Easy method to promote the historical gaming community in Southern California and WR’s eye on the local historical miniature bloggers and their posts. Also, a handy location to store the links to the California miniature gaming and convention events, both in Northern and Southern California. Links highlighted in bold blue text if known and in no particular order below. Note: With the recent CoVid 2020 situation, several of these events have changed dates or maybe become inactive.
Historical Miniature conventions and local wargaming stores in California:
HMGS-PSW: The local HMGS chapter for Southern California and Arizona region. Their HMGS-PSW site generally contains more information on the local events and discussion.
Strategicon group (Los Angeles – LAX): Three conventions per year each of four days in length. Orccon on President’s day weekend, Gamex on Memorial Day weekend, and Gateway on Labor Day weekend. Mostly board-games and RPG but a small historical miniature group valiantly keeps their historical miniatures presence at each convention. WR occasionally GM’s a scenario at these conventions when family time permits.
Kingdom Con (San Diego): Mixture of role-playing, board games and miniatures (fantasy and historical). Set for April.
Kublacon (San Francisco): Based on past event schedules this Memorial Day weekend convention is fast becoming the historical miniatures convention on the western coast. WR has been to this convention and enjoyed the gaming except for the overcrowding and poor parking availability – the convention organizers are working on the expansion and crowd issues.
Pacificon (San Jose): Another regional convention held over the Labor Day weekend. Small group of No. California historical miniature gamers alway put on games at this convention.
Conquest Sac & Conquest Avalon (Sacramento): Another excellent regional convention with great miniature gaming. Conquest Sac held mid March and Conquest Avalon during November.
DunDraCon (San Ramon): Mixed board games, RPG, and miniatures convention like Strategicon above. Normally held during the President’s Day weekend.
San Diego Historical Games Convention (San Diego): Mixed board and miniature gaming convention held mid November.
The War House (Long Beach): Old fashioned local gaming store run by Steven Luckey in Long Beach CA and regularly seen in the dealer hall of local conventions. Tables in store rear for the gaming community and the wargaming stuff on the walls. WR is unaware of any local gaming group which bases itself out The War House.
Brookhurst Hobbies (Garden Grove): The local mega hobbies and gaming store in Southern California. Link goes to their Facebook page which tends to cover the gaming activities held at Brookhurst Hobbies by Brookhurst Gamers.
Blogger & Gaming Club links in Southern California:
The Warren (San Fernando Valley): Hey, one must plug the WR’s gaming group too…but if you are reading this you already know of the WR, his blog, and his gaming activities.
St Crispin’s Irregulars (Anaheim): Apart from their meetings held every month in their meeting hall (Knights of Columbus), this group travels about to other local hobby stores and puts on games. All types and periods of historical gaming.
Winser’s Wargaming page (Manhattan Beach): Duke Winser’s blog covers his gaming in several historical horse and musket era periods. The fun part is reading about his local high school student group learning history and gaming.
Santa Clarita Wargamer: Dave’s blog covers a wide spectrum of historical gaming. HYW to ACW then into the WWII period seems to be his favorite eras. A local blogger, just in the northern valley to WR.
Historical Hobbies.com (Santa Clarita): Bill Witthans historical miniatures site and commentary on the his local gaming scene. Bill is an excellent terrain maker, miniature painter, and ex HMGS-PSW club president.
Drum Barracks Civil War Battles Group (San Fernando Valley): Steve Phenow’s civil war battles group based out of the historical Drum Barracks in Wilmington CA and the San Fernando valley.
Other sites of special note or interest (and regular visitors to WR warren blog):
Blunders on the Danube: Peter Anderson’s world-famous site, outside of CA,, especially on the 1809 Austrian campaign. Informational and loaded with historical uniform detail and battles of many periods.
DCHWargamesblog: Burkhard’s blogging site loaded with painted historical miniatures (all periods), scenario gaming, and his devotions into other gaming topics.
Association – Les Riflemen: The French connection in wargaming. Phil’s jaunty site covers many historical periods and always fun to read his blog posts while looking at his fabulous collections.
Don’t throw a 1: Ray Rousell’s blogging site with long time featuring of horse and musket era gaming. Part of the famous “Posties Rejects” team of gamers…. don’t ask.
Wargamerabbit 