As of this writing, the summer is past, and most of us are resting our dice and our pocketbooks from the many seasonal conventions. Historicon, Gencon, Origins and the new Avaloncon are now all fond memories. I only made it to Historicon so I look forward to any comments or reports from attendees of the other shows. Historicon was fun as usual, although there didn't seem to be as many people as in the past. The games were the usual high quality, with notable events by the Jenkintown Hobby garners (a beautiful colonial game, with dozens of garners, several radio-linked umpires, and superb terrain) and Duke Seifreid, who used his excellent Northwest Frontier game to advertise the fact he is now in the terrain-making business. A winner for me was Jim Purky's 1806 Napoleonics game, with well-painted old Glory figures and Ian Weekley custom-made buildings. I've never been impressed with the Napoleonic era until I saw Jim's figures, now I'm growing broke buying troops! Our good editor also helped this Poor Boy and for that I will be eternally greatful. Thanks, Hal, you know what I mean. A quick look at available products in the hobby shows a lot more dealers from the UK are now attending Historicon, like Chris Guilder, who had sane beautiful propainted Connoisseur troops for sale. The other observation shared by many was that things are getting expensive - there was a lot I wanted, but much of it I couldn't justify haying the asking price. I hope the hobby doesn't start pricing itself out of work.
Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to send along your club newsletters. Because of this, we hear from several new groups this time. I'd love to mention yours, all you have to do is send comments or periodicals to Steve Dake, 6060 Riverside, Jackson, Michigan 49201. To let you know where we're at, everything received by August 30th is in here.
On a local level the Miniature Garners of Michigan recently held their summer event, Peninsular Campaigns. Draw was a little less then 120 with six dealers and over 30 games. The cost was kept low at $3 a head, and funds for the newsletter are now being routinely raised by raffling off a painted unit. This raffle brings in about $100 for the newsletter each min-con; it's a good idea and something others might think about for a revenue source. This time the great Bob Marshall painted some of Pass 'o the North's new figures from their Wild West range, the Magnificent Seven. As an aside, check out the new Pass 'o the North figures. The same sculptor that did Frontier does these, and he's gotten much better, thank you.
Moving to the state of Illinois, news from the Central Illinois Tabletop Warriors' club newsletter, the Vedette, tells of the regular monthly gaming days held at various locations around the Bloomington and Champaign areas, with the Bloomington location usually being the GDW warehouse. They've done away with theme gaming days, preferring the variety offered by 4-6 different games. The annual summer event, Capcon VIII was held July 20-21 in Springfield. There were two gaming sessions a day, a painting contest, and several area dealers in attendence. The club newsletter has been sparse for articles lately, but there are still good things being provided, like July's hints on making high-quality buildings and June's piece on repairing figures.
Also from Illinois is information from NIGA, the Northern Illinois Gamer's Association. Many of the members attended Twincon, held during May in Minneapolis. Several members put on games, like Nick Klapper's GI Joe, Jeff Hamnerlund's Star Trek, and Glenn Johnson's Empire Napoleonics. Harold Johnson was in a role-playing game that sounded fun. It ran the duration of the con, and was called "The Mysteries of H.G. Wells", but Harold's report mad it sound more like Dracula! Harold played a vampire and was chased by various vampire-hunters throughout. An itneresting, diversion, eh? Also, NIGA was instrumental in putting on the mammoth game, "Seige of Gondor," based on Tolkein's Battle of Minas Tirith, at this year's Gencon. Duke Seifried built the Seven-walled city, and other hobby manufactures like Geo-hex and Ral Partha made significant contributions. Good job, NIGA, on bringing everyone together.
Finally from Illinois, the new issue of Phoenix, the voice of HMGS MIDWEST, gives much attention to the commotion caused by the infamous open letter to MGM. MGM's rebuttal is printed, apologies are extended to MGM, and solutions are suggested that will hopefully mend fences and provide more positive communications in the future. A good point is made when the Phoenix editor says that we are in a hobby for fun and enjoyment, and it's not wise to take things too seriously. Results of Little Wars are also discussed, with special thanks going to the gamesmasters, dealers, and those who contributed prizes for the con. Little War attendence totaled 517 and there was a resulting increase in membership and cash flow. The rest of Phoenix was devoted to welcoming new members of the Board of Directors and saying farewell and thanks to the old ones. Phoenix also provides a useful list of area clubs and their gaming nights in the back of each issue.
Heading further south we hear from the new hobby newsletter from Games, Crafts, Hobbies and Stuff, serving the local club, SAGA, the St. Louis Area Garners Association. The owner of GCHS, frequent contributor to MWAN Kevin FitzPatrick, has provided the first two editions. The July issue tells of some interesting behind-the-lines special operations actions by British SAS, Seals, and Green Beret during Desert Storm. It then suggest what currently available games could be used with these scenarios - good idea!
Also from Missouri is the Communique, from HMGS Heart of America. The editorspeaks on the old "how do we get new blood if we don't use fantasy garners" controversy, and offers some good reasons why we should. He also thinks competition games have their place, but aren't the proper way to introduce new people to the hobby. Plans are also being made for a War of the Roses campaign at the April 92 local convention, and a useful article gives hints on painting different flesh tones.
Going further south down the Big River and then turning left, we get to Nashville, home of HM GS Midsouth. Their newsletter Dispatch mentions Don Featherston and his travel plans when he visited the South before Historicon and visited many Civil War battlefields, and also give a report on what sounded like a highly successful Nashcon, with 257 attendees, 60 plus miniature events, and lots of other boardgaming and WRG games. This is another con that mixes all facetsof the hobby, icluding adventure gaming, and doesn't seem to suffer from it at all - in fact, it thrives. Nashcon had a new event called Figfair which involved the serious trading of figures ($20,000 worth) and is planned again for the future.
The South provided a lot in the way of newsletters this time. Novag News .tomes from the Northern Virginia Adventure Garners Wargaming Club and tells of major changes in the club and the store where regular games are held. The major changes include new, simpler club by-laws, new club officers, a new store owner willing to stock more gaming supplies, and a money-raising raffle held monthly, which gives the winner a $25 gift certificate. Articles include a good ominous report about Japan's new M1-like Type 90 battletank, plus there's an interesting scenario for pre-WW II naval action with the US vs. Japan off Guam.
We also have news from the Triangle Simulations Society of North Carolina, an old historical gaming club that is trying to get a fresh start. Triangle plans on regular club meets at least once monthly. Three have been held as of this writing according to the club newsletter, Aide de Camp. Their battle reports are fun to read, entertaining, and full of good humor. The club has a wide range of gaming interests from ancients to modern, and an area con, Call to Arms, is planned for October. The newsletter is available from Lyle Bickley, 50005 Wintergreen, Raleigh, North Carolina 27609.
Finally, RAGE, the Richnnnd Area Gaming Enthusiasts, plan a refight of Austerlitz using 5000 15nm miniatures Nov 30-Dec 1. Napoleonics are very .popular with RAGE members now. Growing in popularity is 15rim WW I action, using the club rules, Price of Glory. Homegrown rules seem to be the thing at SAGE - Battlegroup is used for modern action, Usuthu for colonial, and A'la 3aionette is used for Napoleonics. Commercial rules used are Harpoon for naval combat, Fire and Fury, and Tactica.
In Texas, another Dispatch, this time the popular well-done creation of the '-Iistorical Miniatures Association, tells of all the tournament action. Border 'Jars held Feb. 26 had a WRG ancients tourney, and another was held in Abilene June 22nd. To assist, Fred Askew printed an index for WRG 7th Edition in Dispatch. An American Civil War tournament was held May 4-5 using both Johnny Reb and Rally Round the Flag. Rules were well-covered in Dispatch with reviews Df Fire & Fury and DBA, an article introducing the Matrix system by Chris angle, and the provision of some quick and simple colonial solitaire rules.
Speaking of Chris, he graced us with his Matrix Gaming presence at MGM's sunnier con with his appropriate Peninsular Campaign game. Chris has been putting on a lot of Matrix games at various cons and he's looking for more cons to do it at. He's also looking for volunteers to put on Matrix games. If you're interested, contact Chris and he'll supply the materials and scenario, or if you have a scenario, he will help you develop it for the Matrix system. This issue of the Experimental Garners Group, 1601 Matlock Rd #4, Bloomington, Indiana 47408 has move results from the PBM game on the Peninsular Campaign, plus there's a lengthy rules system for gaming the warring states of Ancient 3reeceby Brother Aelred Glidden. The article is enjoyable, pleasant, and humorous,like the good Brother himself. Other ancients action is a solo game with Hebrews vs. Egyptians with adapted, you guessed it, Matrix rules from the Peninsular Campaign. Besides the games,Chris' newletter has correspondence from all over the world, giving interesting insight as to what others are up to.
Moving west, the Colorado Military Historians held Tacticon Sept. 13-15, and regular gaming days provided action at the Japanese battle of Nagashino, kind of an Oriental Crecy, in 1575. CMH always has quality articles that could compete with any professional magazine, like 'Opportunity Missed' about the early days of the Mahdi, May's work on Waterloo from the Prussian perspective, and another with background on the great Crusader era leader, Saladin.
In the great Northwest, around Seattle at least, the Northwest HMSS held Enfilade 91 on May18-19 in Lynwood, Washington. Art Conliffe of Tactica rules was the guest and officiator of the Tactica tournament. Another hobby notable will be asked to attend Enfilade 92 and they are looking at Rich Hasenhauser of Fire and Fury rules. Club projects are big deals at NW HMGS, with a 25mm refight of the second of Gettysburg for the con being one result. Two more projects are planned, one of the American Revolution at Brandywine Courthouse, and another concerning an adaption of Charles Grant's Charge! rules.
Finally, we've got to mention our Canadian brothers of the Military Interests aril Gaming Society, which serves the Toronto-Hamilton-Niagra area of Ontario, Canada and prints the MIGS Dispatch. Their annual event, MIGSCON XII was held in Hamilton last May 26th. and drew 180 garners and nine traders, including RAFM and Museum Miniatures. Next year's con is in the planning stages for May. Napoleonics and WRG ancinets are big deals to MIGS people, with a regular Napoleonics campaign usually in session and a challenge board for ancients garners keeping things lively for WRG fans. The War of 1812 is also popular, as a recent re-enactment of the Battle of Stoney Creek held in June shows. We're so used to Civil War re-enacting here in the states, it's good to hear about other types of evnets elsewhere. Re-enacting must be a world-wide thing, as two visiting Russians to this event showed up in Imperial Russian Army uniforms from the Napoleonic era! MIGS helped the hobby by providing miniatures dispalys at the event. Sounds like an active group and we hope to hear more from them. Next time, gang.
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