Tangents

(my latest project..2D meets 3D in 15mm)


If you're like me, and I've got assume if you are ready this, while you might be more self disciplined, you can definitely relate. Over the years..I accumulated a ton of gaming stuff enough to take over the majority of an almost 2000 square foot basement, my gaming area is bigger than my local GW shop and bigger than some of my friends entire apartments. While its existence is rooted in one of the benefits of home ownership, know that if that sounds over the top, I agree it is and every 5 years or so I get the urge to downsize. Compile that urge..with the cold math of what you spent on all that stuff and you'll fall into a period of self analysis that could be frightening. In my case I have collections of things going back all the way to the late 70's.

The last month I have been thinning the herd so to speak via ebay (which still sucks by the way, but the only game in town.) old RPG books I've had for years, miniatures from games I never touched, whole games I never touched. Things like Space Hulk, which I liked but played twice in a year and had a great secondary market..gone. In fact all my 40K stuff is gone with exception of a few painted characters I've held on too, I even managed to get a few bucks for 4th ed army and rulebooks. along the way in sorting the boxes of terrain, miniatures, books, games, and modeling supplies, I came across my box of old RPG books for the game Traveller. while I am sure most you are familiar with Traveller for those that aren't. simplistically it was bascially D&D in Space, penned before Star Wars and completely unlike D&D in most respects (other than being an RPG) any included in my box of stuff was the box for one off game Game Designers Workshop produced call Snapshot. close combat aboard starships in the far future, was the subtitle. Now I haven't played Traveller since probably 1983...after Blade Runner came out we had an awesome Traveller campaign, that's one of my fondest RPG memories as a boy. It took me a couple minutes to remember Snapshot..but then it dawned on my...er..wow...Snapshot is a 15mm Skirmish Game from 1979!!!



(box covers from the two versions on the GDW original Snapshot game, I have the one on the left)



After digging in and doing a little research, I quickly found how the game was improved over the years and how with Snapshot as a base I could quickly develop something cool, its no secret that 15mm Sci Fi is has a great growing fan base and I found whole slew a great miniatures online dirt cheap..Snapshot also uses deck plans like board game rather than physical terrain, although you could easily incorporate it. It was not tough to find some kick ass state of the art high res deck plans. By the bedtime that evening I had whole game system put together literally for the resale price of a handful of items I hadn't looked at in years. Part skrimish game, part board game, my version of Snapshot is fast paced skirmish game with lots of eye candy once I paint the minis. I've also repurposed a unused tabletop of mine for 15mm so expect some standard full 3-D scenarios as well. Anyway this is pretty great find low cost "find" I can't wait to get one of the guys to come try it out with me. Needless to say my "Classic Traveller"stuff went back in the keep pile.

Now the point is/was to downsize spof course buying new stuff while you are downsizing is typical of us "attention deficit disorder" gamers. I reconcile this by saying "but I did get rid of alot of stuff", of course buying more 15mm stuff when I've got Flames of War stuff sitting in boxes or half built.(no -I have not written of FoW off yet) is another dilema, I also have my "Songs of Blades and Heros" skirmish stuff waiting to be demo'd too..I'm finding myself more and more driven to smaller skirmish games of various genres. low cost, short build times, easier rules..etc..while my large format wargames WFB, WAB, are languishing in various states be it tourney burnout with WFB, or my inability to get WAB army(ies) built and painted to place where I just love playing those great new rules. Anyway looks like a couple months of Skirmish distraction is just what I need.

More on the 15mm Sci Fi craze soon, in the meantime...I've been spending alot of my time here
Dropship Horizon
Ground Zero Games


Numerous manufacturers do the "firefly" crew knock off thing
these figures are from Splintered Light Miniatures



lots more of this and 28mm pirates coming soon