How do I choose an army?

I have met quite a few people at the Warlords and at conventions who are interested in Ancients but do not play. In particular, there seem to be two barriers to their joining in: finding someone to talk to and get information from; and getting an army.

Games Workshop has done a tremendous job of overcoming these barriers for Fantasy and Science Fiction wargaming. Firstly, its shops and publications provide a wealth of relevant, easily accessible information and they also help set up networks of gamers. Secondly, you can buy everything you need in one place, often even in one box. While there is no similar service for Ancients, it doesn't actually involve much more work to get started in the period.

In this article I aim to encourage more people to consider playing Ancients and to explain the simple things you need to do to get started.

First I must state that I am assuming that you are looking at using Wargames Research Group's DBM rules. They are by no means the only rules for the period, but they are the most popular by far. My general comments apply to any rules you wish to use, but the specific examples are from DBM.

The people

I believe that the most important thing in wargaming is finding the people. Playing games against and amongst other people is fundamental to wargaming. We need each other to be opponents, to help find information and, probably most importantly, to share a common interest. After all, "I play with toy soldiers" is unlikely to be a great pick-up line at a party, but I still really enjoy it. Playing with toy soldiers I mean. I haven't been picked up at a party for years!

Also, talk to other people at the club and ask them questions. There is heaps of information stored away in people's heads about how different armies work, manufacturers, painting etc. It is also an excellent way of getting involved in games, even before you have your own army. In future I aim to collate and circulate a list of who plays Ancients in Wellington and with what armies and rules.

The army

After you have taken that first step of getting to know people who play Ancients and getting background about the period, how do you actually get the figures? There are four steps: 1. Choosing an army. 2. Choosing exactly what you want from that army list. 3. Buying the figures. 4. Painting and basing them (painting and basing isn't covered in this article)

Choosing an army

When there are four volumes of army lists giving literally several hundred armies to choose from, how do you pick one? It has to be an army that will hold your interest. I have 15th Century Poles because my parents are Polish. I bought Early Byzantines after reading Robert Graves ripping yarn, Count Belisarius. However, I also have other armies because they were being sold second-hand when I was looking for a new army. You might want Normans because you like Norman shield patterns - that is as good a reason as any.

The other part of holding your interest is, how does the army "play"? Do you want cavalcades of cavalry? Innumerable infantry? Hordes of horse archers? Lots of longbows? Teeming terrain troops? Armies based around different kinds of troops need to be handled quite differently. Scale makes a big difference too. Infantry armies are much easier to use in 25mm than in 15mm. Conversely, cavalry armies are much easier to use in 15mm than in 25mm.

And a word of caution. Not all armies are created equal. Despite the points system there are a few dog lists that produce armies likely to lose all their games. Some armies may be powerful, but tricky for a beginner. Talk to people whose opinions you value before buying.

Choosing exactly what you want from that army list

Get a copy of the list for the army you want. It will give the minimums and maximums for the various troop types allowed and, by not including them, will tell you what troop types you cannot have. At conventions, 350 points is used for 25mm and 400 points for 15mm. Work out lists up to these points and buy a few extra troops to give you a few options for different kinds of games. Again, talk to other players. What do they think of your list? Do they use the same or a similar army? Why do they use it in a particular way?

Something else to consider is, can I use these figures for different armies? For example, if you have Romans, is there an army that can include a large Roman contingent? Sometimes your figures can even change nationality! Early Medieval (Dark Ages if you prefer) European barbarians all looked (and smelled) much the same. Later in the Middle Ages, a knight from one European country looked much the same as from another. You can do similar with many other alliances and "regional" troop types.

Buying the figures

There are many suppliers of figures, rules, lists and other books - some in NZ and many more overseas. Nine were listed in last month's Dispatches. Check out Wargames Illustrated for more. Contact suppliers for catalogues and prices - many will send a free sample if asked to. Talk to people who have bought from them or have a good knowledge of that range. It is also well worth keeping an eye open for second-hand figures and armies at conventions, clubs and advertised in Dispatches.

Should you buy the army all at once, or in several smaller orders? Your budget has at least some bearing on this! Personally, I like painting but I'm slow at it. At times I have found a large pile of unpainted figures demoralising, but postage is usually cheaper for large orders.

If you are used to buying Games Workshop figures, you will find figures for Ancients cost much less, though you will usually need more of them for an army. And if you do get into Ancients, by no means stop playing other periods. Variety is good for you.