What pain! You sign up for a Medieval battle. You are looking forward to seeing the charge of knights, fighting yeomen, the shower of arrows, and the panorama of Medieval warfare. What do you get? An Orc vs Dwarf scenario, and the only thing medieval about it are that some of the Dwarves allies look like Vikings and there is supposed to be a relief column of Arabs on the way. It could only happen at a convention attended by a large number of fantasy gamers. Sure, the forces involved used medieval weapons and tactics. But I still have trouble calling it a medieval battle. Sure, I felt gypped! The question was certainly brought up. A few would-be contestants looked for something else to play. What did I do? Knowing the importance of good sportsmanship, I stayed and played. I knew the importance of putting on a good face and not ruining it for the other players. In the end, I won a first place certificate for my good gaming and tactical sense. the battle turned out to be a draw, but I saved the day for the Dwarves after taking over for a player who had to leave early after making some severe military blunders. I give credit to the good tactical sense I acquired from years of wargaming. What would have happened had the convention organizers labeled the game as an Orc instead of a medieval battle? First off, the game master would have gotten more players who were interested in that sort of thing. As for me, I would have been looking in the convention catalog for something historical. But then, I may have chosen the orc battle anyway. Who knows? Back to MWAN # 54 Table of Contents Back to MWAN List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1991 Legio X 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