Another Delayed Blog --- Over the Top 2015

It has been a bit busy and I've not been keeping up with current events as it were. A few weeks ago, Andy, Kevin, Martin, and I journeyed to Brantford, ON to take part in a games day. We met Ralph, Dan, and Mark there as well as a number of other people we knew. It wasn't a convention as conventions usually go. There were a few vendors from the local area and a number of games were offered, but there were no panels, discussions, or presentations. Just games, and that's what we go to thing like this for, not so?

In the morning, we played an American Civil War game using Ralph's 25mm figs and the Black Powder rules. It was a good game although my luck held and it was all bad. My troops failed to activate during a number of turns and when they did activate there were cut to pieces half the time. I controlled a mixed brigade of two infantry regiments, one cavalry regiment, and a batch of "pickets" which usually mean skirmishers.

the field of battle - Confederate lines to the left, Union to the right.

My infantry brigade, including a veteran Zouave regiment... not that it helped.

Rebel infantry. Oddly they all seem to hail from the Carolinas.

More Rebel foot behind the plowed field.

The most amazing play in the game was a melee in which 15 hits were scored against the Union side, which promptly saved 14 of them! This should be a record.

My cavalry finally activated and countercharged the Reb horsemen... who sent my boys packing in one round of melee. My pickets also did the same sort of run-off. My opponent turned his infantry to attempt to flank the player on my right, but he got bogged down and was concerned I might flank HIM! No worries! I couldn't activate my infantry enough to do any more than amble forward a little bit. Not my best day in the lists.

Another Confederate brigade

The Boys in Blue answer the challenge.

The fight over the field heats up.

My pickets/skirmishers wander forward without enthusiasm or direction.

My cavalry regiment prepares to counter-charge (and melt away like an ice cube on the front steps in August.)

Ralph in his Flame shirt instructs.

All the troops were Ralph's and the terrain was Andy's. We hope to capitalize on this in the new year with both Ralph and Martin (from J&M Miniatures) bringing their substantial collections of ACW troops to the Hamilton Road Games Group. I'll keep you informed.

Later in the day, Andy and I hosted a "Tiger Hunt" game, a Disposable Heroes "free-for-all" where each player starts with a Tiger I and runs it until it's knocked out. The respawn (as it were) with a Panther until that's knocked out. They then respawn as a Mark IV. After that, you're sidelined. This makes for a fun game, especially for younger players. It also serves as a primer for the rules for armoured fighting in the DH/C7B game system by Iron Ivan.

Mark, another friend Dan, two adult women, and an adolescent girl played. The young lady truely enjoyed the game and was quite vocal in her delight when she brewed up an enemy tank.

A view of the lovely village of Panzerdorf-am-Schlecht.

Down near the sheep pasture.

The game... already in progress.

 One targeted and one brewed up.

Gotcha!

Panzerdorf-am-Schlecht with a view of Flat Oak Hill.
(I was given some "flats" of the old school type a number of years ago. I ended up calling them Flat Oaks.)

My understanding is that we hope to have games days like this every three months or so in various venues in Southwestern Ontario as a way of keeping interest, communication and cross-pollination going. There are possibly three or maybe four true conventions within a day's drive of where I live, so this alternative is a way of keeping interest alive and avoid wargaming isolation.