On rules-Musings of Chairman Meow

Warning, no figures or pictures will appear in this thread...

As a wargamer of 33 years, and I started when I was 11, I have been through many phases and crazes. I have never been a single ruleset type of guy, one year I counted that I had played 28 rule sets, some are good, some not so.
So, this post is to consider moving forwards. At the moment, I am enjoying the following systems:

• MeG (Mortiem et Gloriam) by Simon Hall. This, after maybe 20 years off, has brought me back into Ancients in a way I was not expecting. I have painted Later Imperial Romans and Picts, I am part way through Mid-Republican/Polybian Romans, and my mind is wandering into the chariot/biblical period too. The rules are fast, fun and most importantly feel right. Several good MKWS friends play, and it produces some great results. I ended up as a late beta play tester, somehow, and have enjoyed seeing the game mature into a well thought out system. I often say I don't want to be a competition gamer, but, actually, I am! They are a good set for this too. 
• Star Wars Armada. Bit of an odd one this, pre-printed miniatures. Not usually my thing. I LOVE 'Drew Bergstrom's 'Studio Bergstrom Miniatures' spaceships, he's a great guy, and his figures are brilliant, and I love painting them (he also plays a mean game of 'Words With Friends'... But as a Star Wars fan since youth, the lure of mile long grey slabs that can slag a planetary civilisation is too good to be true, especially as I don't actually have to paint them. They can come straight out the packet and onto the table. I'm oft asked how does it play compared to X-Wing, and the answer is it's the same, but different! Fighters are a key part, but you can easily play without. I actually prefer it to X-Wing, as it hasn't had the rules creep, and you can win with just the basics. Played three times this year and enjoyed all of the games. My fleet is basically where I want it, a few more 'power cards' and I suspect we will move on from straight up fights to objective games pretty soon too! The main issue is cost. You can buy into X-wing for £30, and the game is set up and ready to go, Armada is c£70 for the base set, and that's only a small game, the stuff you want (Imperial Star Destroyers, Home One and so on) and then the rest of the ships are not cheap on top! But they are worth it!
• Warband. Pendraken's in house fantasy rules. As witnessed on this blog, produce a good game with strong narrative in an evening. Forces are small, but the challenge is more so because of that. As an inveterate collector and lead addict, it suits me to the ground (7-12 armies collected so far)! Played about six times this year, as various club mates have picked up on the fact they are a good rule set, and I'm playing a medieval themed version can Jarkko tonight. As witnessed on this very blog, these rules have my attention at the moment!
• Sabresquadron by Nick Overland: modern combat, with the release of Pendraken's Falklands range, and Timecast's Cold War 1984 range, a period I haven't touched since 'Challenger 2000', is back on the radar. I've only played a few times, and against the author, but I will say I love it. It's a great rule set, it handles fighting and morale really well, and, most importantly handles 10mm easily on the table with ranges that aren't too silly. My 6mm Belgians might even see daylight again! I am currently building a Timecast Soviet tank company to put up against my Royal Marines.  

This leads me to think on other recent favourites, maybes and wannabes:

• Field Of Glory Renaissance, great rule set, just letting the redrafts settle before trying again. It's has rather died a death on the competition circuit, but again, I like it because the games feel right.
• Dux Bellorum;: Graham at the club is running a long running campaign for this, short games, but never open battles... I watch with interest from the depths of Essex! 
• Flames of War: was a fan from 1-3rd editions, and don't get me wrong, the rules are great, it's just some of the players and the special characters/army rules creep have really put me off! I loved the research and detail players put into their forces, and the terrain was brilliant (I know because half my garage is full of it). Once v4 gets into Early or Late War, I'm sure I will give them another go. 
• Epic- GW killed it, so it must be cool! I have recently completed 'The Enperor's Pointy Sticks' and am building a jetbike based Eldar army too, love the game, waiting to see what the rumoured restart does for the rules. I like the rules, they're fun, and what's more there is lots of 'other companies' that are filling in teh gaps GW never bothered with! Look at these! http://www.onslaughtmini.com/
• Dis I mention Black Powder? I have Corps of Franco-Prussian War troops, I ran a campaign a few years ago, the Prussian were smashed! All 10mm Pendraken in cm scale, games are great fun. You can modify rules to match armies and scenarios, many people say they make troops too powerful, but the art is to go THE OTHER WAY! Make your troops unreliable, or wavering, or militia, and watch your self make the most basic rules look absolutely heroic! 
• Bloodbowl - have the teams, just not played for a while!
• Blücher: fast play Napoleonics, who would have thought it! Great rules, attention superseded by MeG within my circle of friends! 
• Navel Thunder - great WW2 ship game, just finding the time to play! 
• Poseidon's Warriors- Roman fleet is done, glorious Tumbling Dice figures, at least one other MKWS player is joining in, must get the Carthagians done too! ;)
• Brian wants to try Crossfire! Not played since the 90s, great rules, WW2, looking forward to this! 

So, where next? Who knows! That's what I love about Wargames at the moment, no 'one rule' to govern all, you really can pick and chose your favourite. Bring it on! Any suggestions?