Some Civil War games at the Cold Wars 2013 wargaming convention

I attended the Friday night sessions of the 2013 Cold Wars miniature wargaming convention in Lancaster, Pa. The above photo is a section of a 25mm game of the Battle of Groveton, presented by Ohio gamemaster Jim Kopchak. The fighting resulted in a Union victory when the Rebel commanders retired. Jim used his own home-grown set of rules, Civil War Commander II.

Another shot of Jim’s 25mm layout. Jim’s rules include a unique “capture the flag” system of determining victory points. When a unit ir eliminated, that player who lost the unit must give 1 or 2 flags (depending upon the unit) to his opponent as trophies of war.

Here are more photos of Jim’s game, as well as Regimental Fire & Fury games by Lowell Hamilton and Rich Hasenauer, and a skirmish game by John Michael Priest.

A few random 15mm ACW photos

I have been away from the wargaming scene all spring and summer as I focus on an expanded role within the company I work for, as well as getting a couple of  Civil War book manuscripts ready for the publishers. Here are few photographs of some past games I hosted, starting with a couple of shots of the award-winning South Mountain game I presented at the HMGS-East 2002 Fall-In convention in Gettysburg, Pa.

Cold Wars 15mm Second Manassas Railroad Cut Game

Veteran gamemaster and author Jim Kopchak of the Northern Ohio Wargaming Society presented a 15mm game of Second Manassas at the annual Cold Wars gaming convention held at the Lancaster Host Resort in Lancaster, Pa.  My BlackBerry camera does not do justice to this visually appealing game. Six players enjoyed a 4-hour game which came down to the final turn before the Yankees managed a foothold in the railroad cut, winning the game.

Here are a few more photos…

Tin Soldiers of Antwerp to refight the Battle of Stones River at annual Johnny Reb III megagame

The Battle of Stones River or Second Battle of Murfreesboro (in the South, simply the Battle of Murfreesboro), was fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. Of the major battles of the Civil War, Stones River had the highest percentage of casualties on both sides. Although the battle itself was inconclusive, the Union Army’s repulse of two Confederate attacks and the subsequent Confederate withdrawal were a much-needed boost to Union morale after the defeat at the Battle of Fredericksburg, and it dashed Confederate aspirations for control of Middle Tennessee.

Now, 150 years later, the Tin Soldiers of Antwerp, a long-time gaming club in Belgium, will present a miniature wargame of the Battle of Stones River using the popular Johnny Reb III rules set. Thousands of scale soldiers will be used on a massive playing surface in this multi-day megagame. Registration has now opened (for a modest 20 euro fee) for this international event which attracts wargamers from across western Europe as well as a handful from the United States.

For more information, as well as many photos of past megegames (including Gettysburg and Antietam) lick on the link to the club’s website for the event.

Here are some of those photos to whet your appetite…

Gettysburg East Cavalry Field in 15mm at Fall-In 2011

Here are a few photos from my 15mm Civil War wargame at Fall-In 2011 on Saturday morning in Lancaster PA. This view looks south from the northern edge of the battlefield toward the Rummel Farm (top center) and Cress Ridge (top right).

We had 7 players for the game; all are long-time members of the Johnny Reb Gaming Society and are veterans of many Johnny Reb 3 wargames at HMGS conventions over the past decade. The scenario was adapted from my book Enduring Valor: Gettysburg in Miniature.

Click on each photo to enlarge it for easier viewing and more details. I apologize for the picture quality; lighting was not great and I did not have a tripod set up (and autofocus was off unfortunately). At least you get an idea of the table layout.

Fall-In 2011

Here are a series of photos taken in the early afternoon of the first day of the annual HMGS Fall-In miniature wargaming convention in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Attendance seemed a bit lower than usual, but the enthusiasm level was very high in the gaming venues. There were several high quality games being presented from all sorts of military periods.

This year’s theme is Cavalry: From Horse to Helo’. Games represented medieval cavalry, Civil War, Napoleonics, Gnome Warfare, VietNam and AirCav, Custer and Little Big Horn, etc.

Click each photo to enlarge it for better viewing.

Civil War wargames announced for Fall-In 2011 gaming convention in Lancaster, Pa.

Scott Mingus will be one of the gamemasters at this year’s annual Fall-In wargaming convention at the Lancaster Host Resort & Conference Center in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Shown above is a scene from one of his award-winning tabletop layouts.

Here is the list of Civil War miniature wargames to be played this year.

Some Civil War games at Historicon 2011 Saturday evening session

I wandered around the main gaming hall of the Valley Forge, PA. Convention Center on Saturday night of the annual Historicon miniature wargaming convention sponsored by HMGS (Historical Miniature Gaming Society). I took a few photos of some of the theme games (American Civil War).

The convention appeared crowded, with most tables filled with impressive looking wargames in progress. Crowds seemed thick, and most looked like they were having a good time on this the final night of gaming action for this year’s Historicon.

Battle of Chantilly (Ox Hill) depicted at Historicon wargame

At Historicon 2011 in Valley Forge, PA, long-time Virginia-based wargamer Grant Daniels and his father, Curt, presented an impressive wargame of the August 1862 Battle of Chantilly (or Ox Hill). This 15mm game used the popular Johnny Reb 3 rules system by John Hill. Nine players, and numerous kibbitzers including yours truly, gathered for an evening of social entertainment and conversation around the gaming table.

Large crowds mark opening day of Historicon 2011 in Valley Forge PA

Historicon 2011 is now underway at the Valley Forge Convention Center in southeastern Pennsylvania. This is the second consecutive year that the year’s largest historical miniature wargaming convention has been held at Valley Forge; it’s only a short drive to the campsite where George Washington’s Continental Army spent a winter during the American Revolution.

This year’s theme, coinciding with the 150th Anniversary of the American Civil War, was of course Civil War-related games. Dozens of gamemasters on opening day, Thursday, July 7, presented infantry games and there were a handful of ACW naval or riverine games on the docket as well.

Here are a few random photographs from Day 1 events at Historicon.