HMGS Cold Wars 19 AAR

 OK, I am back from HMGS Cold Wars 19.... I survived. As I mentioned before, I am biased, I am a volunteer for HMGS... I had a great time! First up... I arrived with apologies on my lips... I was supposed to be there weds. to set up and finalize all events.. I did not get there until Thursday... my van was in the shop for brakes and rotors. I will just say, it took longer and needed more work than I thought. I can say.. I was honestly wowed when I got there, this wasn't lipstick on a pig.... The Lancaster Host, soon to be full fledged Windom was looking nice. Was it finished? No, they still have more work to do, but.... since Fall In! 18.. a LOT had gotten done. Honestly, I think they expected to be further along in the food side of things... I believe everything was in place, but it wasn't all up and running yet... things take time. There was food however and the Starbucks was open and operational at about 80%. The coffee side was up and running, but the food side was not up 100%. All in all, the hotel experience was rather good. I was in a regular room, pretty much 100% renovated, good water pressure, clean... etc... the only issue... I was missing one chair for the desk and one of the balcony doors had a latching issue. As far as code goes... the only issue was the main door did not "auto-close" well.... So yes, there are still some issues, the food wasn't at 100% and construction is still ongoing... the final result though... Someone is putting a LOT of money into this place and it is getting REALLY nice. I should have taken pictures of the room, etc.. but hey, this is about gaming.... so here we go....


Since I had to work, I didn't get pics of all of the games.. I saw so many awesome ones... below are mort of the pics, not all great quality, sorry. I will start with... as the Event manager, I was saddened by the amount of cancelled games, this is becoming a trend lately.... folks are getting their games in to ensure their free GM badge before they are even sure they can be there... most cancellations were for mundane reasons, so that was good. Not to many were health based, which would have been bad.


I started my photo shoot around 8 or 9 on Friday..... working out from the events desk. This is the game I moved to the bottom of the stairs as the original was cancelled.... it was beautiful and the GM was great to work with, I am glad we could accommodate his move. It was a beautiful ACW game!

 

 Also in the foyer was Joe's Swartz from NOWS ran his Roman Game... he is always coming up with new scenarios and his players always have fun. The games below are form the Distilfink ballroom.

A beautiful looking WW1 trench game! I have a soft spot for this era, it is my favorite to study, but a very sad time for warfare and loves lost, all wars are. I especially liked the green mustard gas clouds!

 

 As usual, there was a fair share of every type of game being run. As the events manager, I try to schedule and space games and will even reach out to GM's to move time slots if I see too much overlap... for example.. if all naval games were on the same day at the same time, I email the GM's to see if they are willing to break up or change their times. As a lot of my friends are serious Naval players, it was brought to my attention years ago that it seems many games overlap and so they really have to pick and choose... ever since then, I try to work to provide a great experience to all attendees in that regard.

 

I wanted to take more pics of Tom Uhl's Zulu game... I was working when it was running. It was beautify, as many others are.

 

 We had our fait share of ahistorical games too. This was a Star Wars game that was running.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Late night games with James and his gang.... these guys are great... they are show regulars and provide lots of fun games.

 

 ODGW had their fair share of games running. All clubs usually do!

 

The Marietta was booked all weekend long, The Pittsburgh Band of Gamers and the Carnage and Glory guys run a lot of games.

 

 

 

 

 The lecture series at Cold Wars awesome. I got to sit in on a couple and I say... Heather really brought in some good ones this year. I usually don't do the lectures, but this year I had the opportunity... AND.. I actually was teaching. I had 2 classes... I was teaching in the Wargame design school... Basic movement mechanics in wargaming.

Pirate games and 28mm Naval seem to be a huge trend still... Blood and plunder and others had a strong presence.

 

Some of my event team doing what they do best.. making attendees happy!

Utilizing the stage in the theatre for large naval games was win-win! It was well lit and had plenty of room! The players all were having a great time!

 

 As usual, the labor of love that goes into the scenery at the HMGS shows is incredible... these folks are not just great GM's, they are artists too!



 

 Speaking of artists, I didn't get to go to any HMGS Hobby University classes, but I did get to hang out with the folks after hours on Saturday. These folks are great! Their knowledge runs vast and deep like the Mississippi! Anyone who doesn't know about the Hobby U classes needs to go at least once, you will be hooked. I cannot always get there because of work, but they regularly have special guests in to teach classes and you can really learn a lot form them in their classes. They are all very skilled teachers.

 

Tournaments were well attended too.... there was a huge LOTR Strategy battles tournament.. somehow I missed this.... I was sooooo pissed. I only saw the aftermath.... lots of cool tables.... no games.

Scott Holder who runs tournaments and Anthony Dewall who runs the HMGS board game library. 2 great guys, running 2 great programs!

The Friday night BoD meeting.... 4 seats to open for this election! 2 incumbants.. John Spiess and Dave Waxtel.. Paul Trani and Scott Landis were at their max in years service so would not be able to run again... thank you for your service guys! As this was an open meeting, it was well published, emails, on the website, on the CW web site... attendance was poor and it was an election meeting!!!!! We got about 8 nominees in the end, but wow. I wish more members took elections more seriously.

 

 Some fun at the room with the usual crew +1. I had Eric stay with us for the first time. Great local guy... glad he came to the show! He usually attends, but he has never stayed with me before.

Jeff "Allen's" Ghost Archipelago game.... this man is a terrain genius.... and friend. His games are always well attended and his tables are always beautiful!



 

 

 This table just needed to be mentioned... another great work of art... I would love to have seen the game being played!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 the Baltimore crew making an appearance....

 

 

This ACW game was awesome!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aeronefs in action!

My hero.... Dave Taylor, doing what he does best.. promoting the hobby!

I had to mention this ship...the Settsu... a Kawachi-class dreadnought battleship. Made in Japan while the guns were made in Britain. I learned a lot about it at the end of the show from Walter Green, one of the Hobby U instructors and all around great guy... even an old dog can learn new things!

I would normally end the AAR with a list and Pics of my loot! Unfortunately, I did not take any pics as I was constantly rushing around. I did fairly well. I sold a lot of stuff that enabled me to buy a lot more! I played conservatively as I knew I would have a nice big repair bill for my van when I got home.... I did well though and am happy. I will take some pics and maybe post later on it.

I found some treasures in the flea market ...I picked up some plastic cast field stone walls to use with my 28mm from a friend... and thanks to Daniel, I picked up a bunch of Lord of the Rings strategy battle game figures. He is a great guy and an all around awesome person. He believes in paying it forward and keeping the hobby alive! My son was so excited to get his very own Mordor orcs with command.

I picked up a Cog in the flea market also... a wanted one for Ghost Archipelago as it is more appropriate than any cannon ships... after all, GA takes place more in the age of Sinbad, not black powder. I did get a second ship, the one made in a Hibby U class.. as I said, these guys are great! Tim Peaslee had made it at the show during class. I didn't know who made it, but basically said "wow, this is cool.. who made it and would they sell it?" Eventually I found out Tim did and he walked in a gave ii to me... I couldn't say no.. and I couldn't take it for free! I offered a deal, we came to a mutual agreement and now I owe him some WW2 Bolt Action figures. I am glad it went that way as now I am working with him to lean how to make some terrain for LOTR Strategy battle game and will also be buying some finished pieces form him.

Why do I end on this note? Because folks can be awesome.. talk to them. Talk to everyone! Make new friends at each show, that is what I strive for!

My dealer hall purchases were pretty decent as I had made a bunch in the flea market and, as I have stated before... the money I make in the flea market goes back into the dealer hall... I was a little reserved this time as I knew I had a large repair bill waiting for me when I got home for the van....

Anyway, I got the last 2 supplements for Frostgrave... The Sorcerer's Enclave and the Maze of Malcor... only later to find out that another Hobby University guy was published in The Sorcerer's Enclave!!!! Joe McGuire! I will now be asking him to sign it! He also wrote a rule set I'll be picking up.. hope he'll sign that too! I got them at Brigade Games.. another must shop at all of the HMGS shows. I picked up some dice and the Malcor figure also. the battle book for SAGA Age of Vikings, more decals for my Milite Chritie warband, some heroes for my Norman SAGA army and then some flesh paint and some aerosol white primer and matt varnish.... Cotton Jim is another worth mentioning.. I always stop and shop at his booth.. you never walk away without a great deal. The man is just awesome! The one store I missed was "Your Hobby Place"... I will have to make them my first target at Historicon!!!!

My last prize and possibly the best was my pick up of Greg Zuniga's pre release figure he sculpted.... Google it, you'll love it! I didn't open mine.. I had him sign it and I put it on my shelf of wondrous items! I will wind up buying a couple more when released to the public for my daughter and I to paint.

Well, that about sums it up... Game on! or in my case paint on and pray I get out and get some games in!