"Mad Guru's Colonial Barracks & Charsiab game reports" Topic

It's now been just under a week since I made it home from attending Colonial Barracks V in Metarie, just outside New Orleans. As others have already posted, it was a one-of-a-kind convention, with Larry Brom passing away just days before the start of the con devoted to TSATF and his various other rules sets, turning the event into a combination wargaming convention and wake. Like all the others who attended, I'm very glad I was able to be there, both for the games and the fellowship that goes with them, and also for Lori and Christy Brom.

I made it back to LA in one piece and so did all my troops and terrain -- with the exception of just one single tree that was busted off its base at the con and one Pathan Tribal Swordsman, whose Dahl shield broke off his arm at the con, both of which I'm happy to report have since been seamlessly repaired.

I took a ton of pics but all with my iPhone camera, and when I ran my game I was pretty dang busy being the GM and so did not really have the opportunity to properly document the proceedings as I would have liked to have seen done, but I still got some decent pics showing the general progress of the game, which was a very hard-fought action indeed, in which 9 players took part, and which resulted in a narrow Afghan victory that bordered on a draw. I thank all the players, each of whom did an excellent job, for participating and making my arguably mad 4,000 mile roundtrip drive from one LA to the other worthwhile.

If interested, kindly pop on over to my Maiwand Day blog for a visit by clicking the handy link below --

link

Until then I will leave you with this handful of teaser pics --

Awesome layout as always!

Ethan's game was a visual delight. I didn't get to play in it but everyone seemed to be having an enjoyable time.

Jim

It looks absolutely amazing, Guru! Congratulations!

(Mmmm, that food looks tasty too…)

Yes, amazing and inspirational. Not sure about the Jambalaya and sausage (fabulous flavor with or without heartburn?). A stunning tribute to Mr. Brom.

It was a fine game! We appreciate you making the long trip to support the con.

What a great battle Mad Guru. I had a lot of fun in the game. I even had fun helping you set it up and take it down. I learned a lot from your terrain techniques, game setup, customized acton deck, etc. If we could be called professionals and we got paid for doing this, this is what it would look like.

Thanks!

Last Stand Dan

Wow, thanks for all the kind words, guys!

An extra-special thanks to Col. Campbell, Doc Ord, and hunter4a/Last Stand Dan, all of whom were on-hand at Colonial Barracks V.

Also a special thanks to Daryl Haselton, who joined me twice at my place for a 2-part play-test that helped me prepate my game for CBV in a big way.

@Big Red: that jambalaya and sausage was amongst the best I've ever eaten and came from Chef Ron's Gumbo, located -- thank G-d -- just down the block from the back of the Sheraton Metarie Hotel, where the Colonial Barracks convention is always held. The joint looks modest and nondescript from the outside but is always crammed full of locals on the inside, and for very good reason indeed. The smoked sausage wasn't just amongst the best, it was literally the best andouille I've ever eaten, and I've been to New Orleans many times, and though you might not think it to look at me (I'm a pretty lean guy) I loves to eat!

Ah, one more reason to attend the next Colonial Barracks.

Excellent pics and figures
Thanks for posting
Clif

Wow! It looks amazing, brilliant terrain and impressive troops. Congratulations! Thank you for sharing the pics.

To borrow a line from "Bridge on the River Kwai": Madness, madness.

Okay, brilliant madness. Such an effort to create such a game and then to transport it "there and back again" deserves some sort of high hobby award.

You know, Mad Guru (aptly chosen name, very), Pacificon and Santa Clara are a much more reasonable drive than Colonial Barracks? Right? Hint, hint.

I'll be back to your block – for an hour or a few when I have more time.

I am in absolute agreement, Big Red!

Thanks Clif and George for your comments, and thank you very much for yours as well, Early Morning Writer, I do appeciate them.

Actually, the very first time I ever packed up my terrain-boards and drove them to play somewhere other than my house, was to the 2010 Pacificon in Santa Clara, where my buddy Nick Stern used them to run a Black Powder Maiwand game, very successfully I might add, as I was the British commander and we actually managed against all odds to win an impossible victory. I remember my son, who was 13 at the time, sat in the one available middle row seat and watched Zulu on my wife's car's built-in DVD player for 2 hours of the 5-hour or so drive. It was a perfectly appropriate bit of movie programming!

The game was great to watch and the terrain and figures were wonderful. It was perfectly accented by the food. Chef Ron's Gumbo is supposed to be the best in New Orleans. I had the same thing Mad Guru did and was amazed!

What could be better? The best in miniatures gaming and really wonderful food within walking distance.