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Unlike GW, PP, (insert other company's name whose models are used exclusively with one rule system) players we historical players are somewhat spoiled. Instead of complaining about the rules that are given to us we're free to go out and pick up another set that works perfectly well with our models. So the question is, what's most important to you in your game of choice? What makes you leave one set of rules on the shelf instead of putting it in your gaming bag? What about your current ruleset has helped you fall in love with it?

For me its striking the difficult balance between gameplay and realism.

I tend to be more anal over my miniatures than the rules I use as far as historical accuracy is concerned, but what I do want from my rules is the ability to field historically accurate formations and have them behave in a manner similar to that of their real-life counterpart.

Force-on-Force/Ambush Alley does this very well, and you can utilise real world tactics to great effect. To paraphrase Victor Kiam (showing my age there), I liked it so much, I started writing for them.

Also simplcity of gameplay does not always negate historical accuracy. Despite the ease of play of both Blackpowder and Rapid Fire!, they both 'feel' right and give generally the results one would expect from scenario play.

Those rules tend to be the three I use for 'historical' games. For 'pulp' adventures, such as my ficticious Chinese Colonial setting, I have had great fun modifying Mordheim/WAB and using that as a basis for a skirmish.

At the end of the day, as long as you have fun, it dont matter much what you do. These days historical gamers are spoilt for choice, and the arrival of the likes of FoW and Battlefront has brought in plenty of new blood. While some historical gamers look down on FoW, and though I dont play it I think its perhaps best described as a good game using WW2 miniatures, rather than a WW2 game, I am pleased to say that a high proportion of FoW players do have a deeper understanding of the history of the war during that period and some seem as anal as me! To me, part of the point of historical gaming is the history. I wouldnt be found fighting my Late-War British against my US Army for example (though I do fight my late war British against my late-war Russians though for 1946 Cold War goes Hot... so maybe I aint all that different after all)!

I play a lot of WWII stuff, not just ground but also air and naval. I find that "realistic" rule sets based on accounting for minut details bog down and get tedious fast.

I like something that plays decently fast, 2-4 hour games, and has results that feel historical. IE: Shermans are not treated as equal to Tigers.

Big P wrote: While some historical gamers look down on FoW, and though I dont play it I think its perhaps best described as a good game using WW2 miniatures, rather than a WW2 game, I am pleased to say that a high proportion of FoW players do have a deeper understanding of the history of the war during that period and some seem as anal as me! To me, part of the point of historical gaming is the history. I wouldnt be found fighting my Late-War British against my US Army for example (though I do fight my late war British against my late-war Russians though for 1946 Cold War goes Hot... so maybe I aint all that different after all)!

@bold: Wouldn't you like to see if its possible to hand the big-headed yank buggers a lose or two? After all, the British were on pretty rocky ground with the Americans previous to WW2. Its not so massively far-fetched to postulate a skirmish or two.

Blitzkrieg era rule-sets and gear open up an even broader range of possibility for the What-If Brigade. We were still discussing defence arrangements as per fighting the French in the 30s. As Wavell had it, most of Europe was training to fight A war (against their closest most likely agressor), we were busy training to fight the LAST war, and we should have been training to just fight WAR, period.

I like the idea of '46 Cold War. How about an early Cold War gone Hot? Armistice with Germany (without the Unconditional Surrender wheeze.), Allies and Axis vs USSR?

@ The OP: I collect Historical gear a) in tribute to past family members service records b) What-Iffery, as described, and c) To expand my knowledge of warfare historically. I suppose the first one is most important, which would place me in the "Accuracy" department I suppose.

I enjoy realism. We play a rule set with no point values (gasp!) using realistic unit composition for whatever time frame we're playing in, set a realistic military objective (hold a crossroad), and play. Then again, the rules are pretty simple for what we use in our club, and we have great models for anything from napoleonics to modern.

i love historicals . i play a lot of fantasy games . but to break it up i play a bunch of historical games WW 1 , WW2 , modern . for those games i use the iron ivan disposable heros , but recently i've been into the world of horse and musket . ive been enjoying the Black Powder ruleset by warlord games . its lite hearted fun quick rules that are easy to run for large groups . meant for large , large armies and large , large tables . currently ive been doing napoleonics and im working on a hoard of zulu wars stuff ! im planning on running both games at the up coming warstore weekend coming up in october . the historical world of gaming is a great adventure . you pick a period investigate it . read up on it rent any movie in the period . research the army and get hobbying . the minatures the terrain to me are the most important . rules can be changed due to the large amounts out there .