"Wargame Birthday Party" Topic

My son wants to have a Wargame Birthday Party this year. Usually a party lasts 2-3 hours. There is usually a craft, a game and of course, the ritual cake eating!. I "think" I have it down but am still soliciting advice. I will limit the party to 6 people including Jack.

1) The craft should naturally be figure painting. I figure a box of HaT 1/32 scale 7YW figures and some craft paint will do. Classic toy soldier look.

2) The game will likely be some variation of the rules set Jack and I have been using called "Jack's Rules of War." Lord of the Rings fantasy style game will be it. Maybe a free for all or maybe sides in the interest of speed. It really depends on the amount of players.

3) Decorations and cake I am not so sure about. Could definitely use some ideas here. Any ideas?

Thanks!

John

I'm a member of a group that gets together for 'Birthday Bashes'. These are war gaming events staged by the person who's Birthday we're celebrating. Often we rent a private room at a bar. We're all old guys. And we eat, drink and play a game.
Yesterday we met at a member's home for one of these parties. We played a game using Black Powder rules. It was set during the 1879 Anglo-Zulu War. Many of the miniatures were 25mm Ral Partha figures from their old historical line.
There were eight of us there. We expected eleven, though, so there was more than plenty of food, beer and such for everybody. And yes, there was cake.
So far as a suggestion for your event. Might I be so bold as to suggest you drop the craft idea. maybe one or another of the guests might do something crafty on the game table.

I think Jack is turning 8 this year.

I like the idea of the plastic figures. Better than the grab bag you get at bounce house parties.

For the cake you can get pictures painted on, so choose your son's favorite era and get a battle scene done.

Matthew

There were eight of us there. We expected eleven, though, so there was more than plenty of food, beer and such for everybody. And yes, there was cake.

The person of honor will turn 8 so beer is out of the question!

Curious, why drop the craft idea?

You want something like this:

link

Dropping the craft idea might have been along the lines of the age of attending.

Matthew

I like that cake. You never said if you or your wife were going to make the cake at home.

My only suggestion; wouldn't it be better if the craft figure they paint they could then use in the game as their personal command figure?

That cake is brilliant! No, out of my league though. Maybe a purchase but I'd bet it would cost a bit.

My only suggestion; wouldn't it be better if the craft figure they paint they could then use in the game as their personal command figure?

The thought crossed my mind but the figures for the proposed game are 1/72 scale, which might be a bit tricky for them to paint. The 1/32 scale guys are more substantial and easier for young ones to paint…in theory.

If you wanted to do something with knights, dragons and the like

I once did a cake for my son

1 – 3x3 blue foam board – covered with tin foil and then a piece of parchment paper – sprayed with green icing spray
2 – 20 Large Hershey Bars – they were used to create 4 towers and the gateway
3 – used 2 loaf pans to bake a chocolate cake – after they cooled – froze them – then made sure they were level and cut for the walls
4 – added chocolate frosting (Yes he does like chocolate)
5 – used pretzels for flagpoles and the gate

etc

The next day was his party – used a simple version of medieval Tactica – with knights – everyone used either markers of simple paint on – they had to have one color – most had 2 or 3 – Catapult used gum drops

you get the idea

Fun was had by all

Back in the day my wife baked a cake for my 50th. She placed a couple stands of 1/72 Mongols from my DBA army on top after the cake cooled off.

That sounds pretty neat.

My mom made me an aircraft carrier cake, once, sailing on a sea of blue frosting, with whitecaps. The water effect was stunning, and the aircraft carrier was large, with an impressive-looking gray paint scheme (not sure how she managed that), well-shaped island, and white numbering.

It had little, plastic jets on it too.

Dad was in the navy, so no doubt provided technical advice on the project.

It was delicious.

Mako11 – That is an amazing cake your mom made you. If you have an old photo of it, please scan and share. I would have been in shock if I had that for my birthday. Just a regular sheet cake. She might have put some Marx figures on one once.

Yea, wish I had pics.

Perhaps there are some, somewhere, but I don't recall seeing any. I guess I'll have to ask her, and look through some of the old archives. Haven't done that since shortly after many were taken, I suspect.

It wasn't one of those simple, WWII era, straight-decked ones, either. She made the newer type, modern carrier, with the more complex, angular shape, like from a Nimitz class CVN.

Funny, when you first described it, it never occurred to me that it would be anything other than a Nimitz class ship. :-)

If you're doing a LOTR style fantasy game, why not bake a giant volcano cake (start with aluminum foil bundt pan and sculpt it into shape for a cake with a big crater in the center; chocolate sauce lava? … candy?) for the center of the board as an objective? Use different colored candles for victory point markers for the different sides, with the game ending at eight (race around the house four times to resolve a tie?) of ten total sub-objectives (5 for each side). Something like "good guys" collecting wards to seal the volcano and "bad guys" colleting artifacts to waken the volcano god.

How about a round cake that looks like a shield of a Rohirrim?

The base colour can be either brown, for a chocolate cake, or covered with green icing (frosting to those in the US!). Ideally the design should match one of the shields carried by a combatant in the game. A white horse (or horse's head) would look cool but a geometric shape is also appropriate, and would require a little less talent.

I agree painting 1/32 scale figures will be easier for children not experienced with painting. Will you have prepared the figs beforehand? (Removed any flash and applied a PVA or plasticote primer?)

Will you have prepared the figs beforehand? (Removed any flash and applied a PVA or plasticote primer?)

Yes. I'll deflash them, wash them and then give them a coat of white primer. I presume kids like light colors so white is the way to go.

How about a round cake that looks like a shield of a Rohirrim?

A great and pretty simple idea! I figure some flavor of cake with a green round on top and a horse head in white. I can get a half sphere to place as a cake topper for the shield boss. Or I could just leave it flat.

Yup, white primer/basecoat will be ideal for the bright colours they will probably choose.

I'm glad you like the simple cake idea. I think a domed cake topper would look great as a shield boss if you can get (or make) one, but flat could look good too.

I hope the party goes down a storm and the kids have a blast.

Thanks Cambria5622. And thank you all for all the suggestions!