buying this are the time period (I am not really into the ACW) and the slightly odd scale. If Warlord would produce a Napoleonic version, however, I would probably be hooked!