An Introduction

I'm Shawn, and welcome to my corner of the wargaming world. This blog will follow my journey through World War II historical gaming, focusing on the 20mm scale.

I’ve been in the hobby for around five or six years now. Like many, I started with 28mm and Bolt Action. In the beginning, I wasn't sure where to start, so my hobby time came in bursts, a bit of painting here, a few games there but nothing too consistent.

I've always loved the unique mix of creativity and strategy that wargaming offers. Building and painting an army, setting up a terrain-filled tabletop, and seeing it all come to life is something special. I’m hooked on the process: the puzzle of list-building, the challenge of competition, and the immersion of refighting battles from history. It's a blend of art, history, and tactics that few other hobbies can match.

About four years ago, I moved to Canberra and threw myself into the CANCON Bolt Action tournament. I was instantly hooked on the competitive side. I loved the challenge of testing my army against others, the strategic puzzle of tournament play, and the sheer excitement of the event. It was the spark that motivated me to properly invest myself in the hobby.

Finding My Groove

Over time, I found myself searching for a ruleset that captured the gritty, chaotic feel of WW2 combat more realistically. That search led me to Battlegroup, and it was a revelation. I found a game where your entire force shares a collective 'Battle Rating,' and every casualty or setback chips away at it, creating a brilliant tension between aggression and preserving your army's will to fight. The order system means you can't just activate your best unit every turn, forcing you to make hard choices about command priority. It’s a game where a single hidden machine gun nest can dictate the flow of the entire battle, and victory feels earned through your decisions, not just your dice rolls.

I'll be writing a full post soon diving deep into exactly why I love Battlegroup so much, from the nerve-wracking Battle Rating system to the thoughtful list-building that feels like true command.

The move to 20mm felt like a natural companion to this shift. While I've tried a few scales, 20mm just feels right. It's large enough to capture satisfying detail on each miniature, but small enough to field proper platoons and tanks without overcrowding the table. The sheer variety of available plastic model kits also makes building and customising armies both affordable and a hobby in itself.

What to Expect Here

These days, you'll find me painting, planning scenarios, and playing Battlegroup across my 6x4 table. I have a particular soft spot for the Normandy campaign, where the mix of armoured clashes, stubborn infantry defences, and bocage terrain creates endlessly engaging games.

This blog is my place to share that journey. You can look forward to after-action reports, campaign diaries, painting projects, and hobby experiments. I'll post photos of the battles I fight, the figures I paint, and the lessons I learn along the way.

If you're into Battlegroup, 20mm wargaming, or just love the smell of enamel paint and static grass, you've come to the right place. Stick around. There's plenty more to come.