Games I Will Probably Never Get Around To

Worked 22 hours of OT last week and it's 10 hour days this week too, so not a lot of painting getting done. But I can make another cup of tea and do some navel-gazing.

These past few years have forced me to do a lot of consolidating in my gaming I guess. I've pretty much decided that there are some periods which, as much as I'd like to do them, I will never get to for one reason or another.

Big battle Napoleonics. Love the look of these games. Love the history and uniforms and the tactics. Just not enough time. I probably should have started building my armies, oh.... about 30 years ago! Even in 6mm that's still a lot to paint. Even in 6mm with each stand of say 2 to 4 dozen figures deployed in a pleasing realistic formation with commanders and skirmish lines representing a brigade, that's still a lot figures! So I'll just have to get into big Napoleonic games at conventions. If I get my smaller focused Sharp Practice stuff done, I'll call it a win and move on.

WW1. The history is fascinating, but the terrain is the real key. To do the Western Front properly would mean an entirely new and dedicated set of terrain. I'm thinking of games like this: http://sidneyroundwood.blogspot.ca/2014/06/operation-gericht-at-partizan-2014.html
So as much as I'd like to explore the Canadian Expeditionary Force's exploits during the Great War on the table top, I think it's a non-starter.

Middle Earth. You'd think this would be a natural for a confirmed Hobbit-head like myself. Every time I reread Tolkien I start thinking about massed 15mm legions of goblins and phalanxes of elvish spearmen refighting the mighty battles of the First Age. My 15mm Goths could easily morph into Riders of Rohan. Byzantines for the Gondorians, Assyrians for the Southrons. ...And then I make myself a tea and stop. Every 15mm range of fantasy elf, goblin and dwarf I've seen out there is just way too spikey and silly. Plus fantasy gaming has been far too influenced by Warhammer. I'm sorry Dwarves do NOT get handguns, steam tanks or crossbows. So rather than get all anal with my friends and uptight about canon I'll stick to history. It's easier.

SF Fleets. Used too. Got broken by folks min-maxing the rules. Wasn't fun anymore. Sold off my fleets. Every once in a while I look at miniature listings and then stop myself.

Afghanistan. The only company that makes the proper vehicles to field a Canadian combat team (LAV III Kodiak, G-Wagon, Leopard 2A4) is GHQ. So yeah, you could do Operation Medusa and have half the Panjwayi on the table top, but the firefights would all be taking place in a 6 inch square as one platoon bumps the Taliban while the rest of the combat team is doing sweeps and blocking the enemy moves. If someone does the LAVIII in 15mm I could be tempted to convert modern US infantry into Canadians (at 15mm the differences are  so minute you wouldn't notice). But I'm not holding my breath.

Of course all of the above can change with changes to finances (win the lottery), serendipitous opportunities arising (I find a deal I can't refuse and have the cash to take advantage of it) or just a bump to the head. But for now, I'll just have to stay strong and resist and go paint Samurai.