I Have Been To....Historicon 2024

 

"Wait for the Wagon" Regimental March of the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps...

I have been remiss, no, actually I've just been bloody lazy, when it comes to reporting on my time at Historicon this year. It was the usual mix of feelings and emotions for me. Mostly good, some negative, but certainly better than no wargaming at all. 

Work meant I was under the gun to prepare for the four games I ran. I managed, though, even if I did detail my last terrain pieces the morning of their game... I ran four games, played in one, failed to make a second game (my apologies to the GM), bought some things and talked to a lot of friends I only see a couple of times a year. 

The game I did play in was run by Jim P. and assisted by my friend Bill M. It was a re-fight of Pickett's Charge from Gettysburg and consisted of around 1200 (yes, that is indeed twelve hundred) 54mm figures spread over three six foot wide by twenty-four feet long tables. 

Jim carted all of this from his home in Illinois over a two day drive, just for this convention. He made up a set of rules, built the terrain, including several scratch-built buildings, and tested his more than once with friends in the Midwest before bringing this amazing game to Lancaster. 

The Bliss Farm that Jim modelled in memory of a friend of Bill's and mine, Elwood "Woody" Christ

The dastardly Confederates have gained the Emmittsburg Pike. 

The brave Union boys in blue awaiting the Johnnies. I commanded Stannard's Vermont Brigade on the lower right-hand corner of the picture. 

The game was simple enough, the Confederates attack and try to take the Union position, the Federals must try to stop the Confederates. Regiments were five stands of six figures...all in 54mm! Batteries were two or three gun models with four crew each. Six sided dice were used. Movement rates were big, naturally. 

My opponents, Nate and his son. A very nice father-son team. First class, all the way. 

Wargame Rule #27: Never play against anyone under 12, because you will lose...

Stannard's boys standing firm, like the Green Mountains. 

Jim was generous enough to paint up a couple of units for me to represent the 13th and 14th Vermont Regiments. The 1st USSS replaced the 16th VT for the game. I was very thankful to Jim for being kind enough to do this, it meant a lot to me. 

The Maestro himself, before Thursday's game. 

And there's Bill M. getting ready to broadcast via his YouTube Channel, Bill's Wargame World...

To be fair, the game was huge bags of fun. We played 12 turns in four hours, including the briefing and we had at least 14-16 players. It wound up being a Confederate victory, but it was a nail biter all the way. The Union and Confederates went back and forth in the middle and even on the far end of the table. But my end held firm, until the very end. 

"There stand the Vermonters! Standing like a Maple Wall! Rally on them!"

"Maple Wall" Stannard? Hmmm....

One thing that was truly nice to see, was HMGS awarding Jim a PELA award for his game. PELAs are given to those GMs who go above and beyond to create fun and exciting games. And this was truly well earned. 

All in all, it was one of the most fun games I've ever played in and certainly ticked off almost every box in my mind. I would play in this again (no, Jim, I'm NOT asking you to run it again...). 

As far as the rest of the convention, more anon.