Saturday, April 16, 2016

N is for Naval Wargaming - #atozchallenge

Today's post is about Naval Wargaming.  I have always been interested in miniatures wargaming.  I have spent more money than I care to mention on figures, paint, and rule books.  I have boxes full of unpainted figures from ancient warriors to sci-fi marines.  Some of the barriers that have kept me from ever finishing a wargame project include a lack of focus and a lack of resources (time and money).  I started to base and paint a DBA army but I got sidetracked by other shiny things.  Still, miniatures games seem to call to me.

Naval wargames have intrigued me.  I like the idea of controlling a fleet of ships.  Also, making terrain is not an issue.  For most naval scenarios all one needs is a flat surface to simulate the ocean.  Collecting and painting miniatures is still an issue, but I think that I found a solution.  The company Topside Minis produces high quality warship tokens that consist of a sticker that you apply to a wooden counter.  The ships are in 1:1800 scale, which is the same scale that the Axis and Allies War at Sea game was produced in.

A Topside Minis ship ready to mine the harbor.

The Topside Minis counters look great.  The pictures on the ship are detailed and the counters have a nice feel to them.  All you have to do when you buy them is peel off the sticker at attach it to the base.  The stickers are very forgiving; I have peeled them off and reattached them when assembling them with no problem.  I do trim around the edges with an X-acto knife and then they are ready for battle.  You can have a fleet ready to go in the fraction of the time it takes to base and paint some miniatures.

Topside Minis are also affordable.  Ships run from about 50 cents to $1.50 each, and you can purchase battle packs for famous naval engagements.  They will also send you a free sample.  The company also has a free set of miniatures rules that you can download from the site.  I plan on using General Quarters III for my battles.

Check out Topside Mini's website for some naval wargame action: topsideminis.com