Blog Review 2018 (Part 2)

July last year looks like it was a very busy month with a variety of games and rule updates;

Mark put on a number of Grande Armee games as a lead up to the JoS and the big Austerlitz game.

Western Approaches HQ, Liverpool

                               
The JoS was another excellent day out and always a major high point in my wargames calendar.  Usually we have preceded the main event with a series of military related visits on the Saturday as we wend our way to Sheffield.  This year I thought we should explore places nearer to home before an early start on the Sunday and it turned out to be a fantastic day - Mark and I visited Western Approaches, the U-boat at Wallasey, Fort Perch, New Brighton bookshops, the Cheshire Regiment Museum, Chester city walls and finished the day with a viewing of "Zulu" - phew I was knackered!  We really need to do more events like this.

Didn't appreciate the chequer board pattern on the phantoms first time around - very nice!

                         

Jon completed a modern Luftwaffe contingent for the continuing development of modern spearhead.  We would see the significance of combined arms with air assets in a future game.

Not sure which player is Mark - the gut or goldilocks?

Oh yes, and Mark won a Star Wars competition !

In August we had a bit of a run on spearhead scenario's with fighting in Italy and the Russian front using new and original terrain to challenge our usual northwest European battlefields.

First time outing for my mountain and city scape terrain.

Phil's battle of Kholm.

September was a bit of a mixed variety of games with a lot of preparation for future operational battles.

Mark and Frank deploy British and French forces in a Nato exercise.

                               

Russ and I replayed Edgehill - Russ took some great photos.

                                             

October was dominated by the Arnhem operational game, which was indeed, a bridge too far.  Once again the operational envelope was pushed further and we have a format for other battles; relieving Stalingrad, France or Holland 1940 and even the !

                           

Sorry chaps but we haven't the facilities to take you all prisoner!  Another combined effort enabled us to put on the latest extravaganza.

                           
November, in turn, was dominated by Phil's winter 1941 operational game.  The fearsome Wehrmacht is humbled by Marshal Winter and the Soviets launch their massive riposte to Barbarossa.  Yet again the limits of operational games are extended as we fight on the snow bound steppes of Russia.
                                         

Probably Russ' least favourite board!

We finished the year with Freiburg 1762, which I think, was only the Second outing for Principles of War this year and the only 18th Century game I've been able to put on.

I've been struggling with google direct and so I haven't been able to transfer any photos of the game.

                                            

So there you have it. A quick overview of our gaming activities for last year. I was surprised by the variety and quality of our output as I hadn't thought of 2018 as an outstanding gaming year.  It goes to show how worthwhile it is looking back on our output and what an excellent resource the blog is.