Flintcon 2015: The Case of the Misplaced Highlanders

This past Saturday I attended Flintcon. This is noteworthy for two reasons: One, it is the first time this con has been held, and two, it means I have attended two cons in the span of about a month!

I’ll have more on the con itself in a later post (spoiler alert: it appears to have been a smashing success), but for now some highlights of the first game I played.

It was a tough call between Black Powder Napoleonics, a Winter War Chain of Command and a Bolt Action game, but in the end I went with the Blackpowder game run by my erstwhile opponent Jon, and sponsored by Rider’s Hobby Shop of Flint.

And it was bad. No, not the game. The scenery was great, the minis great, the scenario designed well and the rules worked. I just rolled horribly. I had perhaps the worst turn I have ever had with dice!

To recap, this was a Peninsular battle, honestly I forget which one. The gist of it was the French were attempting to relieve a siege somewhere, and a British force was sent out to stop them. The French had cavalry, and were tasked with taking a small town from the defending British.

Being a known Scot-phile (is that a word? Maybe I just made it up?), I was given the two Highlander battalions in the center, the 42^nd and the 79^th. So far so good. The French approached. I fired. OK. They came closer. They charged. We locked into melee. OK. Then came “the turn.” Somehow, someway, I managed to roll so badly that both units broke and ran. Both. Leaving the center of our line basically empty. Let me say that again, both elite Highlander units broke and ran on the SAME turn!

What? I’m still not sure how, but I blame Ben. (Long story.)

That provided Jon with the opportunity to deliver the line of the day when explaining the game later, “Scott misplaced his Highlanders.” Yeah. Laugh it up, fuzzball. (Oh yeah, there were Star Wars games there too. Maybe I should have played one of those?)

So while I was reduced to spectator, somehow my two compatriots on the flank managed to seal the gap and hold, though barely. I think eventually the French would get through given more time.

And that was pretty much that. There are still a lot of things to like about Black Powder, and some things that make me scratch my head a bit. But overall it seems an interesting game.

Plus now we are already making plans to reuse Jon’s Peninsular scenery in a more tropical setting with more unsavory actors. Caribbean? Pirates? Mmmmaybe.

But enough of my blabbering. On with the photos!

The brave Highlanders, ready for the French onslaught.

French cavalry.

Sharpe's Rifles, which as far as I know didn't do much on this day.

And here are the Highlanders, unleashing a volley at the approaching French. Never have they looked so resplendent, so brave.

Meanwhile, on the edge of town.

More cavalry. How did they get so much?

The local priest probably won't be happy about this.

I guess I'll come over here to the left flank. Someone misplaced the Highlanders in the center.