Enfilade 2017 Update: Painting Competition Winners

(One of the scenario tables used for this year's Flames of War Tournament, which I missed)

Yesterday, I received an apologetic message from NHMGS's event coordinator.  

Shortly, after I did my Enfilade 2018 "fly-by" I asked her to send me an official list of the painting competition winners.

She finally came through!

Here are the winners of the 2018 Painting Competition. 

I thanked her for getting back to me, and made a suggestion for next year.

I felt the brown table top masked the features of the displayed miniatures and recommended a white table cloth be spread over the painting competition's table so the figures stand out better.

She liked the idea, so hopefully we'll start seeing clearer displays of outstanding artwork.

I joked with her that white will fit in with next year's theme:  Winter War. 

Unless, that is, competitors paint figures in winter camouflage... 

Enfilade 2018 Fly-By Photo Montage

(Image by:  Studios B3 in honor of Enfilade 2018's theme--Rebels and Rebellions)

While the NHMGS officers are planning next year's Show Theme, I've been sorting through the pictures of my brief sojourn to this year's convention.

I won't rehash my tale of woe, as to how I managed to miss most of Enfilade 2018.  (You can see the previous post for that--and more importantly--links to other gaming blogs).

By the time I did make it to the convention, Time Block D: (Saturday, starting at 2 PM) was in full-swing.

Since I had to start work early the next day, I only stayed until the end of the game period in order to: Snap some pictures, annoy chat with my fellow gamers, and buy items I realized I can't live without from vendors, and at the Enfilade "Bring & Buy" (B&B, a gaming flea market).

The rest of this post is a montage of the pictures I managed to take, and put in some coherent order.

Enfilade 2018 Painting Competition Entries:

I'm not sure who won what, but I thought the figures on display were awesome.


The Games of Time Block D

Here is one set of players who "put to sea" for the Battle of Mobile Bay, game mastered by Steve Thorne.

(The players gathered around "the bay")

(Wooden ships vs. ironclads)

Other naval games were scheduled, but I "missed the boat" so to speak, in that they may have wrapped up early, or were cancelled.

The only games during this period that hearkened back to antiquity were a couple of /De Bellis Antiquitatis (DBA) sessions.

(Chris Ewick, owner of The Game Matrix, running a session of "Big Battle DBA")

I did take a photo of a pair of normal-sized DBA games but they didn't come out.

Advancing through the ages, the "Horse & Musket Era" was well-represented.

A couple of games centered on the American War of Independence.  The next two photos are of Knapton's Trading Post, hosted by Norris Hazelton.

(British troops march on a colonial supply depot)

("Those damned rebels" attempting to hold back the redcoats)

The rematch between America and Great Britain, (a.k.a. The War of 1812), was the topic of one game depicting the Battle of New Orleans.

(British troops attempting to break through the American breastworks)

(They almost made it)

I was surprised no one was playing Johnny Horton's song on their devices.

Looking at the "bigger picture" of the Napoleonic Wars, Bill Hughes broke out his big 6mm collection and his rules, The Conflict, to run a version of the Battle of Kalisz.

(Bill listens to a player asking a rules-related question)

(A close-up of just a part of Bill's collection)

A larger-scaled version of the Napoleonic Wars was also underway.  In this case, it was a composite force of French and allied troops attempting to clear the mountains of Tyrolean "rebel scum" in James Sagen's Alps Aflame!

(An Alpine mountain pass represented by an extra-long table)

(French and allied troops marching in-column)

(Initial contact at the village of "Mittwald")

(French troops and their allies attempt to storm the heights held by Tyrolean "rebel scum")

While the French were trying to take-down the Tyroleans, the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg was being played-out at another table.

(An "eagle-eye's" view of the battlefield)

(Billy Yanks hold the Wheatfield)

(Contrary to the historical outcome, Confederates sweep over Little Round Top)

(A wider view of the battle for the Wheatfield)

While musket & saber-wielding figures dominated the main show room, there were some sci-fi games, along with a 20th Century alternate-historical game being played.

It's the mid-1980s--sort of.  For some reason, the Godless commie hordes launch "Operation Dragonuv" against the decadent imperialists of western Europe--probably because Derr Kommissar was in town.

This micro-armor game was hosted by Lawrence Bateman and Damon Crump.

(Soviet forces concentrate for a breakthrough)

(Soviet tanks and IFVs cross a river)

There was a Flames of War tournament going on in another room, but the games for this particular round had already ended.


Final Thoughts on Enfilade 2018

So that wraps-up my fly-by impression of Enfilade 2018.

My attendance this year was about as short as Enfilade 2012.  That year, I didn't get off work until Sunday afternoon, and had just enough time to get my t-shirt and buy some items from vendors before they closed.

Despite any of my brief stays, I still enjoy showing up and checking out the gaming scene.

See you--maybe--at Enfilade 2019!

Game Convention Fly-By Prelude

(Image:  NHMGS Enfilade 2018 Logo)

NHMGS's flagship convention, Enfilade!, was held over Memorial Day Weekend.

This year's them was:  Rebels and Rebellions.

(Image from the Enfilade 2018 Events Facebook Page)

Due to my work schedule, I was off and planning to attend the first two days of our annual event.

"Planning" being the operative word.

Our section, the Washington State Alert & Warning Center, has been down two coworkers for the past few weeks.  So the rest of us were pulling overtime, while our agency, the Washington State Emergency Management Division, hired replacements.

However, this didn't leave us with any margin for unforeseen events.

Just as I was preparing to leave for the initial day of festivities, (26 May), the phone rang.

It was my boss.

A coworker called-in sick, so I got the "Obi-wan Kenobi, you're our only hope" speech, and he asked me to fill in and pull a night shift--that very evening.

Fortunately for me, and the rest of the citizens of the Evergreen State, the night was fairly uneventful.

I got off duty, went home and because I'm not in my 20s anymore, slept for nearly five hours.

When I woke up, and made myself presentable, I headed down to the convention site at the Red Lion Inn in Olympia, WA.

I spent about two-and-a-half hours, taking some hasty pictures (about 45 total), chatting with several gaming buddies, and of course purchasing items I suddenly realized I couldn't live without.

Even though we now have our new-hires in-place, it will take several weeks of on-the-job training to get them up to speed.  So I'm still busy at work.

Anyway, that's my excuse for not having any pictures posted like my fellow gaming bloggers.

But I'm working on it.

I have some ideas for a slide-show YouTube video, along with some gag-a-day webcomics.

In the meantime, you can enjoy some pics and commentaries via links to the more punctual gaming bloggers reporting on this year's convention:

Convention Coordinator, Alyssa Faden's Best of Show game:  Teutoburg AAR.

Naval Gazing's Enfilade Recap, Part 1 (games everyone else was running), and Part 2 (games he ran).

Portland Little Wars' Enfilade 2018.

I Live With Cats' Brazen Biscuits.

From WAB Corner:  An actual gaming post at long last! Live from Enfilade 2018!

And finally, A Gamer's Tale out-did everyone with six posts covering Enfilade 2018 (see 29 May 2018).

Holiday Greetings 2017

Last month, my wife and I spent Veteran's Day at The Museum of Flight.

On the way back home, one of the radio stations already started playing Christmas music.  One of the tunes that popped-up was Snoopy's Christmas vs. the Red Baron by The Royal Guardsmen.

I was surprised to discover my wife never heard of it.  I remember having a 45 RPM record of it and playing it constantly during the Christmas Season.

This inspired me to concoct one of my e-greeting cards for the year.  The picture is from an air war game during last year's Enfilade Convention.

I scrolled through my picture files for other images I could convert to a greeting card.  The only other picture that struck my fancy was this image from the same file of my friend Dean's First Battle of St Albans game.

Now it is a bit anachronistic, because the carol, Here We Come A-wassailing, wasn't composed until 1850.  But I I thought it'd be funny to have this band of knights signing a "road trip" Christmas carol, instead of some bloodthirsty fight-song.

And finally, here's a picture of my siblings and I.  Despite the fact it was taken during our mom's funeral I love this picture, especially since it was the last time we've all been able to get together.

Since we looked like a team of professionals, I thought paraphrasing a line from Die Hard would make a great opening line.

Best wishes to all of you this Christmas Season and throughout the New Year!

Celebrating the 4th of July!

Best wishes to all of you this Independence Day.

I thought I'd use the occasion to play around with some photos I took of last year's Enfilade convention to create a holiday greeting card, along with an announcement for next year's convention theme.

Enfilade 2017: Slugfest Off Samar After Action Review

(Image:  USS Johnston (DD-557) at the Battle of Samar, by artist Paul Wright)   

Well, I managed to play my first wargame this year at our Enfilade convention.

I was on duty for most of the Memorial Day Weekend, but managed to zip down to Olympia's Red Lion Inn on Saturday night to snap some photos for my 38th YouTube video.

Of course, on the Sunday morning of my initial wargame of 2017, I woke up with a splitting headache, thanks to a duty-related pinched nerve in my neck.

Normally, I would have opted to stay home.  However, since this was my chance to finally sit at a gaming table, it was:  Damn the headache and full speed ahead!

All heroic naval quotes aside, I wasn't planning on playing Ed Beauregard's Slugfest Off Samar.  But between my headache and the other games having a full roster, I found Slugfest suitable and enjoyable for the less-than-sociable condition I was in.

The set-up was an alternate-history version of the Battle off Samar, which was part of the larger Battle of Leyte Gulf.

(Image:  The Battle Off Samar)   

But unlike the usual complicated plans the Imperial Japanese Navy concocted, Ed's scenario simplified the Japanese strategy down to a massed charged against American naval forces supporting the liberation of the Philippines.

In another twist, American ships weren't the only ones involved in the action against the Japanese.  Due to some astute diplomacy, British and French vessels were on-hand.

(Image:  Slugfest set-up)

Ed used the rules Supremacy at Sea developed by the University of British Columbia Sunday Night Crew.

In his scenario, most of the cruisers and destroyers were engaged with their counterparts "off screen."  This allowed for a basic battlewagon brawl.

The Japanese surface action task force consisted of the following:

Battleships--the Yamato and her sister ship, the Musashi; along with the Nagato, Fuso, and Yamashiro.
Battlecruisers--Kongo and Haruna.
Heavy cruisers--Ashigara and Nachi.

(Image:  The Japanese surface action task force)

The Allies were organized as follows:

East Division--

HMS Howe (BB), HMS Renown (BC), along with the French ships Richelieu (BB) and Dunkerque (BC).

(Image:  Ships of the Allied East Division)

The West Division consisted of the American battleships California, Tennessee, Mississippi and Pennsylvania.

(Image:  Ships of the Allied West Division)

I was given a mixed command of battleships consisting of the USS West Virginia (BB-48), USS Maryland (BB-46), and HMS Resolution.

(Image:  My Central Division zig-zagging into battle)

(Image:  My division coming under fire)

The American ships were hamstrung with a limited supply of armor piercing ammunition (AP)... 

(Image:  The Yamato and a Kongo-class battleship)

...because they were originally tasked with shore bombardment.  So we used high explosive (HE) rounds for our initial ranging shots.

(Image:  The Yamato and her consort under fire)

The Japanese outfoxed the Allies right away, by sending the bulk of their forces east to concentrate on the Allied East Division.

Whereas the bulk of our forces swerved west, leaving us the Japanese East Division, consisting of the Yamato and her escorting battleship, as the only viable targets.

(Image:  Three Japanese battleships of their Central Division steaming west)

(The Japanese Central Division under fire from the allied guns)

Supremacy at Sea requires players to write orders for their ships, so movement is conducted simultaneously.

(Image:  The Allied Central Division facing off against the Japanese East Division)

However, in the heat of battle, it's easy for fleet commanders to "transmit the wrong signals."

Things went from bad to worse for the Allies, when two British ships in the East Division collided.

(Image:  HMS Howe rams HMS Renown)

Most of the action involved blasting each other with the ships' guns.  But the Japanese cruisers made two torpedo runs against the allied ships.

(Image:  As Allied and Japanese battleships exchange salvos, a Japanese cruiser launches torpedoes)

Nearly every ship suffered some degree of damage.  Only the USS Pennsylvania and the USS Maryland remained unscathed throughout the battle.

The Allies got the worst of the pounding match, starting with the USS West Virginia under my command.

(Image:  The USS West Virginia capsizes)

(Image:  The USS West Virginia slips beneath the waves)

In addition to the West Virginia, the following allied ships were sunk--
--HMS Howe
--HMS Renown
--USS Tennessee

Several ships were severely damaged.
The Mississippi was crippled, chugging along at 10 knots, but still capable of firing all her guns.
The Richelieu was a floating wreck.  Her decks were awash and her main guns silenced.
The Dunkerque wasn't much better.  Although two center turrets were knocked out, she could still make an impressive 21 knots.

Along with the havoc wrought by Japanese shells and torpedoes, the surviving American ships were 1 to 2 turns away from exhausting their AP ammo.  With that, the allies conceded the game.

We all concluded that Yamato would have been sunk the following turn, while another Japanese battleship would continue to limp northward, hoping to avoid American dive bombers.

However, the really bad news was, the remaining Japanese ships would have fallen upon the invasion's support ships--a major setback for the liberation of the Philippines.

(Image:  Slugfest Off Samar's endgame--a Japanese victory)