Historicon Games planned for 2025

Gepost op door JurjenB in Internetblog
Here’s the listings for the four games I will be running at Historicon this year, followed by events run by a group of good wargaming friends from across the US: 

Battle of Bosworth Field, August 22, 1485

Henry Tudor has landed in England, with support from his French Allies. Can Richard II defeat the invaders, or fail, effectively ending the Wars of the Roses, and have his body discovered under a parking lot centuries later? Rules are easily learned.

Event Number 141
Where & When(local to convention) Wednesday from 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm
CW-12 in Commonwealth Ballroom
Period Medieval Warfare
Scale 25/28 mm
Rules Test of Resolve – Wars of the Roses

Sea Peoples in de Nile,1274 BC

Pharoah Mereptah, son of Ramses II, faces an attack on the heart of Egypt by the invading Sea Peoples, who are supported by their Libyan allies. Fast p[lying rules that are easily learned

Event Number 575
Where & When(local to convention) Thursday from 7:00 pm to 10:30 pm
CF-6 in Commonwealth Foyer
Period Ancients
Scale 25/28 mm
Rules To the Strongest! 
Theme Game No

At the gates of Nineveh

The strength of the Hittite Empire is waning, but its last King, Suppiluliuma II, attempts to take advantage of a moment of weakness on the part of the rising Assyrian Empire,. launching a surprise attack on Nineveh and the forces of King Ashur-nirari III

Event Number 565
Where & When(local to convention) Friday from 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm
CW-32 in Commonwealth Ballroom
Period Ancients
Scale 25/28 mm
Rules To the Strongest!
Theme Game No

Wellington Attacks! The Battle of Salamanca, July 22, 1812

Known for his defensive battles, Wellington observes Marshal Marmont’s army becoming separated as they march along parallel routes, and attacks!

Event Number 440
Where & When(local to convention) Saturday from 6:00 pm to 10:30 pm
FF-05 Games in Freedom Foyer
Period Napoleonic Wars/War of 1812
Scale 25/28 mm
Rules Field of Battle, 3rd edition, modified

The first three games filled up within 36 hours; Due to space crunch this year, the Salamanca game was not allotted table space until yesterday, and has plenty of open spots.  Preliminary maps for the  game:

Other Games run by friends from the Piquet/Field of Battle/To the Strongest camp


Eric Burgess:

Battle of Sabis River – 57 BC

The Battle was a dramatic clash between Julius Caesar’s Roman legions and the fierce Nervii tribe, part of the Belgae confederation. The Nervii had allied with neighboring Atrebates and Veromandui tribes and they devised a cunning plan to ambush the Romans.

Event Number 726
Where & When(local to convention) Thursday from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm
HF-2 in Heritage Ballroom Foyer
Period Ancients
Scale 15/18 mm
Rules To the Strongest

Vauban’s Wars

This game will be an introductory siege game using Vauban’s Wars rules. If will be loosely based on a siege from the SYW pitting the French(garrison) vs the besieging Allies (British, Hanover, Brunswickers, and Hesse-Kasel). Can you reduce the fortress or can you hold out as the garrison commander?

Event Number 646
Where & When(local to convention) Saturday from 1:00 pm to 6:30 pm
HF-2 in Heritage Ballroom Foyer
Period 18th Century
Scale 15/18 mm
Rules Vauban’s Wars

Jim  Mauro

**Clash of Titans: The Battle of Grunwald 1410**

Refight one of the largest battles of medieval Europe. The Teutonic Order, under Grand Master Ulrich v. Jungingen, face off against the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, under the Polish King Jagiello and the Lithuanian Grand Prince Vytautus.

Event Number 542
Where & When(local to convention) Friday from 9:00 am to 11:30 am
CW-32 in Commonwealth Ballroom
G
Period Medieval Warfare
Scale 15/18 mm
Rules To The Strongest!

**Hussite Wars: The Battle of Kutna Hora 1421**

At Kutná Hora in the early winter of 1421, the Hussites are encircled by the superior forces of the Holy Roman Empire under King Sigismund. Sigismund’s elite heavy cavalry face off against the Hussite Wagenberg led by the indominable Jan Žižka.

Event Number 543
Where & When(local to convention) Saturday from 9:00 am to 11:30 am
CW-14 in Commonwealth Ballroom
Period Medieval Warfare
Scale 15/18 mm
Rules To The Strongest!
Theme Game No

Milton Soong:

To the Strongest! – Battle of Cannae

Come try out the popular fast play ancient rules: To the Strongest! There will be many TTS events in this convention, and this is a good chance to come learn the rules via the most famous battle in ancient time! Beginners welcome, All ages welcome, but under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

Event Number 662
Where & When(local to convention) Thursday from 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm
CF-6 in Commonwealth Foyer
Period Ancients
Scale 15/18 mm
Rules To the Strongest!
Theme Game No

Jeff Grein:

Raphia – 217 BC

The Wars of the Successors led to the establishment of three Hellenistic Kingdoms: the Antigonids, the Ptolemies and the Seleucids. Antiochus III looking to restore his crumbling empire marched on Egypt looking to defeat Ptolemy IV. They met at Raphia on the Egyptian frontier.

Event Number 672
Where & When(local to convention) Friday from 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm
CW-35 in Commonwealth Ballroom
Period Ancients
Scale 25/28 mm
Rules To the Strongest

Historicon should be a great show again  this year!

Acquisitions, part 3

Gepost op door JurjenB in Internetblog

Last of these for a while, I promise! 

A couple more Birthday Ospreys from our freind, Bob Hopkins.

The reason for these titles was our visit to San Juan, Puerto Rico in February. This included a visit to one of the two famous Colonial era fortresses there – El Moro (depicted on the cover above). “Film on that at eleven”! Curiously, there are multiple large Blood and Plunder games based upon the Dutch assault on San Juan of 1525 at Historicon this year. I signed up for the “Friday Night at the Fights” event. Rum optional…

I needed enough books to keep the postage from the UK reasonable, and this one looked interesting!
Background reading – I am running Bosworth Field at Historicon Wednesday evening. About halfway through the book, which is about 75% background on the WotR and the succession, and the personality and acts of Richard II and Henry Tudor; enjoying it!

One of my patients of 40 years is of Maltese descent, and has been spending a lot of time there in his retirement. He’s aware of my interest in history, and brought me this lavishly illustrated book on the islands; definitely on my “to visit” list! 
Finally, my Danube Campaign, part 2 Kickstarter arrived from Lucas and Piano Wargames. Figures include those for a new unit each of Cuirassiers and Hussars, an Old Guard unit (will become the 3rd “Dutch” Grenadiers), any many command figures. The next KS from Lucas will be the army of Baden!

Acquisitions, Part 2: American Revolutionary War

Gepost op door JurjenB in Internetblog
Knowing of my coming American Revolutionary War project, our good freind Bob Hopkins gifted me with some appropriate Osprey titles for my birthday earlier this year. 

Useful stuff; I already have a copy of Lefferts from decades ago, but it lacks the color illustrations.
More food for (Revolutionary) thought!
This one I ordered myself (along with some other titles), getting to the more practical nitty gritty!
I also received the first instalment of miniatures for the period, courtesy of the Perrys – enough figures for probably all of the cavalry, artillery, and Native American forces I will likely ever need (hah!), plus a few infantry and command for both sides. I am still debating using Brigade Games figures for the bulk of my infantry. I think I have settled on small units for this period, 12 foot, 6 horse, 1 gun with crew per unit, given the small size of forces during this era, and also allowing a wide variety of “uniforms”. That (should) also help to keep cost and storage requirements down… famous last words, right?!

I accidentally left this one out of my last post.

This is the “flat pack bridge” from Simon and his Big Red Bat shop.

Assembly was a snap… literally. I’m debating whether to paint the black ends of the pegs grey to make them less conspicuous; as usual, they are much less noticeable firsthand than in the photos!

 

Acquisitions, part 1 – Big Red bat Store/ TtS!

Gepost op door JurjenB in Internetblog

 With projects planned for Historicon and well beyond, and the uncertainty of the tariff situation, there have been a number of new acquisitions here on the virtual Danube. Tghe first lot are courtesy of Simon Miller’s “Big Red Bat Shop”, home of all tings To the Strongest and For King and Parliament. Simon had a pre tariff sale this weekend, and in addition to 2 Iberian Plains 6″ gridded mats, I got a number of other items:

Food for thought for my ECW Scots Covenanter army…

More ECW in Scotland materials!

With the postage reasonable, I finally decided I should get a physical copy of TtS! to  support Simon. My trusty e-book of the rules serves well most of the time, but can be awkward at conventions. I still think these rules were the first where the electronic version is superior to the print one!

Simon threw in a bevy of his laser cut mdf markers as part of the Tariff promotion; I took full advantage, and have spruced them up with a bit of paint!

Aspern-Essling 1809 in 15 mm at Jared’s , with FoB 3.T

Gepost op door JurjenB in Internetblog

 

A week ago, Mike and I journeyed to Jared’s (of the excellent Twenty-sided Gamified Podcast)  home in Torrington for some Napoleonic wargaming with Field of Battle, 3rd edition. Jared used the Bloody Big Battles scenario for Aspern-Essling as a basis for this highly “bath-tubbed” version (one infantry unit is about 4,000 men, if I recall correctly). As such, it fit on a 5 x 8 foot table using Jared’s extensive 15mm collection. In the photo above (courtesy of Mike, along with the next 2), the pins are color coded to the command the unit and leader belong to. The blue pins denote Hohenzollern’s Corps. 

As more of their Corps advance, The Austrians press the attack!

Later in the day, Austrians threaten  Essling (Class III terrain to account for the Granary, etc.). 

  There were a few minor variations to the QRS to allow for the smaller figures and tables (decreased movement, ranges, etc.), and a deployed Skirmisher rule (essentially, a unit with such a stand gains an UP 1 when shooting and a DOWN 1 when shot at; it is removed whenever the unit first suffers a UI loss). The rest of the special rules for the scenario follow…

The “Torrington Transmutation” Sequence Deck Variant
Use the standard FoB3 rules to determine the composition of the Sequence Decks for both sides. Add an extra card (let’s call it Brilliant Leader, after the usage in classic Piquet). This card allows one command to use it as any action card they wish (Move – Melee – Infantry Fire – Artillery Fire – Leadership). Remove the MOVE cards (but not any Move One Command cards) from the deck and place them face up

Each initiative, without looking at any of the cards drawn, the player may choose to replace ONE of the cards from that initiative’s play deck with a MOVE card. Thus, it could be the first card, the last, or any in between. Shuffle the decks on any tied initiative roll as usual. 

This idea worked really, really well!

Aspern – Essling Special Rules:

French Special Deployment Rules:

Each Move Card, new units become Available to cross the bridge.  Roll LD vs D6.  Lose= no troops cross.  Win= 1 unit crosses  Win Even= 2 units cross

Units may only be chosen to cross if they are Available as specified by the OOB.


Austrian Special Deployment Rules:

Make standard LD checks per command at the specified destination.  If a 1 is rolled, place the command on the table, on the board edge.


General Deployment Rules:  Any troops that have the name of a place listed as their destination are deployed in that location at the beginning of the game.


Artillery: No more than 2 Artillery units may be attached to a single Corps. Once attached, Artillery units must remain with that Corps throughout the battle.

Austrian Battalionmasse– it is assumed that all Austrian infantry utilize this formation, unless formed into Square, March Column, or Assault Column.

Night Interval:

Lannes Corps arrives during the Night Interval and become Available..  The Night Interval occurs when the French have played through their full deck.  If a tie occurs, the Night Interval starts early!  Follow BBB rules for Night Interval redeployments, rallies, etc.  Each army will count as getting a free Leadership card.


Deploy up to 4 Infantry, 1 Cavalry, and 1 Artillery.  These troops may come from Lannes Corps and/or troops from other commands that are Available.  The deployment zone is anywhere  9” from the bridge, and more than 6” from Austrian units.




Objectives:  Gain a Morale Chip for controlling any of the following objectives.  When an objective is taken by the enemy (by driving the enemy out and occupying the location for at least 1 turn- units do not have to camp on the location), lose the Morale Chip and give to the enemy.

Aspern

Essling

The Danube Bridge

Gross Entzersdorf

Gemeinde Au Wood

Bohemia Road Exits


When the second day of battle starts, the French may remove Gross Entzersdorf as an Objective and replace it with a different village.

 

Napoleon Bonaparte C-in-C  LD12   27 Morale Chips

Archduke Charles C-in-C  LD10   32 Morale Chips


Both Napoleon and Charles may reroll a single command roll using their own integral leadership.  The command must be within 10” of Napoleon or Charles.  Doing so puts them in danger of being removed from the battle. (i.e., they are subject to Leader Survival test on the  next Army Morale card).

AUSTRIA OOB

Army Artillery

CD / DD

Skirmisher?

Deployment:

Artillery

CD12  / DD6

NA

Attach

Artillery

CD12 / DD6

NA

Attach

Artillery

CD12  / DD6

NA

Attach

Artillery

CD12 / DD6

NA

Attach

VI Korps/ Hiller LD8

CD / DD

Skirmisher?

Deployment:

Infantry

CD10 / DD6

Yes

Hirschstadten

Infantry

CD10 / DD6

No

Hirschstadten

Artillery

CD12 / DD6

NA

Hirschstadten

I Korps/ Bellegarde LD8

CD / DD

Skirmisher?

Deployment:

Infantry

CD10 / DD6

Yes

Hirschstadten

Infantry

CD10 / DD6

No

Hirschstadten

Infantry

CD10 / DD6

No

Hirschstadten

Infantry

CD10 / DD6

No

Hirschstadten

Light Cavalry

CD10 /DD6

NA

Hirschstadten

II Korps/ Hohenzollern LD8

CD / DD

Skirmisher?

Deployment:

Infantry

CD10 / DD6

Yes

Breitenlee

Infantry

CD10 / DD6

No

Breitenlee

Infantry

CD10 / DD6

No

Breitenlee

Infantry

CD10 / DD6

No

Breitenlee

IV Korps/ Dedovich LD8

CD / DD

Skirmisher?

Deployment:

Infantry

CD10 / DD6

Yes

Rassdorf- M2

Infantry

CD10 / DD6

No

Rassdorf- M2

IV Korps/ Hohenlohe LD8

CD / DD

Skirmisher?

Deployment:

Infantry

CD10 / DD6

Yes

Arrive M2- Pressburg Exit

Infantry

CD10 / DD6

No

Arrive M2- Pressburg Exit

Light Cavalry

CD10 /DD6

NA

Arrive M2- Pressburg Exit

Reserve Cavalry/ Liechtenstein LD10

CD / DD

Skirmisher?

Deployment:

Cuirassiers

CD12 /DD8

NA

Arrive M2- North Edge

Cuirassiers

CD12 /DD8

NA

Arrive M2- North Edge

Dragoons

CD12 /DD6

NA

Arrive M2- North Edge

Dragoons

CD12 /DD6

NA

Arrive M2- North Edge

Reserve Infantry/  Lindenau LD10

CD / DD

Skirmisher?

Deployment:

Grenadiers

CD12 /DD8

NA

Arrive M2- North Edge

Grenadiers

CD12 /DD8

NA

Arrive M2- North Edge

FRANCE OOB

4th Corps/ Massena LD10

CD / DD

Skirmisher?

Deployment:

Infantry

CD10 / DD8

Yes

Aspern/Essling

Infantry

CD10 / DD8

Yes

Essling

Infantry

CD10 / DD8

Yes

Aspern

Infantry

CD10 / DD6

Yes

Bridge

Infantry

CD10 / DD6

No

Available M2

Infantry

CD10 / DD6

No

Available M2

Light Cavalry

CD10 /DD6

NA

Aspern/Essling

Hussars

CD10 / DD8

NA

Aspern/Essling

II Corps/ Lannes LD12

CD / DD

Skirmisher?

Deployment:

Infantry

CD10 / DD8

Yes

Night Interval

Infantry

CD10 / DD8

Yes

Night Interval

Infantry

CD10 / DD8

Yes

Night Interval

Infantry

CD10 / DD6

Yes

Night Interval

Infantry

CD10 / DD6

Yes

Night Interval

Infantry

CD10 / DD6

Yes

Night Interval


Imperial Guard LD10

CD / DD

Skirmisher?

Deployment:

Guard Infantry

CD12+1  /DD8

Yes

Available M3

Guard Infantry

CD12  / DD8

Yes

Available M3

Guard Cavalry

CD 12+1 / DD8

NA

Available M3

Cavalry Reserve/

Bessieres LD10

CD / DD

Skirmisher?

Deployment:

Hussars

CD10 / DD8

NA

Available M1

Cuirassiers

CD12  / DD8

NA

Available M1

Cuirassiers

CD 12  / DD8

NA

Available M1


3rd Corps/ Davout LD12

CD / DD

Skirmisher?

Deployment:

Infantry

CD10 / DD8

Yes

Available M5

Infantry

CD10 / DD8

Yes

Available M5

Infantry

CD10 / DD8

Yes

Available M5

Infantry

CD10 / DD8

Yes

Available M5

Army Artillery

CD / DD

Skirmisher?

Deployment:

Artillery

CD12  / DD6

NA

Attach

Artillery

CD12 /  DD6

NA

Attach

Artillery

CD12  / DD6

NA

Attach


Situation at the start of the game, Jared is playing Napoleon, and is looking pretty outnumbered with just 3 Austrian Corps on the table; more will be arriving shortly. I took the two right hand Corps  (Hiller and Bellegarde) plus, eventually, the Cavalry Reserve (Liechtenstein), and Mike commanded the rest of the “White Menace”. We assigned 5 of our 6 allowed artillery batteries to the starting Corps, holding one to allocate the the Corps that would enter opposite Essling. 

Austrian reinforcements, below – ALL of these will arrive by the 2nd MOVE card. French reinforcements, above – unless the bridge across the river holds up especially well, many of these Frenchmen may not see action, being stuck on the far side of the mighty Danube!

In the early going, my guns eliminate an exposed French battery near Aspern, and prepare to assault the village. Some French troops are arriving, but they are finding the wooded terrain near the bridgehead slow going. Note that ALL of the Austrians are now on the table!

Aspern is under attack, whilst the Austrians try to eliminate another French battery that is wreaking havoc on the densely packed whitecoats!

Assault on Aspern; opposing French and Austrian Light Cavalry face off near the Gemeinde Au (wooded terrain). 

Aspern falls to Hiller’s men fairly swiftly! Ka-ching!  An additional French Morale Point is lost!

Austrians seize control of the Geminde Au – another French Morale point lost! The French battery near Aspern has been eliminated, but he French are forming a defensive position along the embanked road between Aspern and Essling. 

View from the Austrian Center. Two Divisions (units) each of Cuirassiers and Dragoons threatens to charge any unwary Frenchmen!

Meanwhile, the later Austrian Arrivals close in on Essling. 

Situation at dusk on Day 1, prior to “working on a Night Move”. 

French troops still waiting on the far side of the Danube!

Between the night move and the first initiative, the French finally have some troops to work with, including all of the vaunted Imperial Guard!

Needing to buy time and space, the French counter attack! One Austrian Cuirassier Division is routed, but the remaining Hapsburg Horse battle on. 

The French counter attack is making good progress in he Gemeinde Au, where the wooded terrain favors the French skirmish tactics. The Austrians have ejected the French from Essling, however. Who will claim the village (and the Morale point for it’s control)? 

French successes in the Gemeinde Au make it possible for them to try to retake the village of Aspern!

The French re-garrison Essling, but face overwhelming numbers of Kaiserlicks, including two Grenadier Divisions!

Overview, late morning, Day 2. With suboptimal Leadership values, the Austrians have a lot of difficulty rallying their troops… but French Morale is sinking fast!

Aspern holds… for now!  But Essling is lost and that flank of the French position is being overwhelmed. Meantime, the French Imperial Guard has performed more like the National Guard!!! Disgusted, Napoleon concedes and orders a withdrawal over the Danube. The exhausted Austrians are content to let him go, and claim the first ever outright defeat of an army commanded by Napoleon himself. There would be much celebration in Vienna… except that the Austrian capital is still held by the French.  
What a great game! Jared’s modifications worked great, and Mike and I were fortunate to do as well as we did. I do so love Field of Battle! I think I will steal many of Jared’s ideas for my Salamanca game at Historicon in July. Thanks so much to Jared for hosting! Plans are being made for a rematch later this spring… at Wagram.