Veni! Vidi! …. I paint!

One thing that I have impressed me with the hobby recently is the amount of quality ‘starter sets’ that are currently within the market place. A criticism of Games Workshop in the past has been the amount of models required at entry level, and that this has even put some people of the hobby.   With Games Workshop the boxed games they have recently produced, and the different points at which people can jump in at with both 40k and Age of Sigmar, must surely have helped them with the recent announcement of profits I am sure I have read. There is nothing more daunting than opening up a box, and thinking ‘oh man what I have I got into!’.

Then why ancient warfare? Surely nothing says mass battle more than Plataea, Cannae or Gaugamela? Well that’s the thing with starter sets, there seems to be something out there for a small model count these days.

I had two different starter sets arrive yesterday, ‘Bread and Circuses’ for Gangs of Rome, and ‘The Roman Invasion of Britain’, for Hail Caesar.

So plan is –

Gangs of Rome, looks a fun little game with a low model count, so won’t be to daunting. Civil strife was always an issue within Rome, with Civil Wars been constant, even from the beginning with Romulus killing Remus and the Rape of the Sabines. So, it fits perfectly with wanting to learn more about Roman history and trying not to feel over daunted with the model count, plus the scenery coming out of Sarissa just looks fantastic.

Hail Caesar, I want to use the models from in the starter set for learning the game (sounds like I am stating the obvious!). With a leader in each, you have a basic division and hopefully this will give me a good founding in the rules. I have ideas for other armies in the future but want to stick to this and not get carried away from the start. I think I will look at painting the Romans first (although may look at a test stand for the Britons too.

*EDIT – I have just seen the trailer for SPQR from Warlord Games and must wonder what this will be. Will have to keep an eye on it!