Reply To: Reign of the Neckbeards (or why do historical re-fights).

[angelicdespot 4689xp 0]

The few games I get time to play these days are fantasy or SF, but I do collect some ranges of historical miniatures, have played some historical games and would like to play more.   I don’t think I’ve played any historical refights, and not really thought about why that is until reading this thread.

I think some of the assumptions here are a bit shaky, or at least, are a bit more nuanced.   It may be true that many gamers today don’t want to do historical research, but plenty will spend a lot of time reading codexes or novels, etc…   There are clearly gamers willing to spend time researching their army / a particular battle.   Perhaps the knowledge that it’s fiction frees them from the pressure of getting it ‘right’?   So perhaps one question to consider is whether those who may be open to refights can be encouraged to worry less about this?

Next thought is that plenty of fantasy and SF games feature set battles / scenarios which are refights, just not historical ones.   The Lord of the Rings is a good example.   And plenty of gamers are willing to play ‘unbalanced’ scenarios using fixed lists and prescribed deployment zones.   So again, that suggests that some of the apparent barriers to playing historical refights are less real than might be imagined.

I’ve always been aware that gamers did refights, but I suppose I’ve while I’ve not really thought ‘what a horrible idea’ I’ve never seriously considered doing it either.   If I was invited (and could get to) play in @avernos ‘ next game or Rourke’s Drift, I’d jump at the chance, so it’s not that I’m intrinsically against refights…   I suppose I’m more likely to feel that I want to draw inspiration from a historical battle than to actually refight it because what is the point?   Take what I want from it, without worrying about accuracy…   Makes it easier to get on and do play?

Possibly the closest I’ve come to playing  refight was joining in with a participation game at a convention.   It wasn’t actually a refight but I had no say in the composition or deployment of my troops, and I still thoroughly enjoyed it.

I suppose my theoretical questions to historical refighters are ‘will you do the work for me so that I can join in?’ (Because if you do, I’m up for it, and who knows, further down the line I might be able and willing to do more of the work myself.)   And why?   What is the advantage of doing a refight over a battle inspired by a particular historical event?   I’m an open door…   But I think I need someone to hook me in to it.