"Society of Ancients conference" Topic

This weekend we had a good time at the revivified conference of the Society of Ancients. We pretended to be an immensely powerful secret society, but nobody took any notice. A taster photo of our Philippi games:

More here:

link

I am going to write this up for Slingshot, and once that comes out I'll put a rather unfeasibly large three-parter on t'blog.

Cheers, all

but nobody took any notice…They know better, the Society's reputation goes before it.

It all looks great thanks for the write up.

Having been a one time contributor to the SoA magazine Slingshot, but having never knowingly met a member of that august body face to face, I can vouch for the secrecy of the organisation. Apparently they know each other by the colour of sock, the colour changing periodically at the command of the Grand Master but, I'm told, its often the bicycle clips that give them away.

Caliban, for your report, I salute your courage and hope that you wake without a horse head on the next pillow – The first rule about SoA is…….

You're going to be in no end of trouble when the Revered Warlock finds you've put this up, Frater Caliban. There'll be no golden elixir of life for you at the next Summoning!

Yours elliptically,

F. C.E.P.I

It was certainly an excellent weekend, and no secret handshakes were necessary. Paul's 28mm Philippi game was the biggest and most spectacular, with something like 1200 legionaries on the table, but there were plenty of other games going on in various scales.

I managed to kill Henry V twice in the breach at Harfleur, in the venerable "Greyhounds in the Slips" game (with 54mm figures) as well as killing Harold at Hastings (20mm). We'll draw a veil over my narrow failure as Khalid at Yarmuk (with 30mm flats) and my less than stellar performance as Litorius in Gaul in 430 (15mm).

I'll be back next year.

Thanks for looking, everyone. James has it slightly incorrect, it's only a single bicycle clip, but one shall not reveal on which leg it shall be placed.

Well done Duncan, by the way, for killing that Lancastrian upstart not once but twice!

That's a heck of a big game, Paul! Love it.

I used to have one of the SoA embroidered ties. I was very fond of it, but tie widths changed, and it did not. Alas.

I wear my SOA tie from time to time, people sometimes think it represents the commandos or some shadowy special forces unit, if they ask I give them obscure responses to let them confirm their own suspicions.

David f brown

Reading this thread I realise I've been a SOA member for the best part of forty years. I consider it excellent value for anyone interested in Ancients, have contributed the odd article to Slingshot along the way but have never attended a Society event. I must make the effort next year.

I would attend more if they weren't all south of the north/south divide. We attended and applauded when it was at Leeds, but that didn't last long.

Thanks, Paul, a location further north could be a possibility. The point was made about centrality, and also about accessibility by public transport.

Paul, great looking games!!!!!!!! I only wish that I could be there. Mike Adams P.S. I also wish I could game with Simon too.

It was a really good event with an excellent balance between research and game and serious and fun. Without running through every event I was particularly taken with Ian Russell Lowell on Hittite chariot warfare…even though it outdated my Hittite army (wrong number of chaps in the chariots I am afraid) and Matt Bennett's new take on Hastings….Normans using a particular technique of horsemanship which enabled them to pull forward the Saxons. Of course there was far more to both and to the other talks . Plus it was a pleasure to get a run through of a couple of Ancient Rule Sets that I had not tried before and I shall look out for the publication of Lap of the Gods.
A good week end, even acknowledging my slight bias.