Time to try and catch up with this blog project, since I’ve let it lapse somewhat. Things have been quiet of late, with the international pandemic wreaking havoc with the social side of wargaming. My games room stands idle, projects remain unfinished as the impetus to get stuff on the table is hardly urgent and shows are a distant dream. Naturally my mind is awash wth ideas that will, one day, see the light of day but in the meantime are like mirages that merely taunt!

Recent months have not been entirely devoid of wargaming activity though. I’ve managed a couple of Dragon Rampant sessions in the garden, as regulations permitted, and a single Battlegroup:Torch game in what my local gaming colleagues have nicknamed Der Bunker and which I call the garage. I’ve also enjoyed one away match, again Battlegroup. There has been a fair bit of solo gaming, all Dragon Rampant and Battlegroup, plus I’ve been plotting and planning games and campaigns for when things settle down once more. One bright spot was a chance encounter on Facebook where a fairly local gamer professed to playing Johnny Reb II, a gave of mine for thirty years and played by very few people. Last year I got all the toys out – 41 infantry regiments per side plus supports – for a solo game and it rekindled the flame of an excellent rules system, so finding an opponent is excellent news.

I’ve also continued to acquire stuff. Painted miniatures and assembled terrain, mostly for Battlegroup in 20mm, odd rules sets for interest and possible development and plenty of bits and pieces as freebies from work and elsewhere, such as more carpet tiles, useful storage containers and elements of old advertising campaigns which included bits of a detailed rain forest model and even a volcano – Mount Doom scenarios lie in the future!

One project that really should be activated soon is updating this blog with some of the splendid games that I’ve been privileged to host or participate in – battle reports and photos will hopefully appear here for others to enjoy.

It’s a Sunday morning and I start work at noon, so a couple of hours to finally start my wargames blog project. After much faffing about (prevaricating for those less familiar with colloquial English) it’s time to compile my rants, my photos of epic games, my (subjective) improvements to games that I’ve played and loved for years, my anecdotes, my memories and news of the wild and exciting – if you’re a gamer – world of miniature wargaming. I dabbled with an old Yahoo group and of course Facebook and the like are effectively blogs themselves but this one will be more comprehensive, more regularly updated, more interesting (hopefully) and generally an improvment on what has come before. I want it to be interactive, with anyone bored enough to actually visit the site commenting and adding their own opinions and ideas. I will censor any comments section, in accordance with basic netiquette (attack the argument, not the person; stay on topic or start a new one; remain civil) but – and it pains me to say it! – I’m not perfect and I’m genuinely interested in feedback, even if critical. Updates will be sporadic, as activity and time permit. I’m not one to update every minute detail, telling the online world what I’m doing minute by minute and will only post what I think might be of interest. Not every game is worthy of posting about; not every anecdote needs relating and a lot of my wargames life is quite dull, something most gamers will relate to. It may be necessary to shuffle miniatures around so that they fit in the new storage box but 7 billion people on planet Earth don’t need to know about it!

I have no commercial affiliation with any wargames companies (through happenstance, rather than choice – I’m never one to refuse freebies but they’re rarely forthcoming!). Any opinions and comments are my own and are unaffected by anything but politeness; even criticism deserves a basic level of respect. That said, I have been helping out Sally 4th, a local wargames manufacturer and retailer, with demonstration games and on their trade stand. This is because Chris is a mate and I often game around his house, drinking his tea and muttering under my breath about what a great wargames room he has. If I praise anything from Sally 4th it’s because I believe it’s worthy of such praise and not because I am obliged or bribed to do so. I’ll flag up any similar arrangements as they happen so that where I stand is completely known.

So – time to unleash myself on an unsuspecting world! To warrrrrr! Gaming.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton