For the uninitiated, a lead mountain is the pile of unpainted figures gamers accrue over a period of time. Presumably with the intention of painting and playing with it at some point. Though judging by some accounts, there are people with unpainted figures that they purchased years ago.
I am no different. Having said that, this year has seen an unprecedented purge in my collection, to the point where 'nearly' everything that hasn't seen the light of day for a few years, painted or not, has been sold on. Which is both cathartic and a little bit scary!
With my recent commitment into 6mm, I already have several projects, both large and small on the go. From a small Crimean collection from Irregular Miniatures which will cover all of the major battles, to my Somme project for the Joy of Six 2020, and now...the American Civil War.
I have talked about my own interest in this period elsewhere. It is an enduring passion of mine that is difficult to explain. I have always loved the old black and white cowboy films and played with the Airfix ACW figures as a child. My introduction to the Stoke club was playing large scale American Civil War battles in 25/28mm. This inspired my first forays into historical research reading the likes of Bruce Catton and James McPherson.
This coincided with the first airing on TV of the Ken Burns documentary. Since then I have lost count of the number of times I have watched/listened to that series whilst painting. Films like Glory and Gettysburg also had a significant impact on me. So, having found myself recently sans an ACW collection, it was only a matter of time before I dove back into the period.
I have been hugely taken by the Little Wars TV series on YouTube. In the last post I linked to their recreation of Antietam using their own Altar of Freedom wargames rules. I have had these for some time and although I'm yet to play them, they read very well and having a couple of battle reports on YouTube helps with understanding how they work.
Having talked about the relative costs of fighting a battle like Antietam on a grand tactical scale, I have taken the plunge and ordered enough figures for the scenario in the Altar of Freedom supplement, All Quiet on the Potomac. I'm picking them up at Partizan on 18th August.
I can't wait to get going.
P.S.
It’s always a little fun, or interesting, at least, to me when I see how many Europeans share in the American fascination/love/hate/sorrow of our civil war. It’s much the way we, over here, are often fascinated with the medieval war history in Europe, of which we have none of our own. The love of the game and of history seems a unifying force in our community and I appreciate it greatly. On the subject of Little Wars TV, I’m thrilled every time I see another fan mention them anywhere online. I want them to grow to have a huge following. What they’re doing is immensely entertaining and important for historical wargaming and I don’t want them to have an excuse to stop.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the Napoleonic Wars would have been a better example even than the medieval period.
DeleteAn interesting post. I'm less knowledgeable about the ACW, but it does somehow 'resonate'with me too for want of a better word. I've relatively recently got into our own Civil War and there are some remarkable parallels.
ReplyDeleteIn the past couple of years I've played Altar of Freedom a couple of times, and I think they're a very enjoyable, innovative ruleset, with plausible outcomes and recognisable challenges. Took a while to get my head around the whole turn clock idea, but worth persevering with it.