HAWKs Historicon Playtest Day, 5.21.11

As the HAWKs gear up for Historicon '11, we've been scheduling several Saturday playtest games to give the members more time to playtest their events beyond the regular meeting schedule. One such event was held in my game room last Saturday the 21st. We had the opportunity to playtest three great games.

We got underway at 9:00 am with the first scenario, which was Duncan Adams' "Longlier, 1914" Command Decision game. The game pitted Germans against French, and the objective was to control the most points in built-up areas, the largest of which was Longlier located in the center of the table.

One German Battalion moves into the town as another and some cavalry perform a flanking maneuver.

The French enter the town from the other direction.

The German artillery takes a position on a nearby hill.



French troops maneuver through a woods on the outskirts of town.



Close-quarters fighting develops in the center of town.

The second game of the day was Buck Surdu's "Moros by GASLIGHT" event. This was a purely historical scenario, with none of GASLIGHT's VSF elements. It pitted U.S. forces against Moro rebels in the Philippines in the early 1900's. The Americans had to capture the Moros' fort, while the mores had several objectives to claim around the table.

The American column heads out towards the fort.



An overview of the battlefield. The fort can be seen on the back corner of the table.



Moros take position in a rocky outcropping as the Americans push forward.



The U.S. cannon sets up to take on an approaching Moro band.


Fighting swirls around the base of the rocky outcropping.

The third game of the day was James Nickle's "Champion Hill" American Civil War game using A Union So Tested rules. The Confederates had to guard four key positions on the field, while the Union were trying to capture the same objectives




Union forces surge up Champion Hill.


Overview of the battlefield.


Union brigades try to sweep around the flank of the hill, as the Confederates try to form a hasty defensive line.


As The Union surge over the hill, the Confederates block their way.