I am 10 !

 On this day, ten years ago, I put up my first blog post – without any idea where it might lead.

It really only seems relatively recently, when I was typing up the ‘I am 5’ post - 5 short years ago. I am now looking forward to some kind of semi-retirement over the next few years, with at least lecturing and writing forming the cornerstone of that, and at the very least, it should allow more blog time, and some rules and period research.

The blog has seen massive change - even despite its limited scope. Fitz and I started this as a way of keeping photos of the odd game ‘somewhere’, actually having a central focus for playing games and thereby creating a need to fill the blog – so it would be self-fulfilling, compelling us to fill up the space.

That original premise has morphed out of control.

I’ve found good gaming friends right on my very doorstep, and re-found some old ones – who I thought lost to time.

I’ve formed great friendships with other bloggers from the UK to the USA, even been given figures (you are the men Sprinks & Steve), and played across the world in epic and dramatic AWI games with Steve & Jon (and his excellent rules), had great blogger visits (Tony from Prometheus in Aspic), and played a small part in an online battle of Germantown – which was a real nail-biter (thank you Norm), and have helped form part of ww2 campaigns (Steve’s 2019 Firestorm Russian Front was epic).

I've missed a lot of other stuff and people there - and I never envisaged any of this 10 years ago, and granted I don’t post a lot, but have discovered new found love for the hobby and all its varied facets in the last 10 years, and the great people that form this eclectic bunch that we call 'wargamers'.

 So, I’m hoping to get more from the blog and develop some of the things I’ve already got - as example:

Field of Battle (you knew it would come up), continues to be my faviurite set of rules that is both straightforward and derives an excellent narrative – more to come from this.

Field of Battle ww2 – the bastard son of above, and yet I was able to do Arnhem with in in 2020. With each stand being a company: Bulge, Normandy, Crete – then telescoped into Vietnam and Falklands actions. A really underrated set of rules.

More Aquilonian Special forces stuff. Started that story and never finished. A way of doing moderns, with a little bit of fun, and not getting any tech or operational stuff wrong, or misinterpreting it.

The grand Altar of Freedom experiment – I remain convinced that Little Wars TV’s ‘Altar of Freedom’ rules, could be re-directed toward a set of battlefield/campaign rules for Nine-Years-War / Marlburian (1685-1715). …this might develop further.

All those other rulesets which are sure to usurp all of the above, including Koenig Krieg and others. It’s what the hobby is about really.

…and much more…

Thanks to everyone for your comments and time over the years. Here’s to the next TEN! 

(cue the pics)

A scene from 'Aughrim'. More 9YW to follow.

More from 'Steve's bunker', including moderns

A scene from the epic 2 day Arnhem game in 2020

...and a certain bridge

Neerwinden 2018 - when Tony from 'Prometheus in Aspic' played many games during a great visit

FoB ww2 action

AWI is a perennial favourite

...as is gaming with Steiner & the boys

1/300 Moderns just keep coming back

Did I mention FoB ww2?