Borodino 2002

Borodino Ballroom

by Russ Lockwood


Of course, all of the above, with the exception of your actual room, is window dressing compared to the main ballroom where the interactive, computer-driven wargame was being held.

Typical scene during set up...people talking, commanders deploying, and in the far right in the back, the sound boom and soundman for the PBS film crew.

Elegance extended from the lobby through a set of doubledoors into the ballroom. As you entered the ballroom, the dealer tables were on the right along the wall of windows, the registration table and some dealers on the left along the interior wall, and everything else was devoted to tabletop wargaming.

At right: Before you can run a game with 4500 miniature figures, you have to paint them. Last minute preparation from the artillery guru.

At left: A Russian commander deploys with ruler-assisted precision.

Three rows of tables, each six feet wide but varying in length, formed the Borodino battlefield. Two large tables formed the French (west) side, three smaller tables formed the main battlefield, and two large tables formed the Russian (east) side. Each row measured about 50 or so feet long, so there was plenty of area to cover with the 4,500 or so 25mm figures.

The terrain was superb, from the Shevadino redoubt to the fleches to the Great Redoubt. The best part was the hand-crafted swamp and river pieces done in a resin of sorts. Hills were fabric over sculpted styrofoam. Trees and flocking littered the table as woods.

In the far corner of the ballroom, farthest from the doors, was the French table which sat Napoleon and staff. A table close to the doors sat the Russians. The French table was the place to be...they served cognac.

The last "corner" of the ballroom, from the dealers to the other side, was reserved for single games like Napoleon's Battles, Empire, Volley and Bayonet, and the Sharp's Survivors game. These ran at the same time as the main game, the speakers, and everything else. As you can imagine, there was a lot going on for every grade of Napoleonic history buff.

With 100 wargamers in the ballroom, and 95 degree, 80% humidity weather outside, it is amazing that the old a/c could hold up. It did, well, mostly. Still, it became rather warm at times, so much so that going next door to the speakers room was a pleasant trip--sometimes.

More Borodino 2002 Napoleonic Conference

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