As I sit here thinking (some insist I am napping) it occurs to me that there are some significant anniversaries this year. First there is the bicentennials of Waterloo and, in a more parochial note, the Battle of New Orleans. More recently (as in only a century ago) strategic bombing first took place with the German Zeppelins raided London, the first submarine blockade was proclaimed against Great Britain, leading to the sinking of the Lusitania and the Allies landed troops in Gallipoli.
Some of these give rise to the idea of a memorial game or campaign. Waterloo has already been proposed by Tom from Texas with a short campaign as opposed to refighting the battle as it stood. The New Orleans campaign would be interesting as well, there were many options open to both commanders that would have greatly changed the outcome and there is also the first use of a steamboat in warfare! Frankly I find trying to game submarine warfare difficult to manage and rather distasteful (shooting at unarmed and defenseless civilians is something too much from today's headlines).
Tom has offered to host the Waterloo campaign at his house which only makes sense as he has all the space we would ever need and the complete orbat for both sides. We need commanders for the British, Fernch and Prussian forces as well as players willing to push lead when a battle occurs. interested parties please reply in the Comments section. After we have completed the 100 Days campaign I was hoping to impose on Tom to host the New Orleans campaign as well. If that comes together we should be pretty well busy until the middle of summer.
I lack the mins for a Gallipoli campaign but have been tossing around the idea of building a Zeppelin or two and using Canvas Eagles to run a Raids on London game. That is still in the formative stages however.
Anyone with ideas or the minis to host a centennial/bicentennial game that is wishing to give it a go please contact me directly at daftrica 89 at yahoo dot com or in the comments section.
Happy Gaming !
My first vote is for the Tolentino Campaign. April and May 1815. Austrians vs Neapolitans. It actually matters as if Murat wins it ties up the Austrians and keeps them off Napoleone, and Murat actually has a chance.
ReplyDeleteMy second vote is for the 300th anniversary of the British declaration of "Hostis Humani Generus" against the Pirates and beginning their 10 year war on Piracy which ends the golden age of Piracy. This declaration (echoing Cicero) was promulgated in 1715 to give the Royal Navy something to do with the close of the War of Spanish Succession (we must justify those budgets).
If I have one, my third vote is for the 2,000th anniversary of Germanicus' Chatti Campaign which launched in 15 A.D. AVENGE Tuetoburg Forest!! Avanti Romana!!!
In case I still have any left, my fourth vote is for the 2,400th anniversary of the Athenian invasion of Sicily in the Peloponnesian War (415 B.C.). We can all work to vindicate Alcibiades theory and by extension save Socrates from that Hemlock cup!!! Positives all around!
Technically I prefer 2 to 1 and 4 to 3, so my real votes would be: Pirates, Tolentino, Sicily, Chatti in order of preference, but my listing was overwhelmed by my sense of chronology.
Random thoughts (yes I am capable of more random than the above as anyone who knows me will affirm) on the rest of Anton's Hash. Zeppelins would be fun, German sport fishing (submarines) would not. I have no interest in Waterloo, but will push lead around as I know this CJF, BOHICA, wot, 'fifth time around is bound to be the charm', is impending whatever else happens. I am even less interested in New Orleans (and disagree with the 'many options' idea there is only one). Gallipoli is a horrible idea as it: drove Churchill to try and commit 'suicide by proto-nazi', would be dreadfully dull and no one has the appropriate Turks (NO I WILL NOT PAINT THEM EVEN THOUGH I HAVE LOTS OF OTHER TURKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!).
That seems to be enough for now.
Peloponnesian War does sound interesting
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