With
COW2015 (
Wargame Developments's thirty-fifth
Conference of Wargamers) taking place in a little over two weeks time, the session timetable has been written and the printed programme is with the printer.
It looks like being a crowded conference. We have plenty of sessions and more attendees than we have had for some years. With luck the weather will be good and – thanks to the fact that the British F1 Grand Prix at Silverstone is taking place on the previous weekend – there should be no major traffic problems for attendees to have to deal with.
The Conference Timetable
The Conference Sessions
WD Display Team North
COASTAL COMMAND
Ensure Britain's survival by keeping its vital sea lanes open in a short participation game for up to six players about something which is long winded and where not much happens on most sorties …
WD Display Team (North)’s game for the 2015 season is sponsored by Tumbling Dice who kindly provided the 1:600 scale aircraft.
Tim Gow et al
LITTLE COLD WARS
An outdoor toy soldier game – much developed since COW2014. Featuring toys in 54mm and at least two other scales, matchstick firing cannon and daft hats.
John Bassett
EAST IS EAST
A crisis management game set in Singapore and looking at a forgotten episode of Imperial history. Will you end up enjoying gin slings with the Governor's daughter or be remembered with scorn and contempt across the East?
Bob Cordery
KRIEGSSPIEL 1914
Professor Phil Sabin’s ‘Campaign in Two Hours’ kriegsspiel of the opening moves of the 1914 campaign on the Western Front has been played at Windsor Castle and King’s College, London. Now you will have the opportunity to try out this deceptively simple-looking wargame. The session will take 1.5 to 2 hours, and will need three teams: An Allied Team of two/three players, a German Team of two/three players, and an Umpire Team of three (two liaison Umpires and the Master Map Umpire).
John Curry
PADDY GRIFFITH, HIS RISE AND FALL
A frank 1 hour lecture on one of the most important wargamers of his generation.
Colin Maby
GANGSTERS, OR IT’S ONLY BUSINESS REALLY
A card driven game set in probation era America which sees the players each taking the role of an up an coming gangster who’s aim is to end up having more money than anyone else, which also usually means controlling most of the crime in the notional city. Along the way this is likely to lead to brushes with other gangs and the law and possibly some difficult choices of who they annoy. The game uses areas with representative buildings for different parts of the city and 28mm miniatures to represent characters but is not a traditional skirmish game.
Ian Drury
1777: YEAR OF THE HANGMAN
A map-based multi-player strategic game of the 1777 campaign in North America, arguably the last chance the British had to regain control of the American colonies. Roles include louche aristocrat Lord Howe, ‘Gentleman Johnny’ Burgoyne, the notorious Benedict Arnold and, of course, George Washington.
John Curry
THE RETURN OF THE BEAR
A game based on a large map and giant counters. The system is the type of game that some countries might play to explore a hypothetical Russia threat to some Eastern European Country. Feedback will be actively sought on the game model.
John Armatys and Martin Rapier
MINI-JUTLAND
A derivative of a WW2 naval derivative (found on the AWM Yahoo Group) of Neil Thomas’s One Hour Wargame. A simple and fun game for up to four players with dramatically scaled down fleets…
Jim Roche
WATERLOO REVISITED – ABBA 200 YEARS ON
The now traditional Saturday night singalong session!
Jim Roche
OSPREY TRENCH POKER
To mark the continuing anniversary of the Great War, may I introduce Trench Poker, an unoriginal game based on the colour plates from old Osprey books. "I have a full house of three German officers and a pair of Highland pipers...I think he's bluffing; a Straight Flush of five different French ranks indeed!"
For up to four players at five minutes per hand (coins only for bets)
Tom Mouat
DAUGHTER OF THE SKIES
The date is 1947 – Jean Batten, famous female aviator and holder of the record for the London to Auckland solo flight is trying to beat her own record. She has, however, gone missing in a storm over the Pacific! Her wealthy fiancée is desperate to find her! This is a single-session role playing game with up to 8 players using modified “Footfall” rules featuring a Consolidated PBY Catalina, a rich heir, his bodyguard, a society photographer, the aviator’s closest friends and a rather dodgy Flying Company…
Tom Mouat
KAZHDYY GOROD
Welcome to the city of Kazhdyy Gorod in early July 2015, with a population of about 250,000, in the former Soviet Republic of Belaria. In Kazhdyy Gorod there are protests in the street in some of the poorer parts of the city and journalists have been giving them much publicity. The Mayor has been debating whether to get the Police to crack down hard to prevent things getting out of control and the Militia Commander has been quietly reviewing security at the base in the light of rumours that there are armed rebel troops in the forest to the East of town… This is a Matrix Game for up to 6 players representing the key players in this troubled city…
Tom Mouat
THE BATTLE FOR THE SLIM RIVER
The Imperial Japanese forces have invaded Malaya! They have advanced relentlessly driving all before them until this moment where they are facing stiff British resistance at the Slim River. You are part of the Japanese attacking force consisting of about 17 Type 97 medium tanks and 3 Type 95 Ha-Go Light Tanks, under the command of Major Toyosaku Shimada preparing for a daring assault down a single road! Banzai! This game actually features toy soldiers and the longest terrain map in the history of wargaming. Roles for up to 10 players.
Ian Lowell
TRUMP IT!
A workshop session on using unusual playing cards for wargaming. Following some of thoughts on the German Peasants’ War 1524—26 sessions at COW 2014. An introduction to the earliest packs of cards and gaming with them, especially the following:
Karnöffel, The Visconti-Sforza Tarot and the Mantegna ‘Tarot’.
Ian Lowell
REIN-BOW WARRIORS REDUX
A talk on the latest research into Late Bronze Age warfare, especially focusing on chariots. Followed by a chance to experiment with and try out the latest Rein-Bow Warrior rules.
Phil Steele
THE BATTLE OF BOUVINES 1214
A delayed 800th anniversary wargame . Historical introduction plus toy soldier wargame in 15mm using adapted Basic Impetus. A decisive battle on the Magna Carta timeline ...
Phil Steele
SINK THE BISMARCK
Simple wargame using the 1:1200 Airfix models and the combat/damage system from last year's 'pop-up' game.
Phil Steele
YARMUK 636
The decisive battle of the Arab Conquests ... Historical introduction plus a toy soldier wargame using classic 30mm flats and state of the art DBA V3. A Society of Ancients 50th anniversary wargame.
Mike Elliott
TRAFALGAR
Naval wargames have always annoyed me. Detailed rules for ship to ship actions but far too complex for actual fleet actions. In the 210th anniversary year, I present a wargame of the Battle of Trafalgar, with EVERY ship individually represented and ruthlessly simple rules to (hopefully!) allow play to a conclusion in about 90 mins to 2 hours.
Mike Elliott
WAKING SHARK or CYBER WARFARE - THE SIX STAGE KILL CHAIN
A lecture and discussion about cyber warfare and how we might simulate it in the context of a wargame.
Mike Elliott
LATE ARRIVALS AT THE DUCHESS OF RICHMOND'S BALL
A Dinner Table Game.
It is 15th June 1815. Time travelling military(?) figures from all periods of history arrive for the Duchess of Richmond's Ball on the eve of Waterloo ... Inevitably, with time travel being what it is they arrive late ...
An across-the-dinner-table entertainment on Saturday evening in the style of the Late Arrivals game from "I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue". Laughter and mirth will ensue (I hope!!) The best submissions may even find their way into the Nugget (Shock! Horror!).
Sue Laflin-Barker
GENTLEMEN GO BY
It’s the latest version of the usual game, smugglers trying to deliver their goods and the revenue trying to intercept them.
Michael Young
KESTREL'S HOVER
This is a wargame developed for and played with 16th Air Assault Brigade. They wanted it to compare helicopter and parachute landings.
It uses a 200m hex grid and the units are platoons or sections, with 15 minute time steps. The scenario is the capture of an airbase against light, but cunning opposition.
16th Air Assault liked the game so much they took a copy of it back to Colchester with them.
This will be a double session: The first one will be a Helicopter Assault, the second one a Parachute Assault. Feel free to attend either or both sessions.
Jaap Boender
FIVE MINUTES OF POLITICAL COURAGE
This game takes players into the byzantine complexity of Belgian politics. After the elections, Flemish and Walloon politicians are negotiating the formation of a government - complicated by the situation of the Brussels electoral district, declared unconstitutional by the courts. The parties will have to overcome their linguistic, ideological, personal and electoral differences to negotiate a state reform, as well as a coalition accord. Failure is not an option!
Ian Drury
BRAVE ADMIRAL BENBOW
Fleet action in the first years of the 18th century, when the English Navy was a long way from establishing the dominance enjoyed a hundred years later by the RN. Even the steering wheel was regarded as a dubious innovation. . .Game features Tumbling Dice's range of 1/2400 toy ships on a hex cloth
Graham Evans
TAIPING ERA 2
At its first appearance a couple of years ago this 15mm figure game of warfare in 19th century China was criticised for not featuring any Taiping rebels and having a dodgy mathematical model.
Graham Evans
HURRIED HYDASPES
After the success of the Rapid Raphia card driven ancients game last year it is back slightly expanded and reworked to cover Alexander last battle. For those of you who missed it first time round the game uses a pack of cards per player to even the luck out and a simple system that keeps the players involved simultaneously throughout the game.
John Bassett and Jim Roche
TACITUS AND THE NORTH
A three part look at the Roman historian Tacitus and how he's shaped our perceptions of Roman warfare. "Tacitus for Wargamers" is an introduction to Tacitus and his writing by John Bassett. "The Romans in Scotland" is a presentation by Jim Roche on recent archaeological finds on Roman operations in the north. "Reign of Terror" is a game by John Bassett on a key episode of Roman history.
Russell King
CANADIAN "CIVIL WAR"
A play of one of SPI's oddest offerings - a recreation of 70s Canadian politics at the high tide of Quebec nationalism, which has some resonance with current day UK politics. 4-6 players/teams vie for the trappings of office, and control over key issues and interest groups. Each play is different, as players get to vote over interpretations of the rules. With a quick look at some other political games.
Alan Paull
SOMEWHERE IN NORMANDY, SUMMER 1944
This session will be an attempt at an interesting and stimulating miniatures game and associated discussion about simulating tactical / operational engagements in WW2, focused on Normandy after D-Day. It will use Mission Command (the alpha version of SSG Wargames’ draft WW2 miniatures rules) and some toy soldiers.
Jim Wallman
DESIGNING WARGAMES TO ORDER
Some experiences and insights from some of my recent work in developing wargames in a military context. A short presentation on some of the challenges, frustrations and joys of meeting a game design specification. Followed by discussion. Chatham House rules will apply.
Jim Wallman
BLITZ!
A toy soldier game about fire-engines and burly firemen with big hoses attempting to save a small part of London during the 1940s firebomb attacks. There might even be some role playing involved. Any number can play.
