These rules are intended to allow large-scale skirmishes to be fought while still maintaining an individual feel for the figures. Each group or unit should have a designated leader or ‘personality’, although these can also be special characters unattached to the general masses (i.e. Major Rogers, HawkEye, Richard Sharpe, Edward Teach/Blackbeard etc). It uses an alternating player-action cycle, which eliminates order-writing but, although quite fast, still requires some thought (unless playing pirates, of course….....).
In 1975, Don Lowry released a set of rules called Grand Army. Designed for 9mm ! and 15mm figures, it allows players to recreate large scale battles for Napoleonics and the American Civil War. Grand Army now is available online.
Washington’s Fury is a set of rules for wargaming the American Revolution. Unfortunately, it’s at Yet Another Yahoo Group, so if you want to take a look, you’ll have to join. I did, and they are definitely something I want to give a try.
Miniature Wargaming is part of the "adventure games" hobby, which includes r ole p laying and board games. Wargamers recreate battles on the tabletop with toy soldiers, like a more complicated game of chess. Models range in height from 6mm to 28mm tall, with 15mm and 25mm being the most popular. There also is a growing interest in toy soldiers and military models, such as the 1/32 and 1/35 scale plastic soldiers from Conte, and Marx.
The most popular miniature wargames are fantasy and science fiction based, such as Warhammer, Warhammer 40K, Warmachine and The Lord of the Rings. World War II games such as Flames of War and Axis and Allies are new favorites. Other favorite historical periods include Napoleonics, the American Civil War, and ancients, such as Romans or Greeks. Other gamers enjoy miniature naval wargames, recreating battles like Trafalgar, Jutland and the Coral Sea.
Hobbyists research historical periods and paint their tiny soldiers in accurate uniforms. Others develop "historically realistic" rules sets or build scale battlefield terrain using model railroad techniques.
For pictures, visit the gallery.
Some of the bigger hobby companies are Games Workshop, which produces Warhammer, Wargames Foundry and Old Glory Miniatures. Wizards of the Coast produces several lines of pre-painted miniatures games, such as the Star Wars and Dungeons and Dragons miniatures games, and a historical game with pre-painted miniatures: The new Axis and Allies game. Wizkids produces a fantasy collectable miniatures game, such as the Mage Knight and Heroclick fantasy games, the science fiction games MechWarrior and Rocketmen, as well as the quasi-historical Pirates of the Spanish Main.
