BAR Game Invitational

 On the Sunday after Tundra Con (see separate blog post) we have an invitational game of Batailles de Ancien Regime, or BAR.  This year COVID limited attendance but we persevered on an 18x6' table, with back tables for initial deployment and movement of reserves.  The main antagonists were the Imagi-Nations of Rondovia vs. Odessenau with help from France, Austria and Prussia.

Pictures below with minimal description.  Enjoy the eye-candy and you may click on the image to "big-up".  Battalions are 48-60 figures each, a cavalry squadron is 12-16 and a battery typically two models.  The cardboard buildings are from Russia and part of Bob Rondou's collection.  BAR is generally classified as "old school" with lots of hits, partially negated by saving throws.  Card driven for activation, both sides move everything then cards are flipped again for firing.  In this game we activated by brigade.  Enjoy!

The long view of the center table, soon to be contested.

The back table for the Austro-Rondovian army and friends.

First move from the Odessenau side.  Hampered by
the village.

The "big picture."

Odessenau right flank.

A see-saw action developed between heavy
cavalry with both sides feeding in additional
squadrons.  Apologies for the fuzzy pictures, I 
couldn't tell at the time.

In BAR, saving throws are determined by class of troop.  An ordinary infantryman in close order saves on a 4+ roll on a d6.  Open order infantry and armored cavalry save on a 3+, so anything but a 1 or 2.  Easy-peasy, right?

Unless the Odessenau CO rolls this for his cuirassiers.

Elsewhere a confused struggle ensued, with our 
forces messed up by the village.  Prussian jagers
cleared out the opposing lights by point of bayonet, 
but it still remained as an obstacle to maneuver.

Early maneuvering on the left as the light cavalry
seeks an opening.

We do this in part for aesthetics.  At the bottom of the
picture is my Prussian drum corps.  Spencer figures!

The Austrian cavalry seeks a decisive encounter,
but face Prussian converged grenadiers.

The fight becomes general on the left with the advantage
being solidly with the Prussians.

Another fuzzy picture, showing how the "allies" and
village confounded each other.  Still, we gave better
than we took.

As always: "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers."

As we ran onto our time limit at the American Legion Post there was no clear result.  The Prussians had exacted a high toll among the Austrians at minimal cost to themselves, but the Austrian heavy cavalry had yet to be committed.  On the Odessenau-Rondovian right, the cavalry had nearly neutralized each other, with several units simply gone though Odessenau still had one fresh unit.  The infantry on both sides were barely engaged, though a few Rondovian units were shot up.  So honors to both, particularly to the winged hussars from Prochistan, who destroyed cuirassiers and rampaged to the opposing back table.  We might have considered promoting them to elite, but none survived the game.  

I hope you enjoyed the foray into the 18th century and strange lands that never existed.

Tundra Con 2022

On January 8th, 2022 we held the 7th Tundra Con at the American Legion Hall, always on the weekend after New Years.  With the surge in COVID variants we didn't know what to expect but wanted to forge ahead anyway and let people decide for themselves about their risk comfort level.  In the end we were below average for attendance, but did better than expected.  The Legion Hall is ideal for a one-day convention, featuring adequate space and food and refreshments available on site.  This year they had an expanded menu of specials for us.

We had eleven game masters running an assortment of games on land, sea, air and the dungeon.  Participants paid a $10 fee and could play in as many games as desired.  Some games were longer than others but many played three games and all could get in two.  Take a look at the pictures below to get a feel for the day.   

Battle of Midway, a possible surface action with 
Naval Thunder, Adam Apell game master.  Savo Island
followed on the same table.

Walking in a Winter Killing Field with Flames of
War, Michael Mathews game master.

Relief of Fort Kasala with The Sword and the Flame,
Greg Miller game master.

Battle Tech Grinder - A Learning Game

Battle of Lake Takitwithya with Drums Along the
Mohawk, Todd Prochniak game master.

Bolt Action demo games all day.

Encounter Appleton with All Quiet on the Martian 
Front, Bob Rondou game master.

Dan Verssen Games, one of our valued vendors.

LOD Enterprises, another regular vendor.  Not pictured,
Jadeco Hobby.

Action heating up in the Battle of the Bulge game.
Will Peiper take the bridge in time?

British relief column vs. the Mahdi looking to rescue
the Egyptian garrison and missionaries.

Ireland Forever, Maybe! with Nevermind the Billhooks,
Todd Prochniak game master.

Invasion at Normandy with Memoir '44, Todd
Chirhart game master.

Rescue and Ambush with Flames of War 'Nam.  Paul
Alaniz game master.  One of three tables.

Relief just needs to drive down this road to rescue
the L,R.P.S. team.  No problem, right?

NVA regulars intercept and engage the now distracted
US armor.

Puff the Magic Dragon and heavy air is available
to support the drive.

A heavy toll is exacted, but the insurgents win in 
the end.

Shadows of Brimstone, Alex Drumm game master.

 

A view of the Legion Hall in the morning.

Yes, I was even seen smiling.

Not pictured are the evening games of Wings of War with Bob Rondau and Mind the Gap with Armageddon '89 with Dan Wideman.

Finally, a shout out to the American Legion Post #38 who has worked with us for years to bring this event to life, and to the men and women who have served with honor.

Rock Con 2021

 After a year off for the pandemic, Rock Con (What-Khan) returned to the Tebala Event Center in Rockton, IL!  Several of us from the Fox Valley area journeyed down to enjoy the convention scene and reconnect with friends again.  There were six vendors, a silent auction with some real deals, gift bags for pre-registrants, food available on site, a professional and welcoming staff, Sunday morning giveaway that more resembled a feeding frenzy, and of course; the games!  Two time slots on Friday though we eschewed the first to visit Royal Hobby in Rockton for their flea market.  So starting at 7pm Friday we have:

"Bungle in the Jungle" US invasion of Cambodia using
the Flames of War system for Viet Nam.  Hosted by
Brendgol Majewski.  My first game of the Con.

"Naval Yatzee: Trafalgar" hosted by Conrad Wiser.

"Two Fat Lardies - What a Tanker: From Normandy 
to the Rhine."  Hosted by Chad Murry.

"Soluch, Prelude to Beda Fomm" using Jagdpanzer
2nd Edition, hosted by Kevin Cabai.

"FUBAR: Escape the Titanica!" Space liner Titanica
has hit a meteorite and players must escape.  Hosted
by Bill Wimbiscus.

Bungle after two moves.

Heavy mortars set up, flank support ready.

Seemed like everybody had a RPG.

Beautifully painted air support at the end.

"Siege of Havana, 1762" using Rebels and Patriots
run by yours truly.

"By Fire and Sword: Winged Welcome." Turks vs. Poles
hosted by Todd Prochniak.

"Age of Fantasy: Battle for Elmgrass Forest" hosted
by Sabas Parada.

Spanish flanks in peril, as is Havana.

Being invested in my own game, I missed getting pictures of "All Quiet on the Martian Front", a classic rendition of "The Sword and the Flame" and other fine games.  I noticed a lot of flying games this year, though I did not partake.

"Battle of Albuera" using Charge: Eagles Rising.  A 
"new" set of Napoleonic rules.  No further comment.

Albuera again, French on the move.

Photo doesn't show just how wonderful the painting
was.  Here the Toledo Regiment.

General Blake redeploys to face onrushing French,
sacrificing some cavalry to buy time.

French diversionary attack finds itself in a very bad
way, assailed on three sides.

At the end of the Albuera battle as my forces advanced, Marshal Soult was heard to say "If the Spanish are attacking, we've lost the day."  Made my weekend.  I somehow missed getting pictures of the Japanese-Korean naval game, always a hit at the Con.  In the evening I played Napoleonic sail, using the Osprey Fighting Sail rules.  A fast game that works for one on one or multi-player games.  The British sank/took three ships of the line, though the convoy they were escorting got away.  Much like the historic result for the Glorious First of June.  Sadly missed out on more pictures.

Finally, on Sunday morning my scheduled Babylon 5 game didn't happen so I got into a "Girls und Panzers" game based on the anime series.  Silly fun, though we lost.  In the middle of the game the con had the traditional giveaway feeding frenzy of extras, auction items no one wanted to take home and donations.  I feel I did rather well, the highlight being a baggie of WWI French in 15mm.  Enough to be a starter force, complete with machine-guns and trench mortars.

I was really happy to be at a convention like this again.  Always runs smooth with a well-seasoned staff.  Next year is a little later than normal, happening November 4-6th.  This was announced so if you have seen otherwise, these are the actual dates.  Heartily recommended.