Is ww1 gaming largely limited to collecting UK and Germany?

[Metternich]

For an excellent history focusing on the Eastern Front, I strongly recommend the books of Prit Buttar (for 1914, Collision of Empires; for 1915, Germany Ascendant; for 1916-17, Russia's Last Gasp; and for 1917-21, The Splintered Empires).  I am currently reading The Splintered Empires and have read the others (except for Collision of Empires - felt I didn't need another book about Tannenberg).   

[Gribb]

For an excellent history focusing on the Eastern Front, I strongly recommend the books of Prit Buttar (for 1914, Collision of Empires; for 1915, Germany Ascendant; for 1916-17, Russia's Last Gasp; and for 1917-21, The Splintered Empires).  I am currently reading The Splintered Empires and have read the others (except for Collision of Empires - felt I didn't need another book about Tannenberg).

Noted, I will look out for these books.  Haven't heard about these before.
Thanks for the information

[warrenpeace]

In my area I remember playing in only 4 WW1 land games, 3 of those set in Africa. One was a fantasy of Germans paying for a revolt in Belgian Congo. Another was a joint British and French expedition in Cameroon. Yet another was a fight in German East Africa. The only scenario I played set in Europe involved French and Germans, no British in sight. I have observed some WW1 trench warfare games at our regional convention, but I don't remember the combatants.

[huevans]

Noted, I will look out for these books.  Haven't heard about these before.
Thanks for the information

Amazon is selling Kindle versions for just a couple of dollars each. I bought the set because the price was ridiculously low!

[zirrian]

Well, we'll hold a demo game at a modeling show next year with a Limanowa-ish theme, Hungarian hussars and infantry assaulting a small Russian village held by Russians But yeah, I feel a strong bias towards end war, Western Front, but it's getting a bit better with stuff by Strelets in 1:72.

[Metternich]

One thing you can say about 1:72nd scale is that it is relatively cheap.

[Nic]

Carlos, late 18C Spanish coming soon. Ask next time you see me

Nic EUREKA MINIATURES

[Gribb]

Amazon is selling Kindle versions for just a couple of dollars each. I bought the set because the price was ridiculously low!

Much obliged, Thank you.

Well, we'll hold a demo game at a modeling show next year with a Limanowa-ish theme, Hungarian hussars and infantry assaulting a small Russian village held by Russians But yeah, I feel a strong bias towards end war, Western Front, but it's getting a bit better with stuff by Strelets in 1:72.

Sounds like fun The titanic clashes between these two armies certainly offer much exciting gaming options. Yes, there has been a bias towards the late war. Personally I prefer the more fluid warfare of early war, and prefer cavalry over tanks.
Strelets do look like nice miniatures, and as Metternich mentioned at a fine price. I hope they add some Austro-Hungarian cavalry. But there being infantry and also Serbs is a good start. And could build up for skirmish games.
Thank you.

[Metternich]

For those thinking of using Strelets for their WW 1 needs, Plastic Soldier Review has available on-line a compendium of their reviews of various small-scale (i.e. 1/72nd) manufacturers and their products, usually including pictures of the box contents. You can look them up by manufacturer or period.  Strelets is very prolific, as is HAT.

http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Manufacturers.aspx

http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Periods.aspx

[arktos]

If  it is for 28mm quality miniatures the answer is an absolute yes !

Before Great War miniatures it was a desert and only the Woodbine Design was an oasis.

When the first miniatures came out i felt optimistic about the future.
Alas after the ''obligatory'' French and Germans came some Americans and early war Belgians and then the end ...

Russians, Serbs and Montenegrins( The -negrians is wrong ), Rumanians, Greeks, Austro Hungarians ( scarab minis did some kind of a job ), Bulgarians and of cource lots of artillery... Nothing !

I wouldn't mension companies from the U.S.A because their postage rates ar nearly forbidden except if you are willing to pay something almost twice its cost.
( for Greece the postage is about 35-45 % ! )

Somebody has to tell the manufacturers and the wargamers that when the Balkan front fell, Bulgaria surrendered becoming the first of the Central Powers, followed by Austro Hungary...

The ''big push'' happened in Balkans so in my opinion some company has to produce some quality figures for this neglected front who admittedly was the one who brought the end for the Central Powers.

Maybe this will never happen, i know ...

[tin shed gamer]

It's a little more complicated than manufacturers only sticking to the big three.
The reality is it's an organic process and industry most gamers on here have grown up the hobby, as it grows as an industry.
Companies start with the bread and buttter. Because thats how people enter the period . knowledge of a conflict grows as you play and read up on the subject. Subsequently the desire to play other aspects and fronts with in a conflict.
Unfortunately gamers are butterflies .This is a niche with in a niche. The number of Wargamers who progress past the basics of the period are few and far between.( No doubt some one will argue otherwise.) I know from experience that it's perfectly possible to build and cast any thing from the period.But selling it to the point it's in profit is another thing.
It takes time for the available information on a subject to become popular enough to become a  commercially viable option.
People are researching the subject and published works are becoming more widely available.Plus the advent of historical websites is speeding up the acquisition of the subject knowledge and the desire to game the period . from a commercial perspective the desire isn't high enough to warrant the investment.
As Mr Andrew's is fond of saying 'if was all about the money we'd have done Napoleonic's not Great War.'
The reason is simple it's exceptionally easy to research the period (both as a hobbyist and a company.) Which makes it Very popular.
 Thus the desire is there on both sides of the argument.

[armchairgeneral]

I know from experience that it's perfectly possible to build and cast any thing from the period.But selling it to the point it's in profit is another thing.

Is their a rough rule of thumb of how many figures cast you need to sell for you to recover the production costs?

[Gribb]

If  it is for 28mm quality miniatures the answer is an absolute yes !

The ''big push'' happened in Balkans so in my opinion some company has to produce some quality figures for this neglected front who admittedly was the one who brought the end for the Central Powers.

Maybe this will never happen, i know ...

Good point. Quality figures for this front is hard to come by. Hopefully this will change with growing interest in this front. Its rather a shame its overlooked. All sorts of obscure conflicts have made it, so why not such a important theater of the war?

I hope to get some Austro-Hungarians started, but would need co-operation on getting them started.

It takes time for the available information on a subject to become popular enough to become a  commercially viable option.
People are researching the subject and published works are becoming more widely available.Plus the advent of historical websites is speeding up the acquisition of the subject knowledge and the desire to game the period . from a commercial perspective the desire isn't high enough to warrant the investment.
As Mr Andrew's is fond of saying 'if was all about the money we'd have done Napoleonic's not Great War.'
The reason is simple it's exceptionally easy to research the period (both as a hobbyist and a company.) Which makes it Very popular.
 Thus the desire is there on both sides of the argument.

The gaming industry seems more varied in offering quality miniatures for a wide variety of conflicts. Far less obscure than the Eastern front of ww1. Even though a niche hobby there are a surprising amount of wars that still become popular. The Spanish-American war range of 1898 Miniatures has been very well received(they are very well sculpted). What it often comes down to is not only books drawing interest in a period, but the quality of the miniatures.

I am sure I am not the only one being drawn into buying miniatures from a period by exceptional sculpting rather than books. And then the interest and knowledge increased after(1898 Spanish-American war..).
Had a top quality sculptor launched a ww1 range to include Austro-Hungarians and/or Serbs I am quite sure it would receive different attention due to the quality of sculpting. Those other available are outdated and would look odd next to modern sculpts like Mutton Chop Miniatures.

Books and online informaton on other fronts are like you say becoming more available. So while "the big three" may dominate now(especially among the older grognards). But as new gamers are entering the hobby this may very well provide a paradigm shift.

[Hang Tuah]

Had a top quality sculptor launched a ww1 range to include Austro-Hungarians and/or Serbs I am quite sure it would receive different attention due to the quality of sculpting.

Paul Hicks did some great-looking stuff for Brigade Games, though they are only useful for the first half of the war.

[Gribb]

Paul Hicks did some great-looking stuff for Brigade Games, though they are only useful for the first half of the war.

There is plenty of great stuff at Brigade Games. The Austro-Hungarians are lovely sculpted. Its a pity Brigade Games are not in stock among UK/European distributors because US shipping rates is a dealbreaker.