"Bloody Big Battles event in Oxford, 2016 - interested?" Topic

Our "Bloody Big Battles" demo/participation game at Warfare last weekend generated so much overwhelmingly positive response that, as suggested by some of those who stopped by to chat, we are seriously considering running a purely BBB event for one or two days, probably in Oxford UK, in 2016.

BBB was published a year ago and is designed to enable major 19th-century battles such as Gettysburg, Sedan, Koeniggratz, Solferino etc to be fought on a 6'x4' table in a 3 to 4 hour club night. There are also smaller scenarios available which can be fought in under 90 minutes on 4'x4'. The idea is probably to have a mix of big and small games so there is always something for everyone to do.

Timing yet to be considered, but obviously we'll try to avoid clashes with major existing shows.

If this sounds like something you'd be interested in, you can reply here, or better still join the BBB Yahoo group and vote in the poll there.

Chris
Bloody Big BATTLES!
link
bloodybigbattles.blogspot.co.uk

Just curious as to what scale of troops you use as 6x4 tend to be small skirmish size tables for anything above 20mm .

For our large battles we use an 18x 6 at the club and even then some of us complain its not big enough!

Very nice looking game at the show and convinced me to finally progress a small scale mass battle project I have been mulling over for ages!

I'm on the wrong side of the pond for this event, but I use mostly 15mm and some 10mm figures for these rules. Others also use 6mm and 2mm.

All I can manage is 6 X 4. Don't have room for larger.

BBB is ideal for 6mm or 10mm.

At Warfare there was an excellent BBB Balaclava game on 4'x4' using 2mm.

BBB is also fine with 15mm or probably even 20mm.

TMP regular Shipka is planning to use 28mm but with +50% adjusted ground scale, so a 4'x4' scenario becomes 6'x6'.

18x6 tables are a rare or impossible luxury for a lot of people, as are multi-day multi-player games. The whole point of BBB is to get major battles done in their entirety in a manageable way, without being so abstracted that you lose the flavor.

Chris
Bloody Big BATTLES!
link
bloodybigbattles.blogspot.co.uk

What month do you have in mind. I'm coming over twice next year and have some flexibility.

Timing undecided but not before March, I expect. First step was to establish level of interest – already looking sufficient to be worth doing – next will be to check availability of venue and of key personnel. I intend to poll the BBB Yahoo group about possible dates, so you'll have a chance to express a preference there. It would be great to have you join us if you can.

Chris

If I could get me ACW stuff to Oxford I'd do it

You wouldn't necessarily need to get your own ACW stuff to Oxford, probably just yourself. I envisage that we the 'home team' would provide a lot of the armies and terrain. We certainly have the armies to run several big ACW games, if that's what people want to play.

Chris

I vote for Solferino or Konningratz or Gravelotte St Privat all on a 4' x 4' of course. No point going any smaller ;-)

You can only fit those games on a 4 X 4 table if you squeeze real hard. Otherwise 6 X 4 will do the trick.

Squint real hard and it'll fit.

It goes without saying that we ought to run some of the 'biggies'. Solferino, Koenniggraetz, Gravelotte are all possibilities. All 3 days of Gettysburg in 4 hours, maybe?

Chris

Konnigratz! The system is built to make Konnigratz fun! You also have not played a Austro-Prussian war game in a while Chris.

Actually my last foray into APW was in July – and it was Koeniggraetz:

link

Chris

Mmm… I feature unflatteringly in the first photo in that link! It was a great day's gaming though. I particularly enjoyed meeting Chris and learning more about BBB :-)

Are you running any games in the US? :-)
Nick

The Waterloo scenario in January, I think, but that is invitation only. ;-)

I'd like to run something at Cold Wars or Historicon or Fall In, but doubt I can get to any of them in 2016.

Chris

I'd be interested in this

Yes, Chris' presence helped make it a great day. It was twice the usual BBB scale, and I might be interested in putting it on, or something similar, in Oxford, if the time was right and I could sort out terrain transport.

Mollinary

Ooh wow – don't know if we would have time or space to accommodate your double-size version, but if you could run a Koniggratz game, Mollinary, that would be awesome.

I hope to be able to share a list of possible dates before the end of this week.

Chris

I am based near Banbury and keeping tabs on thread for dates. Would like to attend club on Sunday at some stage to see how rule system works.

The Warwick group I attend I am sure would be interested, I shall cross post once I get back to the UK.

Oxford Wargames Society club dates are here:
link
And the OWS Yahoo group is here:
link

If you or any of the Warwick group fancy coming along, get in touch via the OWS group or the BBB group and we'll see about getting you a game.

Chris

What would be the biggest table you might manage? If you could do two 6x4s side by side (so 8x6) I could possibly develop a Gitschin scenario which might be fun, and provide some eye candy.

Mollinary

Our hall can accommodate 12 or 13 6x4 tables. Whether we can afford to turn two of those into one for you for Gitschin I don't know, it will depend a bit on how many players we have and what other games people want to offer or play. But I'd have thought there's a good chance we could fit you in – it'd be great to have you there and for people to see your collection.

Chris
Bloody Big BATTLES!
link
bloodybigbattles.blogspot.co.uk

See new thread about this here:
TMP link

Chris