Pete Panzeri, fresh from a stint at Custer Battlefield, ran the HMGS area with wife Jody. The program said 88 historical miniature events were scheduled. Due to being in the dealer area, I didn't see all 88 games, but what I did see on frequent quick forays to the spot was a lot of miniature players in a variety of scenarios. It was a rather enthusiastic effort and many HMGS chapters displayed their magazines. MagWeb.com contributed the famed flexible rulers to the cause.

At right, Panzeri (center) umpires another big battle using Surdu's rules.

Rich Hasenhauer (red shirt) and Greg Lyle (who escaped the camera's lens) ran numerous Battlefront WWII and Fire and Fury ACW scenarios, and all of them looked great. They certainly had enough players brewing up armor and charging across entrenchments.

At right, Rich Hassenhauer discusses the finer points of the American Civil War with Charles Sharp. An unidentified gamer is at left.

Larry Bond (at right) ran a Command At Sea WWII naval game, and I saw at least a couple more naval games in action, with destroyers churning smoke and shell splashes galore.

I saw a Volley and Bayonet game in progress--again with great terrain. I'm sorry I didn't get the names, but whoever it was, good job! Several other WWII games were in evidence, and Richard Borg ran a Battle Cry tournament--not quite sure a hex-based map counts as "pure bred" miniatures, but it has plastic figures, so good enough in my book.

Phil Fry (at right) was running his Fire as She Bears Napoleonic ship game pitting the Spanish against the British. According to him, the Spanish won one game while the British took the second.

Our local gaming group enjoys the rules and indeed, in the weeks before this convention, we played a similar scenario pitting Spanish versus British. The Spanish, thanks to some daring, if unorthodox, sailing tactics (well...that's what the post-battle write-ups said and I'm sticking to that story) by yours truly, won that one.

There was also a neat naval game based around triremes or something like that. It looks a little like Limeys and Slimies or Cog Wars or something like that. It was all very colorful, although I have to admit, I didn't learn who was putting the game on.

Also, another American Civil War game was put on with great enthusiasm and participation. The Union is attacking from left to right, aiming for the Confederate fort.

Origins 2001

Convention Introduction and Overview
Historical Boardgames
Historical Miniatures
Richard Borg's New Ancients Game
Frank Chadwick's New Campaign Idea
Artillery Evolution from Napoleon to American Civil War

Previous Origins

Origins 2000
Origins 1999
Origins 1998

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