This past Sunday I had my first taste of historical miniatures wargaming at a local annual gameday.

This past Sunday I had my first taste of historical miniatures wargaming at a local annual gameday. My son commanded WWII tanks in a fun Panzer Kids game run by Peter Schweighofer, the author of the game. Read his write-up of the game here:

Originally shared by Peter Schweighofer

NOVAG Game Day Success
Yesterday we trekked up to Northern Virginia for the NOVAG Game Day at the Centreville Regional Library. I hosted an afternoon of Panzer Kids games for an enthusiastic crowd of seven players.

The basic scenario put six Crusaders at one end and three Panzers at the other, with an impassible minefield in the middle and an oasis with a fuel dump in the middle along one edge, one additional Panzer guarding it. Everyone raced for the oasis, though the British got close first and started firing. Some tanks were knocked out, but the British managed to plant one right next to the fuel dump; to win it had to sit there one turn without moving or firing. Then another British tank shot at a Panzer near the fuel dump and rolled a 1...critical failure. Shot hits the fuel dump. Boom. Nobody wins the scenario.

We played out the basic scenario again with the addition of some optional rules (minefields, wrecks, flanking shots, close range) and some changes in the forces deployed: three M3 Grants for the British and an 88mm Flak guarding the fuel depot and a Panzer IV and two Marders coming to the rescue. One M3 and a Marder peeled off toward an oasis at the other end of the minefields to duel it out while everyone else went for the fuel depot. The Germans would have won, but the last surviving M3 Grant chose to shoot the fuel depot instead.... Nobody won that game, either.

A few players left and I decided to give the die-hards a treat: running the promo scenario “Tiger by the Tail,” with three M3 Grants charging a lone 88mm Flak; on turn 4 the Tiger showed up, though he wasn’t deployed to take the best advantage of the tactical situation. The British lost a tank or two, but eventually dispatched the Tiger with some lucky rolls and outflanked the 88mm to win the game.

Despite two draws and a close British victory, everyone seemed to have a great time. I think the ages ranged from 7-12 years old. Some kids had played wargames before, some hadn’t. Everyone learned the rules pretty quickly and deftly applied the optional rules to their advantage in the second game.

The NOVAG game day featured nine different miniature wargames in the library’s event room, with enthusiastic crowds of players, many onlookers, and an afternoon of fun for everyone. I had a chance to meet fellow Google Plusser Zach H and game with his son (who proved quite adept at maneuvering across the desert battlefield).