Introduction

I've attended HomerCon since 1992, when Guderian's Blitzkrieg was the shiny new gem, but I had to break the string this year. Since I wasn't around to play journalist, we'll tell the story of this year's retreat mainly in pictures (with John Reed's THG article the exception that proves the rule). As usual, Operations owes a big thank you to Chip Pharr for providing the HomerCon photos you see in this issue.

Yes, that is a two-map playtest version of Sicily you see. At one point Dean and I discussed ground scale and settled on the 5-mile-per-hex scale. The resulting map was rather small, almost small enough to fit on half a map sheet. Well, Dean told me I wouldn't recognize the game after it went through development, and he was right. The changes have been very much for the better. Though I can't claim credit for it, Sicily is going to be a fine game.

Sicily

During the playtest of Sicily Perry and I were the Allies. I was Patton, Perry was Monty. Beside the point that Perry..ummm..Monty... was trying to take all the aircraft to support his non-offensive (g) I, Patton was taking HUGE chunks of ground!

Perry Andrus, left, and Dale Woods ganging up against Andrew Fischer (off camera).

The cowardly German (Andrew) retreated behind the river and into the mountains. He simply refused to come out and play! I thought the Germans had superior troops? HA!? I looked over the British front and saw Monty sipping on tea wondering how to break the Axis line. After the battle a misplaced message to Monty was discovered. It reads as follows: Supreme Command orders Patton to take over all offensive operations in the taking of Sicily.

Seven Days

Max Workman explains his "brilliant" plan to Dan Cicero while Rick DeGirolami talks with Bob Cloyd, far left. Bob joined the USA when Jimmy Eaton and Carl Evans decamped to Burma.

HomerCon 1999

Introduction, Sicily, and Seven Days
Borre, DAK, ACM, and Pizza
Drive on Paris, Hube's Pocket, Burma, and Seven Days