Weekend Update A Belated Fall-In Post

I did not have (nor make) the opportunity to post about the Fall-In 2025 Convention before I went to Vermont for two weeks of Government sponsored excitement, nor did I manage to sort out my pictures and such whilst there in the barracks. 

I'll try to correct some of that now with a few pictures and, maybe, fewer words. 

Jim Purky (Der Alte Fritz and Fife and Drum Miniatures fame, pictured in the center) ran three semi-linked 40mm games based on the Richard Sharpe novels by Bernard Cornwell. I played in the Friday morning and the Saturday morning editions. 

Jim made up his own rules, as he frequently does, for convention games that are fast, fun and furious. They are easy to learn (I was able to be on my own by Turn 3) and used card activation and card draw to resolve casualties. Think of it as a mass skirmish game. 

Anyway, both games were bags of fun and came down to the wire. I won one and lost one. I've played in Jim's games at the Seven Years' War Convention and at Historicon. If you ever have a chance to play in one of his games, I highly encourage you to do so. 

The theme of this particular Fall-In was the celebration of the 250th Birthday of the US Navy and the United States Marine Corps....ahem. Okay, not historically correct, but I'm sure I'd be the lone voice in the wilderness trying to get them to correct their birth certificates. 

The games about both organizations were plentiful and interesting, as were many others. 

To The Shores of Tripoli by Pete Panzeri about the Battle of Derna 1805

Scott Landis running his monster 15mm ACW Naval extravaganza complete with Grog Ceremony

A brilliant five player blind game of a certain WW2 action that shall not be named, else future players may be warned of the consequences of firing upon an unknown ship without identification first...

The Dutch attack on San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1625

A 1:700th scale Japanese versus US Navy in the Pacific game. 

A lovely game of 54mm Cowboys and Indians with a train, no less...

A game of the Battle of Princeton by Chris Parker using his 40mm 3D printed figures and his published rules "Light Bobs". Had a very nice chat with Chris before the game, too. 

What could be better than a beautifully made terrain board for the Battle of Bunker's Hill? 

Why a SECOND table right next door, but using different rules...

And whilst not my only Flea Market purchase, definitely the best deal I've found in several years. Enough 15mm Mongols for a complete army in ADLG, only need to make a camp element. 

Certainly not all my pictures. And I left early on Saturday so I could get a jump on packing for Vermont, plus spend time with Herself. 

Now, it's back to the end of the semester, which means reading and LOTS of writing, as well as peak season in the warehouse. And I'm sure there's close to a thousand emails since I've been gone for two weeks. 

Veterans Day/Remembrance Day 2025

 

The picture above is from my window of the room I am in here in the barracks in Vermont. Today, as I have been in other years, I happen to be on orders. The black horizontal line above the center right in the picture is my car under snow and sleet that fell last night. I didn't bother to clean it off until I wanted to go to lunch, since we are not on duty today. 

I've had the great privilege to have a day to myself, to read books and watch videos on YouTube, to drink lots of hot coffee, to not wear the pickle suit but my cardigan and house slippers. 

That has given me time to reflect on my fellow veterans who have not been allowed the same time or opportunity. Or who did not make it home. 

I am thankful for what I have and what has come to me either by dint of hard work or through the intervention of a Higher Power I do not understand. 

Peace be with you, especially to my fellow brothers and sisters who have served. A piece of advice I have recently heard: Enjoy every sandwich. I think I shall take that advice. 

Lest we forget. 

Weekend Update

As the ECW project continues apace, I've also finally, FINALLY, played my first game of Art De La Guerre (aka ADLG), that wonder of the community who play with 15mm figures that have pointy sticks and stabby-stabby things for weapons. 

I've been interested in playing ADLG for a couple of years or so, but the chance to buy the rulebook at Historicon, coupled with a very off-the-cuff purchase of a friend's unpainted Bactrian Greek army at OttoCon, sealed the proverbial deal. 

Last Wednesday night, I was at the RAP Gamers with John and Steve on one side of the table, and I was paired with Phil, yes THAT Phil, on the other side. 

Dirty Tuaregs on camels on the left and a complicated set of Byzantines on the right

I was given command of the left hand side of the board with strict orders not to, ummm, screw up too badly. Since John is also a new player, but one who has survived multiple thrashings, I figured we were pretty well equal. 

Lovely armoured cavalry and spear pushers with some lads swinging axes. What could possibly go wrong? (Hint: that would be me having to roll dice...)

Annnnnnd.....that didn't go so well for me...see the above picture...

There was this verse from a Johnny Horton song about there "not being so many as they were a while ago" that kept playing in my head as a rolled four consecutive "1's" on a single D6 in one particular turn...ummm, NOT what one should do in this game. 

 Bruce having joined us due to reports of a gap in the space-dice time continuum, whereby I broke something with by ghastly rolling

In theory, the Tuaregs, and their bloody camels, were supposed to destroy themselves attacking us clever Byzantines as we stood against their attack. While Phil and Steve explained the rules as we went along, and there was much jocularity, my first turn of good dice rolls turned out to be my last, and I struggled with the normal mathematical odds for rolling 5's and 6's on a single D6. 

Bags of fun, though, and I am eagerly awaiting next Wednesday where we should see Normans versus Sicilians. I am trying to clear the painting table of projects, so I can get back to my Bactrian Greeks, as well as an Italian Condotta army, and half of a Seljuk Turk army....just need to get t'other half, eh? 

And the ECW project still comes together. This week saw one unit of dragoons completed, along with two units of horse and three of foot that came painted and ready to be recycled. 

Garish blues they may be, I wasn't about to strip and repaint them. 

Next weekend is FALL-IN, then I'll be off to Vermont for a couple of weeks of Government sponsored shenanigans. Hopefully there will be time to paint and post. 

More anon.