Riiiiiight . . . just what I need . . . a new wargaming project.
Well actually I've found over the years that it is a good thing to have a "change-of-pace" period to give the occasional break from your main period. So to "balance" the 18th century, I'm going to "get my feet wet" with a naval period.
Ever since I happened to come across Angus Konstam's "Pre-Dreadnought Naval" webpages (and the great photos there), I've been toying with the idea of getting some of the Houston 1/1000 scale ships. Photo to left is from the Great Endeavors website and shows some American ships from a refight of a Spanish-American battle.
So anyway I emailed Dale at Great Endeavors and ordered some ships. I've got two Japanese BBs (Fuji & Shikishima) and a pair of Russian BBs (Retvizan & Petropavlovsk).
These pairs should be fairly even balanced . . . at least according to their points values in the rules I'm going to try. These are the ones that Angus uses, "Perfidious Albion". I got them and the "Fighting Fleets" books as electronic downloads from DriveThruRPG . . . but they are also available (as well as a lot of other naval rules) from A and A Game Engineering (follow the link at the bottom of the page).
So how will this project turn out? I don't know . . . but if I like it there are a lot more ships from the Russo-Japanese War that I can add . . . and there are other nations too.
I'd best be careful or I might get in too deep and drown.
-- Jeff
PS, Great Endeavors also sells the "true 25mm" Ral Partha Colonial line.
7 comments:
Looks like a lot of fun, Jeff!
I do love those "side" projects and this one looks especially interesting. I once tried making my own dreadnoughts from wood and wire and they turned out pretty good if a bit cartoonish. Thanks for the link to Angus' site...his pics are very inspirational.
--Dave
I hope you really enjoy your new venture. It is good to ring the changes...
Alan
Looks like fun, I'm drawn to WWI ships, or perhaps earlier. I've been accumlating some reference books - no ships yet though.
-- Allan
Allan,
The sensible way to start would be to get some 1/2400 ships from Panzerschiffe . . . that's the next size down . . . and I might still do that . . . but I wanted to try these big boys first.
-- Jeff
I do like the pre-Dreadnoughts. They have a certain air about them.
I think you always have to have at least one and preferably more 'side projects'.
I have never managed to get on very well with Naval Games - I can never achieve that wonderful line of battle effect you have there. I look much more like the sardine fleet setting out. Still at least with steam you can ignore the wind, hideously complicated stuff, wind.
John
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