Library games day - tabletop with Eagle Games

This past Saturday marked the final tabletop games day until the Autumn, probably September.

I took it as an opportunity to showcase some of the games that I have available for play.

only a sample of the games that could be brought out to the library games days

I had advertised that the Conquest of the Empire game was going to be the feature for the day.

As it was we had five fairly active players, sadly my middle son ended up with the unenviable position of being on the Italian peninsula having to face me and another older boy as adversaries.  My son did not 'reach out' for help in dealing with either of the sides (which could have pulled us back from a confrontation)  so my son ended up having to make other choices.

the digital world could not be contained

at the start of the conflict, we are all equal ...

The game was clearly going to end with Hispania as the leader, no final winner set, just not a clear way to stop me as Hispania.

Then a game of Napoleon In Europe was set out and a fast 'even Steven' game was run.

the gigantic map is always appreciated

deployment

just a little 'even Steven' followed by battles and territory grabs

This then ended the tabletop fun at the Library for the 2015-16 season, our first.

I am hopeful that many players will return and that we may see more in the Autumn of 2016.

A Victoria Day of GAMES

May 18, here in Canada, was Victoria Day and my boys did not have school that day.

So it was all setup as a tabletop games day.

First up was a SHAKO game with my youngest:

table lay out ... we were using a smaller than normal table - mom was busy with the big table - this left our forces at canister range!

the black uniforms of the Brunswick force

Italians take the fild

on turn 2 the Brunswickers formed a column to rush into the town

field on turn 3, by this point the Allied cavalry had melted away and now the town turned into a hand-to-hand match

flash on with the town battle in front of the lens

 In turn four the battle continued in the town, with the Brunswick force being eliminated taking five casualties, this put the score at 3:0 with the French leading!

Turn five saw the French flank cavalry arrive, though the wise (young) commander of the Allies had already formed square to meet these light horsemen

artillery barrage continued, though still not having any effect

French on the left flank covered the woods exits ... no red coats were going to come out of the woods without facing volley fire

Turn six field view

The square of the second rate Brunswickers HELD!  fending off two charges by light cavalry ... though not enough to keep the Allies in the field, for other Brunswick troops had been killed in an Italian charge and a force of British line troops had been shot to pieces by French line troops on the hill facing the woods.

Final score:  French 6 kills, Anglo-Brunswick 0 kills.  

Result Decisive French Victory.

Our next game was with the three boys and I in a busy game of "Conquest of the Empire"

just before the 'double-cross'

only two players left ... big forces in North Africa and a last ditch effort in Rome ...

I held off two of the boys and ended the game with a thin force catching my middle son's Caesar in a 3v2 battle in Rome.  Neat ending.

Next game was a Squad Leader battle, scenario one again, as my eldest is still learning all the details.

Squad Leader, setting up

we called the game at this stage as it was pretty clear the Soviet Guards were going to take the second building with minimal losses, while the Germans were taking a pounding

Dinner and some clean up and finally the game of Dominion with everyone ... even mom.

We were really late in the day, so we played only a very short game.  My middle son, the one who 'won' this game box at Salute a few years ago, was the winner with the most provinces.

Game of Dominion on Victoria Day

All in all the day was a great way to re-connect with my boys and challenge their minds with something other than video ...

Boys Game Weekend

Axis & Allies an old favorite

This past weekend I engaged in games of choice with my three sons.

Saturday started off with a good early republic round of Republic of Rome, just a two-player as only my eldest wanted to play the game.  End result was mob violence in Rome and all players loose ... go figure.

Sunday was a more active day, starting off with an other ancients game with Conquest of the Empire, this time with three of us playing.  My eldest vs my youngest, there were some 'taking it personally' moments, then we ended well with my eldest claiming a victory, the first tin some time.

Republic of Rome - impossible task ... win the 2nd Punic War with straw men

Conquest of the Empire ... deep into the cash

That left my middle son with a choice of game, he likes computer games, or fun outside.  I also knew that he liked to use the pellet rifle that I have, unknown to all three was that a second pellet rifle has been gifted for their use to practice, before we go out to a real range.  This way they are all trained in safety and have some experience with using a sort of 'firearm'.

We went out into the February sunshine, into the woods nearby and found some stumps to set up milk cartons on and put out some little lead pellets into them.

some time in the sun

still learning how to hold the weapon and needing a close steady hand watching him

my 'action man' hitting target almost every time now

We returned from the woods with hole filled milk cartons, got some dinner and wrapped up the evening with a couple of Axis & Allies games, including one that almost went exactly as the WW II timeline, the moment seen here was where a sneak attack from Africa was possible because German forces in south Europe had been denuded to counter a Russian success in east Europe.

Good fun for everyone in the end they were all happy with the game(s) that they got to take part in.

Conquest of the Empire

A fun, not so little, game that my young sons seem to enjoy ... at least until the combat really gets going - poor Marcus caught in a pincer movement ...

Conquest of the Empire

He did well, until faced with big forces on both sides, having to concentrate on one or the other left him wide open to counter-attack ... he lost his capitol and with it his cash reserves, without the forces to take it back available the game was essentially over.