Mainly Vet Con AAR, mainly Quar

 (scratching my head and thinking)

 "What was I doing again?"   "Oh yeah!  Writing the best damn wargaming blog on the internet!"

Except for all those other ones, which are equally as good.

Fine.  They're BETTER even.  Go read all those why don't you.  OH you do?  Well, good, you should.

Good blogs probably wouldn't go a whole month without posting, except of course when they do.  Like I just did.  Here's a mega update, but mainly a Vet Con AAR, and mainly Quar. 

 VET CON AAR

Every time I go to a convention, I think I should try to be a good blogger and take pics of ALL the games.  I start off well enough, but then I get distracted and stop.  Unless I'm standing right there next to it then I don't see or hear it, just like small dogs and miracles.    

Vet con ran Friday night through Sunday, and that lends itself to a fine structure...

FRIDAY:

Broke free early on the Friday afternoon from my home life, and safe in the knowledge that my in-laws had come town to help my wife with the children, I prepared for a holiday weekend of gaming with no responsibilities other than driving safely (and I barely did that).

I had brought my Quar stuff for a Friday game but the nice man I was supposed to play could NOT break away from his own responsibilities, so instead I jumped in a game of Gunfighters Ball (a Cowboy game) hosted by the Mr. DP who was running the con... 

along with socializing and saying hello to people, I'm a regular chatty Cathy at a wargame convention.

My two bandits making off with a wagon

I named myself the King of the Banditos as my two bandits actually stole a wagon and got it off the table while everyone else was getting shot or throwing dynamite and getting themselves blown up.

Gunfighter's Ball is a fun game.  When you get shot you draw a damage card, and I swear every other card is getting shot in the ass or balls.

SATURDAY:

Most of Saturday was spent playing a Bolt Action 3rd edition tournament.  3 games, each about 2.5 hours.  Tournaments can be nerve racking if one trying to do well.  Fortunately for me this was not the case as I just wanted to learn the game better.  It was nerve racking for me because I did not have a 3rd edition rulebook nor a 28mm WWII army.  I didn't have the rules because despite ordering them in JULY from Osprey. and them being released in September, apparently the books from Osprey were somehow delayed, and delayed again.  Even while I'm writing this sentence I still don't have my book. 

As for the army, I know all about how these WWII types operate and saddled up to one and said "Hi. My name is Stewart, and I'm you're new best friend.  SOOOoooo, got a spare army?"  And he did.  Mr. R kindly lent me a Soviet army that was very beginner friendly. 

In actual fact, I had arranged with the Organizer Mr. SM ahead of time to borrow an army.  That morning, he did have a spare army but also said "that man over there also has like 4 armies that he said people could borrow, try him."  Mr Said that it was nice for him because he had all these armies that hardly ever see the table, and it was nice to see them used.  I said, "well, as long as you understand that I'm one doing YOU a favor then we're all good."  No, I didn't say that for reals. 

Nothing says WWII like Hedgerows.
Hedgerows and machinegun noises.

The red bobbles are pins, so you can tell that I'm doing really well.

In my last game, I played Mr. SM and his British Commandos.

The BA tournament was super friendly, super fun, laid back.  Lot's of people were still learning the 3rd rules so I didn't stand out too much with all my nagging questions.  

And then, because it was too early to go home, I once again played a game of Gunfighters Ball in the same scenario.  I loudly announced that last game I was the King of the Banditos and to watch my example.  After lecturing everyone that no one should be throwing dynamite, the game began where I was the first cowboy shot dead.  

Strangely, all pictures of this game are lost. 

OTHER GAMES: 

Before we get on with Sunday, here are some pictures of other games that I did manage to photograph...

A 54mm WWII game that everyone seemed to enjoy

Star Wars

Some AWI

I know, it's such a lack luster effort.  There were others, LOTS others, I just didn't take pictures of them.  I'm just not naturally inclined to take a bunch of pictures unless it has something to do with me.  Because I selfish. I never share my french fries.  

Lots of pics of Sunday though, because on Sunday I hosted two games of Quar: Clash of Rhyfles.

Sunday is Quar day

To refresh your memory as it's been a month, a Quar is a Humanoid Anteater-ish thing in WWI-ish tech.  Like so:

Some recently painted Quar.
Over exposed, as I was playing with the setting...

I set up a scenario for 5 players, where 3 payers would play the crusaders, and their job was to assault across a river and take the center ground of the two players playing the royalists.  The scenario ran in the morning through afternoon, and again late afternoon till evening.  

Table Set up.

Each player had a 300-ish point force of 11 miniatures (so 600 pts on defense vs 900 pts on attack). 

Just a closer look.

The game was just kinda but not really, but just barely; local enough tothe Developers of Quar miniatures and Rulebooks, so the guys who are Zombiesmith, Mr. JQ and Mr. AB, came up to have a look-see and have a chat.  Which was very flattering.  I mean for them, because how often do you get to meet a famous blogger like myself with an international blog read by a dozen people?  

I pretended not to be starstruck.  It's rare you get to meet the people who make the stuff that you enjoy so much.  Mr. JQ and Mr. AB were very nice and we go to get in some good chat when I wasn't distracted by actually having to run the game.  

Mr. JQ pinned a Crusader badge onto my collar.  It felt like being knighted.  

I didn't get any pictures of us together.  Which is unfortunate because it would have made me a very minor celebrity in some very small circles.  Very-very small circles, more like dots.  But still, my wife thought it was cool when I told her all about it.  Repeatedly.  

Some Cadier (Horse equivalent) are tethered by the bridge for some unknow reason.

Me in the purple shirt.
Pointing with intention.

The Coftyrans are defending the bridge.

In the evening game, One of the local players, Mr. NB, brought his newly painted 
Arnyaran faction to try out.  We swapped out one of my crusader forces for his force.
The Tractor (tank) was just for fun looks.

Two lone Royalists try to hold out.
Can you be lone if there are two of you?

Trying to get across the river

At one point, it felt like it was getting really late.  "Man, it feels late.  What time is it anyway?"  "6:30?!!"  "We all need to man up, my children aren't bed yet so I can't go home."  

Quar moving through the woods.

Some Crusaders trying out the bridge.
because crossing rivers is for suckers.
Why get your feet wet AND be shot at?

We were the last game to wrap up and we few players closed out the convention.  

So Vet Con was a great success.  Lots of fun, and in typical convention fashion you see a lot of people you seem to only see at conventions.  I made some new gaming friends, I sold everything I placed in the Bring and Buy so had enough cash to pay for all my drinks.  

Monday is Veteran's Day

Woke up early, put flowers on my father's grave who served 20 years in the navy, and then off to a parade.  My older children were marching in the local parade as part of Scouts.  It was cold, wet, and raining.  

Question: What does an almost middle aged, kinda out of shape, definitely hung over, father do in a cold, wet, and raining parade?

Answer:

He carries his 4 year old for 2 miles.
Not all heroes wear capes, but I bet they all have sore backs.

After we got home and put on warm dry clothes, my oldest son (6 years old) demanded that since I was gone all weekend playing games with other people that it was now his turn to play.  So out came his favorite game King of Toyko. 

Where he beat me three times.
He can barely read but he knows what ALL the cards do.

Thanks for reading.
Double thanks for writing a comment.
Till next time.