Hello from Nort Dakota

[SgtShepard]

I am just starting up again into miniature wargaming.  I started war gaming back in the late 70's early 80's with AD&D and then quickly moved into 15mm Napoleonic's while stationed in Germany.  When I left Germany I lost the wargme group I had been in for the past 8 years, I sold off all my figures and got into model railroading for something to do with my son's.  As the boys got older we built up a force of Mechs for Battletech and then moved into Warhammer and Warhammer 40k.  The boys have all been gone for a few years now and I've decided to get back into historical miniatures.  

I just received my first 10mm Pendraken AWI figures today in the mail.  Two things to say about them, 10mm is a lot smaller than I remember, and they are beautiful models.  I can't wait to get them painted up and for one of the boys to make it home so we can get them on the field of battle.  I purchased enough figures for 5 Continental, 3 Militia, 3 British Line and 3 Hessian Regiments, plus a British Dragoon Rgt and artillery.  That way the boys don't have to worry about figures or traveling with them.

Planning to start with Loose Files and American Scramble rules, may look at others as we progress.

I chose AWI because I have multiple ancestors that fought in the war.

I'm looking forward to getting back into the realm of wargaming.  As I'm starting from scratch any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

[PB]

Hello and welcome. The AWI range is one of my favourites and paint up a treat. Loose Files is also a pretty good starting place.

[d_Guy]

Hi Sarge, Welcome to the forum from another "directional" state (West Virginia in my case) 
I was also out of wargaming for a large span but did AWI 25mm in the 1970!s (that army was sold of long ago) and the subject seems fairly popular here. Many of the forum inhabitants are just waking up so you should be hearing from more soon.

I should mention that you will likely hear from an - uh - entity which styles itself "fsn". My current theory is that it was a spambot, a purveyor of hair extensions (well some kind of extensions)  which, after a collision with a library database in Luton, has become all but sentient.
This is just my opinion mind.

Forewarned is forearmed 

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Moaning

[Techno]

Morning, Sarge.

A very warm welcome to the forum.

Lots of very knowledgeable and friendly folk here, if you need help.....We can also be particularly daft*, and go off on tangents, at the drop of a hat.

Cheers - Phil. (* Especially 'Nobby', (fsn) who d_Guy has already warned you about !  )

[Steve J]

Welcome on board and the AWI range are wonderful sculpts.

[Chris Pringle]

Welcome, Sarge. The Forum is a great place to hang out, with its unique mix of wit and wisdom. (Sometimes half of one and less of the other.)

AWI isn't my period at all but I did enjoy a fine AWI game back in January using Muskets & Tomahawks rules, and the Canadian Wargames Group's "Whites of their eyes" scenario book:
http://bloodybigbattles.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/back-with-bang-waterloo-winter-war-awi.html

Happy gaming!
Chris

[Leman]

Welcome to the forum.

[Orcs]

Hi Sgt

Welcome to the Forum. 

I see they did not warn you about me. Not they should of course I am a perfectly sane member of the Forum  :- 

[fsn]

Greeting's Sgt.

This will become confusing as you ascend the ranks. You will become Major-Sgt, which does not compute ... compute ... compu ... com...





Don't touch the AWI meself. May I interest you in some nice Centurion tanks?

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Hello and welcome

[Orcs]

May I interest you in some nice Centurion tanks?

One excited owner, slightly sticky 

[Westmarcher]

Oh dear, now you know what you are in for!  

Anyhoo, howdy and welcome back to the hobby.  

Sounds like a good choice. AWI is definitely on my short list should I venture into another period. Plenty of material and, as you say, you have ancestors who fought in that conflict. My own limited reading on the subject has focused on work by modern writers which I find is more honest and not one of these "Good Guys vs. Bad Guys" propaganda exercises that Hollywood and traditional American historians have churned out in the past. I'm a Scot and visited Concord, Lexington, Boston and Newport in 2014 (I've also visited Brandywine, Valley Forge, Philly, Williamsburg and Yorktown). As our own independence referendum vote was taking place at the same time, I found the momentous significance of the events of the period, and the dilemma of the ordinary man over which path to choose, particularly resonant. A fascinating period.

Hope we hear more from you.  All the best.  

[fsn]

Westmarcher - one of the forum's nicest members.

He/you do bring up a good point though. I think that we in the UK tend to get our view of the AWI from the US side, and it tends to be very ... shall we say jingoistic? Unbalanced? Sort of put me off the whole thing.

That, and I'm not a big fan of the tricorn.

[SgtShepard]

Thank You all for the warm welcome, I'm sure there will be lots of questions to ask in the near future. 

Thanks Again.