CanCon 2013

Not to be confused with Cancun, CanCon features significantly less bikinis (in fact if the frequenters of Cancon wore bikinis it would probably cause temporary blindness and permanent insanity in all who beheld such a spectacle). It is in fact an annual wargames event in Canberra, Australia. As many people in the mid-west of the USA know, New Zealand is part of Australia, (or Antarctica, or maybe Canada) but it was still a significant achievement for me to wrangle a trip in which I could attend the convention.

Demo game of Froshwiller 1870

I stayed with my mates Dan and Marcus who have been in Canberra for a couple of years now, and it was great to catch up with them. I didn't play in any tournaments, they are not really my thing. Originally I was going to try and get in on a demo game but found that there was too much else to do, so never got there.

Relief of Peking 1900 demo game

The demo games that I looked at with interest were Froshwiller 1870, Peking 1900 and Isandhlwana 1879. There were also Napoleonic naval, 6mm and American Civil War games, although these don't really float my boat so I didn't pay much attention to them.

What I really went to Cancon for was to buy stuff, and so I did. The updated rulebook and Hurricane Season scenario book for Dystopian Wars along with some scenery and a French fleet were acquired. Most of this stuff was less than half price, and so was a snap purchase, but one I'm glad that I made. It has fired up my enthusiasm to try Dystopian Wars again, so has led to a cryogenically suspended project being brought back to life. It also helps that I saw the board that Marcus and Dan had made for D Wars and decided I would like to have a go for myself.

My Dystopian Wars Britannians about to get dusted off.

I purchased the Peter Pig Square Bashing rules and army lists from Mick's Metal Miniatures, and really like my initial read through of them. I'm considering leaving my WWI figures individually based so that they can still be used for Through the Mud and Blood and using 8 figures for a battalion for Square Bashing. My original plan was to use them for my 10mm 1914 games, and these I will base in the recommended way.

A copy of Charge by Young and Lawford found its way into my possession for the princely sum of $5. It is not in mint condition, but what matters is that I have a copy to sit alongside my edition of Charles Grant's Napoleonic Wargaming. Also at the second hand stall was a bag of Napoleonic Spanish figures, mostly Minifigs but with AB artillery crew and lights. There was enough for 2 and a half battalions of infantry (light battalion will be half sized), 2 regiments of cavalry, a unit of militia and a gun. These will be painted as the army of Frankenberg. I'm really looking forward to that.

The Frankenberg coat of arms

On top of it all, Marcus and Dan gave me a company of Brit paras for Flames of War, as they don't really play it. I had sold all of my WWII Flames of War, with just my unpainted Fallshirmjager left, and had decided that I really did want a couple of armies sitting at home to play with if the fancy took me. So a new project. Finally Marcus gave me his old Tamiya airbrush, due to Dan buying a superior one. This is fantastic, because I can't get matt black undercoats like Chaos Black here any more. Now I just need the power lead.

The reason that I was in Australia in the first place was to visit Sydney's Australian Museum and the Alexander the Great exhibition they are holding. It was fantastic, and made me dead keen to get my Macedonians and Persians started. Then I visited the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, with its stunning WWI collection. I can't recommend visiting there enough, and I just wanted to get my WWI done. But one thing at a time, and at the moment that is the French Revolutionary War project. Then WWI and Dystopian Wars followed by the ancients.

The British camp in the Zulu demo game

British command

The Zulu horde

Prussians advance

Hopefully I can get back to some regular posting now, although work has started back up this week and is, as usual, hectic.

Nate