Historicon 2012 After Action Report Part 1

Hi Kids,  Wow, This report is late.  But then again, no one is coughing up some rightous cash to get all the info quickly.....  And, as always, you'll get your money's worth! :)  I'm going to skip over all the brouhaha regarding "location, location, location" as they say in real estate and just dive right in with some pictures of the games.

 Here we have a 25mm Nappie game using Carnage and Glory, put on by the world famous Dr. Bob.  Yes, there really are two of them. The NC crowd had half a room devoted to them all weekend long, as they ran game after game on the same tables.  You lads oughta go to Raleigh more often!

 15mm French Foreign Legion, defending the fort as per usual.  Its still early in the match, and in The Sword & The Flame the natives start hidden.  That's why there are so few in this pic.  Not sure who the giant holding the flag is either.

 Spartan Games was well represented, here are two shots of Firestorm Armada.

 Another 25mm Nappie game.  Don't we all think we're Napoleon?  That reminds me of a joke:
I'm glad I wasn't born in France.  I don't speak the language!!!  Badum bum!

 You raced in the Great Circus?  You betcha!  The race goes on, Judea Ben Hurr!!!!!

 Mecha combat!  I've had this as a back burner project for about 20 years.  Some day......

Looks like not everyone thinks they're Napoleon!  The model of the Hinterland Mini's Female Hussars, no doubt!

 Here we have quite a few snaps of Bob's Spectacular Anglo-Zanzibar Game!  25mm, all custom built terrain and ships!  The land portion was about 6 x 10 feet, with accurate models of the actual buildings!  I was a Brit commander in this game (I was the one who kept saying, "This game sucks" everytime I blew a roll).  Which was a lot.

 The British gunboats and cruisers open fire on the port.  Each turn had a naval and ground segment.  Oh yeah baby!  ALL naval games should be in 25mm!  No question!  Bob, I salute you!

 The Pride of the Imperial Fleet cranks up the ammo hoists and gives the Zanzibari's something to think about!  INCOMING!!!!!

My poor little gunboat, hard as it may seem to believe I blew rolls so comprehensively that the pirates managed to approach in a rowboat, board her, win the combat, and then the crew surrendered!  Yes, I'm going to be hung from a yardarm at dawn.  And the only consolation is the dice will die with me.

 The Pride of The Fleet is surprised by a Zanzibar pirate vessel!  Crush Them!  Smight Them Down!

 My foot troops approach the fortress!

 Two shots of the 25mm Crimean table all the way from jolly olde England!  You might have seen it in Wargames Illustrated!  Guys were using it all weekend long for assorted games, inculding 1/48 WW2!

 54mm American Rev! Otherwise known as "The Bigs".  Look how proper and polite the English lads are!  Such pretty lines!

 The main fortified building takes a pounding as only the Royal Navy can deliver!

 My brave lads proceed down the main street, hoping the fort garrison doesn't risk leaning out for a shot! Too bad the cannon at the end of the road didn't need to lean anything out.

 20mm Modern African combat!  It was a free-for-all for about 4 different factions fighting for diamonds, rubies, chow, kaht, Government of the Week, you name it!  Looks like a mismash of T55, M36, BTR's and even some Land Rovers!

Some of their opponents!  M48, T62, Saladin, M3 halftracks and God Knows What Else.

 Johnny the wop goes over the top!  I guess that should be wog!  The natives are revolting, and so excited they just can't stay in the fort, but come charging out to teach the Brits a little about hand to hand combat.  Needless to say, it did not end well for the natives, since about 6 Brit units had line of sight to these guys.

Oh, the shame of it all.  HMS Sparrow getting boarded.  Nelson is doing 360's in his grave right now.

 A return to the Crimea boards, looks like the Charge of The Light Brigade.  Good luck lads!

Did I mention this table was about 25 feet long?

 15mm Market Garden,  A Bridge Too Far!  Here some a nazi counterattack!

 Blackhawk Up!  The 25mm lads return to Mogadishu again with their awesome Miniature Building Authority buildings!

 And the 25mm Castle was not far away!

20mm WW2 action.  Got T-34?  This was about 1/3 of the armour on the table.

 Remember what I said about 25mm for ships?  Why should fighting sail be any different?

 25mm American Civil War.  Or as they say around here, the War of Northern Agression.  I used to think they were joking when they said that.  Now I'm not so sure.

ACW too tame?  Try some Zombies!  Looks like the chopper has been discovered.  Get to de choppa!

 Soccer game?  It's only considered war in some countries.

 the Charge of the Lt. Brigade continues into the teeth of the Russian cav backing up their guns.

 25mm Mexican-American war.  Somewhere in the southwest Villa is stiring up trouble.

More ACW action.  Gee whiz that's a bucket of corn.  Farmer Brown is gonna be pissed!

 Dieppe in 15mm!  Hit the heavily fortified beach with the Commandos!

 The long view.

25mm Colonials.  If it's Friday, this must be Egypt!

 Now here's a real biggy.  25mm Nappie, the Battle of Borodino.  I think they did it 1:1.  There were additional table but I couldn't get everything in the picture.  This is why we mortals show up at the cons!

As we called it in the 1970's, Cattlecar Gizmactica!  Looks like they're boarding the international space station.  There goes the neighborhood.

Well kids, that's it for this installmentof Historicon action.  Stay tuned for another bucket o' pictures in the not-too-distant future!