Another G.A.M.E.R. Play Test

Any readers of this blog will know that I have been working on a set of WWII skirmish rueles for over two years.  I ran another game this weekend to test out the rules.  I had intended to test out a new system for morale, but after just a few turns it was clear that the new system was no better than the old one, and the players didn’t like to have to do math (two additions and a subtraction), so I went back to the original system.

I had been toying with changing one aspect of the rules, and after Saturday’s game, I decide to pull the trigger on the change.  I have been keeping up with counting grenades and rifle grenades for units in the game.  One of the results when shooting is “out of ammunition.”  I am going to change this so that when an “out of ammunition” result is drawn on the cards that:

  • For small arms, the weapon is out of ammunition, jammed, or something.  This can be reloaded, “cleared,” or whatever with one action in a subsequent turn.
  • For anti-tank guns or tank guns, the weapon is out of ammunition, jammed, or something.  This can be reloaded, “cleared,” or whatever with one action in a subsequent turn.
  • For shoulder-fired anti-tank weapons, hand grenades, rifle grenades, flame throwers, etc. the squad has run out of that munition or weapon.  This cannot be corrected during a game.  The squad has no more hand grenades, for instance.
  • For single-shot weapons, like panzerfausts, the round was a dud or misfired.  Since this is a one-shot weapon, it cannot be fired again during the game.

That required a change to the unit record sheet.

Old version of unit record sheet
Old version of unit record sheet

Now the game master just puts a check in the “yes” box if the squad begins the game with that type of weapon and checks the “no” box otherwise.

New version of unit record sheet
New version of unit record sheet

American Paras with Panzerfausts

A couple weeks ago, I posted a quick discussion about how MG Gavin was so impressed with the panzerfaust that the 82nd collected up truckloads of them in Sicily.  Soon after a drop, when the heavy equipment arrived, these trucks of panzerfausts would follow the troops.  He even had the instructions for their use translated into English.  For my 28mm WWII project I wanted to equip US paras with panzerfausts, but when I posted to TMP to see if anyone made the figures, the answer was “no.”

At Historicon last weekend I got a bag of Berlin or Bust 28mm paras with rifles from Old Glory.  A couple weeks ago I ordered panzerfausts from The Assault Group.  This morning, I started hacking at the figures to remove the rifles and insert the panzerfausts.

These aren’t award-winning quality conversations, but I am pretty happy with the results.  I can’t wait to spring these on some unsuspecting German players in an upcoming scenario.

Miscellaneous HAWKs Room Games at Historicon 2015

Geoff's Lego pirate game
Geoff's Lego pirate game

In this post, I am including a mix of games hosted on Saturday by the HAWKs at Historicon 2015.  They are in no particular order.  Enjoy!

David's cowboy game using Blood and Swash
David's cowboy game using Blood and Swash

David's Blood and Swash cowboy game

Duncan's cat game
Duncan's cat game, based on the Warriors book series
Noah's ever popular dungeon crawl
Noah's ever popular dungeon crawl
Dave's 28mm fantasy game using Bear Yourselves Valiantly
Dave's 28mm fantasy game using Bear Yourselves Valiantly
Tank's Bear Yourselves Valiantly "phalanx" game
Tank's Bear Yourselves Valiantly "phalanx" game

 

Zombie Shopping Mall at Historicon 2015

Several of the HAWKs and I ran our zombie shopping mall game at Historicon.  This shot (above) is the calm before the storm, before the game began.

We used GASLIGHT with the free Zombies by GASLIGHT supplement.

The theater that Bill built for the game even had Dawn of the Dead playing on the screen.

Mike Miller from Texas was the winner, getting 7 points of supplies out of the mall.  He controlled the A Team, but only Face made it out.

Historicon 2015 HAWKs Room and Beyond

These pictures are mostly from the HAWKs room at Historicon 2015, but I did get out of there once in a while to check out other gaming.  I didn’t arrive until mid afternoon on Friday, so I don’t have pictures of earlier events.

Dave Wood describing Bear Yourselves Valiantly to a boy and his mom who played last year and returned for more unbridled fun.
Dave Wood describing Bear Yourselves Valiantly to a boy and his mom who played last year and returned for more unbridled fun.
Eric Schlegel's GAMER WWII event
Eric Schlegel's GAMER WWII event
Some of my Italians taking cover behind a rocky outcropping.
Some of my Italians taking cover behind a rocky outcropping.
Bill Acheson putting the final touches on his theater for Saturday's zombie game.
Bill Acheson putting the final touches on his theater for Saturday's zombie game.
Tank Nickle deep in thought.
Tank Nickle deep in thought.
David Schlegel's Hunger Games event. David always gets the girls in his games! It could be the topic, or it could be they all think he's hunky.
David Schlegel's Hunger Games event. David always gets the girls in his games! It could be the topic, or it could be they all think he's hunky.
Don Hogge's Battleground WWII skirmish game.
Don Hogge's Battleground WWII skirmish game. The scenario involved Germans bumping into a group of Americans getting chow.
Jim McDonald getting his six-player Saga game started.
Jim McDonald getting his six-player Saga game started.
Duncan Adams running Look, Sarge, No Charts 1914
Duncan Adams running Look, Sarge, No Charts 1914
Noah Guilt played in the MBA-sponsored Skirmish Sangin extravaganza in the main room.
Noah Guilt played in the MBA-sponsored Skirmish Sangin extravaganza in the main room.
Robert, William, and I had chance to participate in a play test of Pulp Figure's upcoming Star Crush rules in support of their new line of 1970's style space ships.
Robert, William, and I had chance to participate in a play test of Pulp Figure's upcoming Star Crush rules in support of their new line of 1970's style space ships.
I don't know much about this WWI airplane game, but the blue and white squares caught my attention every time I walked by the table.
I don't know much about this WWI airplane game, but the blue and white squares caught my attention every time I walked by the table.
Ron Prillaman's great looking and popular Magnificent Seven game in 54mm.
Ron Prillaman's great looking and popular Magnificent Seven game in 54mm. People were talking about this event a week BEFORE the convention.
An attractive post-apocalyptic game featuring a new set of rules, This is not a Test. I didn't get a chance to play in it, but it looked wonderful.
An attractive post-apocalyptic game featuring a new set of rules, This is not a Test. I didn't get a chance to play in it, but it looked wonderful.

HAWKs 5th Armies for Kids Giveaway Event at Historicon 2015

Nah! Those kids don't look happy at all!
Nah! Those kids don't look happy at all!

On Saturday at Historicon 2015, Eric Schlegel hosted the 5th Armies for Kids Giveaway game.  The event is for kids under 10 years old.  Each younger gamer who participates in the event walks away with enough PAINTED figures (for both sides) to run a game at home, some terrain, some unpainted figures, some paints, etc.

This year’s event featured 40mm ACW figures, mostly Sash and Saber, through the kind donations of many folks.  Maynard Creel, Ed Mohrmann, Phil Kearnan, Keven Pinder, and Eric Von Reyn provided the figures.  Ed hired Phil to paint all the Confederates that Ed purchased, and Phil subsequently donated and painted the mounted officers.  Chris Johnson once again provided terrain for the kids to take  home.  These included wooden fences and a  paper bridge over which to fight.  I realized after I got home that I need took any good close-up pictures of the figures that Phil painted, but they were amazing.  The HAWKs held a couple of painting bees during the year to paint up all the unpainted figures that had been donated.  Our figures did not look nearly as good as Phil’s.

Eric used his ACW rules he has created specifically for kids games.  They flow nicely, and the kids always have good time.  Eric’s rules also include his “test of history education in US schools.”  When a specific card is drawn from the deck, he asks one side or the other an ACW history question.  If the kids on that side get it correctly, one unit gets an extra activation.  If they don’t get it correctly, the other side gets a chance to “steal” the extra action.  I learned a lot from these nine year olds, like the “fact” that Grant commanded the Army of Northern Virginia and that Robert E. Lee was the president of the Confederacy.

A dad provides tactical advice to a gamer in training.
A dad provides tactical advice to a gamer in training.

The game involved both sides trying to capture the hill seen in the center of the picture (above).  The Rebs got there first, but they were eventually driven off by the Yanks.  The boy on the far left of the picture was the last Reb in the game.  His single remaining figure killed five or six Ynaks before being gunned down.

This was our fifth such giveaway event.

1 – AWI 20mm plastics (Historicon 2011)
2 – 54mm ACW plastics (Historicon 2012)
3 – 15mm SYW metal (Historicon 2013)
4 – 30mm Napoleonic metal (Historicon 2014)
5 – 40mm ACW metal (Historicon 2015)
We plan to give away 20mm plastic WWII figures at Barrage 2015 (see http://www.bucksurdu.com/Buck_Surdu/Barrage.html) in October.
The Armies for Kids Giveaway was followed immediately by Geoff's ever popular Lego pirate game.
The Armies for Kids Giveaway was followed immediately by Geoff's ever popular Lego pirate game.

We hosted four games specifically targeting kids at Historicon 2015:

  • The Armies for Kids Giveaway.
  • Geoff’s Lego pirate game.
  • Duncan’s game based on the Warriors books involving tribes of warring cats.
  • A version of my Defense of Schloss Iter game tailored for kids.