Historicon 2019 Live Blog – Part Two!

Time for some rootin tootin shootin fun with Have Gun Will Travel.

Jim get a look at the battle of Saratoga.

I was absurdly fortunate to squeeze my way into a game of Crucible of War on Saturday night.  This is a game designed and presented by Marvin and Jamie Veeder, and our scenario was “Burgoyne’s Gamble,” recreating the central action at the pivotal First Battle of Freeman’s Farm in the American Revolution, 17 September, 1777.

People who follow my work know I have a keen interest in this battle, a whole article series on this campaign was presented on OnTableTop back in 2017 (240^th Anniversary).  But these guys are not only avid game players, designers, and presenters, but also re-enactors that live very close to these actual battlefields.  It was so much fun not only to play the game (thanks again for squeezing me in at the last minute), but also just talk with fellow history buffs with an intense love for this particular period, campaign, and battle.

Wouldn’t you know it, I wound up with Major-General Benedict Arnold, coming in on the American left, starting with Ebenezer Learned’s Brigade.  More Massachusetts and eventually New York regiments came in, along with additional British units and even Tory Canadians on my extreme left.  Other players had to leave, so soon I found myself commanding the whole American left.  I was able to take control, reorganize the wing, restore order, and eventually start a united push-back on the American left, even as the right more or less crumbled under assault from von Reidesel’s rear flank attack.

The system was great.  It rewards players “organically” for employing real life linear tactics, namely in the form of additional morale resilience.  Commanders in their realistic place also allow for a morale bonus, but there are no “god-hero” rules or anything like that.  The order assignment, declaration, and turn sequences were also great – and there were even hidden movement and “dummy counters” laid down in the dense New York forest, where no one really knows where the enemy is until contact is made (and THEN minis are placed on the table).

In summary, massive thanks to Marvin and Jamie for including me in their game (complete with order phases being announced by actual cavalry bugle calls).  Huge fun, at one point I was laughing so hard I had literal tears on my cheeks.  It’s a fast and furious black powder game, perfectly suited for the “guerrilla linear” tactics of the American Revolution (especially the New York 77 campaign).  Not sure it would fully translate into “full” open-field Napoleonic, but definitely perfect for the smaller, sharper actions of the Peninsular Campaign.

Jim pulls on some flying goggles to take to the skies with Aerodrome 2.0.

If you’ve ever wanted to be a Samurai fighting for the honour of your clan then this might be the game for you.

Gerry catches up with Clash of Spears again as they have moved on to their large participation game.

That’s it for this year everyone, thanks for watching, and special thanks to Jim (oriskany) John (silverfox) & his buddy drew for all their help at the show.

We get a chance to find out just how Firelock Games new Blood & Valor game plays.

This battle took place on January 17, 1781, near the end of the American Revolution.  It is also the battle “featured” in the climax of the movie The Patriot, although of course these wargamers came much, much closer to the reality of the event.

And now for something completely different … a Cold War submarine warfare game called “Fist Full of Kilos,” where a Soviet force of “Kilo” class attack submarines was serving as spearhead for a landing force somewhere in the Baltic.  The Swedish Navy was all  that stood in their way.  I like how the Soviet surface fleet (not on the table yet) was mounted raised platforms so the subs would still be “beneath” them.

Early in the con we came across a game of “To the Strongest” – representing the Battle of Magnesia.  This was fought in 190 BC between the Romans and the Seleucids in what is today western Turkey.  The Romans found success with a pre-imperial, pre-Marius Reform “citizen” army.  The problem with this model army was that it was not sustainable in the strategic sense, especially as Roman territory continued to expand.