Instead, as I've done many times with many different games, I am embarking on a journey with The Old World. I've been playing wargames for ~20 years, starting with Warhammer 40K 3rd Edition. Since then I've played a variety of systems and while I haven't touched them all, it's more likely than not I've at least rolled some dice in anything you've heard of. Still, Rank and File has always had a special place in my heart. I remember being a tween and hungrily looking over a Games Workshop catalog a friend gave me, entranced by the models and the spectacle but hopelessly unaware of the game and unable to afford it.
Why do I love Rank and File? Well, I'm a strategy fan through and through. In my opinion, the best strategic games play slowly and with defined parameters. In many systems, the table is an open place barring major Line of Sight obstructions and models can do much, much more than what a simple medieval soldier could. High Fantasy, High Sci-Fi, they aren't for me. Coming up playing Chess, Pokemon, SNES RPGs, etc. gave me a love of restrictions. Games that look simple but conceal endless hidden depth are my absolute jam, and Rank and File plays into that perfectly. When you can go backwards, left, right, or forward, the choice is clear. Or is it?
Over my years I've primarily been a competitively minded player. I want to be the best I can be, winning through my preparation, knowledge, and resourcefulness. Games don't always allow for this, especially wargames with their baked in luck, but they get more than close enough to satiate me. On the other hand, that approach has caused me harm and led to some negative situations. When I was younger the competitive hat never came off, although I would simply avoid games against newer opponents or obviously outmatched ones. As I've gotten a bit older I've been able to temper that instinct and come to appreciate other aspects of the hobby. Most recently I ran a semi-narrative campaign for Warhammer Fantasy 6th Edition, in preparation for The Old World. While my Beastmen did go undefeated despite the inability to play all my games I took fair and friendly army lists and received no complaints.
That duality will be central to this blog. I like to create content for my hobbies, and I like to write. Youtube glamor is not for me, like wargames themselves I prefer to take my time and harness my thoughts as I see fit. I've had many other blogs over the years, typically when I fall out of a game I simply delete them. It is likely this will be the same, although perhaps I won't fall out this time. I'm fortunate to be in a position where I can do more with my life including travel, which is something I've always wanted to associate with wargames. Going to a new place is great, going there to compete is even better. My hope is I can use that as an outlet for my desire to play in tournaments and other events, while keeping it friendly close to home.
This blog, this work in progress, will primarily be made up of two pillars. The first is Battle Reports, a true passion of mine within something I already enjoy. Breaking down a game, why things happened the way they did, how to learn and improve, all of that is so fun to me. I try to Battle Report every game I play, even if it's casual or narrative, just because there's ALWAYS something to be learned. The second will be breakdowns of various things in The Old World: Army Books, Army Lists, Tactics/Strategy, changes, and so on. Theory-crafting is a big part of how my brain works and while I have no illusions that my opinions are always, or even often, correct, it's still fun to put them out there.
So, that's the blog. That's the intro, boring and indulgent. Let's step into The Old World, shall we?
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