An Itching For Lead

Although RPGs are my preferred sort of game, I like other sorts kinds of games as well. Mondays I play boardgames, mostly German stuff like Puerto Rico. I have an on-again, off-again relationship with wargames. The last time I was really hot and heavy into wargaming was BattleTech back in high school. BattleTech is one of those games that combines the comforting structure of a hex map with the awesomeness of miniatures. The measuring tapes and foam terrain of most minis games turn me off almost as much as the tiny cardboard chits of the board wargames.

Still, I get a hankering to try some more minis wargaming from time to time. I think I get these urges because I enjoy exploring the hypotheticals of scenario writing. Spaceships are usually first in my mind when I start thinking of minis games, but some historical periods have their appeal as well. World War 1 flying aces and old west gunfighters provide sort of a quasi-rpg experience, much as running a single mechajockey in BattleTech. For a more traditional minis approach (stands full of little infantry guys and whatnot) I have some interest in ancients, but my real area of interest is the Franco-Prussian War. There's at least one good set of rules specific to the period out there, as well as near-hits and general 19th century rules. Pat's idea of recreating the entire Falklands War with Harpoon and Command Decision still appeals to me as well.