Recruits Battle Report Part 1

 “…I don’t trust a man who makes toys in a land where Children are forbidden!”
- Caracticus Potts-

My most worthy opponent Scott sporting the cool Recruits shirt!

A panorama of the Recruits convention main room.

Recruits 2015

It’s been over a month since Recruits happened but I have only recently been able to compile and clean up some pictures and my feelings of the awesomeness of the event. Recruits is an amazingly small yet power packed convention, which felt to me an amazing mix of the English convention mixed with an American game con. I had the honor of being invited as the Guest of Honor there this year, which gave me the chance to share my games with folks that I would maybe never have met.  My thanks to the Recruits staff, in particular Kat DeWald and Duane Fleck for setting things up, and to Jaye Wiley and family for hosting me.   I ened up running two large Wooden Wars Napoleonic battles and helped run a 54mm wars of the imaginations game.

  Great games, great folks, and a straight up above average dealer’s room that rivaled any we see on the west coast, and an amazing silent auction that threatened to split the seams of my suitcase! I give Recruits two thumbs way up! 

Baron Von J Explains the scenario and rules.

Wars of the Imaginations!

  As mentioned above, I helped Jaye Wiley run a 54mm Wars of the imaginations game. By help, I really mean I made the “woodens” and painted one of the armies. Jaye ran the game.

 This was the premier of my new 54mm Wars of Imaginations (very closely resembling Wars of Spanish Succession… hmm) wooden soldiers and it was really a thrill to see them all based up and on the battlefield en masse for the first time. 

Line line line- at first anyways

A Forthweg Colonel reviews his troops before battle.

The Dutchy of Forthweg's Dragoons advance.

Cavalry duke it out while infantry race for the town.

The Grand Dutchy of Hypzig's guns take aim.

For rules, we had the privilege of play testing a variant of Simon Miller’s “To the Strongest” rule set, which he called, “Corporal John”, to which I quickly renamed “To the Wiggest” or “A  Wig for Corporal John” depending on the turn and how well I was doing.   The rules were easy to grok and suited us well for the convention style game we were aiming for- with us making notes every time we changed a rule or found something that needed some clarification.  Simon was VERY generous and gracious to let us take his very raw notes and give them a shake down, and we were oblig’d to him for trusting us to do so.  Besides the fact that my worthy opponent on my flank trounced me with precision expertise and in such a gentlemanly manner, I almost felt bad that I kept exclaiming (in my best bones voice) I’m a dice man Jim, not a bloody whist player!”   

 

Battle rages " To the Wiggest" style!

Hypzig troops refuse flank as enemy cavalry rides by

I am clobbered in text book fashion by my worthy opponent.

How to give orders!

 While the battle was raging on the 54mm table, I had next to the game already had my Wooden Wars game set up and ready to go for the next morning, and also for folks that wanted to toss a few balls and get the gist of the game to give it a try. I had one Lieutenant stop by, and after some gently direction on how the ball has to bounce at least once to be in play, he sat down with his pal and practiced for a good 20 minutes, dialing in his fire. I'm glad he's one of ours!

During our game this Lt. wanted to test his Wooden wars skills.

That’s all for now- except that I’m calling coup on getting these pics up before Baron VonJ!

Cheers

the mayor of the town opens his city to the victorious Forthweg forces.