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My Command & Colours Napoleonics Talavera game

Just a brief post chaps - as I recieved an email yesterday asking if I was quite alright and had the trip to the Boyne finished me off. Nothing could be further from the truth, I've merely been too busy to blog. The days have been just packed. 

Gaelcon, Ireland's largest games convention, took place last weekend and it was a great success. I brought a  LARP, which ran far, far better than it had any right too and a large scale Command & Colours Napoleonics game. I bodged together the two scenarios from the Spanish expansion and the basic game to turn them into a team game of Talavera. The score was two one to the British by the end of the weekend and we got to play the scenario to a conclusion three times. 

A full battle report will follow. 

Johnny was magniminous in victory as always

In addition to the usual shenannigans, there was also the charity auction. The charity auction was a great success raising over €7,000 for children's charities. But there was one particular item that aroused considerable rivalry, the Boyne figures, the chaps Du Gourmand and I had dragged with us on our march to the Boyne went up for auction.

Du Gourmand had expressed a prior interest and had even put together a consortium to "...keep those boys on the right side of the Irish sea." But Old John was not to be denied and despite being pushed hard by Du Gourmand, took the palm, the figures and the coveted "Gaelcon Charity Auction More Money Than Sense Award"*.

As you can see, Old John was magnaminious in victory.

 The rather magnificent "Where Eagles Dare" game put on by The Wild Geese Wargames Club

While Gaelcon is mainly a fantasy gaming convention, there were three historical games on offer. My Talavera game, an absolutely extraordinary "Where Eagles Dare" game by The Wild Geese Wargames Club. These are a group of historical wargamers who make a habit of bringing stunningly beautiful wargames to conventions - to be honest, they are a pleasure to be upstaged by. Regular readers may remember their Dambusters game of a year ago.

Donogh's Perilous Trial game was excellent as usual - though he was determined to fight to the last sailor

We played Donogh's Perilous Trial game several times. These was a Pulp 1930s type of affair, using traditional McCarthy card based mechanics and a beautiful setup with 28mm figures. I'm not really a fan of 28mm, but this game was just lovely. Faster playing then some of the previous incarnations and just a beautiful thing to behold.  I will be writing about my experience of the game, but I'm sure Donogh will have an offering over at Land War in Asia before too long.

The Talavera game in full swing

I was complemented several times about the look of the Talavera game, which was gratifying, however seeing The Wild Geese and the sheer beauty of their game has put me to thinking that I should add a few more diorama type pieces to the game. I think the trick will be to find a happy medium, a setup that looks attractive, but that doesn't get in the way of game play. I shall have to put my thinking cap on. 

Ideas at present include - 

Some general diorama pieces (camp scenes, etc)

Some inhabitants for my strangely vacant houses

A Commander in Chief diorama piece to represent "Le Grande Fromage" on each side

Adding more flags to the units

Spanish Guerrilla mugging French couriers or some such for Guerrilla tokens

I think I shall have to pay more attention to Uwe's work. 

However, all this time spent gaming has meant that there was progress to be made up at home. Emptying the War Room in advance of laying the new floor and doing some work in the kitchen has taken up the rest of my free time. We shall see how long must pass before I get to blog again...

*This is a real thing - there's a certificate and everything.