For those of you who don't know, we currently have no mail delivery here in Canada. After a long period of fruitless negotiations, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers went on a limited strike. They would take off for two days in a rotating series of major Canadian cities.
After two weeks of this, Canada Post's management claimed that this had cost them $100 million dollars (a ridiculous figure -- if they really were losing that much money for missing a few days business in a few cities when they didn't have to pay any wages, they would normally be making so much that they could easily pay down the national debt) . . . so the Canada Post management locked out the postal workers and we don't have any mail service right now.
Anyway I am now awaiting a number of items that I'd ordered. Among these is "Hail Caesar", the new Ancients rule set. I am hoping that it will help me become re-energized about Ancients.
I got my start with Historical Miniatures back about the time that WRG 7th came out. I fell in with a crowd of fellows who were just starting out playing it . . . . And I started building armies along with them . . . and I collected and painted lots of them (mostly in 25mm).
By the way, while I enjoyed the mental challenge of WRG 7th at the time, I would NOT advise anyone to start playing them today. They have a very steep learning curve and do not in my opinion give a very good simulation of ancient warfare.
Later we switched to DBM, which I felt gave a better simulation of ancient warfare, but which I never really warmed up to.
Anyway I haven't played any Ancients (apart from a few DBA games at Murdock's) for at least 25 years . . . and since I have a lot of large painted armies, I am hoping that these new rules will re-excite me about the period.
Using the WRG List terms, some of the large painted armies in 25mm that come to mind (I think there are more) include:
- Alexandrian Imperial
- Hoplite Greek
- Carthaginian
- Syracusan
- Feudal Spanish
- Feudal Scots
- Indian
- Gauls
- Illyrians
- Early Imperial Romans
- Ayyubid Egyptians
- Feudal Germans (partially painted)
- New Babylonians
- Hoplite Greeks
- Early Germans
- Late Imperial Romans
- Arab Conquest
- Feudal Germans
When the lockout ends at Canada Post, maybe the "Hail Caesar" rules will do that . . . and maybe not.
-- Jeff
5 comments:
Whilst they never went away, it does seem as though "Ancients" are experiencing a bit of a revival. And this time it looks to be more than Romans and more Romans.
Yep, that's a lot of reasons you've got there. Re the lock out: and it's not even xmas!
Hi Jeff
Basic Impetus got us back into Ancients. If you have time give 'em a go. They're free on the internet so no waiting for them to arrive.
I feel much as you do - with about 50 painted 15mm armies, it'd be nice to have something to do with them. I started with WRG 4th & moved through all the WRG/DBM versions, in varying degrees of enthusiasm.
I dont know if you looked at or tried Fields of Glory(FOG)? I tried it for a couple of years, but the rules weren't very interesting, and the army lists were so inconsistent and crushingly dull, I really wouldn't recommend them: I look forward to your review, I haven't heard of this set before.
WRG 6th was, imho, excellent as soon as one was accustomed to it -and still unequaled.
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