Oh, I do like a nice Wargamer Kickstarter
12 May 2017
Why do I like Kickstarters? I ask myself this every time I pledge some of my hard-earned cash on a new one I have found out about and find the premise or the rewards on offer too hard to resist.
One of my most successful pledges was for the Traveller 5th Edition rules. The $140 dollars I pledged got me the rules, some Traveller dice, membership of TAS (Travellers Aid Society) an imperial coin and I was ennobled as well. My 600 hardback rules are a treat and it was signed by Emperor Strephon himself - as well as Marc Miller, whoever he is. . .
The Traveller Customizable Card Game allows me to play Traveller in style with the Collector's Edition Starter Set. I will get two Ship Decks (Scout and Free Trader) all with special foil stamped ship cards, a rules book, special counters and an Exclusive Norah Wells promo card.
I also pledged money for an ECW Starter Army containing 3 units of infantry with (12 pike plus command with 16 musket per unit), 16 cavalry plus command x2 and a Cannon with crew in 10mm.
So what is it about Kickstarter that appeals?
For me it’s being on the side of the little guys, the passionate people who want to do something a little different. With Traveller 5th Edition it was because I had grown with these rules, they were a refreshing change to dungeon bashing and I liked the idea of being a fully-fledged baron.
The Traveller card game was much the same. As I have gotten older, games I can carry in my pocket or bag are far more attractive and easier to play. And the 10mm ECW takes me back to days of the Forlorn Hope rules and Prince Rupert of the Rhine charging about the battlefield.
There you go. That’s it in a nutshell - memories + games = happy.
And that’s why I invest in these things. It’s about the people like me who are trying something different and are passionate about their sport…. er Hobby (same thing).
Go to the Kickstarter site. Click on the spyglass logo at the top and type in "Wargaming". The search that I did today identified 378 projects. These come with an outstanding array of choices. If I had the money, I would spend lots more on some of these. They range from a Bulgarian Wargaming Retreat through a Budget Ancient Wargaming system to Tabletop Towns terrain. The vision of some of these people is amazing.
In summary, I would say that we all want new and interesting stuff to buy and this is our chance to get out and support the entrepreneurs trying to create that stuff.
They add to our hobby in a very direct and visible way. But they don’t all work and they don’t always get funding. I for one am going to try and get behind our Wargaming fellows and in my own small way give them a leg up.
Peter