Both Sides: Way to Go

 

For quite a while now I've tended towards collecting both armies for new projects. This is not an option I suppose for many people gaming on a shoe-string budget but eventually I recommend it as an approach to wargaming.

The shots in this post are from a game day I held yesterday with my good mate Dave at next to no notice. Both the Spartan and Argive armies were part of my collection which rasies the first benefit - I can throw together a game in no time and all I need is an opposing player to move half the toys around and give me a hard time.

The other advantage is you get to play with armies which directly relate your your own aesthetic for a given period. If I don't like the look of any unit, I only have myself to blame. I get to chose the balance and the precise style of representation within the limit of my collection.

It's also a great option if you like both sides and can't decide on one over another - you don't have to. Collect and paint both. Of course, these armies of mine tend to be relatively modest. For this 5th century BC game I have three phalanx hoplite units per side of around 40 figures each, a small unit of 9 cavalry each and a few small units of skirmishers aside (slingers, peltasts and archers).

At a leisurely pace we played two games of Hail Caesar over about five hours. We swapped sides for the second game and both suffered defeat as the Spartans.