Strategicon – OrcCon 2017

Catching up with the recent gaming activities for WR. First is a quick report on the  Strategicon – OrcCon convention held every President’s Day weekend near LAX (Los Angeles airport). WR and his son Daniel GM’d two scenario games during the OrcCon convention. A Flames of War 20mm Salerno 1943 game and a small French Republican scenario called the Battle of Gaza 1799. Historically, the Gaza battle was a minor action but General Bonaparte made a bulletin mention of his “victory” so WR made his unusual scenario.

Calore River Crossing – Salerno 1943 Flames of War 20mm scenario run by Daniel (son of WR). Some teasing photos pending the full WR write-up on this hard-fought battle.

Calore River crossing – Salerno 1943 HMGS-PSW — Sat 11 am — Flames of War 20mm GM: Daniel Verity. Salerno – Calore River crossing 1943 Flames of War 20mm scenario based upon the efforts of 2nd Battalion, 179th RCT to advance across Calore river, block German access to Highway 19 near Serre, and link up with rest of their 179th RCT taking a different route towards Ponte-Sele and Serre. All gamers welcome. [Copied from the Orccon program book]

Calore River crossing 1943 scenario at start. A hard-fought tabletop action had four players enjoying the afternoon. Americans at right with first move, their German opponents at left.

Mid game with the arrival of the German StuG III armor. The red markers dotting the tabletop denote casualties on both sides.

Battle of Gaza 1799 run by WR. Having played this scenario years ago, the French and Levant Ottomans are facing off again. Will the Levant Ottomans win this time and repulse the French coastal advance towards Arce? This scenario went the distance with both sides having success and failures. Full WR report with photos to follow soon.

Battle of Gaza 1799 French vs. Ottomans – HMGS-PSW — Sun 11 am — Napoleonics 28mm GM: Michael Verity. Fun scenario with the French Armee d’Orient, under General Bonaparte, marching towards Gaza (Acre) and encountering portions of the Ottoman army of Damascus, under Jezzar Pasha, defending the sandy coastal hills. All gamers welcome, experienced or inexperienced.

A turn or two completed, the French arrival triggers some Levant Ottoman cavalry to advance and slow the French infantry columns and screening cavalry.

Battle in full swing about mid game, the Mameluke cavalry lines up to charge home. Sharp swords gleam in the sunlight. French heads to lop off…..

During the convention live gaming hours, WR made quick walk around trips to see the nearby miniature tables. Photos taken and brief game photo description of the action posted below.

First up is the winter tabletop of Steve and Dan, long time gaming friends of WR, running their 15mm ACW Battle of Stone’s River December 1862 scenario. If the 15mm miniatures got hungry… just eat the dusted tabletop snow (flour). Miniatures and terrain from Steve and Dan’s collections.

Stone’s River presented by HMGS/PSW — Sat 11 am — ACW GM: Stephen Phenow. On December 31, 1862, the advancing Army of the Cumberland under Union general William Rosecrans fought a battle with Gen. Braxton Bragg’s Army of Tennessee on the outskirts of Murfreesboro, Tenn. Both generals formed plans of attack, but Bragg struck first, breaking the Union right with two veteran divisions of Polks’ Corps. Rosecrans fell back fighting to save his army and career and finally stopped the Rebels.

Stave and Dan’s 15mm Stone River scenario. It looked cold….. but the miniatures were well fed with the flour tabletop dusting.

Rebel Confederate brigades at left, atop the low hill, then Stone river and Union (Federal) infantry brigades face off across the river at right.

The eastern half of the table pending the arrival of massed Confederate infantry brigades.

Overall the grand view of the battle and tabletop. Looked better in person WR would like to add.

Team Yankee had two games running at the convention. First up on Saturday WR’s friend Tim ran his interesting 15mm battle “over the long bridge” scenario. Miniatures and terrain from Tim’s collections. True to TY games… lots of flaming wrecks soon dotted the tabletop. Infantry was seen, maybe in the woods off right. British vs. the red menace (Soviets) by looking closely at the photos.

Looking down the long overpass…. who is willing to drive their tank across that? British in foreground, Soviets across the river on far bank.

Bold British armor crosses the bridge, then thought twice and retired. Infantry seen lining the river bank for a little fishing? Roads look great Tim!

Burning wrecks. Seems even so far. Time to bring on the next Soviet column. Who won?

Time to go back in time a bit. Pike & Shotte scenario run by other friends of WR. Andrew and Paul conducted a showpiece 28mm P&S scenario with lots of pointy pikes, Irish bog dwellers, and French and Imperials having a serious disagreement in Italy. Miniatures from several collections I think.

HMGS-PSW Italian Wars Participation Game — Sat 2 pm — Pike & Shotte GM: Andrew Gledhill and Paul Schipitsch. 28mm Italian Wars participation game featuring Landsknecht and French pikes, with Irish mercenaries, artillery support, and plenty of cavalry including Gendarmes, Stradiots and Mounted Arquebus and Crossbow. All troops and terrain provided and rule guidance given.

The Irish home from home. Ring fort with Irish garrison and pickets in distance. Some French cavalry lurks upper left.

The main infantry pike blocks enter the fray while cavalry pranced about.

Melee erupt and dissipate, some wins, some loses. The infantry seek to engage their opposite number.

Count the pikes…..Early cannon fire sends stone round shot into the massed ranks.

Who has your flank? Friend or foe?

It’s hip to be square.. or rectangular in this case. Pretty flags.

Push of the long pikes.

Grand table view of the proceedings.

Game brought to you by the Warlord photographic unit. Large billboard seen near battlefield.

After a version of land boarding actions… time to set sail on the peaceful ocean. But alas, seems the local navies have another dispute. WR’s friend Robert and son GM’d the games. Fully rigged models contest the blue mat ocean for trade. Several naval battles fought this day.

Signal Close Action — Sun 10 am — Signal Close Action GM: Robert Boyens and Jesse Boyens 1812: Badly needed French supplies are being sent to Spain, taking advantage of the British blockaders being blown off station by a storm. Can the French supply ships being escorted by men-of-war make it up the coast before the Royal Navy intervenes? 1/1200 ships – everything supplied.

Beautiful models. 1/200 scale I think.

Are we windward yet?

Sailing close to the unnatural white sheets of Dover.

Raked again. Mom foretold me about those windy days when my poor sailing habits would be the death of me.

The young gamers. Battle Play-dough in action. Not a clue on the rules… if there was any but the idea was to “spat” the dough onto another hand shaped “dough figurine” via a toss I think.

Play dough play in progress.

Dice and Play dough. What a combination.

For Sunday, the action recommenced with Dan running his Battle of Freeman’s farm 15mm AWI scenario. Miniatures and terrain from his collection. Lots of hidden movements and pop up action while dealing with the woods of New England.

Freeman’s Farm, Sponsored by HMGS/PSW — Sun 11 am — War Against George III GM: Dan Munson. As the northern pincer of British Lt. Gen. Sir Henry Clinton’s audacious 1777 campaign, Maj. Gen. John Burgoyne’s “Canada Army” has penetrated south to vicinity of Saratoga, N.Y. The impatient and hot-headed (but brilliant) Maj. Gen. Benedict Arnold slipped Gate’s leash and moved his division forward. The result was the Battle of Freeman’s Farm and the end of Burgoyne’s southward advance.

Contact. The first British regiment, after cross the shallow stream near the ford, encounter American infantry. The chit markers represent real or fake regiments, shrugging to march through the woods to the open ground near Freeman’s farm.

The big view of the Freeman farm AWI scenario board.

Another red coat regiment shows up with more to follow. American regiments line the wooden fence.

American view of the proceedings. Now four British regiments are engaging the Americans with a dead leader it seems.

The American front line gives way to the steady British linear advance. Some artillery appears to support the continuing advance.

Reinforced, the Americans stage a 180 and rejoin the brawl in the woods.

Not SYW terrain and the lines look a bit ragged but both sides contests every tree trunk or wood fence position.

Closer view of the miniatures and terrain. Terrain board is specific for this battle.

Further down the board another front opens up with advancing British vs. arriving American militia.

Seems the American retired a bit to reform their battle lines. For the rest of the convention this battle raged on. WR unsure who claimed the victory.

Bolt Action 28mm next. A small BA tourney was run at OrcCon this year. Match up action across several preset terraced tables. Some photos of the miniature action below.

WWII Bolt Action Demo and Raffle — Sun Noon — Bolt Action by Warlord Games GM: Elijah Kellogg. Bolt Action is a popular, squad-based, 28mm WWII Game. The basics are intuitive and easy to learn—we’ll have you playing in minutes!—and yet the gameplay is exciting, dynamic, and infinitely strategic. We’ll have at least two 3D maps to play on, with 4 classic forces to choose from: Soviets, Imperial Japanese, Americans and Germans. All are welcome, and demoing the game will enter you into a free raffle for prizes!

For Sunday, the Team Yankee also had their own small tourney with four tables running.

Team Yankee Tournament — Sun Noon — Team Yankee GM: Mike James. Three round tournament. 85 points, scenario games. Would prefer Red vs Blue games, so some flexibility is a bonus.

Grand view of the long TY tables.

Some lucky Russian player has Hind air support.

Strategicon group runs three conventions every year at the same Hilton hotel location near LAX airport. President Day weekend (OrcCon), Memorial Day weekend (Gamex), and Labor Day weekend (Gateway). Details can be found on the above linked Strategicon site.

WR

 

 

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