If I were a rich man....

Ok, this isn't "Fiddler On The Roof" and I'm not Zero Mostel (nor Topol either, for that matter), but my mind has drifted onto the topic of what periods I would game if I had all the money and spare-time I could want. 

I think all wargamers nurse desires to expand their interests into new time periods or theaters (theatres), and would eagerly do so, but for the constraints of limited funds and/or time. So, what are mine?  My hope here is that discussing them will have something of a cathartic affect, thus forestalling any attempt to throw money at them. 

Obviously, my first desire would be to reopen areas that I've shut down due to budgetary concerns: 1/2400 WWII naval, 6mm Napoleonics, and 3mm ACW. Apart from reviving old interests, let's look at wholly new things I'd love to do. 

I'm not sure why, but I'm really very taken with samurai and I often slaver (what a wonderful Scottish word) over Baccus' lovely 6mm sculpts and the fantastic resin buildings made by Mura Miniatures. The vibrant colors of the samurai armies really appeal quite strongly to me. I mean honestly, how can you not have heart palpitations when you see stuff like this?:

I already game the Cold War in 3mm, but I'd love to add the little known or noticed Mediterranean front; Bulgaria (and potentially Romania) v Greece & Turkey (with a significant contribution by Italy): 

I love the Bersaglieri! They run everywhere they go: http://youtu.be/tNHOLMRoMK4. This area would've been something of a backwater and realistically a holding action on the part of the WarPac. Bulgaria was only expected to occupied the Greeks and draw in as many Turks as possible, allowing the Soviets more of a free hand along their eastern border with Turkey. 

I'm also quite interested in the Italian invasion of France in June of 1940. Although the campaign lasted only 11 days and the French were heavily outnumbered, they gave the Italians something of a mauling. Historically it was an infantry battle, given that the terrain is quite rugged:

Except along the coastal strip. Mountain troops versus mountain troops, so I'd have to tweak it a bit and add in armor, etc to make it a bit more interesting. 

I'd also quite like to expand my present interest in 3mm North Africa to include the Allied invasion of the Vichy French Levant. This one is actually quite affordably do-able, as almost all my desert terrain and British troops are usable. I'd just need to add in some suitably painted French:

Hmmmm, this one bears closer scrutiny.

The Boxer Rebellion really intrigues me: 

I probably watched "55 Days At Peking" too many times as a kid. However, this period seems to only be available in the larger scales, ie: 15mm +, which interest me not a whit. 6mm seems a perfect scale for it, but it's sadly lacking. There are only the wretched offerings by Irregular Miniatures in this scale. Sad. 

I must say that photos of Roman, Dark Age, and Medieval troops definitely appeal to me:

But only as a painting exercise. I don't really feel interested in gaming those periods. 

"If I were a rich, rich man...."

I'd love to hear your "I wish I could" list. More from me next time!