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Historicon 2019 Live Blog – Part One!

Historicon 2019 Live Blog – Part One!

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Make sure to come and join us this week for a look at Historicon 2019 over in America! Justin and Gerry are going to be joined by Jim (@oriskany) over in the US as they get stuck into this awesome convention.

Part 1 Blog Cover

We're very much looking forward to heading to Historicon for the first time and really delving into this convention which has been a mainstay of the tabletop gaming world for a while now.

Find Out More

If you'd like to find out more about the convention you can check out these links below...

Theme (Jungle Warfare) - Convention Maps - Painting Contest - Historicon Guests - Additional Attendee Information

The theme for this year is Jungle warfare so we're looking forward to seeing what their tables are like plus there is much more to dive into as well. We've already had Gerry marking off things on the map that he's very excited to go and see!

Blogging At This Event:

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BONUS POST - Vietnam Gets Weird ...

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I caught up with my friend Chip where he was slingin’ dice at the Black Sun table, the new “Weird Vietnam” game.   The table was great, everyone was having fun, and some of the units were, well … interesting to say the least.

BONUS POST - Vietnam Gets Weird ...
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BONUS POST - Pegasus Bridge by Tom Uhl

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BONUS POST - Pegasus Bridge by Tom Uhl
One More Participant?10 Comments
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BONUS POST - Community Members go Napoleonic!

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Day Two may be over, but the team never sleeps!  Here are some shots of community members Gerry, John, and our friend Andrew engaged in some furious Austrian vs. French 10mm Napoleonics.  The system was simply “Napoleonic Convention” – a four-page home rule set designed to allow massive Napoleonic games to run in 3-4 hours.

John was holding the buildings on the French team’s left flank, withstanding furious assaults by Austrians under the command of Andrew and Gerry!

BONUS POST - Community Members go Napoleonic!
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Good Bye from Day 2 At Historicon

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And that will close out day 2 of Historicon, join us tomorrow for even more historical gaming coverage.

oriskany Live Blogger Entries by this blogger

2008 Battle of Sadr City

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I was very fortunate to attend the seminar presented by Colonels Mike Pappal (ret) and Bob Hatcher (ret) where they discussed their command experiences, insights, methodologies, and tactics during the Battle and Siege of Sadr City in Iraq during the spring and early summer of 2008. These gentlemen aren’t just “I was there and have some war stories to tell” veterans, but two of the actual commanders who planned and executed full spectrum combat operations at the battalion level.

Colonel Hatcher (Commander, 64th Brigade Support Battalion) had key insights into his formation’s role in forward battlefield support of their parent brigade. These force support functions included recovery of armoured vehicles damaged by enemy fire, engineering / logistics ops while under fire (these aren’t “supply poags” who sit in the rear), and building a wall along “hot spot” sections of Sadr City and to seal off enemy neighbourhoods … while under direct enemy sniper and RPG attack. He also discussed the critical importance of live fire training, “training for your worst day,” particularly at the National Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin, California.

Colonel Pappal (Commander, 1-68 Armour Battalion) discussed force makeup down to the platoon level (use of Abrams, Bradley, HMMVW, and other vehicles within the same mission-tailored manoeuvre element). The factors that have to be balanced in the use of support weapons (combat aviation support, indirect fire weapons like battalion 120mm mortars) was discussed, as well as the use of canister and proximity-fused main rounds in from Abrams main battle tanks in insurgency suppression.

I was also able to get some time with Colonel Pappal afterwards and ask about his observations and opinions of the combat effectiveness of various Iraqi government forces that fought alongside his unit, namely 44th Brigade / 11th Infantry Division and the 9th Iraqi Armoured Division. This leads into a question I’ve been interested in pursuing on the Sitrep Podcast Channel: how First World / Free World forces can best transition responsibility of ongoing combat and pacification operations in a given conflict to friendly local forces. Sometimes this has not worked at all, as in Vietnamization in the 1960s and 70s, and sometimes we’ve had “hot and cold” success in places like Iraq (where some units performed well, others very poorly).

Summary answer: the officers in command of unit forces is a vital factor, not only their competence, experience, and training, but personal loyalty and corruptibility. Speaking only for myself, I feel this is the kind of insight that would apply not only in Iraq, but Afghanistan, and ongoing conflicts in Syria, Ukraine, and the Caucasus.

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Le Petite Armee - Tutorials

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Some games are built from the ground up to be for the kitchen table, but if your at Historicon this is your training ground before the game gets taken to epic proportions.

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Mein Panzer - A 1980's What If Battle

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Jim has a look at Mein Panzer, a what if battle set in the 1980’s here at Historicon.

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Day 2 Begins At Historicon 2019

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Welcome back for the second day of coverage here at Historicon 2019, we’re gearing up to have a look at even more cool gaming table, traders and tournaments.

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Friday Breakfast

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We’re up and getting breakfast sorted, but we know there’s a time zone difference so we wanted to get your afternoon started right with some Market Garden tanks and Jagdpanthers on a gorgeous table and some Sword Beach aftermath!

Friday Breakfast
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Sword Beach Battles Happening At Historicon

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Jim takes a moment to have a look at what’s happening on huge the Sword Beach table at Historicon.

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Operation Market Garden Is A Go

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Operation Market Garden Is A Go
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Join The Battle For The Alamo

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Jim gets to chat about one of the most iconic battles in American history, the Alamo. This is the pivotal moment in the battle for the independence of Texas.

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Carnage and Glory - American Civil War

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Jim stops off to have a look at the Carnage and Glory Games running today.

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Welcome To historicon

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It’s day one here at Historicon and the team are geared up and ready to get covering the event.

What has you excited for Historicon this year?

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oriskanyrecon63orlandothetechnicolouredlongshotteDennis Cross Recent comment authors
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sundancer
Cult of Games Member
42560xp

Weeeeeeeee! @oriskany what happened to your voice? oO

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60733xp

That’s my normal voice. Medical condition. Thanks for the comment!

sundancer
Cult of Games Member
42560xp

Never noticed that on the streams. Maybe the webcam/mic distortion tricked me. 🙂

suetoniuspaullinus
Member
12198xp

Pure testosterone buddy ?

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60733xp

That’s what SHE said. 😀

lordsanes
Cult of Games Member
6512xp

WOO Gerry, Justin and Jim love it!

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60733xp

Moe, Larry, Currie! 🙂

ghent99
Cult of Games Member
3589xp

Maybe next year I can plan and get there. Looks like a blast.

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60733xp

The convention is great @ghent99 ! There are four complete floors of content going on, we’ll be hard pressed to cover it all. We do have three days though, so please stick with us!

tacticalgenius
Cult of Games Member
3815xp

full tank of gas…half a pack of cigarettes…and 2 brothers…easily done

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60733xp

We’ll be tryin’. 🙂

daegren
Cult of Games Member
2521xp

Looking forward to watching these videos over the weekend.

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60733xp

Yeah, we’re rolling out content AT LEAST through Saturday, probably early Sunday as well.

torros
Cult of Games Member
23802xp

@avernos @oriskany @dignity

I know it’s probably too much effort but would it be possible to list the rules the various games are using in the descriptions?

Cheers

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60733xp

We’re trying to mention the name of the system, we’ll try to make a point of it.

torros
Cult of Games Member
23802xp

Thanks Jim as you know yourself there are so many rulset out there it’s nice to know what people are using

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60733xp

All photo galleries I submit to Justin are now headed with the game system.

suetoniuspaullinus
Member
12198xp

Looking forward to any jungle warfare related games, particularly Vietnam. Although my Empress Marines are Hue based and urban warfare would be more appropriate..
It is only a question of time until we get grunts for the jungle by all accounts ?

Wish I could be there but hey, Mr Taxman wants his money end of the month..

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60733xp

I have some Burma / Malaya photos that are submitted and in the rotation for publish.

rokdok
Member
597xp

Great job guys

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60733xp

Thanks! 🙂

budsblastmarkers
Member
116xp

Great con glad we made it again this year.

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60733xp

Hope to see you around! 😀

templar007
Cult of Games Member
52354xp

Great job as always OTT!

I was really trying hard to make it this year to Historicon, but work intervened and sunk my plans. It would have been grand to play as many games as possible in the four-day span, not to mention meeting the OTT crew in person.

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60733xp

Too bad, too … I have found a complete set of Panzer Leader in the original box down in “Wally’s Basement!”

recon63
Cult of Games Member
5075xp

Brilliant coverage guys, really enjoyed this.

Is it possible to get some coverage of any Dux Britanniarum games (too fat lardies) Please ??

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60733xp

Added to the list!

templar007
Cult of Games Member
52354xp

Ah man! That’s the way it works for me…….

Still I’m enjoying the coverage that OTT is gathering for those of us that could not make it.

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60733xp

Seriously, @recon63@avernos and I both looked for it, we honestly did not see it.

recon63
Cult of Games Member
5075xp

@oriskany & @avernos, no worries, thanks for looking anyway, much appreciated. Loved all the coverage done I could not have asked for anything more!! ;D

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60733xp

Thanks! It was fun to do! 🙂

budsblastmarkers
Member
116xp

Stop by and say hi to bud blast markers and the last stand boatyard

longshotte
Cult of Games Member
1722xp

Hope you guys are having a great time on this side of the pond.

orlandothetechnicoloured
Member
4380xp

I keep waiting for an A-Team inspired drugged milk incident leading to Warren waking up in the USA with no idea how he got there (or how he’ll get home)…..

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