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Thursday, 29 November 2012

And the winner is ...

Yesterday's blog entry may have given the wrong impression that I was upset that I was not eligible to be 'nominated' for the latest award ... but that was not what I was trying to say.

My niggle was that the rules made it impossible for me to nominate any of the excellent blogs that I follow (it is over eighty, by the way) ... although trying to choose just five would have been a Herculean task and I would have ended up offending someone. During the process of thinking about blogs, the Internet, and wargaming I also began to think about the wargaming websites that I still visit on a regular basis ... and decided to 'nominate' them for an 'award' instead.

Funnily enough this was a far easier task than trying to select five blogs ... and here they are, in no particular order except for the first, which is still – in my opinion – far and away the most inspiring wargaming website ever:

Major General Tremorden Rederring's Colonial-era Wargames Page


Although the original website is no longer available, it has been preserved on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.

The Universal General


Rudi Geuden's website is currently moribund, but I still love re-visiting it, especially the pages dedicated to his Afriborian Campaign.


Bob Mackenzie's Web Page


Bob Mackenzie regularly updates his website, and his extremely well illustrated battle reports always have me itching to get my World War II figures and tanks out onto the tabletop.

(Photograph © Bob Mackenzie)

Beautiful models on achievable but realistic terrain. What more could one ask for?

Chris Kemp's Not Quite Mechanised


I first met Chris Kemp at the gathering organised by Paddy Griffith that led to the formation of Wargame Developments and COW (Conference of Wargamers). At the first meeting he put on a wargame using 1:300th-scale model tanks that opened my eyes to the prospect of a number of models representing a unit that fought as one and not a group of individual figures or tanks lumped together.

From these early glimmerings he developed NOT QUITE MECHANISED (NQM), a set of wargames rules for fighting battles from 1930 until 1980. These were the forerunner of MEGABLITZ and Chris is still using and developing them today ... as a visit to his blog shows.

Chris has an interesting attitude to modelling that can probably be summed up as being 'it is good enough'. He is a good modeller – and even better cartoonist – but he would rather wargame than spend hours making sure that every vehicle he uses is exactly correct and each soldier is perfectly painted. He has an exuberant attitude to wargaming ... and one that I wish I could emulate at times!

22 comments:

  1. I think that the Major General's website has inspired more of us than any other single website . . . and I dearly miss it.


    -- Jeff

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  2. Bluebear Jeff,

    It is sorely missed by many people, and set the standard others aspired to reach.

    I hear occasional rumours that it will be back ... but until it is we are going to have to rely on the archived copy.

    All the best,

    Bob

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  3. Bob, I think we should all give a regular shout out for blogs that we like regardless of whether there is an 'award' out there or not. Perhaps make it a monthly thing to point readers to a blog that deserves a wider audience,

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  4. Phil Broeders,

    What an excellent idea! I will try to that in the New Year.

    All the best,

    Bob

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  5. The Major General's website certainly has inspired me, I
    also miss it a great deal. I'd like to second Phil's idea!

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  6. Don M,

    We can but hope that it will return one day.

    All the best,

    Bob

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  7. I think that listing blogs and sites of personal interest is a great idea, one which I will gladly co-opt. The Major General and Rudi G's are both great inspiration. I will have a look at the other two. In addition, I like Matakishi's Tea House.

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  8. Sean,

    I look forward to seeing your selection of the best wargaming websites and blogs.

    I agree that Matakishi's Tea House is worth an honourable mention, and I have certainly visited on many occasions.

    All the best,

    Bob

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  9. Bob- The thing I liked about this Liebster Award - and this despite the 'pyramid scheme' look about the thing - was that it alerted me to blogspots I'd not seen before, and would not otherwise have found. The publicity aspects make it worthwhile.

    But it is also true that one overlooks something well deserving - even sites visited frequently such as Bob MacKenzie's Web Page. There are a couple of other pages out there that keep my WW2 (Command Decision) interests simmering until I can do something about it.

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  10. Archduke Piccolo,

    I totally agree that things like the Liebster Awards are a good thing if they generate more interest in less well-known blogs.

    I also agree that we should not forget those blogs and websites that we come to rely on to keep our sagging interest enlivened.

    All the best,

    Bob

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  11. Pity because I independent of your posting stream I went ahead and nominated you ;)

    One of the pitfalls of your daily/frequent posting is that I cannot keep up (but don't stop)

    I've nominated you for a Leibster Award:

    http://exiledfog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/many-thanks-to-plastic-warriors-and.html

    :)

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  12. Good idea and good selection. The Major General was a huge influence for me too, part of the inspiration for MacDuff on the Web.

    -Ross

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  13. Following on from my nomination

    - as in I did not read the small print which said lower than 200 followers

    - which is also an echo of my wargaming rules syndrome, as in of not reading them in advance of playing them

    - what the heck you've got a Leibster in my eyes ;)

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  14. Geordie an Exiled FoG,

    Thanks for the nomination ... even though my blog does not fit within the 'less than 200 followers' limit. It is the thought that counts ... and it was nice of you to think of my blog as worthy of nomination.

    I always try to blog as often as I can, which is usually first thing in the morning.

    All the best,

    Bob

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  15. Ross Mac,

    I used to visit your old website almost as regularly as I visited the Major General's. His was an exceptional website, and I wish that David Helber would reinstate it.

    All the best,

    Bob

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  16. Geordie an Exiled FoG,

    I have printed off the award you nominated me for and it is on display just above my computer.

    Regardless of the rules, thanks again for the nomination.

    All the best,

    Bob

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  17. Add me to the Major-General inspiree list. :) A lot of ideas from that site have stuck with me through the years.
    The blog "rolls" and such that most bloggers include is one way I find interesting blogs that are new to me. It doesn't hurt to point out particularly interesting, fun, or inspiring posts from other blogs from time to time and I know a lot of us do that as well.
    An occasional general "plug" doesn't hurt either. :)

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  18. Not only do I wish that David Helber would reinstate the web site
    but as ulterior motive on my part they were up in the Dallas area...not that far from me, only 3hours which by Texas standards isn't even a drive...)

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  19. Fitz-Badger,

    There are a lot of people who were inspired by the Major General. I would never have thought of setting up a website – let alone writing a blog – without having seen his first ... and realising just what you could do.

    I try to mention blogs and specific blog entries that I have found of interest on my own blog ... and I generally follow those I see on other blogs. As you say, it is a great way to find new blogs to follow.

    All the best,

    Bob

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  20. Don M,

    It would have been nice to have taken part in one of his wargame, albeit only the once.

    Three hours might not be a long drive in Texan terms … but in the UK that would be a major journey by car for some people. (Mind you there were a couple of times not so long ago when it took me nearly two hours to drive the seven miles from work to home thanks to roadworks and volume of traffic.)

    All the best,

    Bob

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  21. Thanks for the kind words, Bob.

    The Red Shadow was another colonial website, in the same vein as the Major General's, that was great fun.

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  22. Chris Kemp,

    You deserved it ... as does the Red Shadow's website.

    All the best,

    Bob

    ReplyDelete

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