Vetcon AAR and Goodbyes

Time to go, 

But first, there's just enough time for a VetCon AAR.  But just barely.

VetCon AAR

VetCon is a medium sized convention held in Auburn California (about 30 mins from my place) over the Veteran's Day Weekend.  It ran from Thursday night to Sunday.  I was unable to attend Thursday night due to child illness but managed to tear myself away from my family bosom and responsibilities Friday onward.   VetCon tends to come at the perfect time to serve as a wrap up to my wargaming season, as I don't really get to play the rest of the year at all.  Thems the breaks.  

And surprisingly, VetCon turned out to be an expensive weekend. 

Friday morning, I played a game called Galactic Knights, which with a name like that, one would not be surprised, is a spaceship game.

Why?  because I like spaceships and have a space fleet myself and was curious about the rules.  

Turns out, I really liked the rules.  And after being told that you could in fact, make / design your own spaceships, I immediately ordered a copy. 

I was playing the brightly colored ships.
Whaddaya mean they're all brightly colored? 

Not many pics to show.  It's a space game; ships zoom around and we all make whooshing noises.  Here's a pic of the rulebook I ordered instead...

An old school feel about it.

I couldn't figure out how to get a PDF of the rules, so bought a hard copy from the makers called Monday Knight Productions.  Who seem to be selling things like it's 2010 with a website from 2000.    I'll start with the base rules and limit myself from buying any expansions just to get the 3 or 4 rules used for a particular faction.  

This might re-ignite my gone dormant flame for space combat...

remember these ships?  I had to go back 2 years to find a pic of my Starfleet.

which reminded me that the current system I use for space combat called Starmada, also was recently updated, and being the curious monkey that I am, got that one as well.  

So far 1 silly little convention game has cost me the price of 2 rulebooks.  At least I'll have the fun of the endless chore of comparing and contrasting the two systems and re-tinkering all the ship designs.

Honorable mention: while me and my buddy Mr. JW were playing spaceships by ourselves, lots of people next to use were playing this game, by Mr GM. 

Shown here being set up, before miniatures
A lovely 15mm set up, and lots of scratch built items.

Going further in rules exploration, I was excited on Saturday morning to try out a ruleset called Limeys and Slimeys.  A sailing game, which has interest to me because I also have a sailing fleet.  The was Game put on by Mr. NS.  

Some Awesome 15mm ships, with crew!

But in this case, I was spared the expense of buying the rules as I was not at all impressed by the them.  The game itself was fine and dandy, but I certainly did not leave wanting to play the rules ever again.  Too simplistic, too easy, and in a game of sailing ships the wind direction did not seem to matter.  And I know that sometimes you don't want to be bothered by wind direction but in a game of SAILING... I think it's a requirement.  

But speaking of sailing.  One of the more attractive elements of VetCon is it's unique Bring and Buy.  Here's how it works; all along the edges of the main room there are narrow tables.  At no additional expense, you stake out a little area of your own and place out items that you wish to sell under your name and number.  You can display your wares all weekend.  It's a fun system.  If someone wants something, they text you and you scurry over and make a deal.  Or they just shout out your name...

I'm usually immune to Bring and Buys as I have specific and unique tastes.  You should see my search history.  And as I'm not looking to start a new project, unless it's something that I currently have going on, I'm not interested.  

But I did happen to see this box...

Which is a box of 1/1200 Napoleonic naval,
which is the scale that I already own,
because they're the same exact same miniature line that I already own...
which I'm pretty sure closed up shop this year.
AND which are already painted...

So naturally I looked at the name at yelled out "BRIAN!  Where are ya?" to have Brian answer, "right here, 3 feet to your left.." and cash exchanged hands. He let these go at about $5 a ship which I thought was a good fair price.  

This might rekindle my dormant flame of Napoleonic sail gaming, as my fleet just doubled in size. 

My fleet of 1/1200 ships.
I figured I did a pic of the spaceships,
might as well do these too.
Had to dig them out of the waaaaay back of the garage.

Just a show off pic.
The ships are, rather pretty.
probably my best work.

Honorable mention: While I was goofing off at sea, Mr KV and Mr. CW put on a very cool looking game of Vietnam.

and I was all "great looking game, but does Vietnam really have big ol stone pillars like that?  I mean come on..."   Only to be told that Yes, it does and shown pictures to boot.  And I was suitably embarrassed and later cried in the bathroom. 

Lunch Saturday was spent with Dai from the The Lost and Damned and Stunted Blog as he was there attending the Bolt Action tournament.  We drank drinks, and forgot to take pics...He said he had fun in the BA tourney but I think secretly he was jealous of me playing a variety of games while he was stuck playing the same rules, with the same units, on boring terrain. 

Later in the afternoon I played in a game of Pikemen's Lament, but on by Mr. MS

Our job was to stop that convoy.

I'm not sure of the setting, as the 3 Musketeers made an appearance, but we were fighting Arabs.  Also possible that I had too many drinks with Dai and wasn't paying attention.  But it was a fun, simple game, and reminded me how the Rampant system is pretty robust.  But it cost me nothing as I already own Lion Rampant 2.  It's somewhere around here....

But it was around this time that I checked my email and saw that while in my absence from family life, the wife decided that she would Doordash dinner for everyone.  Seems the only one who can cook in our house is ME.  And here I was eating cold leftovers for dinner...

Late Saturday night I played in Mr Ix game of (something something I forget what) Scottish using Rank and File.  Which is a rule set that I really like, and own, so expense there...

The set up.  Ix did a great job using the "Felt draped over elevations" 
to make a nice table.

In this historical battle, the brave Scotts are lined up for war, while the Redcoats are marching onto the field.

The Brave Scotts.

Turns out it was a classic match up of the Scots being pretty good at melee with the redcoats were pretty good at shooting.  So on the windswept Moore with the rain clouds coming on the Scottish charged.

Everyone go charge!

It was a fun game.  I think I had a challenging bit because I was on the Scottish flank and had to fend off the redcoat cav, and I managed to hold them off long enough that my other Scottish bretheren could win in the center.  

My Go

Lastly, the games that I hosted.  On Friday night I hosted a Quar game, because why not and I didn't make these boards for nothing...6 players.  Here are a bunch of random pics..

The Best CW

 and on Sunday I hosted an ACW game featuring the combat around Barlow's Knoll.  Because it's been a while since I did anything civil war and I don't know if you know this about me, because I barely mention it, I don't like to harp on it, but I really like gaming the ACW.

The set up.
I made that hill especially for this scenario.
And a few more fields.

How is it that I STILL need more fences?

The CSA building up...

And the inevitable clash...

and during that game I got another email from Doordash that the wife ordered.  At least I knew that the kids were eating in my absence.  

Overall, the con was a good experience and a nice reminder that I like other things besides Quar.

Goodbyes

Where has the time gone?  is it time to pack up and go into winter quarters already?  That was a fun 11 months wasn't it?  

Why the break?  Mostly it's because I don't do a lot of hobby stuff over the next month and a half or even two months.  And mostly because I tend to like blogging more when there is an end to it.  Otherwise, it tends to drag on and on with no point, into an unending duration of a meaningless mass of webpages.  The internet lives forever but I don't.  and my fingers get tired of writing.

So, my online friends,  I'll be back next year (sometime).