Tora Tora Tora

I listened to the Overlords first birthday marathon show.

Cue blurry photo....

A French Battalion that I managed to get partially based (the base needs inking, highlighting and grassing, but I find it best to let the superglue dry first ;-)) four hours of Overlords rabbit gives planety of time to get on with little jobs. I also spent the time rediscovering my wargaming youth, via Navwar.

I mentioned yesterday that I was going to spend some of the money I get from selling my Orks to get back into naval wargaming. And in my search to find a copy of General Quarters I found the Navwar website. I have always prefered the Navwar models to the Davco. But my nostalgia was further poked when I found that Navwar has no online shop, and require you to print out the order form and order via post or fax.

This being the age of the interwebz, whilst I was looking for something else - pictures of their 1/3000th planes - I discovered that this denial of instant gratification has angered some people - who have used the minor inconvience of using their scanner as a fax machine to declare to anyone who gives a shite, that they are rage quitting Navwar.

Personally I found it rather charming.

My personal fly in the ointment was that General Quarters Part II (WWI) is out of print - it was first made in the 1973 - but they do have copies of General Quarters Part I (WWII). I do have a copy of the Part II rules floating around my mother's house - though I don't think I have the record sheets or turning widgets - but it will take the poor dear months to find it, and will no doubt involve recieving countless unwanted rulebooks, before the desired book arrives - yes I know I shouldn't complain as people have to pay good money for the storage facilities offered by my mother.

There is a newer version of the rules but they are £20, which goes completely against the spirit of this side project.

Which leaves me with a problem.

My prefered period would be WWI. But being able to get hold of the WWII ruleset - and thus instant gratification (allowing for old fashioned mail order) - is rather tempting.

And as I have already mentioned that I was looking for information on 1/3000th model aircraft, you can probably guess in which direction the money burning in my virtual pocket is leading me.

I'm leaning toward the War in the Pacific.

Like everyone, I am guessing, I have assumed it would be all carrier actions and therefore not really suited to tabletop gaming - indeed this was the rationale all those years ago for not getting into the period (I suspect these wargamer prejudices really only kick in because people want to tie opponents into their game). However doing a little research on the net I quickly found that this was far from the case.

I found I could get all the ships I need to refight the Java campaign of 1942 for @£20, and not a carrier in sight. Which is not a bad starting place. The drawback historically is the Japanese were fighting an allied fleet, and I want to build a purely American force - but it is hardly a major issue.

So I have decided to get a small force of a couple of cruisers, and eight or ten destroyers on each side, and some aircraft, (along with the rules) and go from there.

Bad news while I was writing this I got an email from the Perry's saying they are having trouble processing my order - something to do with my card.... good news, bad news I guess.

peace:)