What's a nice girl like you…..?

While not a new hobby, (its formal beginnings stretch back to 1913 when H.G. Wells published "Little Wars"), historical miniature wargaming, which uses lead figurines anywhere from 3/8" to 2 1/8" in height, is much smaller than role-playing games or model railroading. And it tends to attract a more mature audience.

Since 1999, And That's The Way It was… has published 30 titles. But the building block of her business, according to Brom, is "The Sword and The Flame" first released in 1979 and written by her father, Larry V. Brom. "We were surprised to find out that these rules were still so widely played and even more surpised to be able to retain the rights", she said. "With the growth of the Internet, the rules had just developed a life of their own." The Sword and The Flame are an introductory set of rules for playing miniature battles of the The British Empire and cover the period of 1878-1884, when The Sun Never Set on Queen Victoria's Empire.

Brom is also a member of HMGS East, the Historical Miniature Gaming Society, which has 11 chapters and 3600 members. They host three large annual conventions and have a website that gives newcomers valuable information on the hobby of wargaming. Still, the hobby of historical miniature gaming is predominantly male. "In the past several years, I've noticed more women participating in historical-themed games. Many started because their boyfriends or husbands were involved. It takes a love of history, an appreciation of the visual components and a feel for gaming to really become hooked." Brom has been gaming since she was a teenager and it was just a natural progession to start a company that published wargame rules. "We have rules to cover most periods in history - the American Revolution, Napoleonic Wars, French and Indian War/Seven Years' War, American Civil War, "Banana Wars" and World War II." The Internet has also been responsible for the growth of what many call a "niche" hobby. "There are inumerable groups and chat rooms for almost whatever period in history you could think of," said Brom. That, coupled with the many conventions world-wide, makes for a hobby that is ever expanding. And after 6 years, does she still get asked, "What's a nice girl like you doing in a hobby like this?" She replies, "Of course; it's a great opening line and I usually end up selling the person who asked a set of rules!".