Tag: blog influences

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wargames blog wargaming

Blog Influences 3

Ancients were my primary interest at the time I encountered blogging and began to follow various sites.

So a couple more blogs that caught my eye and propelled my interests in 20-25mm or 1/72.

First up is Philotep whose 1/72 minis kingdom showed what potential there was in these minis when well painted. Very inspiring.

Second is Parade Ground Again 1/72 going on 20mm this blog also introduced me to Newline figures which I had seen at a few shows in bare metal but never registered until I saw the painted product online.

Ironically blog interest itself resulted in my interests in wargaming changing. My Ancient armies remain largely a work in progress.

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wargames blog wargaming

Blog Influences 2

If Battlegames and Henry Hyde introduced me to wargames blogs then I guess my next Blog Influence was that blog that most reflected my interests at the time.

And at the time I had decided for budget reasons to switch to 1/72 plastics for new projects. We were still struggling out of the recession.

Into the bargain I was using an idea from Lance and Longbow Society Hobilar magazine to reduce DBA standard figure numbers on each element/base – the article was about cutting the cost of your hobby yet keeping the pleasure.

At the same time I had encountered Peter Pigs Bloody Barons (15mm focused) which joined up to Society of Ancients article by Mike Tittensor “Do Ancients stop at Quadesh?”.

Peter Pig makes figures and writes rules – many use grid based gaming

The upshot was I found plenty of 1/72 ancient chariot sets for sale and plunged in.

The Chariots never got painted although the infantry did. However I have since then indulged myself across multiple periods painting 1/72 figures.

Behind all this was a particular blog, Wargaming for Grown Ups. Trebian provided lots of inspiration not least that 1/72 was a good table top scale to game with. His large table games had masses of space yet that meant something smaller would still look good and play well.

So Blog influences No2 is Wargaming for Grown Ups. Trebian offered me a window into table top wargaming in 1/72 plastics and even 15mm metals. His blog offered a range of posts – games, figures and of course a bit of real life. And there were the “opinion” pieces in amongst a nice mix of text and images.

I can pretty much say that Wargaming for Grown Ups has been my longest running go to Blog and given me plenty of ideas and enjoyment. Thanks Trebian.

Minus their chariots my 1/72 ancient lybians square up to some Sea People invaders – Hat and Ceasar figures on show on 80mm x 60mm bases “flocked” using a games workshop idea involving bird grit
Ironically I have used War and Conquest to play my 1/72 bronze age games.
Categories
wargames blog wargaming

Blog Influences 1

I thought about posting on the most influential blogs I have encountered in my gaming. It sort of sounded pompous. And when I thought about it the number is simply incredible anyway.

So I have settled for “Blog Influences”. In a time when “Influencers” are continuously big news it is quite strange to think that a few decades ago we had as much influencing going on but more through dominant communication organisations – the most obvious being newspapers and tv channels not to mention the ever present advertisers of the pre internet age. In a way we have always had influencers, they have simply changed shape, of course methods and their sheer numbers are now off the page.

My first influence then, which to choose? When I thought about it the big influence has been the one which set me off on my own blogging journey.

Blog Influence No1 is ironically the Battlegames Printed Magazine published by Henry Hyde and specifically an article by Greg Horne concerning a beginners guide to blogging (published around 2006) and referencing his “Duchy of Alzheim” blog. At the time I read the article and looked at the blog and thought ok – interesting, very interesting, but right now I just want to paint and game……..this blogging lark would be a distraction and consume precious hobby time.

Battlegames was eventually subsumed into Miniature Wargames Magazine and ultimately Henry went on to running his own successful Digital Platform.

Battlegames Magazine itself took me back into wargames fully by 2009, after over a decade tinkering with solo 15mm DBA campaigns. Not long after taking Battlegames regularly – around 2011 – I descended back into the land of 1/72 plastics which of course is another story. Low cost wargaming seemed appropriate at that time. Although you could say I was expanding from 600mm square 15mm figures at 12 elements a side gaming, towards bigger tables and potentially bigger armies! It is true I had acquired more space for my gaming.

I also remember back then encountering a wargamer at a show saying they were ditching 15mm for larger scales because of their failing eyesight. Maybe that thought stuck? Anyway I think 15mm always felt too much like a compromise. And I have not been drawn into 28mm which would be logical if eyesight were my sole issue concerning size/scale.

It took me another 13 years to actually blog myself but “hey-ho” better late than never. In the meantime blogging bit me as a consumer and my gaming has never been the same since. And it has been more fulfilling as a result.

So there you go – No1 of possibly a new post series.