"Historicon 2018 games" Topic

I'm running two games at Historicon. Times below are my first choice, subject to change according to the vicissitudes of scheduling and coordinating -- but that's out of my hands.

Qurna – The Garden of Eden December 1914

(Thursday July 12, 1-5 p.m.)
Rules: Command Decision 4
Scale: 20 mm figures
Scenario: 50 miles north of Basra, the retreating Turkish 38th Division took a stand at the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates. The 6th (Poona) Indian Division was tasked with capturing Qurna, the "Garden of Eden" in local tradition. Both armies found it to be more like hell than paradise. (Maybe the forbidden fruit was dates, not apples.)

Reata Hill – "Intermingled with the Enemy"

(Friday July 13 1:00-5:00 p.m.)
Rules: Men Under Fire
Scale: 20 mm figures

Scenario: March 1916 – In Africa, British and Belgians see WW1 as the chance for conquest of German colonies. First they must reclaim areas from the Germans under Lettow-Vorbeck. Rhodesians, South Africans, Baluchi and Askari have to capture Latema and Reata Hills from Germans and Askari under Major Kraut (yes – his real name!) Allied troops hold part of Reata Hill, and they are intermingled with the enemy.

Great looking games, Dan.

My club hosted several events based on Von Lettow's WWI Africa campaign at past conventions. It's a great period to game. I'm looking forward to your take on the era.

Hope to see you there.

At the dealers' area I bought the Osprey book *Armies in East Africa 1914-1918* and am getting lots of ideas for future figure conversions and paint jobs (Using HaT Industrie's excellent new WWI range of figures).

Also re-reading Howard Paice's *World War I – The African Front* for context. Of course, this book doesn't give a lot of information for a tactical game at the level of *Men Under Fire*. So -- a hilltop and mixed-up troop positions, revealed only at dawn. The rest will be up to what I can find out online, plus my imagination.

Eventually I'll use these same figures to do larger battles with Command Decision. Tanga is of course what comes to mind, but I hope to find playable battles besides that one.

47 Ronin, I see there was a game run of the "Battle of Latema Nek: WW1 East Africa" at Historicon 2014 using Piquet. Perhaps this is one of those you referred to.

Lots of events are in for Hcon 2018 so far… keep them coming!

<starts drooling voluminously in anticipation>

FYI, there is a "Tanga 1914" book by Buck Surdu and Jamie Davis available from Skirmish Campaigns. You can also probably get a copy from Brigade Games.

IIRC, Qurna was covered as a scenario in "The Last Crusade" rulebook by the late Mark Hayes. You might be able to get a copy from On Military Matters.

Dan, I saw the Latema Nek game in the H'con 2014 program, although I don't think I found the game at the convention. Other German East Africa games go back to H'con 2005 and beyond. Like I said, for some it's a great period/theater to game.

Enjoy the games.

We play-tested the Command Decision WW1 game last night in Westfield NJ, the one that I will be running at Historicon. Thanks to Marc for hosting and to the guys who gamely played through the scenario and made lots of helpful suggestions. Because of last night, I will be making a number of changes in the Qurna 1914 game prior to running it on July 12.