2022 Seven Years War Association Convention

 Back in the usual rotation after getting restarted last year from the PanDAMNit, The regulars gathered in South Bend, IN for a weekend of gaming and socializing.  Over the years it has evolved to having a number of games on Thursday night, all day Friday and Saturday, and Sunday as a travel day.  Still a bargain at $35 for the weekend.

Photos (click on them to upsize) are arranged by the game since some repeated over the weekend.  The quality of the eye candy has always been among the hallmarks of the event.  Hope you enjoy.

Hulsen's Attack on the Krechor, 1757 with Paul Petri and modified Shako.

 Skirmish in Saxony, 1760 with Alex Burns and Inhaber rules (in development).

Luzzara, 1792 with Dannie Fogleman and Twilight of the Sun King Rules.

Beaver War: French vs. Iroquois with Chris Engle and Follow Me Boys! rules.

Battle of Banja Luka, 1737 with Michael Mathews and Final Argument of Kings rules.

Poltava 1709 with Michael Wedding and Age of Honor rules.

Prague: the Opening Attack, 1757 with Pat Lebeau and modified Shako rules.

Bread and Croats with Jim Purky and Terror rules.

Battle of Port Egmont, 1768 with Jurgen Olk and Modified Tricorne rules.

Mollwitz, 1741 with Steve Verdoliva and Grand Tactical for King or Empress rules.

Battle of Germantown, 1777 with Tod Kershner and Easy Home Brew rules.

Assault on Carillon Heights, 1758 with Bob Moon and 40mm Tactical, Modified rules.

Fighting on the Frontier, 1760s with Pat Lebeau and Fist Full of Lead rules.

Guilford Courthouse, 1781 with Michael Wedding and Guns of Liberty rules.

Buttock's Massacre with Tod Kershner and 54mm Iroquois Terror rules.

Battle of Culloden with Joseph Barrette and Paper Soldiers and Black Powder rules.

Miscellaneous or games that I lost track of: apologies to those GMs. 

I know I missed getting pictures of some of the games and probably mislabeled others.  The standard is very high for the look of the games.  Everyone seems to put a lot of effort into the visual aspect of the con, as well as the game design.  Plus the convention is unique in that ALL the participants share a common interest or love for the period and gaming.  When you go to a generic con you get all sorts of players and occasionally "that guy" who makes gaming less than enjoyable.  Not so with the SYWA convention.  

Or as one person described his first time participation there, "we came into a hall full of strangers and left with a ton of new friends."  Can't really ask for a better endorsement than that.

Freeman's Farm 1777

At the Seven Years War Con I got to enjoy a 15mm game of Freeman's Farm in 1777 using Guns of Liberty.  The game host, Michael Wedding, had a copy of 3rd edition which is still a work in progress (as we learned).  Since I was wearing my GR cap with the Raven's Foot, I naturally took a brigade in the Crown Forces.  Sorry for some fuzzy pictures, I didn't know till I got to look at them on a big screen.

Opening positions, Crown forces on the left.

The rebels were on the march as well.

I just sat down in the open chair and was told to "take the right."  As it turns out it was a fine command, with British converged grenadiers, the 21st RoF, Butler's Rangers and a mob of natives.  So I got to enjoy great firepower and shock capacity, along with tactical flexibility.

Both sides wasted no time getting in close.

In Guns of Liberty you both move, there is artillery fire, a chance for opportunity fire, and then the mutual exchange of musketry.  Easy to calculate modifiers are typical for horse and musket rules.

The center is promising as a cannon is snuck into position.

Getting ready for a big push as the rebels form up.

All across the field the battle is joined and British
musketry and discipline begin to tell.

Cotton puffs indicate a unit has used their opening volley.

My natives charged and routed a militia unit but were in
turn thrown back shaken.  Butler's are in dire morale straits.

British lights from another brigade threaten the rebel
flank in front of me, forcing them into a deadly formation.

Sharp volleys followed by sound charges have the 
Continentals falling back everywhere.

Charges are a but unusual in GoL.  Instead of getting a charge move bonus to reach the enemy, you must start your charge within 3" (for infantry).  This is contrary to the norm in rules but seems to work well.

  

The grenadiers charge and route two rebel units, ending
up shaken and disordered, but more Crown units are coming.

Endgame on the Crown left and center.  

Then came the coup de grace.  Singing "Ein Schifflein Sah Ich Fahren" as they marched (reportedly composed by the German troops on their way to America) the Hessians belatedly arrived on the Continental right flank.  All the players knew they were coming, only this time the troops they were supposed to hit were already in retreat.

We were done with actual play in about two hours and everyone seemed to have a very good time, be they veteran with the rules or newcomer.  Well organized and planned, and we collectively worked through a couple of contractions where elements of 2nd edition hadn't been updated in the copy of 3rd the author shared.  A great start to my first game at the convention.

SYWA Convention 2019

The faithful gathered in South Bend for the anual Seven Years War Association convention April 4-6th.  This year we had several unofficial games on Thursday night for the real gluttons for gaming.  Then full days on Friday and Saturday and travel time Sunday.  Since most of the participants are "senior" gamers, getting free on Friday is not an issue.  There were a number of fine vendors there in addition to the games, which particularly feature well thought-out terrain and handsome minis.

I tried to capture a shot of all the games and will mostly just feature the pictures with minimal comments.  Just sick back and enjoy the eye candy.

Thursday Night

Brandywine Revisited with Rebels and Patriots.

A new system to me but quite fun.  A drawn result.

Chotusitz 1742 using a variation on To The Strongest.

Black Forest Breakthrough using Combat General rules. 
Beautiful table and figures.

Friday Games

Monmouth 1778 using Guns of Liberty 3rd Edition.

I sat in the right spot and had a great command to work with.
Very historical result though extra bloody.

Away All Boats using Captains Bold rules.  A cutting out operation.

Magnificent 1/300 paper models.

Jim Purky with Fife and Drum Miniatures was there,
Dayton Painting Consortium and En Sans Resultat,
and George Nafziger were the big name vendors there.

War of Jenkins Ear, Britain and Spain 1742 Warfare in the Age
of Reason.

Battle of Guilford Courthouse 1781 using Fife and Drum rules.

The first of three rebel lines to fight through.

Seven Years War Forever! using the venerable Tricorne rules.

Round 1 of Currycorne.  The English and their allies swept the field.

Very pretty, but can they fight?  Class F, so, no.

Back to the Tricorne game where my Prussians try to come to
grips with the Austrians.

Into Darkest America, French vs. British using Age of Reason.

Another view of the India game.

2nd line of rebels in sight.  Third not even shown yet.

Peg graciously manned our table.  Sales were pretty good.

Tricorne by my old friend Ken Bunger.  Austrians vs. Prussians.

My considering my options to crush the Austrians.

Set up for the tribute game for Dean West's memory.  An emotional
start for the players with a lot of toasts to the man's legacy.

Based on a historic action where the Austrians and Russians
lost their resolve and didn't attack after all.

Terrain and a series of "infernal devices" hindered the way.

Saturday Games

Anglo-Dutch game using Warfare at Sea in the Age of Reason
at sea.  Not a great picture but an awesome looking game.

Round two of Currycorne and fighting in India.

It looked very bad for the French and their allies but suddenly
the other side collapsed.

Zorndorf Morning Attack using Black Powder rules.

Another round of the privateer action.  The English were successful
in all three games played.

Malatitze 1708 Great Northern War with Swedes and Russians.
Rules are Beneath the Lily Banners 3rd Edition.

In real life both sides claimed victory.

An experimental version of ESR for the SYW.  Battle of Liegnitz.

My command took on the cream of the Prussians
and was still around a game's end.

Zorndorf Afternoon Attack follow-up with Black Powder.

Battle of Cheraw, final action in a fictional 1780 campaign in
South Carolina.  Fife and Drum rules.

There were some Saturday night games but I was wiped out after playing in six.  Mostly there was just socializing among old and new friends.  In addition to the weekend games, there were also talks given by Alex Burns on "Smashing the Clockwork Soldier," "Scion of Enlightenment: Count Wilhelm of Schaumburg-Lippe" by Jim McIntyre and also "Army of Immigrants: Foreign Officers and the Continental Army."  The convention returns to the Waterford April 3-5, 2020.