Not Quite a Victory in a Not Quite the Seven Years War Game

Saturday found me in Harve de Grace, Maryland at the HAWKS Club regional convention, BARRAGE.

 Notwithstanding the fact 2024 is the 30th Anniversary of the HAWKS, the two-day show was well attended, including the dealers' area and flea market tables that line the walls around the game tables.

But more of that anon. 

I essentially went down for just some of Saturday's fun, mostly to see folks and for the low stress flea market. 

I did choose to play in one game, though, a HAWKS standard. It's a group project they've run for, well, decades, at this point, their Not Quite The Seven Year War wargame. 

40mm semi-round 18th century figures, painted in the colours of imagi-nation regiments, using "Charge" rules and D6's. 

Did I mention the massive size of the units? 

Big regiments. As in 60 figure infantry regiments...yeah. BIG regiments on magnetic movement trays. 

One of the units I had the fortune to command, was a regiment of Rossmark Pandours, painted by my friend in Nova Scotia, Ross Macfarlane. I asked Rob Dean, who was running the game, if there were any units painted by Ross on the table, that would be available for me to command. 

The 32nd North Polenberg Dragoon Regiment

So I had not one, but two, of these massive cavalry regiments. Needless to say, I did not have to hit the gym Saturday, I got plenty of weightlifting moving big trays of 40mm figures...

"I wanna be in the cavalry, if they send me off to war"

The scenario itself wasn't very complicated, three objectives for my side to take, being defended, of course, by all HAWKS Club members, who knew the rules, etc, etc, etc... Hmmm.... 

That being said, it was nice to hold the right flank of my team. I had a small redoubt opposite me, run by Roger C., whom I know from OttoCon times. My Pandours on the right and the giant hundredweight of cavalry on my left, I surged forward....via written orders, of course. It IS "Charge" after all... 

And fractions. Many, many fractions. 

Truth be told, the rules...um...kind of suck. But when you are pushing big regiments of shiny toy soldiers with like minded enthusiasts, it's not so bad...

Cocked hats and crooked dice, indeed...

I'm sure there's some Victorian-esque wargame doggerel out there to scribble, but I just don't have the mental bandwidth right now. 

How can you not love something like this? 

Anyway, the game was scheduled for 16 turns, and we actually slogged through 10 before we called it at Turn 11. We took one objective, had a decent shot at taking another, if we had more time, and no chance to get the third. I think Rob called it a "draw"...but the post-game recrimination and mud flinging phase was interrupted by Anniversary Cake being served.

As always, the HAWKS put on a great show. The game was enormous fun, and very gentlemanly, too. Proper 18th century play and behaviour. Well, except for maybe the odd taunt... 😏

Already looking forward to next year. 

More about this year's BARRAGE, later.