How did you get into wargaming?

When I was 10, soon after reading Tolkien through the first time, I saw a Metagaming ad in one of my dad's Analog magazines. I scraped together some cash and sent off for the game Melee. I got the edition shown at right and my like minded friends and I began to play. Believe me, I got more than alittle hell about that anatomically correct gargoyle when I took the game to school! After that there followed an exposure to RPGs (TFT, Empire of the Petal Throne, MSPE, Runequest 2 ed.), Avalon Hill wargames (Panzer Blitz, Squad Leader) and some Miniatures Wargaming (I watched some games of Pas de Charge, Empire II). Later in life (meaning post high-school) it becomes much more complicated...

So, let me know, if you'd like, in the comments what got you started in gaming, I'm curious to know!

Circassians in Arabia (Local Color, part 1)

In a recent comment on Chris' Itty Bitty Battlefields blog I suggested that he might add some Circassian Cavalry to his Ottoman troops to add more "color". After thinking this over I thought I'd back this up a little more. The photos on this page are from French Lebanon in the interwar period (above bottom, lifted from Wikipedia), and from a meeting of Bedouin and Circassian leaders with T.E. Lawrence (above top, date unknown, lifted from a NY Sun Blog). I think they clearly demonstrate that you can use, without any modification, the Caucasian Cossack figures available from both Copplestone Castings (below) and Old Glory to represent the Circassian cavalry that the Ottomans used in both Palestine and the Hejaz. My plan is to eventually paint a small unit of these and include them in my "Ottoman Cavalry" Squadron (which will sometimes be joined by an allied Arab Cavalry force).

New Camelry

Yesterday I received most of my pre-order of Arab Irregulars on Camels from Brigade Games. There were some casting problems (apparently involving the reins) and thus the models' release was delayed by a couple of months, but let me tell you, it was worth the wait! Beautiful figures, with nice clean castings. Best camels I've ever seen, with very accurate Saddles, blankets, etc. I highly recommend these figs. Plus the Arab Lewis gunners are great too. Lets hope the Sharifian Regulars on camels are coming soon.

Pride of the Marines

I just stumbled across the battle scene in the film Pride of the Marines the other day and was nearly floored. One of the best Pacific War combat sequences I've ever seen and super intense to boot. I didn't see most of the movie (which is a true story about a marine who is blinded during the above mentioned action) but I would heartily recommend at least watching the combat sequences.
http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=2382

Whoops! Lost Patrol, TCM 4:30am 5/26 TUESDAY EST

Lost Patrol

I forgot that TCM's braoadcast day is 5am to 5am so this is all still right , it's just on 5/26:

Tomorrow Morning TCM show John Ford's film The Lost Patrol. It's one of my very favorites, and sometime in the future will serve as the basis for a scenario. See my Movie entrys for an earlier posting on this film.
http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=794

Return of the bad phone photo #3

I took this photo last week. Since then the Sikhs have become mostly completed (rifles need painting) and I sprayed and sepia-washed some Punjabi Mountain gunners. Some primed BH Arabs in the background (these are worth getting) and 2 kinds of British Mountain Guns in the background (the only things in focus I believe.)

Thinking of getting some Copplestone Somalis as partially historic Turkish allies (they were actually in Yemen, not the Hejaz) and maybe painting my Copplestone Caucasian Cossacks since they look exactly like the Circassian Cavalry the Turks used in Palestine and the Hejaz.

The Ottoman Arab officer in the middle I affectionately (if rather boorishly) call Saddam.

Airpower in the 1920 Revolt

Here's a link to a PDF of an RAF magazine that includes an atrticle on airpower in Mesopotamia during the 1920 Revolt. It's also a good, short intro onto the revolt itself. http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles/497AFC72_1143_EC82_2E2229178FBF3228.pdf

Update

What am I doing currently? Not much:

a. Painting very-very slowly the following: BH Mounted Bedouins (primed or just finished) and foot Arabs (cleaned and based for priming), Copplestone Sikhs (half way painted), Two mountain guns (painted and based) and their crews (BG & BH, respectively, primed and based), 1 Ottoman Arab officer (BattleHonors) (Mostly painted and Based).
b. Remounting older figs for the newer systems I will be using or am using now: All my Maori War figures, All my Zulu War figures (not a priority), some Renegade ACW infantry for Guns at Gettysburg.
c. Getting ready to paint some Crusader ACW Infantry (in their boxes). The priority of this project will depend on how soon we will play G-a-G again vs. when I will run WWI again.
d. Finished Setting the Desert On Fire and sort of fishing through all my other books for something else to fill the Colonial/WWI reading slot (as opposed to the fiction or comics slots, cuurently filled by Eric Ambler and B.P.R.D. respectively).

Any how, I also participated in the first half of an enjoyable Hobkirks Hill AWI game two weeks back put on by Jeff at the club.