10-09-2007, 06:55 PM
The use of miniatures) is probably the origin of all gaming, chess arguably being the earliest form and H.G. Wells its modern originator.
In the 1960s airfix plastic figures gave a boost to this hobby and later as it became more popular, lead miniatures began to replace these, and became smaller. Painting and fixing the figures to bases gave this interest a handcraft skill aspect, while each figure represented a number of soldiers in different formations (line, column, close, open order etc) all to scale and using an agreed set of rules.
Preparing scaled down versions of set historical battles involved quite a bit of historical research on the uniforms, the army compositions and the campaigns in which the battles took place, as well as the unfolding of the battle itself and the reasons for its historical outcome.
Sets of rules for both land and sea in different eras - ancient, mediaeval, horse and musket, WW2 etc. - soon began to be published, as well as accompanying army lists. The Wargames Research Group published rules and army lists in the 1960s covering many different periods of history, and set the standard for later rules and lists.
Fantasy gaming has grown rapidly since The Lord of the Rings and D&D, but traditional historical wargaming remains very strong.
The Society of Ancients is just one example (there are more in its links page). There are also a number of yahoo discussion lists, covering different eras and periods such as the American War of Independence and related North American scenarios (Indian Wars, Mexican War, Canada), or non-era specific groups like Old School Wargaming or Mythic. These all have large followings and lists are usually in the hundreds (Old School has around 1,000 members).
In the 1960s airfix plastic figures gave a boost to this hobby and later as it became more popular, lead miniatures began to replace these, and became smaller. Painting and fixing the figures to bases gave this interest a handcraft skill aspect, while each figure represented a number of soldiers in different formations (line, column, close, open order etc) all to scale and using an agreed set of rules.
Preparing scaled down versions of set historical battles involved quite a bit of historical research on the uniforms, the army compositions and the campaigns in which the battles took place, as well as the unfolding of the battle itself and the reasons for its historical outcome.
Sets of rules for both land and sea in different eras - ancient, mediaeval, horse and musket, WW2 etc. - soon began to be published, as well as accompanying army lists. The Wargames Research Group published rules and army lists in the 1960s covering many different periods of history, and set the standard for later rules and lists.
Fantasy gaming has grown rapidly since The Lord of the Rings and D&D, but traditional historical wargaming remains very strong.
The Society of Ancients is just one example (there are more in its links page). There are also a number of yahoo discussion lists, covering different eras and periods such as the American War of Independence and related North American scenarios (Indian Wars, Mexican War, Canada), or non-era specific groups like Old School Wargaming or Mythic. These all have large followings and lists are usually in the hundreds (Old School has around 1,000 members).