FlintCon 2018

Having missed out on SpartaCon this year for a few different reasons, not the least of which is the current employment status, there was no way I was going to miss FlintCon. And it did not disappoint. Great games, great times. Kudos to all involved putting on this exceptionally well-run con!

I pretty much knew going in what games I wanted to play, and I was able to get in both of them.

Game one was, as in previous years, a trip to the Peninsula with Wellington in a game of Black Powder. At first I was going to take some rifles and Portuguese cacadores since I did so well with them in last year's game, but eventually I ended up with two regiments of Highlanders. Now don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of Highlanders, what with my ancestors coming from there and all. It's just I never have much luck with them in a game. And this was no exception.

Having seen the kilted heroes run like scared rabbits in a previous game without firing a shot, this time I was determined to get them into the fray as quickly as possible. You know, before they could run away again. So it was a quick advance across the ford in the river, a rapid deployment, and a charge. Oh, it should be mentioned that one of my orders resulted in a fubar, or whatever it is called in Black Powder, which should have been an omen of things to come. But, incredibly, the ensuing die roll had the unit wind up more or less where I wanted it anyway, so things are looking good at this point.

Then the charge. Oh, they got there all right. But after one round of basically slapping at each other with the backs of their hands with minimal effect, in the following turn, they ran. Yup. Again. And the other regiment was more or less just stand and fire the rest of the game. At least they didn't run. As a whole, the British did well enough on the right in attempting to take the town, but the darn French cavalry crushed our left. With no British cavalry to counter, it was a disaster in the making.

On to game two. Championship Formula Racing! I'd been looking forward to this for months. Having been a big fan of Speed Circuit back in the day, I really wanted to see how this worked. In short, it's great.

I think we had about nine drivers playing. The game featured 1/64 Indy cars on a homemade map of the Belle Isle course in Detroit. I started fourth and finished fifth, so not bad. I more or less held my own. As the race developed, the top three managed to pull away a bit. I was usually at or near the front of the second group, and while we would pull a little closer, in the end I took too many gambles, and without enough wear, I spun out twice in the final few corners. I chose Pippa Mann's car because my daughters are big fans.

I also managed to sell a few items, and got some great deals on a couple other GMT board games. Perhaps for another post. Without further ado, the photos...

Congo. This was one I really wanted to try. Someday.

The brave Congo explorers.

Never know what you'll find in the Congo.

Beautiful Crusades game.

The Crusaders.

The castle being fought over.

Persians, not sure the rules.

The Greeks

Arrayed for battle!

Flames of War, I think?

Our objective in the Peninsula.

Some of the French defenders of the town.

The British left. Things did not go well here...

The 95th!

The Highlanders advance!

Brandywine, Regimental Fire & Fury I think

All Quiet on the Martian Front. This looks fun!

Age of Sygmar.

Zombie game of some sort.

Computer aided WWII naval.

Flames of War?

54

54mm pirates!

Meanwhile, back in the Congo...

The doomed charge of the Highlanders.

This is where things get ugly.

Forming square just delayed the inevitable.

Meanwhile, in the Holy Land....

Probably the coolest terrain of the day. That fort!

Yes We Can-Can!

Every western town needs its entertainment. And what's better than a can-can line after a long day herding cattle or robbing banks!

These six lovely young ladies come via Knuckleduster Miniatures. They are painted with the usual mix of Vallejo and Testors. For the record, that's Vallejo Carmine Red on the dresses.

These have been sitting in the stash for a while, but my daughter is now starting a new figure skating routine to can-can, so I figured she would like these! I'm not sure exactly how they will fit in a game, but they were fun to paint, and they look good, so why not?

Going Viking

Like most gamers, I suffer from period ADD. I shudder sometimes when I look at how many periods  I have started. But it seems no matter how distracted I get with other projects, I always seem to come back to Saga and the Dark Ages.

So here is the latest addition, some northmen who have clearly exemplify the true meaning of the word Viking. It's all about the plunder, both in coin and in flesh. These were not pleasant times, clearly. I figure these are probably some Irish about to be sold off into who knows what. I thought the pretty flowers provide a nice contrast to an ugly scene.

These are Dixon figures, as you can probably tell by the very Dixon looking horse. They are painted with the usual blend of Vallejo and Testors paints.

My daughter did not like these figures. She felt bad for the kids and wondered what the man is going to do to them. She really didn't like it when I said he was going to sell them. She liked it even less when I suggested we sell her! (I kid, I kid. Don't send protective services after me. She's not for sale. Besides, no one would buy her. LOL.)

A Start on 1066 and All That

As a Saga player, I suppose it's inevitable one would eventually start thinking about 1066 and all that, with visions of shield walls standing stalwart atop a hill in Sussex, and the sounds of the thundering hooves of mighty Norman horse approaching. Banners are unfurled, battle cries are screamed.... Well, you get the idea.

Of course my Saxon force is the most "complete," with a good six points ready to go at any time. I could probably scrape a few more, maybe eight? Just a few more to paint and I'll call it Anglo-Dane as well. And my Viking force is nothing to scoff at either. At least four points there. Maybe six? I'd like another unit of hearthguards.

But I digress. Today marks the start of something new - the Normans! These have been languishing around a while, but I am happy with how they turned out. They are Black Tree Design figures, with the usual mix of Vallejo and Testors paints.

This is the first Dark Ages cavalry I have done, horses always being somewhat of a challenge. But I think I am getting better at them.

These mounted men of Normandy will form the nucleus of my Norman force. They will serve as mounted hearthguard. I will probably do one more unit of mounted hearthguard, then I have some warriors, and even a unit of crossbowmen.

I should probably get some archers. After all, someone needs to shoot at Harold's eye.

This faction will probably never quite get as big as my Saxon/Anglo-Dane, but who knows?

A Little Fokker

The German Fokker E. IV (eindecker) was designed as a replacement for the highly successful E. III to counter the British RAF over the trenches of the Western Front in World War I. Unfortunately, the E. IV was found to be less reliable, slower and much less maneuverable than its predecessor. And it proved to be a poor climber, adding to its woes. Only 49 were built.

This 1/72 scale model represents the aircraft flown by Leutnant Kurt Wintgens of Feld Flieger 6b in 1916.

Wintgens was a pilot of some note in the German air service. He unofficially claimed the first German fighter kill in history on July 1, 1915, when he shot down a Nieuport Parasol. While that kill went unconfirmed, Wintgens went on to become an ace with an official tally of 19 kills. He was the fourth pilot to be awarded the Pour le Merite, the famous Blue Max.

One of only three German pilots known to have worn glasses during World War I, Wintgens went on to receive numerous other awards. before being shot down and killed on September 25, 1916 while defending a two-seat reconnaissance aircraft. We was only 22 years old.

Only one example of an E. IV still exists, housed at the Science Museum in London.

I built this model several years ago from the ICM kit. The rigging is made from paint brush bristles, my tried and proven technique for 1/72 scale aircraft. All in all, it make for a nice addition to my collection of World War I aircraft.