At the Wollongong Wargamers we piggy back off the local plastic modeler's annual bash to showcase our hobby to (presumably) like minded folk...
In relating to modelers, we tend to lay on games at the larger end of the scale. (Although we did get chatting to a lovely bloke who models in 1/100th scale and uses Battlefront kits, so hey ho!) Anyway, this year one of our games was Achtung Panzer! and Darren, our game organiser and director, reprised the Big Game Hunt mission:
He envisaged a participation game, so stripped out all the card play and clock aspects, and gave each AFV a varied set of crew skills to highlight the variety of decisions that can be made. We did however represent the card aspects in the margins of the display.
The scenario was generic as possible but with a good mix of terrain.
Darren is the club's terrain making champ and did us proud as usual. He also has the gift of the gab, so the plan was that he would engage with the public whilst Stuart and I played the game or coached any participants.
In the event we got so much interest we all got chatting. At least that's my excuse for what ensued...
I was playing the Allies with a Firefly and two Sherman Vs, Stuart played the baddies with the eponymous Tiger and a Pz IV for company.
In the event I spend so much time dodging the Tiger I walked right into the Panzer IV's sights!
Darren took pity on me and after I lost all three Shermans and issued me with a Comet and an Achilles 17 Pdr. This time the Tiger itself deigned to be the one to deal with them!
No doubt horrified by the carnage, none of the public stepped forward to play so we set up for a second game by swapping roles....Aha, I thought, how hard can it be with a Tiger?
Nup! Lost that game in record time too! (Two major hits to my turret in rapid succession...)
I conceded before I lost the Pz IV as well - now that would have been really embarrassing!
On the positive side its always a privilege to share the hobby with the public and we got in a couple of really engrossing and exciting games of Achtung Panzer to boot!
Plus I also got a nutmeg of consolation in the modelling show itself!
A fine game there Ralph and nice to see you getting plenty of interest and a bookmark too for your efforts. We have something similar here with our IMPS Show, but most of the games tend to be GW 40K type things, rather than a nice historical game.
ReplyDeleteThanks Steve very kind. Yes we also try to put on a fantasy type game each day as well, all the better for attracting the youth. On Saturday we had a OPR Grimdark Future and on Sunday Gaslands. Both these games are colourful and attractive to the public. They then drift over to the historical games...
DeleteVery nice game gents, those German tanks are so good, it takes a special talent to lose with them :) The table looked great, well done Darren! May US next time with a M26 with 90mm goodness and a M18 to zip around and hit that big cat in the behind :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Richard mate yes I think I went into the second game far too confidently!
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