I did not make it to Historicon, but did just get my copy of W&C. I am about halfway through the detailed read.
Over all, if you liked Warhammer Ancient Battles you will probably like War and Conquest.
If you didn't like WAB, you may still like W&C.
While much of the game feels like WAb, basic profile and mechanisms are very similar, there are differences. The most significant difference is in Characters or "Personalities of War". These are no longer the superheroic figures they were in WAB. They can still add to the combat punch of a unit, but usually only by adding an attack or two, at the same. Profile as the unit. Gone are all the special abilities. Replacing them are Strategic Intervention Points, these allow re-rolls and extra dice for important tests. The pool is limited although some are regained after successful tests.
Looking at the army lists, one great simplification is the removal of separate Leader, Standard Bearer and Musician models with separate points costs. It reads as though Rob Broom and company realized that most gamers buy these for every unit and so factored them into the base profiles and rules. Unit leaders are still used as measuring points, but that is about it.
In addition to providing recomended sizes for units (a nice touch for new players) the rules provide for minimum unit sizes. Lose too many troops and the unit is removed as no longer effective. This eliminates those "units" of three or four survivors doggedly cluttering up the battlefield.
So far my overall impression is of a cleaned up and streamlined game with much of what made WAB enjoyable. There is an active Yahoo group, as well as a forum on the Scarab Miniatures website. Army lists are also available for free!
