conference of wargamers - wargame developments programme.pdf · conference of wargamers page 1...

Conference Of Wargamers

Knuston Hall Irchester

Wellingborough Northamptonshire

Tel: 01933 312104 Fax: 01933 357596 E-mail: [email protected]

2nd – 4th July 2010

Conference Organisers: Tim Gow & Bob Cordery

Conference Of

Wargamers

An big plastic elephant being attacked by some Romans. But don’t tell anyone—it’s the elephant in the room!


How to find Knuston Hall Knuston Hall is situated in East Northamptonshire on the B569 between the village of Irchester and the town of Rushden. The Hall is sign-posted from the A45. When 'road-closure' diversions are not in operation, visitors are strongly advised to avoid Rushden town centre. We would normally recommend you follow signs for Irchester. If you require more detailed directions the Knuston Hall website can be found at: http://www.knustonhall.org.uk/index.htm. Alternatively call Knuston on 01933 312104 or Tim Gow on 07711 337529.

Parking Please park in the bottom car park and not outside the front door of the hall unless you are loading or unloading.

Arrival Time Please do not arrive before 5.00 pm on Friday as early arrivals can inconvenience the staff.

Meals & Refreshments Breakfast is served at 0815, Morning coffee at 1100, Lunch at 1245 (1300 on Sunday), Afternoon tea at 1600 and Dinner at 1900. Biscuits are served with Morning Coffee and Cake with Afternoon Tea. An alternative menu can be provided for strictly medical or religious (including vegetarian) reasons but attendees requiring these diets must contact Knuston Hall direct as soon as possible.

Accommodation The accommodation at Knuston Hall is single, twin and three bedded rooms, some of which have ensuite facilities. Residents are requested to bring their own soap and towels, and to make their own beds. Actually soap and towels have been provided now for many years but I leave the previous sentence in for old times’ sake! Some of our sessions have been known to be “unkind to clothes” so you may wish to bring something suitable.

Bar The licensed bar, selling wine, spirits and beer is usually open from 12.30 - 13.00, 18.30 - 19.00, and 21.30 - 23.00. Please remember your Conference Organisers when you are at the bar!

Welcome and Orientation for first time attendees This will take place in the Panelled Room - which is reached via the door at the right of the bar counter, at 18.45 on Friday evening. The Conference Organiser will give an explanation of the format of the weekend. (The bar is reached from the right of the entrance lobby of the Hall.) The Conference Organiser will undoubtedly forget about this so please seek him out and remind him.

Problems I sincerely hope that you will not experience any difficulties with your journey, but if you are delayed en route the telephone number of Knuston Hall is 01933 312104. If you are going to be late please let the Hall know and they will keep your evening meal for you.

CONFERENCE VENUE INFORMATION


The notes on sessions, accommodation, facilities and food, are for guidance only, and in no way form any part of a contract with the Conference Organisers, Wargame Developments or Knuston Hall.

Session Information The Information Board and Timetable is situated in the lounge. (The reason for this location is the insistence of the Fire Officer). I thank all of you who have so far sent me the full details required to plan the weekend. The programme notes give all the session details that I have received.

Timetable Diktats 1. Presenters are requested to provide a booking-in sheet for their session. It is suggested that presenters remove these shortly before the session takes place and ensure that as far as possible all those who have pre-booked and who turn up are given priority. 2. If you have indicated your interest in a session, please turn up in good time. Presenters cannot be expected to delay a session on the off chance that you roll in late! 3. It is not out-with the bounds of possibility that some session times and venues will change – please check the main timetable to avoid disappointment. 4. Presenters are reminded that timetabled sessions have priority over impromptu or relocated sessions – a presenter timetabled to be in a room should not be encroached upon by other presenters. 5. Do not interrupt other presenters in the hope of finding recruits for your own session – this has happened several times in previous years and is not acceptable behaviour. 6. Do not run sessions (other than those timetabled) in the entrance hall, as this area has become overly crowded in recent years. 7. The slot following the plenary game on Friday night is the ‘short sessions slot’. It should be possible, subject to demand, to attend more than one of these short games. 8. The player numbers indicated in the session details which follow are those suggested by session presenters in the information provided to me. 9. If, according to the timetable, a session takes up two ‘slots’, it may or may not be a double-length session. Presenters should make this clear on their booking in sheets, but it is YOUR responsibility to make sure!

The Bring & Buy This event seems to have become a fixture in recent years. Two tables will be set up just inside the main door (no more please, as this restricts movement in the hall to an unacceptable degree). Goods should be labelled clearly with details of price and vendor. In the past, honesty has been relied upon to ensure that monies end up in the correct pockets. GOODS ARE LEFT AT THE OWNER’S RISK, AND NEITHER WARGAME DEVELOPMENTS,

CONFERENCE VENUE INFORMATION


THE KNUSTON HALL AUTHORITIES OR THE CONFERENCE ORGANISERS ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY WHATSOEVER FOR ANY LOSSES OR DAMAGE SUFFERED. It is suggested that vendors might like to donate at least 10% of their takings to WD funds (it costs at least as much to unload goods at a wargames show or on a popular internet auction site). The Conference Organisers will, of course, be pleased to accept such donations on behalf of WD.

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THE SESSIONS Paddy Griffith et al THE PLENARY GAME An adaptation of Joan Littlewood's "Oh What A Lovely War" (first presented as a stage show in 1963, then made into a film in 1969). Some of the most important battles of the Great War on the Western Front will be played through, with every possibility that history will be re-written - and even that Ms Littlewood's searing condemnation of British military incompetence will be demonstrated to have been horribly misplaced. Players will be split into three teams: • The Germans: Six players (should be conversant with German language as far as

possible). • The British PBI: As many as possible (A variety of broad regional accents is desirable). • The British High Command: Seven Players, who must bring the Arrogance of Command

and their own "Monty Python & the Holy Grail"-style horses (Umpires will provide the Champagne).

All players are asked to bring suitable headgear for their roles (and Scotchmen please bring your own kilts); otherwise some provision may be made from the umpires' extensive stocks of cardboard. WD Display Team North THE END Not the beginning of the end, nor even the end of the beginning and certainly not the beginning of the beginning. A typically modest game from WDDTN which aims to re-create the final year of WW2 in Europe. In about 15 minutes. Don’t worry, it includes toys. Matthew Hartley HASTINGS - A VIEW FROM THE SHIELDWALL Each player is responsible for a small part (5 yards!) of the Anglo-Danish shieldwall on Senlac Hill, 15 Oct. 1066. Each player's aim is to survive the day. Some modestly innovative mechanisms will be involved. Mike Elliott LES PETITES BATAILLES A playtest session on a simple set of rules for Napoleonic wargames using 6mm figures, in which 1 base is a battalion.

CONFERENCE INFORMATION


Mike Elliott BATTLE OF NORTHAMPTON An illustrated talk on the Battle of Northampton (July 1460) in the Wars of the Roses. Similar to the one I did in 2008 on 1st St Albans. Will include some of the latest research. Bob Cordery JOSEPH MORSCHAUSER: A FORGOTTEN PIONEER? This session will begin with a presentation about Joseph Morschauser and his rules. After a brief biographical section it will move on to describe the rules he published in his book HOW TO PLAY WAR GAMES IN MINIATURE as well as covering his grid-based 'Ancient' and 'Frontier' rules. It will pick out the main elements of his various rules, concentrating in particular on the game mechanisms he chose to use. This will be followed by a short discussion, and the session will end with attendees having the opportunity to fight some battles using Morschauser's 'Frontier' rules and the most current version of my Morschauser-inspired Interbellum rules. Tim Gow SPOCK’S SHAMEFUL SECRET No – it’s not a sci-fi game! This lawn game will in fact be a carefully crafted recreation of a crucial moment in military history—specifically the bombing of the runway at Post Stanley. Why the silly name? The game was inspired by the purchase of what Mr Spock keeps under his bed—an inflatable Vulcan! Jonathan Crowe WAR WHEEL A team game involving 5 historical battles played to one-brain-cell rules. Two teams of 5 play one turn in each battle, moving round against their opponents. Each battle lasts 5 turns therefore. Battles currently under consideration include one ancients, one dark ages, one English Civil War (all GB battles), one American Civil War, one World War 2. Games will vary in scale from 6mm to 25mm. The purpose (apart from what I hope will be a challenging game) is to look at commonality between wargames rules of different periods, how perceptions of the game change with the scale it is played at, and how possible it is to make a competition out of historical battles which are inevitably not encounter battles between supposedly equal forces. Phil Barker SHARP END - BACK TO BUGGERUPISTAN Miffed at the past ineffectiveness of the locals and heartened by the replacement of the cunning Anglians by Para who are believed to be a bit thick, the leadership over the border have sent their greatest tactician Shefan ibn Ouns with a huge lashkar of experienced warriors to restore the situation. Mayhem is expected. "The Winds of Paradise are blowing O my brothers!" Featuring the town of Bhangbhangduq, poppy fields, some very expensive American maize and a lot of lovely new 28mm figures.

CONFERENCE SESSIONS


John Bassett COLD FEET A role-play/planning game based on a real-life operation in the Arctic at the height of the Cold War. Roles will be allocated on the basis of ability to down Canadian Club whiskey. John Bassett SPARTACUS An epic role-play/map game on the great slave uprising against Rome Featuring heroic rebels, dodgy pirates and corrupt governors, all done in finest WD taste. A developed version of last year's Rubicon game system. Players should provide their own snails and oysters. David Bradbury FIRE SO CLOSE YOU ARE SPLASHED BY HIS BLOOD 16th century galley warfare in the Mediterranean. A slightly more ambitious scenario than last year using the amphibious rules, Ian Drury THE LAST CRUSADE (The Battle of Nicopolis) Jean Sans Peur and the The Last Crusade. As featured in a recent NUGGET, this is your chance to join Sigismund's Crusade to free the Balkans from the Ottoman threat. Features new rules for horse archers and a chance to see the Edirne slave market from the inside. Richard Brooks OP 14 An operational level Great War game (well, it’s quite good!) set in 1914. Corps level activation and control, brigade level movement and combat resolution. Red Square mechanisms adapted to:

Reflect narrative level typical of Great War, i.e. large multi-corps battles. Focus player attention on tough command choices. Differentiate ill matched opponents. Confront players with unforgiving tactical realities of 1914. Historical scenario from August 1914, 2-3 Corps a side, featuring Belgian ferocity rules.

Richard Brooks DER GROSSER SCHWEIGER – The Life and Career of Helmut von Moltke the Elder Illustrated talk on one of history’s most influential wargamers, who fought more unintended battles than any other great commander, and could be silent in seven languages:

Pioneered managerial command techniques needed by industrialised mass armies. Mobilised power of modern weapons and transportation techniques to smash Europe’s traditional dominant military powers. Greater than Napoleon or supremely fortunate in his opponents?

Martin Wallace BULL RUN A two-player board game based on the first battle of Bull Run. The rules are aimed at the entry level market and are pretty simple. I intend to run three games simultaneously, as I did with Gettysburg last year, so room for six players.

CONFERENCE SESSIONS


Martin Wallace A FEW ACRES OF SNOW Another two-player game, this one about the long struggle between Britain and France for dominance in North America. No idea how complex it will be as I've only just started designing it. It is meant to be the next two-player Treefrog game, so I have to have something ready by CoW. I will be running three games simultaneously, so room for six players John Curry EXERCISE SNOWBALL Anti-terrorist training exercise in a hypothetical city. Players take on roles within the city government and manage the changing situation. John Curry THE ANTI-U-BOAT WARGAMES OF THE WESTERN APPROACHES TACTICAL SCHOOL (1943) After years of research I have enough to reconstruct this key wartime training game. Players captain the escorts in this simulation. John Curry EARLY WARGAMES After diner practical session about early wargames. Including Triang’s combat, Waddington’s battle of the Little Bighorn, Battle of Balaclava by Strand Magazine (1890), Gen Horrock’s Combat. John Curry A TOWN TOO FAR Plan a WWII airborne operation, then carry it out using Megablitz type rules. Martin Goddard & Rob Roriston WASHINGTON’S ARMY (AWI) A game that was worked on at COW last year and is now complete. A chance to play a game that COW attendees had some input in. Martin Goddard & Rob Roriston SQUARE BASHING (WW1) A revisit of an older game in order to make it better and include new ideas. This will be a first outing, therefore it will be rough! Martin Rapier DRUMFIRE, CORPS LEVEL TRENCH WARFARE IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR A fairly high level game looking at the planning and execution of a Corps level attack on the Western Front. It is anticipated that this session will be run in two parts, firstly a short planning session for senior commanders (Major and Lt Generals) in the luxurious environs of the bar, followed by a more conventional toy soldier game to fire the bombardment and then carry out the attack. As a minimum three senior commanders are required, with the possible addition of sundry brigadiers on the big day itself.

CONFERENCE SESSIONS


Tom Mouat A PLACE IN THE SUN A presentation about life in the Green Zone in Baghdad. NATO Missions, Bob on the FOB, General Majiid, Body Armour, DFACs, IDFs, the IZ, Sexy Interpreter Girl, photography, T-Walls and the daily Car Bombs. Tim Price WE SHALL BE KINGS An ADG about a small band of determined men after Saddam's hidden treasure... Palaces! Marble Floors! 50 degree heat! Flies! Special Forces! The smell of toilets! Tony Hawkins & John Bassett SHOT AT DAWN A lawn game. This will take place at 0730 on Saturday. Dick Scholefield THE BIRDS ARE SINGING AND IT’S A WONDERFUL DAY For those that remember "The Birds are Singing and its a wonderful Day" there is a chance to have another "stressful time" being responsible for 18 blokes in WWII. Just a simple recognisance brief - should be easy! Those of you who have not yet experienced this single player 15-20 minute role playing adventure though the French countryside then come and brave the difficulties of platoon command. Anything can happen but before it does the birds are singing and its a wonderful day! Wayne Thomas CONTACT, TANKS! EAST! Takes the “External” rules to the 1991 Gulf War. Command US/UK/French forces against the Republican Guard. A 1/300th tank game for up to three players, and the world’s press. Michael Young HAPSBURG LIP A game of power politics, conquest and incest in 16th Century Europe. Take the part of a noble family and try to build an empire through intermarriage and conquest, but watch out for some unpleasant genetic side effects as Hapsburg Lip, hemophilia and other genetic diseases become prevalent through too much breeding. But too little interbreeding and you’ll lose legitimacy… Graham Evans THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM Players represent velites trying to kill a very large plastic elephant—what’s not to like? Graham Evans RETURN TO THE RIVER DON Regimental level table top game of the Russian Civil War, using 15mm figures. Intended as a two player game the session can take up to 4 players. The rules started as a modification of a set of well known commercial rules for a different period. Gradually all the original mechanisms have been swapped out. The session will include the game plus a discussion of why the

CONFERENCE SESSIONS


mechanisms were changed and chosen Tim Gow TANK TERROR! A fairly quick and very silly game in which players must use a number of dodgy AT weapons to defeat an attack by a swarm of motorised 20mm tanks.

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COW ATTENDEES

At the time of writing, Knuston Hall is due to be filled to capacity be the following individuals: John Armatys Rob Doel Tony Hawkins Chris James John Salt Martin Rapier John Bassett Wayne Thomas David Brock Tim Gow Ian Drury Nick Huband Jonathan Crowe Bob Corder Phil Barker Sue Laflin Barker Peter Roe Bob Bowman John Curry Alex Kleathous Alan Paull Fred Cartwright Peter Grizzell Tom Mouat Keira Bentley David Bradbury Jerry Elsmore Graham Evans Michael Young Matthew Hartley Peter Knowlden Richard Brooks Nigel Drury Mike Elliott Will Whyler Chris Ager Dick Scholefield Chris Hanley Sean Clark Martin Wallace Martin Goddard Rob Roriston Chris Perry Rob Cooper Judith Rawle Russell King Phil Steele Gavin Parnaby Ralph Ashdown Nick Drage Paddy Griffith Chris Willey Steven Bowns Ian Mitchell

Dramatis Personae


WD AGM

THE WARGAME DEVELOPMENTS AGM

So far, the AGM agenda includes the following items. Please let Tim Gow have any other items in writing by 28/06/2010. 1. Report by the Conference Organiser (Tim Gow) 2. Report by the Treasurer/Membership Secretary. To include WD membership fees for the year 2010/2011 (Bob Cordery) 3. Report by the Editor of "The NUGGET" (Alex Kleanthous) 4. Report by the Publicity Officers (Bob Cordery, Tim Gow & John Curry). To include details of forthcoming events, including the Innovations In Wargaming Conference on 4-6 March 2011. 5. The election of Officers: Nominations for Office are open at the AGM. The names that follow have indicated their willingness to stand for Office. Conference Organiser Proposed: Tim Gow Treasurer Proposed: Bob Cordery Membership Secretary Proposed: Bob Cordery Editor of "The NUGGET" Proposed: Alex Kleanthous Editor-in-waiting (Colour Supplement Editor) Proposed: Matthew Hartley Co-ordinator, WD Display Team North Proposed: Tim Gow Co-ordinator, WD Display Team South Proposed: Bob Cordery Co-ordinator, WD Display Team West Proposed: John Curry

6. Any other business

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