Convention Coverage: Cold Wars 2009

Colonel Bill discusses and displays how miniature wargamers tackle a poor economy. They turn out to the HMGS Cold Wars convention in greater numbers and spend, spend, spend!

Published on 24 APR 2009 9:25am by Scott Parrino

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A Revolutionary Experience!

OK, I’ll admit I don’t get it. The HMGS East Cold Wars convention, Frank “Prez” Preziosi proprietor, was held at the Lancaster Host, Lancaster, PA 12 – 15 March 2009, and all of us feared the worst. After all, the economy is tanking worse than the Titanic with a lead shipment, so attendance had to be down, right? Wrong. Into the Host marched 2378 attendees, not an absolute record, but better than the last three years when the economy was smoking. Most dealers told me that sales were good, if not up, so go figure.

Well far be it from me to look a gift horse, but the HMGS East Board wants you to know if you have a theory as to why, drop them a line. Now.

The theme this year was Revolutions – 3000 Years of Rebellion, Civil War and Revolutionary Change, so maybe that spawned the 373 events registered for the con, and that is without all the tournament games going on. Now, I don’t for a minute buy it, but the breakdown was as follows:

Ancients	7
Dark Ages	3
Medieval	7
Renaissance	4
Pike and Shot	4
Age of Piracy	2
Age of Reason	11
French & Indian War	4
American War of Independence	27
Napoleonic	21
War of 1812	1
19th Century	6
Mexican War	2
American Civil War	33
Western	4
Colonial	10
Victorian Science Fiction	1
Early 20th Century	3
World War I	15
Inter-War	10
Pulp	2
World War II	82
Modern	25
Future	30
Revolutions	3
Fantasy	8
SciFi	17

Total events at start of Cold Wars 09 342

Total events submitted 373

For me the convention was not that unusual. On Friday I hosted my usual Age of Eagles game, and also as usual, we had a full house. The game was on the battle of Hohenlinden, 1800, from the French Revolution, an engagement where 140,000 Austrians and French dueled for the future of the French Republic. Historically General of Division Jean Victor Moreau spanked His Twitness Archduke John of Austria, quite resoundingly. The game also played out historically, and for the same reasons as reality. The Austrians could neither control nor coordinate the actions of several large columns advancing over a wide front through heavy woods, meaning many of the Kaiserlicks only got into action late in the day. Photos, for those interested, are now on my Website, and many thanks to AB – Eureka Miniatures for sponsoring the game and providing 15mm Austrian command sets as give-ways.

Saturday I spent my usual day taking lots of digital snaps for HMGS East, getting together with friends and scoping out the Flea Market and Dealer’s Hall for what I was going to buy on Sunday. Total purchases were less than normal, primarily because I pretty well have most of what I want (now if that isn’t scary . . . ) and I’ve little space left at my house for the remainder. I did, however pick up a couple of great bargains at the Flea Market, both boardgames. These were the the BRO Games The Cossacks are Coming, Tannenburg 1914 (the companion to the Clash of Arms monster Home Before the Leaves Fall) and the GMT tactical game Chandragupta, Battles of the Mauryan Empire, India, both pristine and both for about $ 35 US. I hardly every buy anything from the Flea Market, but always go because you can never tell when that hidden gem might be available.

As I said, pretty normal . . . well, OK, there was one little thing. Two days prior to the convention the HMGS East Board announced that Historicon (called the “Mother of All Wargame Conventions” by the Wall Street Journal) would be moving from Lancaster to the Baltimore Convention Center for both 2010 and 2011. This has been discussed for months now, but the final word was somewhat vaguely similar to dropping a lit match in a gasoline drum. The Membership Meeting saw a bunch of new folks nominated for election to the Board, words were flying faster than HEAT rounds and kudos to Prez and the gang for keeping all those who demanded 20 paces at dawn to a minimum.

In general, the Board felt that moving to Baltimore not only would provide better facilities, but would allow the Chapter to attract people into the hobby from the general population. A minority of gamers and dealers have said they will flat out not come to Baltimore regardless, citing both cost and inconvenience. Another minority – particularly those who fly into the con – are absolutely delighted. The majority of pewter pushers and merchants seem to oppose the move, but given the convention is the veritable Mecca of the hobby, have promised to give it a try. Stay tuned for further developments.

But outside my endless congrats to the gamers, vendors, and Prez (who was nominated for the Board, by the way) and his staff, enough of my blathering. The miniatures wargaming hobby defines eye candy, sort of a picture is worth a thousand words paradigm, so with that in mind I’ll shut up and let the following pictorial speak for itself.

The Cold Wars Revolution in Pictures