Skirmish vs Large Scale Wargaming

So for some time now I’ve been giving some other mini wargames the googly eye.  Foremost among those Dystopian Wars by Spartan Games, as if you didn’t already know of my steampunk fascination.  Also on my short list to try are Warmachine (more steampunk action) and Malifaux as well as a return to my beloved Battletech.  In addition to these more established games, it seems companies like Mantic are violently entering the wargaming field as well with multiple offerings.

So what’s a poor fighter\musician with too many interests to do?  Where’s the best investment of one’s money (and hobby time)?  Is it better to buckle down into one game system and give it all you’ve got, or spread your time out among a few different interests?  Well I hope to answer some of those questions for you through my own inane musings on my life as a gamer and hobbyist.

Big Red over at BoLS posted a nice observational article recently comparing the collector vs. the “army of the day” type of wargamer.  If you’re not familiar with what I’m talking about or want more info on a good little read, go over and check out his post.  But it definitely confirmed to me that I’m a collection guy.  One look in my geek closet and you’ll see an inordinate about of Space Marines for Warhammer 40K that are half way finished with a growing Imperial Guard collection that has yet to see the light of a hobby lamp.  I’m not likely to go jumping onto a new codex until it’s been tested and my critical eye has closely investigated the model range.  And THEN the fluff has to interest me or forget it, it won’t see the time of day for me.  So what does this all have to do with Skirmish and Large Scale armies, you may be asking your self right about now.  Hang on; we’re getting there.  See?  I told you “inane musings.”

Juggernaut by Privateer Press

So more so than money, because honestly I got crap I can sell, the biggest thing holding me up from moving into another game is interest by my gaming crew.  There’s about 5 of us total that meet weekly to play 40K, a couple are in my Pathfinder campaign as well, or will pop by for a board game night.  But when it comes to mini games, they’re all pretty set on just 40K.  Yeah, sure I live in New York and I could go down to a FLGS and sit in or watch some games being played, but I’m busy and have a nice big table at my house for gaming, so the extra travel isn’t that appealing.  So I’m rather dependent on getting my crew to pick up a game along with me if it’s going to be successful.

More steampunk goodness from Wyrd Mini's

At the end of the day, we’re adults and it’s all about a time to return ratio.  I find I’m much less prone to consider a large-scale game involving lots of rank and file units these days than a small skirmish based game.  As a matter of fact almost all the games, excluding Dystopian Wars (which scales down well), are skirmish level games.  Why is this important?

First off I’m a hobbyist more than a power gamer, so lower model count allows for more attention to the painting and modeling of the units.  Also that means less time painting a ton of models.  Second off the initial financial investment is much lower.  This is good because last time I checked there aren’t any $20 bills falling from the sky around these parts.

I'm sensing a trend here...fulfilled by Spartan Games

The challenge I see with skirmish level games is the attraction to buying an entire range eventually due to the desire of mixing it up with game compositions.  Additionally it seems to me there may be less staying power for a game with less options and seemingly more limited tactical options with fewer models to risk in game.  Of course this is simply a guess from my perspective.

An advantage of a larger scale game is that there are numerous options for games to keep things fresh and exciting every time you return to the game.  But it does tend to limit you to one gaming system usually.  So my question for you dear readers, is it more appealing to play one game system with awesome large collections that look great spread across a tabletop, or more appealing to play multiple small skirmish level game systems?