1. GENERAL Everyone has a different experience at a wargames convention, since part of it takes place in the imagination rather than on the table. I enjoyed myself at Historicon 2000 this year by taking a mellow approach, Instead of trying to "game my brains out" I swam in the pool, took part in the sing-along, ate eal food (only one overpriced junk food repast snatched at the "Cash and Dash") and even got a good six hours sleep per night! Attendance appeared to be down somewhat. The flea market was dispersed to different locations (one at a time) during the show, due to the reconstruction of its usual site, but I picked up several items anyhow. Planning to spend almost nothing, I went down with about $600 cash (not to include the room charge put on the credit card), and returned with exactly $7--see "Shopping" section below. Much in evidence by their large number of members wearing team shirts were several clubs. There were THE NORTHERN CONSPIRACY, those friendly guys from New England, who wore white trimmed in green with Penguin Rampant. Also appearing were the handsome and expert METROPOLITAN WARGANIERS (my gang) of Brooklyn, New York, da garden spot a da woild, sporting gray with Crossed Sword and Rifle Over Shield. Of course one saw those most organized HAWKS from Baltimore and vicinity, in blue with multicolored Hawk Head Defiant, who always fill up their very own activity room (usually the Paradise Room but this year Marietta), While we of Brooklyn are naturally the most dainty and refined, it must be admitted that HAWKS takes the prize for most consistently and strongly supporting the Cons. Apparently NORTHERN CONSPIRACY is moving to do the same with its recently dedicated and informally renamed "Leo Walsh Room." Good luck, fellas! It may seem trivial, but the shirt concept does much for advertising the participation and availability of each club. If you want to pick up new members, even if your group has only half a dozen, its very worth making up a shirt for your crew and wearing your "colors." 2. EVENTS a) Having only published my RECON AND RUSHES OF WWII rules last year, I got a kick out of the fact that Mike Fatovic was running three events with them. Naturally I showed up to help out and play "IVAN: A WALK IN THE SNOW," which involved a Russian force with lend-lease Shermans try to assault a town full of Germans. It seemed like every third German had an anti-tank weapon, not to mention their very own SP/ATs. I can't say we Soviets won, but we did have more fun! For example, my own personal tactics included laying smoke with my tanks and attacking one of their AFVs with truck mounted SNIG shock troops. It almost worked, too... Mike did a great job with his very impressive painted 54mm figures, vehicles, and terrain. b) I played in a private game for the upcoming JODIECON 2000 campaign "SUCCSESSORS OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT" GM'd by Zeus Himself (Norbert Brunhuber) using Classical Hack, with Phil Veverito present to brief us on the system. The new edition combines all three former volumes and adds a fourth period. A rebel Strategos (general) was holding up in a citadel and the rest of us went for him. Like a Greek Alamo, we soon were over the walls and into desperate melee from all sides. I commanded the side Hegemon (Successor) who was killed--so even though I got the rebellious enemy commander later on, my huge point total was voided. This left the victory to sneaky second place Bruce Fiolek (this is a guy who won his first boardgame Joan of Arc against all of us recently). Watch out for those so-called "nice" Canadians' Good going, Brucie. This will be the last of the famous JodieCons held at Ft. Monmouth, NJ before the newly wed Pete and Jodie Panzeri take up their new post in Korea for two years--well, if you're going to Korea, South is a good choice. I played BAPS WWII SKIRMISH with author Buck Surdu in the HAWKS room. This was a 1939 Polish scenario where their mechanized troops with tankettes ambushed heck out of Germans with ACs and PZ Is. It was ruled a tie, but we stopped 'ern cold! Some of the best games end with both sides claiming victory. Buck was a fine GM, and reminded me of his pal Pete Panzeri, but even more so. Pete's theme is always "Play the Game." I guess you might say Buck's theme is "PLAY THE PHASE NOW!" Both like to keep things moving along. Come to think of it, so do I. This was a 20mm game where I was introduced to Polish uniforms, AFVs, etc. The Poles actually fought quite well on a unit for unit basis, and gave the Germans lots of trouble historically, according to the take of the game and the scenario booklet it was based on. Older gamers seem to be more interested in the earlier WWII period for the subtlety of tactics needed to win while utilizing the less overwhelming equipment available then. One of the big finds of the con for me in new products was the Skirmish Campaigns scenario book series by Scott Fisher and N athan Forney available through Brookhurst Hobbies (www.brookhursthobbies.com). I bought three of their volumes ($15 each). So far they include Poland, Norway, France'40 and Russia'41. They are packed with information on the campaigns and offer scenarios usable with almost any skirmish system rules. I suspect they will work fine also with company/battalion level combat as well (such as my own rules). Look for more wargaming action with Buck at upcoming cons at the West Point Military Academy itself. Finally, when a planned Spanish Civil War game did not materialize as scheduled on Sunday, I tried my hand at my first "Modern" miniatures game in Mike Sarno's Vietnam, playing with his new "DESPERATE LAND" rules. This uses an ingenious command point system for squad level units. Unfortunately, at the beginning with a D6 and a D10 I rolled a minimal snake eyes for the all important Leader Tactical Ability Roll, managing to roll my own old Draft Number. Uh oh! But just as I was deferred from that war, I managed to be deferred from death by hanging in at "Japan," an old outpost left by the Japanese in WWII just outside our main position's defense line. God bless Our Bunker! Night time, its quiet out there--too quiet! While other players were taking fire from and outflanking VC militia squads armed with bolt action rifles out in the jungle, I stayed put with my main group, while pulling the second half of the squad back to link up with the main defense perimeter. Then two squads got hit in two very different places; one was the next over from me, I saw our wounded men dropping to the ground on the fire line, and our company medic come out to help. As the other squad beat off the probing attack, a fanatic with a primed grenade blew up himself, the medic. and even our mascot cocker spaniel! Bummer, man! Further on down the line between this squad's position and the next, a group of NVA Sappers tried to charge the inner base defense and got massacred out in the open after flares gave away their position and our MGs and Grenade Launchers opened up, Then my own bunker took fire, and we had to take down yet another VC squad, which we did. In the end, the US had held out against the evil hidden Sarno-ites! We Medivac'd our wounded out, and gave a prayer of thanks as the sun came up. For me personally it was a very intense "what-if" alternate history scenario. I'll say it again~ God Bless Our Bunker! Thanks to Mike for being a very witty and entertaining GM, even when handling eight players in a game originally planned for only four. If you are at a con and see an event listed with Mike Sarno, don't hesitate to jump in--and you don't need a primed grenade to do it. 3. SHOPPING As soon as you talk about being at a con, the first question is usually "so, whad'cha get" The great variety of hobby supplies available at a con is exemplified by my very diverse and eclectic purchase list. Figures: Some nice 54mm Saracens by BUM, a Spanish company (Barcelona Universal Miniotures). They also make very nice heavy weapons teams, and even Spanish Foreign Legionnaires (marching), and have many sets in 1/72 as well. Vehicles Two US WWII AT mounts, an M-35 and a Sherman, each with 90mm arguments on their business end. Tired of seeing your Shermans brewed up by those nasty Germans? These were Originally Solido (French metal 25mm vehicles) but were further customized by Round Top Miniatures (301-340-9623). It's always good to have a few quality pieces among all the plastic. There was also a huge wooden 19th century fieldpiece originally some type of room decoration, and an odd DUCKW type of vehicle; both from the Flea Market. Terrain: A few dozen nice plastic palms, about twice the height of a 54mm figures, without bases-4 was to see more of them later in "Vietnam." Paints: Ten large bottles for $20 (Con discount) from The Armory. New consumer laws/regulations continue to change the chemicals allowed in hobby paints, and the dealer explained that its becoming harder and harder to judge a color's drying shade by its appearance in the bottle. Luckily he had a color chart up on the wall for buvers to scan. This is the reason that the same number and name of that reliable old color you always use now looks different. And a tube of their "Plasti Zap" super glue. Board Games- AZTECA, brand new board game from French Tilsit Editions/Clash of Arms, by the author of Joan of Arc. Win after normal multiplayer madness (3-4 players) in military/diplomatic/economic mode--by having sacrificed the most to friendly deity Quetzalcoatl, as long as everyone chipped in enough to stop evil god Tezcatlipoca from Destroying The Universe (everyone loses). Yikes! CASTLE, new from Edition Descartes' "Blue Game" line, a mini card game where vou have to be the first to get rid of all your fantasy/medieval character cards by positioning them inside the castle walls--but there isn't room for everyone. Each has a different effect on the other cards played. Two add-on packs for Hasbro/Avalon Hill's fantasy Stratego LEGENDS; THE SHATTERED LANDS. OK, so I like Fantasy/Sci-Fi. Old copies from the Flea Market of BUCK ROGERS, SKY GALLEONS OF MARS, and X-MEN UNDER SIEGE. Don't ask. Three free new scenarios for the new ACW Hasbro/Avalon Hill BATTLE CRY in a glossy "conventioneers only" booklet. If you've played the game, you are already insanely hungry for new scenarios. Thanks to designer Richard Borg, who I met at the previous Cold Wars Con. But what'll I do for new scenarios next week' FEED ME! And no, no one had a single copy left of AXIS AND ALLIES EUROPE. Go fish! Books: Scenarios For All Ages by CS Grant and Stuart Asquith (CSG Publications, 1996). China At War 1901-1949 by Edward L. Dreyer (Longman, 1995). History In Three Keys: The Boxers as Event, Experience, and Myth by Paul A. Cohen (Columbia Univ. Pr., 1997). The above mentioned Skirmish Campaign Books: Poland '39: The Black Brigade, Norwayl, France '40 Battles for the Meuse. Four new Nafziger Reprints on US WWII tactical doctrine (Dr. George F Nafziger, 2000): American Tank Company Tactics (FM 17-34) Employment of Tanks With Infantry (FM 17-36) Early Organization and Tactics of American Tank Destroyer Units (FM 175, June 16, 1942) American Armored Battalion Tactics (FM 17-33) and a whole library on the Spanish Civil War, which I am still planning to game, having previously purchased La Ultima Cruzada (Wargamers Guide) and the old board game "Viva Espania" (Battleline) Rompan El Fuego!: An Accessory for Gaming the Spanish Civil War by Mark Hannarn (Gauntlet Publications, 1996). The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939: An American Military Perspective by Col. Charles A. Willoughby (Editions Brokaw 1992 reprint~ notes by Pat Condray). Revolutionary Warfare: Spain 1936-37 by Christopher Hall (Gosling Press, 1996) Viva La Muerte: Nation list Forces 1936-1939 (same author and publisher, 1998). Tanks and Trucks of the Spanish Civil War by John Wilson (Partizan Press, 1989). Not to mention that free kazoo I got at the sing-along! Which I used to torment my pal on the drive home. Hmmm ... it might come in handy in a Korean war game. After all, my rules allow for torturing prisoners in certain circumstances. On the other hand eyewitnesses said that Chinese attack music sounded to the Americans like "a wedding, a birthday, and a funeral combined." And now, the Chinese 33rd Kazoo Band presents "The Internationale." Think you could stand it? Bwah ha ha! 4. CONCLUSION The best part of any con is the camaraderie and the chance to talk hobby shop. I saw some folk I like, made some new friends, and laid plans for future get-togethers. Thanks again to the hard pressed folks at HMGS-EAST for all their work. There were lots of kids and teens in evidence, so the future of the hobby seems to be in good hands. And a ten-year-old rolling good dice can still deliver a surprise to us combat happy vets! Back to MWAN #107 Table of Contents Back to MWAN List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 2000 Hal Thinglum This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com