Historicon 90
A Major Success

Courier Dispatch News

by Dick Bryant

Hotel Sold Out - Event Becoming Too Big for Penn Harris

Over 1600 attendees filled the Penn Harris Hotel (Harrisburg, PA) to overflowing with 150 dealer tables and 200 events. The Ancient Competition sponsored by NASAMW had 130 contestants and special games were put on for the younger attendants by Walter Simon and friends of the Potomac Wargamers.

On average, one out of every 10 games was Napoleonic, covering all scales from 6mm to 30mm. Naval and air war games were more numerous than in the past but the Colonial period probably came in second with the numbers of games being played. I felt that there were fewer than usual WWII and Modern period games than is usually the case, however. Besides the Tournament, there were quite a few Tactica games as well as Ancient A to Z.

Personally I have noted an increasing trend at conventions toward the simpler rules and skirmish games. This may mean that the game masters are beginning to realize that the simpler games better lend themselves to the convention atmosphere where most bellying up to your table have never seen the rules and many may never have played in that period before.

One negative aspect to the convention this year was the drinking of alcoholic beverages at the gaming tables! Due to the air conditioning giving out in the lounge, many more gamers brought their beers (and harder stuff) to the tables. As most who know me know, I am in no way a teatotaller, but I feel that the sometimes bruised egos at the gaming table do not mix with booze. I saw a few instances where people's fun in the game was ruined by over indulgers where the gamemaster had to spend more time keeping the drinkers in line than in running the games. I hope the sponsors act in a responsible manner and put a stop to this practice before some ugly incident takes place.

PAINTING COMPETITION WINNERS

Best in Show George Mangano - 25mm Athenian Hoplites

25mm Winners

    Best Army: 1st Prize Ed Reyerdale - Renaissance Spanish
    2nd Prize Bob Giglio - Golden Age of Piracy

    Best Unit: 1st Prize George Mangano - 25mm Athentian Hoplites
    2nd Prize Chris Hughes - 2nd South Carolina 1780

15mm Winners

    Best Army: 1st Prize Tim Wright - English 100 Years War
    2nd Prize P. Gregorian - Nicophorian Byzantine

    Best Unit: 1st Prize Greg Skelly - Early Seleucid Phalanx
    2nd Prize: Kevin Keller - 42nd Foot

Under 15mm Winners

    Best Army: 1st Prize Chris McGrane - Napoleonic Austrians and Russians
    2nd Prize Ed Rohrbaugh - Allied Armor 1940

    Best Unit: 1st Prize Mich Osborne - T-80 Tank Regiment
    2nd Prize Paul Bernardine - Seaforth Highlanders

Best Naval Exhibit: Greg Whitaker

Special Mention: Mark Stevens - Steve Aleo - Ken Ray - Phil Bartoling

ANCIENT TOURNAMENT RESULTS


The final four in the Nationals were Wayne Darte and Bob Andriola in 15mm, Jake Kovel and Dave Stiers in 25mm. Stiers and Darte advanced to thefinals running Sicilians and Late Romans respectively, Dave Stiers won the championship.

TOURNAMENT RESULTS
25mm Singles: Phil Gardocki - Islamic Persians
15mm Singles: Todd Kaeser - Late Romans
25mm Teams: Jevon Garret and Sean Scott - Japanese
15mm Teams: Larry Essick and John Harrold, Alexandrians
DBA TOURNEY: Bob Plyler
Best Terrain: Tom Hamilton
Best Painted 15mm: Paul Georgian - Nicophorian Byzantines
Best Painted 25mm: Dave Marra - Aztecs
THE COURIER SPORTSMAN: Ron Shank

Courier Dispatch News of The Hobby

Back to Table of Contents -- Courier Vol. IX No. 5
Back to Courier List of Issues
Back to Master Magazine List
© Copyright 1990 by The Courier Publishing Company.
This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com