I count myself among the lucky few who were able to experience a game of "Little Wars" as played by H. G. Wells. I had signed up for Bob Beattie game as an alternate for my Thursday game. I had gotten my first choice (...sort of due to a typo it was for a Spearhead game rather than an ECW battle). Along with good friend Dr. Bill Hawkes and Jim Ellis I made a bee line for the Courier room and Bob's game. I wanted to see the game even if I was unable to participate.
By some strange quirk of fate only Mark Bloom (the intrepid photographer and Little Wars list member was the only person who had signed up to make it to the table at the appointed time. Bob was looking for additional players so I roped Bill and Jim into playing. Tom a convention attendee who had signed up for the game arrived a little late and was incorporated into the battle.
The battle was a recreation of a battle from the book "Hook's Farm" if I remember correctly. We had five players. Each player had fifty lead figures many being original Britain's. Each unit had about 10% cavalry and two guns. I could not believe my luck in being able to participate in such a spectacle. I do not think many of our fellow gamers will ever be able to say they played with this type of figure and got to shoot at the opposing sides.
We had 4 minutes a turn to move or fire our guns. When firing we replaced our nonfiring guns with spring-loaded cannon. The cannon fired cotton swabs (the long stemmed wooden ones used in Dr.'s offices). Four minutes sounds like a lot of time but when moving and trying to make aimed shots it becomes a bit hectic. Movement was strictly measured by string just as indicated in Well's rules.
In choosing sides Bill and I took the Redicans against the vast horde of Blueicans (many in Tan). Outnumbered by a third we bravely stood our ground. On our right I was faced by Mark, Tom deployed in the center and Jim set up on their right flank. The battle was fast paced. Bill and I fought valiantly despite being outnumbered and out gunned. During our turns we fired four rounds per gun sending out a total of sixteen shots. Our Blueican foes had the potential to fire back twenty-four rounds.
Accuracy left something to be desired on both sides. I averaged 25% misses either bouncing my shots off of already dead figures or into folds in the ground. Or missiles did not have much throw weight either and despite some really great shots we only managed two multiple knock downs. (Bill took out three in one shot and I managed one double.)
Tom in the center took the brunt of our shots as his troops had less cover. His force pretty much melted away as they marched across the board. The first crisis of the game came when Jim's Blueicans attacked our right flank. They advanced over the terrain and assaulted Bill's troops. Some well placed shots from my cannon helped tip the odds in our favor. In melee Jim's troops ended up being outnumbered and Jim pulled back to shelter behind terrain. It was something of a pyhrric victory since melee in Little Wars is particularly bloody and Bill's flank was left with barely enough men to man the guns.
The endgame came when Mark massed his troops and hit my flank. He did everything right. Despite some great artillery support from Bill and better than average hots on my side (we knocked out nine figures in one turn) Mark's troops advanced into melee and my outnumbered force was over run. Seven of my men went into captivity and the game was over because our valiant Redican Army was down to fifteen men.
A great time was had by all. It was the highlight of a great Historicon. Bob has to be applauded for staging the game. I feel that he fulfilled his purpose with this game. he game itself was in honor of a fallen comrade William Marshall of Ann Arbor. The game was played in the spirit of camaraderie that I hope did honor to Mr. Marshall. Bob gave out a souvenir to each participant. The figure of a Fort Henry Guard, designed, cast and painted by William Marshall will remain a prized possession for the rest of my days. One can only hope that a friend will do as well when I pass on.
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© Copyright 2003 Hal Thinglum
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