There’s a certain look my non-wargaming friends give me when they peek into my hobby room. It’s a mixture of awe and confusion, their eyes scanning shelf after shelf of meticulously painted miniature armies spanning centuries of military history. “You have Romans… and Napoleonic French… and World War II Germans… and samurai? Why do you need so many?” they inevitably ask. Fellow historical wargamers, I suspect you’ve fielded similar questions, possibly from significant others wondering why that second Anglo-Saxon warband was absolutely necessary.
The truth is, collecting multiple historical armies isn’t just a hobby practice; it’s almost an inevitability for the passionate historical miniature gamer. Today, I want to explore why so many of us find ourselves commanding not just one period or force, but entire military histories in miniature form.
The Historical Butterfly Effect
For many of us, our journey began innocently enough. Perhaps it was a fascination with Roman legionaries or Napoleonic warfare that first drew us in. We researched, purchased, assembled, and painted our first army with singular focus. But then, a curious phenomenon occurred. While reading about Caesar’s campaigns in Gaul, we became fascinated by his Celtic adversaries. Or while painting French Imperial Guard, we developed an appreciation for their Wellington-led opponents.
This “historical butterfly effect” is common among us history enthusiasts. One period of interest naturally leads to another. The interconnectedness of military history means that understanding one army often requires understanding its opponents, predecessors, and successors. Before long, what began as a focused interest broadens into a comprehensive passion for military history across multiple eras.
The Practical Necessity: It Takes Two To Tango
There’s also a purely practical reason many of us collect multiple armies: wargaming requires opponents. While club play and gaming groups can provide enemy forces, there’s an undeniable convenience in owning both sides of a conflict. This is especially true for:
1. Newcomers introducing friends to the hobby
2. Gamers in areas without established gaming groups
3. Those who enjoy solo gaming
4. Players who want to practice or test strategies before club nights
I still remember my first “complete” gaming experience. After months of painting my Byzantine army, I realized I needed opponents for them to face. This led me down the rabbit hole of collecting Sassanid Persians, then various “barbarian” forces that threatened the Eastern Empire. What began as a necessity quickly became a joy in itself, allowing me to recreate the entire strategic situation of the late Roman world.
The Painting and Modeling Variety
Let’s be honest: painting the same type of unit repeatedly can become monotonous. While there’s certainly value in perfecting techniques through repetition, many hobbyists crave variety in their painting projects.
Different historical periods offer dramatically different painting experiences:
Ancient armies might focus on shield designs and simple uniforms
Medieval forces bring heraldry and primitive firearms
Napoleonic armies demand mastery of complex, colorful uniforms
20th-century forces require camouflage patterns and weathering techniques
By maintaining projects across multiple periods, we continuously challenge ourselves with new painting techniques and avoid the burnout that can come from painting the fiftieth identically uniformed infantryman.
My Personal Painting Journey
My own experience exemplifies this. After completing a Late Roman army with its relatively simple color schemes, I found myself craving the technical challenge of Napoleonic uniforms. The precision required for facing colors, lace, and regimental distinctions pushed my painting skills to new levels. Later, when I needed a break from that demanding standard, I switched to early WWII Polish forces, where I could experiment with more modern techniques like airbrushing and weathering powders.
Each army in my collection represents not just a historical interest but a distinct chapter in my development as a painter and modeler.
The Rules Exploration Factor
Different historical periods typically utilize different rule systems, each with unique mechanics that model the warfare of their respective eras. By maintaining multiple armies, we gain access to a broader range of gaming experiences.
Ancient and medieval systems often focus on morale, formation, and command control. Napoleonic rules might emphasize line of sight, artillery, and combined arms tactics. WWII games introduce complex vehicle statistics, penetration values, and three-dimensional engagement ranges.
Each rule system exercises different parts of our strategic thinking. My Napoleonic games with “Black Powder” require long-term planning and proper sequencing of commands, while my WWII skirmishes using “Bolt Action” demand tactical flexibility and opportunity exploitation. By maintaining forces for multiple systems, we become more well-rounded wargamers and continuously discover new aspects of the hobby to enjoy.
The Investment Perspective
There’s also a practical, if somewhat controversial, angle to consider: historical miniatures can be investments. Unlike digital assets or games tied to current technology, well-painted historical miniatures often maintain or even appreciate in value over time. By diversifying across periods and manufacturers, collectors can hedge against changes in the market or shifts in popularity.
I’ve witnessed several periods rise and fall in popularity over my decades in the hobby. When a certain period gains momentum, having an already-painted army ready can be both financially advantageous and immediately satisfying. My Japanese samurai forces sat relatively unused for years until the release of several excellent rule sets sparked local interest, suddenly making them among my most frequently deployed armies.
The Social Connection
Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of collecting multiple armies is how it expands our social connections within the hobby. Each historical period tends to attract its own community of enthusiasts with unique perspectives and interests.
By participating across several periods, we build broader networks and gain exposure to different approaches to the hobby. My Ancients gaming group has a strong historical research focus, with members often sharing academic articles and primary sources. In contrast, my Napoleonic circle emphasizes painting techniques and uniform accuracy. My WWII community is more focused on scenario design and campaign play.
These varied social circles enrich my hobby experience in different ways, providing multiple avenues for learning and enjoyment that would be unavailable if I limited myself to a single period.
Finding Balance in Multiplicity
Of course, collecting multiple armies presents challenges. Storage space, budget limitations, and the risk of accumulating too many half-finished projects are realities every multi-period collector must face. Through years of experience (and many unfinished projects), I’ve developed some principles for maintaining a manageable multi-army collection:
1. Complete before you expand. Finish painting at least the core of one army before beginning another.
2. Limit active projects. I try to keep no more than three periods “active” at any time.
3. Schedule rotation. Dedicate specific months or quarters to different projects to ensure progress across all collections.
4. Match new acquisitions to gaming opportunities. Prioritize armies you’ll have opponents for.
5. Consider compatible scales. When possible, choose armies that can share terrain and storage solutions.
The Joy of Historical Breadth
Ultimately, collecting multiple historical armies allows us to physically engage with the sweep of military history in a way few other hobbies permit. There is something profound about being able to recreate battles from Ancient Rome one weekend and the Pacific Theatre the next.
My own collection now spans from Classical Antiquity to the Korean War. Each army represents not just a gaming piece but a tangible connection to human history. As I place my carefully researched and painted miniatures on the table, I feel a deeper connection to the past and a more nuanced understanding of how warfare evolved over centuries.
This historical breadth doesn’t diminish the depth of my interest in each period, but rather enhances it through comparison and contrast. Seeing how tactics evolved from phalanx to line infantry to modern squad-based combat provides insights that studying any single period in isolation could never offer.
So the next time someone questions why you “need” another army, you can explain that you’re not just collecting miniatures, you’re building a three-dimensional, interactive military history museum, one carefully painted figure at a time. And if they still don’t understand? Well, that just means more shelf space for you to fill with your next historical project.
