Look Back at my CoW 2024: List of Games

Long overdue, but here it is! CoW 2024 at Missenden Hall,

There were so many games in parallel sessions that you could have attended CoW 2024 (and apart from the all inclusive plenary game) you could have had at least five separate parallel strand CoW experiences. Mine was fun and informative as detailed below: 

• The Plenary: Papal Conclave of 1559, an interesting game of papal political intrigue, back stabbing, rioting, opportunism and deceit. As a Spanish Cardinal I feigned disappointment as a French Pope (with audacity to take the name of Innocent[?]) sat enthroned as God's vicar in Rome. French gold clinked in my pocket and a position of "favour" awaited me.

• The Cactus Air Force (Guadalcanal 1942) - Blood Red Skies (BRS) fighting the IJN from Henderson Field:

Naturally I find myself surrounding by enemy Zeros, but I am distracting them from the USN bombers hunting a damaged IJN heavy cruiser!

Some how they all missed me and ACE made it back home, although the bombers missed the heavy cruiser in this game (a repeat game saw the cruiser heading to the bottom)!

• The Great War in the Pacific in the 1920's (what if the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 failed to take place and the USA and Japan ended up fighting a huge naval war in the 1920's? What sort of fleet would you build as the US to fulfil "War Plan Orange" and what in fact would be your war plan? [Ticket to Manilla, Home Island Hawaii Defence, Island Hopping, Japanese Homeland Assault]):

The game's bits and pieces (AH's Victory in the Pacific used as a map, 1/3000 Navwar ships, Jenga Blocks and plenty of sticky labels):

The USN Admirals Plan - note serious faces of austere concentration .. [obviously a posed photograph]

And they keep on planning. Note, then there is this guy in a Hawaiian shirt on the end, getting very chummy with the US Marine Corp chap MacArther ! Yes he got promoted to C-in-C, obvious with hindsight!

The Admirals of the class of 1926 all successfully "pass" the Ship Identification "end of term test", all proudly spotting the expensive, six funnelled USS Ranger aircraft carrier - a very advanced ship, laid on the stocks with no chance of being finished in time to participate in the war.

The Great Pacific War of the 1920's starts with the Manilla Squadron in dire trouble as an elite IJN fast battlecruiser squadron tries to Copenhagen them, but thanks to the foresight of the American Admirals the modernisation of the Manilla Squadron pays off and the IJN are sent packing, though vowing to come back with reinforcements.

With "The Ticket to Manilla" as War Plan Orange the USN charges across the Pacific, sadly loosing the CV they managed to build (the USS Langley) and the seven funnelled USS Lexington to IJN air and torpedo attacks. Nevertheless they arrive in time to face the IJN Combined Fleet (without Kaga and Akagi superdreadnoughts due to slow production and lack of steel thanks to US sanctions). Both sides engage in a battleline fight and loose all their battlecruisers. The USN have an advantage in battleships and the IJN in light forces (cruisers and destroyers).

A stroke of USN tactical genius and bravery sees the damaged USN Manilla Squadron sortie and catch the IJN in a pincer move. The Japanese battleline is Trafalgar'ed and remnants escape back to the Home Islands. The Japanese sue for peace. Well played the USN!

• Air Strike Nigeria - Planning a Jet Air Ground Attack (simple plan, rather than attacking the heavily defended by AA assets enemy HQ, we chose the high value AA asset [radar] for a points win [some would say long game] to take out - as the Rookie ordnance man I loaded up with range zero "big bombs" and some A-2-A self defence missiles which caused some consternation with the " married family men" of the flight): 

Death before dishonour, through evasive action that really jangled the pilots nerves [lose too much cool and you are a poor flyer which is not a good thing] we survive the close AA barrage [if I had swapped that for long range ordnance we might have suppressed the AA - lesson learned, a mixed array of weapons works best]. The big bombs clobber the important Soviet Era AA radar [4pts] and almost getting a win-win with the fuel dump too [just one hit point off] and try and "leg-it" but there are bandits on our tails.

We lose a boomer to enemy A-2-A combat but thanks to the plentiful availability of A-2-A in the attack flight we down "two" fighters which make the mission an outstanding success .. I am skimping over the pilot who ejected over "No Man's Land" due to "uncool flying technique" and had to hitch a lift home in a Yellow Taxi wearing civilian clothes.  

• Poland 1939 - One Hour WW2 (watched a game of Martin Rapier's excellent WW2 Brigade Level rules play an interesting Poland 1939 scenario [Stukas, Pz I's, Armoured Cars, Pak 35s, polish Cavalry and bridges that must be held at all costs]): 

The broad landscape with a good bit of Polish strategic pointing at the key terrain feature - the bridge across the river!

Massed German armour and stout hearted Poles in defence of the strategically important bridge that had been "pointed out" earlier!

The Luftwaffe's Stukas ensure "War is Hell". The Poles fought well, but the Germans were too "combined arms" for them in the end.

• A Simple Dice COIN Game (developed as part of his PhD wargaming research at Bath Spa University Pete Sizer has come up with this interesting solitaire COIN game, using a lot of dice):

Pete guiding six players simultaneously playing his solitaire COIN Dice Game, with dice acting as handy game tokens [representing things in various states] as well as "things to roll" - the amount of dice rolling was deafening! I stood on the side lines and watched this one as I was still mentally exhausted from putting on The Great Pacific War just prior to this, but need to play it. Perhaps in a quiet moment in CoW 2025 Pete can take me aside with a pint in hand to show me it again! 

• War of the Roses: Princes in the Tower - Cluedo(ish). There is Cluedo, then there is almost Cluedo with the Princes in the Tower historical authors battling it out with their egos over-filling rooms to define teh best "pet absurd theory" that will get them a lucrative "book deal"! I don't think I got all the in jokes, but enough to make it very amusing! 

• Lynchville is Burning (Again) - Role Playing and Committee Game. Naturally no photos as decreed by the 1950's emergency laws pressed into service. In an extreme state of anti communist paranoia where security and sensible lifestyle choices are paramount for the survival of the United States of America I can now fully understand the attraction of the Fallout Vault option. Sadly we did not have a vault, but we did have several cunning plans to infiltrate the seemingly harmless Trade Union to discover Soviet sleeper agents and undesirables. Each cunning plan failing in quick succession, the team turned to ever more desperate and darker tactics to give results, any results - no matter how fanciful to the powers that be that "ran" the organisation. The result was naturally chaos; it followed in an inevitable tragic sense. The fire at the gas mask factory was teh last straw, the bewildered workers mixed with agent provocateurs bused in for the occasion and unfortunate, unwanted newspaper coverage of agents no longer with the service, retired early before their prime. Are we still safe, that all depends on Department 12. 

• Ukrainian National Guard - A small squad tactics game, with maps and counters. A team planning and execution of a simple task that can always be made harder by doing something silly. Thankfully we watched, got lucky and flushed out the Russian observers but enemy drones blew up our BMP lift home.   

• GMT's - Last Hundred Yards Play Through. Using the serendipity of two people having the same game and wanting to know if they are playing it right this was a sit down session of a basic scenario. The good news was that we seemed to be playing it correctly, the game made sense and was a nice alternative to Advanced Squad Leader (ASL).   

• Bring and Buy Sale Bonanza (loot and swag collected at the bring and buy stall): 

Plenty of helicopters, Norman Knights and Hoplites, so what is not to like? Supplementing existing collections and periods.

 Plenty of "New Rules" courtesy of the stable of senor Trebian, for periods I want to get into!

 Old rules, but still the period is interesting and ideas are great to explore.

My personal weakness - other people's lead, end of collections and odds and sods, that could fit in somewhere (possibly) to my old collections. Pennies well spent I think, as the alternative is much more expensive late night Internet purchases, that you probably regret the next day! Well that is my excuse ;)   

Finally - the things that you never thought you would see again and missed getting first time round. A personal soft spot for me 2000AD, Judge Dredd RPG. A classic despite what Enzo the dog thinks about it!

And take a deep breath, sir all the above, mixed with great food, alcoholic drinks and good company. Fantastic event, I can recommend it to one and all.

More details of Wargames Developments can be found at: https://wargamedevelopments.org/

I know bookings for CoW 2025 are now open to the General Wargaming Public, come on in the water is lovely https://wargamedevelopments.org/event/cow-2025/ if you have read this far you will probably enjoy it!

My Collection of "Games in a Box"

There seems to be a definite trend of companies producing "games in a box" that can be expanded on, as adverse to producing a line of figures you have to then "go get" a set of rules for. Warlord Games are very adept at this. To be fair it means you do "get a basic game" that at least can be played if you bother learn the rules .. with expansion sets galore that tempt you to burn the cheque book (and that phrase certainly dates me). I recently reviewed my collection of "untouched" and "partially touched" box sets and I had more than I thought (see below, my lit of crimes of passion .. a sucker for classy "box art" and the concept of a "period covered" tick-in-the-box - well at least I have not fallen [yet] for the kick-starter trip, but it is  only a matter of time!):

Black Seas "Master and Commander": again a curious scale choice not fitting in with other manufacturers figure ranges but I thought for "small squadron" actions of frigates and the like, it therefore had a place of its own in the market - although I am not a big "Squadron Man" for these rules, set seeing the price of the squadron and also the temptation I have to detail sailing ships [not that you have to - but I know what I am like] put me off. Better still, the rumour is that the rules "hold their own" which is "double plus good" in 1984 speak" something that does not seem to be true sadly for another Warlord naval offering .. Cruel Seas which comes later (see below, anyone for a bit of Hornblower? I am waiting for a small but beautiful ship painting phase in my life to germinate this set):

Judge Dredd "I Am The Law": This was a must for me - just for painting the figures themselves, and yes I was one of the many happy suckers who had more money than sense and could not resist the Judge Dredd expansion box, despite its price [£15] (see below, memories come flooding back from that classic 2000AD Comic look of my childhood, bring on "Block War" and "Judge Death"):

Test of Honour: I was so determined to get this and so I did; no matter how long it stays under the bed gathering dust I am still happy. I know at a point in time in the future I will have a - "Samurai Phase" all wargamers do! I think it is triggered in the genes or by the environment - perhaps a change of diet will "trigger it" and I get a katakana urge (see below, the original box set, and I have several packs of the basic plastic troop types by Warlord too, though none of the expensive metal sets):

Cruel Seas: A beautiful model range, a great areans [The English Channel] with apparently brilliant extension capability through the likes of 3D printing and large scale plastic merchant ships and 1/350 Destroyers [Tamiya etc] - sadly I fear the rules are letting it down as it craves for a simple, elegant but effective "hidden movement" or "spotting" system, maybe a 'solo' gaming extension of house rules might come to the rescue? (see below, and I am sure somebody [as mad wargaming friend] is actually thinking of getting a cruiser on table):

SPQR: Which I must confess I bought because of the start-up bundle being so full of figures on that cost alone made it worth while. The game system has seemingly fallen by the wayside but I cannot make a personal comment as although I have broken the seal I have as yet not played it (see below, a Warlord Games special, full of Gauls and 28mm Caesarian Romans - note small, war band sized!):

Mortal Gods: I pretend to be a committed 15mm large battles ancients man [large DBM sized Greeks and Persians army in the loft, with the intention of going up to Alexander the Great and his Macedonians in DBM (note size - I don't play those rules anymore); then to Roman in DBA through its many Republican to Imperial Phases]. Other people have tempted me to move to 28mm wholesale for Greeks/Persians for Imperus I/II [but apart from a small (ahem) Imperial Roman Army of Warlord in 28mm that was a bargain and the various Warlord Roman sprue sale packs I invest in] but I am totally resisting the "army switch in focus" [who am I kidding here, I am collecting Britons and Gauls?] but I do like the idea of painting 28mm figures. Therefore I could happily raise a warband or two of various miscellaneous Ancients. So this is my "sound reasoning (?) in getting Mortal Gods" .. an excuse to buy a sub-army size 28mm selection of figures of various historical themes that I will simply enjoy painting (see below, it may even have the scope for a bit of RPG work too - if your head hurts after reading that paragraph don't worry and just move on):

Terminator: Science Fiction fun based on "The Terminator" series of films - say no more. Generic killer robots and resistance fighters of the future - what is not to like (see below, I think I will get the kids to paint these up one day!):

40K Aeronautic Imperialis: I see it as "Korea War" jets with a "Space Theme" and forget about teh link to 40K. I have no plans to but anything other than the basic box, enjoy painting stuff u in a wacky fashion. Play the rules and see if there is any borrow-able mechanisms for historical air combat rules and "let-it-be" at that (see below, a classic GW throwaway game in a box - hit and miss but generally worth it with teh amount of kit if bought separately, especially when you get it discounted from your local hobby shop):

And I am sure is there will be more temptation yet to come in 2020 .. so far I have resisted the Blood Red Skies(BRS)  - partly as the figure range was 1/200 instead of 1/144 but that might be a serious "miss" on my part (although I do have a copy of the FREE Warlord Games rules and have played several good games with my wargaming friends collections) and "The Gangs of Rome" (interior city politics in ancient times which ends up in brutality and stabbings) - which did not (yet) appeal to me?

November Wargaming Show: Stockton Battleground

Looking back to November this year I had the good fortune to help out with an exhibition game at the Stockton Battleground Wargame Show. A 10mm epic Napoleonic feast, the last day of the 1813 Leipzig battle, the largest Napoleonic battle. The battlefield set-up and rules were a hex driven (Kallistra scenery) tribute to the Avalon Hill era  - you could say an Avalon Hill rule appreciation society. The goal being to be able to play epic sized Napoleonic battles "quicker" than they actually took (see below, these 10mm figures came from the Pendrakon stable, which seemed appropriate as they organised the show):

In addition to playing I managed to do some shopping between dice rolling and figure moving (see below, following on from the Wargames Illustrated "freebie" - after several good recommendations from friends I took the plunge and bought the starter set, yes yet another Napoleonic Naval scale!):

Catching the corner of my eye I saw a "must have" throwback to my childhood, 2000AD tribute to Judge Dredd (see below, get ready for Block War .. mine is the JRR Hartley Block, fly fishing anyone. Watch out from those no good perps from the Homer Simpson Block, they are trouble and they will catch some "rod"!):

The last purchase was looking forward to my communal 2020 project, the Western Desert in 10mm, my bag is the Italians (see below, a party pack from Pendrakon):

So plenty of painting planned for the festive break!