Photos from the 2017 NHMGS Game Day

Sunday was the NHMGS game day at the Museum of Flight. We had seven games, spread over two game periods, with 30+ gamers.

A view of the gaming area under the Blackbird

Our information table packed with painted figures, rules, reference books, and old curmudgeons

The morning session games were:
Rorke’s Drift in 28mm. The terrain and figures were really great and it looked like a desperate situation all around. The Zulus had overrun the hospital by the time the session ended.

All Quiet on the Martian Front, with some interesting looking stuff. Especially the giant land battleship.

Close Action Napoleonic Age of Sail game with some very nice, fully rigged 1/700 miniatures. This game also ran in the afternoon game period.

In the afternoon there was a Star Wars Armada game with lots of players. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Sven Lugar ran an old-fashioned Fletcher Pratt naval game, but I did not get any photos of that, because I was helping to run a game on the air attacks at San Carlos in Falklands.

Before the bombing runs started, each side had to make decisions about forces and deployments. The Argentinians selected two flights of Armada Skyhawks and a flight of Daggers for the attack and planned their approach. The British posted four Sea Harriers over the landing zone, with two more patrolling the expected approach paths and two more on ready reserve at the carriers. We resolved the off-board issues and the Argentinians rolled very badly. They had one plane abort and three others shot down before they event got on the map (maybe my off-board activities are a little too harsh).

Target for Today

The remaining planes choose to attack HMS Fearless, the amphibious assault ship, and bypass the much closer and easier target of HMS Antelope, an Amazon class frigate. The Sea Harriers swept in and knocked down three more attackers. One A-4 and one Dagger were able to get close to Fearless. The Dagger dropped its bombs and got a hit on the large ship, but the bomb turned out to be a dud. The A-4 was lined up for its attack, but before it could release its bombs, gunfire from a Sea Harrier knocked out its bomb system. It was not a good day for the Argentinians.

Daggers bypassing the frigate

Target in sight!

Closing in for the attack

Bombs away! One hit, but its a dud!

Overall, our gamer turnout was good, but I think the sunny weather (after a week of mostly rain) and being Sunday with a Seahawks football game limited museum attendance. We did get a chance to talk with several people about our hobby and even the ones that didn’t stop to talk seemed to take a peek at all the painted figures. The game day is always a good opportunity to show off the hobby to the general public and the museum is a really great forum for it.