Yeah, that is what I tell myself almost weekly with respect to taking on another project. This time, it is different. Really it is. Fielding Sci-Fi rather than the usual diet of historicals? I am surprised too. What I have today is the first figure off the painting desk in what is planned as a very small project. To lead off the project is a Rebel AT-RT from the Star Wars Legion Core box. Why the AT-RT off the painting desk first? Well, it is cool! I will stick to painting just this one box of figures. Who is buying such convictions of project restraint? Well, I am, for now.There is method to this madness. My young grandson has developed a strong fascination with all things Star Wars. I figured this could be a chance for an enjoyable, collaborative effort for the two of us. Building the figures is a task we managed together while I took on the painting. Once we have enough figures painted, we could work on developing an easy set of rules. Rules that are easy enough for a first grader to grasp yet offering a chance at working on rudimentary math skills, measuring (maybe a grid-based system would be better?), and perhaps critical thinking.
While the Core box contains rules that I have not looked at closely, I want something very simple. My thought is that some of my old, Old West gunfighter rules would work well for this genre of game. Most have simple mechanisms, easily grasped, and having a Hollywood style of exciting narrative. What do you think? Any other suggestions?
You know what? Painting this figure was quite fun.
Its certainly a cool looking figure Jonathan and if you can tempt another recruit into the brotherhood of wargaming via Star Wars, why not! I think gunfighter type rules would suit this - you could even make combat as simple as you both roll a dice, and the highest wins...maybe later you could add nuances like you add one to the score if your figure has some armour or is behind cover or something....
ReplyDeleteYeah, it is a neat looking model. I appreciate your suggestion on rules for the younger mind.
Delete‘A very small project’. Sorry I don’t understand this term. 😆
ReplyDeleteHaving uttered those words, I am having trouble with the concept too.
DeleteThe original (and best) Star Wars had a definite Western Movie feel to it in parts (particularly Han Solo at the Cantina) so why not an Old West Shoot out with SciFi weapons?
ReplyDeleteFor me, the first was the best too. I still remember queueing up at the theater to watch it in '77. I like the notion of Old West shootouts!
DeleteScifi? Plastic? Am I on the right blog?! Lovely painting and nice build, I remember encouraging my nephew's when they were 9 and 11 years old with warhammer 40k, good luck with encouraging your grandson !
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Your confusion is understandable! I am a bit confused myself...
DeleteGlad you like the result, Iain, and thanks for your well wishes in my attempt at getting a young lad off on the right path. If Sci-fi takes, maybe historicals will one day be possible?
How old is a first grader? For the rules I would suggest you go for simple move gradations 6", 12", and the same for firing ranges. Then go for a 6 to hit, with some weapon types firing more than once. For "heroes" or better equipment introduce a "dodge" roll (i.e. a saving roll - but you want to be able to say "I dodged that blaster shot" or similar. Then a simple hand to hand system for light sabres. As you play and he gets interested you can discuss making changes to the rules between you, so it becomes "your" game, not just a game Grandad imposes on him.
ReplyDeleteA first grader is 7-8 years old. Still pretty young for formal wargaming but he has been eyeing my miniatures for years and always want s to help paint.
DeleteThanks for your suggestions on rules for a beginner. Getting him invested into ownership of the game is a really good suggestion. He is an avid video gamer even at this young age (are they all?) so getting him away from the screen occasionally will be a good diversion.
Much as I enjoy painting, I don't know that I'd persist in the hobby if I didn't tinker with rule mechanisms. In the next few years you might want to introduce him to Neil Thomas' "Ancient and Medieval Wargaming". It is a super primer for the hobby, with playable rules that are easy to tweak, and lots of army lists for variety.
DeleteWhile I am a rules' tinker too, I sure enjoy the painting aspect of the hobby. I will keep AMW in mind. Thanks for the suggestion!
DeleteWoooa! What a news! Great looking model Jonathan!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Michal!
DeleteCool model and project. Nice one!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteHi Jonathan- You've done a super job of painting AT-RT- well done. I do like all of the STAR WARS- LEGION Sets...it would be great to get into this - if only my funds would allow for it. Good going there. Regards. KEV. (Sydney-Australia).
ReplyDeleteThank you, KEV! Glad you like the work. Perhaps one day, you can tackle Star Wars as a project of your own?
DeleteYou have done a lovely sculpt a great deal of justice - a very natural look to the whole piece.
ReplyDeleteYou have of course at a stroke changed the dynamic of the 2020 Wargame Survey with big historical armies in 15mm also enjoying heroic Sci-Fi :-)
You are very kind, Norm. The sculpt is really nice. I am impressed by the quality of the plastic sculpted detail.
DeleteYour last comment is very funny. Even if I switched to having 28mm Heroic Sci-Fi as my favorite period and scale, I wouldn't budge the results a nat.
That is a lovely looking figure and as always a great paint job Jonathan. I've learnt just to go with what I fancy painting at anyone time, as trying to focus on one think doesn't work with me and leaves me feeling frustrated if I try to do it!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Steve! I am in agreement with you on painting what strikes one's fancy. That is why I have multiple units from multiple projects all on my workbench simultaneously.
DeleteLooking good Jonathan! One Hour Skirmish Wargames comes to mind for "dead simple" gaming with an adolescent? I play "orcs" with my daughter who is 8.
ReplyDeleteOrcs is basically the Neil Thomas Dark Ages One Hour Wargame rules. She has a hard time with the more elaborate scenarios, but when we play the more set-piece scenarios (pitched battle 1 and 2), she loves it!
Thank you, Steve! OHW is a good suggestion. The mechanisms are easy to learn and easy to play. The boy is almost eight so close to your daughter in age. If OHW works for you, it may work for me. I appreciate the suggestion.
Delete"ORCS?" You play fantasy?
Yes, Jonathan I do enjoy a game of fantasy every now and then. I have a horde of 10mm fantasy figs (on single BMUs at that!) For games like Kings of War, Battlelore, Warmaster, etc. They haven't seen much table time yet - until I can figure some other things out first like what rules I like and what games I want to play!!
DeleteSo many choices, so little time...
DeleteI see the Star Wars bug has bitten. Have a look at the One Hour skirmish rules, very simple and adaptable
ReplyDeleteI will check out the rules. Thanks!
DeleteWow! Very cool and quite a change up too, Jonathan. Looks great.
ReplyDeleteYes, Dean, quite a change for me. Thank you!
DeleteLove that model! It may make us social lepers amongst historical purists but those models (and your painting) are great. I bought Heroclix Marvel heroes for my two boys and they picked up the rules in no time. The ere are some excellent YouTube Star Wars legion battles on YouTube to enthuse them too! My sons and I are watching three episodes of the Mandalorian a night! I'm sure they'll flip into historicals but both Heroclix and Legion are accessible!
ReplyDeleteMay have to get an At-At from Santa!
Thanks, Mike! It really is a nice model. The speeder bikes are neat too. I am still a historical purist but I am making a sacrifice for my grandson. I know, it's a tough job.
DeleteLooking great, welcome to the Legion club.
ReplyDeleteThe rules themselves are fairly simple.
Thank you! I will give the rules a look.
DeleteGreat work on the figure Jonathan, and it looks as though you have been painting them for years. A really expert job. I painted two fantasy swordsmen for a friend's son earlier this year (I can't recall what game it was for, but apparently something popular that a lot of twelve year-olds are playing) and enjoyed it far more than I was expecting to.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lawrence! Having a good quality sculpt helped with the painting, no doubt. It was enjoyable too. Like you, enjoyed far more than expected. Painting bigger figures are easier on these aging eyes.
DeleteI'm not looking! or listening! ( hands over ears, eyes shut, quietly chanting nanananana....
ReplyDeleteYou're funny, Ross!
DeleteVery nice and a good reason to start a new project. I don’t know a simple rules for such a game but have played at a number of shows games with quite young children using dragon rampant easy to convert to any period especially where you have hero type figures who act on their own. The good thing is lots of dice to roll keep away from they having to roll only one dice. Fantasy of course not a problem for me I only draw the line when people suggest mixing periods together !!!! That is beyond the pale
ReplyDeleteThank you, Matt! Good suggestion on Dragon Rampant. Is DR from the same stable as "Rebels & Patriots" with similar mechanisms?
DeleteYes DR was a development from lion rampant they are effectively the same rules. The core essence is the same rolling 6 or 12 dice etc. Where they work well for youngsters (and us) is characters can be made quite tough they also have a fairly predictable nature so his favourite figure shouldn’t get killed unexpectedly.
DeleteThanks!
DeleteWhat a change of pace! But a good reason for it. I’ve haven’t had much luck getting my daughter into miniatures games so I wish you good luck in your upcoming games with the grandson. I can’t come up with any good rules recs really. Maybe one of the Songs of titles will work for you. 😀
ReplyDeleteAnd nice job on the miniature!
Thank you, Stew! This figure is a surprise, for sure. Much different from a steady stream of historicals marching across the painting desk. Expect a few more Star Wars figures to cross the blog in the upcoming weeks.
DeleteI was looking at this saying to myself, "Cool looking figure and very nicely done, but STAR WARS ground combat?? Has Jon been dipping into the leftover pain meds from his fracture or something?!" :-)
ReplyDeleteThen I saw the bit about your Grandson... that makes perfect sense. My older grandson just turned 5 and saw my Newbury layout and some figures on the painting table and said "Maybe I can help you paint some figures sometime..." Heh, heh! The next time he's over I'll have to see what he might find interesting, as that might lead to some.... *plastics* in the house!
All of that reminded me of an article the late Charlie Sweet wrote in the original NEWA Courier, in which he related a tale about his son David and wargaming. His son like to watch games that his dad played with friends from an early age, and thus for one Christmas, when David was ? 6 years old, Charlie made him his own wargame, with figures, a board, terrain and simple rules. He related that David had to op[ne that one first, and once he did that, he wouldn't even look at any of his other presents that day! I read the article a year or two before I met first David, who is roughly 3 years older than I am, and then Charlie, both of whom became friends.
Star Wars ground combat, indeed! Those are great stories about your grandson and Charlie’s grandson. The funny thing about painting these figures is that after I primered them black, my grandson wanted me to leave them black. He thought it would be good to leave them all black without any more paint. He is a big fan of Darth Vader and I guess everyone ought to be dressed in black. I said the others needed to be painted so that DV could be easily identified. He finally agreed.
DeleteSo, did the black figures get the Minwax treatment? :-)
DeleteWhile the other figures will be carrying a non-black painting scheme, yes, Darth Vader received a treatment of Minwax!
DeleteUnsual and superb model, great job on it!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Phil!
DeleteSplendid Jonathan...
ReplyDeleteI am rather tempted by these as well...
Sod control... be at one with your butterfly... feel the flutter.
All the best. Aly
Thank you, Aly! You provide great inspiration for freeing my inner butterfly.
DeleteSuperb paintwork Jonathan! This came out a real gem.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mike! You are very kind.
Delete