The dust has finally settled after two days of gaming and catching up with old friends at the Bugle Call and I have finally managed to find the energy to start thinking about the wrap up. It was an exhausting weekend, but an exhilarating one and I enjoyed myself enormously.
I still need to work through my photos and clean them up for publication, but I’ll post them here as soon as I get to it.
Already the plans are being laid for the next event and it’s pretty certain that we’ll be moving away from McLaren Vale and into the suburbs or city of Adelaide. The venue we are using at the moment has almost reached its capacity, both in floor space and in its licence and so we will have to move eventually. More details will be announced when they are firmed up.
I am just about to head off to McLaren Vale to start setting up for the convention which starts 10:00 tomorrow morning.
Safe driving everyone, the roads will be busy with holiday makers on their way somewhere for the Easter break. Remember to bring along your unwanted lead/rules/terrain for the ‘bring and buy’ stall, and you can even bring an army down for an impromptu battle if you want, as there will be a table or two put aside for this purpose.
We’ve had a late cancellation too unfortunately. Back 2 Base IX can’t make it I’m sad to say, but they have continued to support the show by donating a $100 voucher for the raffle. Thanks Aaron!
And thanks to everyone involved in setting up the show. It’s going to be a blast!!!
This year’s Bugle Call is offering up a 6′ x 4′ (1800 x 1200mm) game table as the first prize in a raffle. The lucky winner will have to wait until the end of the show however because the table will be in use for the Strange Seas participation game being run on the Saturday and Sunday.
The table is fully constructed now and has been finished to a high standard. Modular in design, the table pieces can be rearranged to make a huge variety of landforms offering up a different tactical experience every single game – and all held in place by powerful magnets. The framework for this design is built using Back 2 Base IX’s amazing Battleframe 5000 product.
Valued at over $500, this table is an eyecatching piece that will provide many years of gaming pleasure to the new owner.
If you are coming over to South Australia for the Bugle Call (a wise move) you may be looking for somewhere to stay that is close to the convention venue.
McLaren Vale itself offers a range of accommodation types depending on your budget, from caravan park through to high quality motels and B&B style places. The caravan park (with cabins) is adjacent to the venue and there are several B&Bs within walking distance. If you have a car then there are motels not too far away in the stunning coastal town of Port Noarlunga, and more in Reynella, only 10 minutes drive from the venue. Last year, several visitors stayed at rental properties on the clifftops overlooking Maslin Beach.
Port Noarlunga jetty and marine park at sunset. Photo taken by Hubba used without permission.
If you need more information about available accommodation options, contact me (Alan) on info@ozhistorycon.com and I’ll try to help out.
Also, Mal Wright has asked me to mention that he has a spare room over the weekend if anyone is interested in staying – there’s a post about it on TMP, contact him there, or flick me an email and I’ll send it through to him: http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=226551
Work is progressing to complete the table for “Strange Seas”, a participation game where players via against each other to search a desert island for the fabled Fountain of Youth. The table itself will form the first prize in a raffle to be drawn at the end of the convention and one lucky visitor will head home with a high-quality modular game table worth in excess of $500.
Here are some photos of the table as it currently stands (note the figures and scenic models are not part of the prize):
The Strange Seas table is coming along very nicely and will be ready for the big day in April. The pics below show the level of progress I’ve achieved since picking up the box from the Back2base-IX workshop on Wednesday.
The big news is that the table itself will be offered as 1st prize in a raffle at the convention. One lucky gamer will be heading home with a fully sculpted yet modular table! So make sure you’re there if you want a chance to win this hand-crafted and extremely versatile gaming table. The site will be updated with more pics as construction continues.
I’ve started working on a game table for the Strange Seas game, being developed by my great friends Andrew and Greg from Anubis Studios. The table is going to be modular using the brilliant Battle Frame 5000 components from Back2Base-IX (click to visit their site). These modules are incredibly versatile and my mind is racing with ideas on how to use them for my WWII and post-war gaming.
However, before I start on the table modules themselves, I am working on a number of objective markers and other scenic elements.
The Strange Seas game is an adventure for up to 6 pirate captains who will explore an island, gather a crew and fight various monsters and avoid numerous traps and other dangers, all on their way to discovering the fountain of youth. So, the objective markers will tie in with the storyline of the scenario. Here’s the first few I’ve done:
The giant ant is from Eureka Miniatures and the venus fly trap is a plastic terrarium plant from a pet store.
I am setting up all of the games on offer over the Saturday and Sunday and publishing the details as they are provided to me, and part of this process is to install an online booking form.
Each participation game will have a number of places available for players and you can book a game session in advance if you wish. Playing any number of games is included in the admission price, so there’s no need to pay any extra (with the exception of the Flames of War tournament).
I’ll be adding more games and setting up the sessions over the coming days.
We’ve had some posters printed professionally and the results came out very pleasing. I thought I’d share them with everyone.
Six months out and planning is well under way for the Australian Historical Wargaming Convention next Easter in McLaren Vale. We’re aiming to be bigger and better than last year’s inaugural event, with twice the games and twice the trade stands. Already enquiries are coming in as people are planning their holidays for next year.
We’ve decided upon a name for the convention now – Bugle Call – after much debate. Last year’s name ‘OzHistoryCon’ was really just a contraction of the event’s formal title and was never intended as the permanent name.
So once again, McLaren Vale will echo to the sounds of rolling dice and shouts of triumph and despair as gamers from around the nation battle it out on the table top. We’re still focusing on historical games predominantly, but there will also be a good taste of other genres there too, with clubs and individuals putting on demonstration and participation games spanning the full range of eras – from prehistoric times through to modern era, plus fantasy and science fiction, steam punk and weird war II.
There will be a Bring and Buy stand too, so bag up your unwanted metal and come and trade it for someone else’s unwanted metal.
It’s going to be a blast and we’re looking forward to seeing everyone back again next Easter! 23rd and 24th of April, 2011 – mark it on your calendar.
April 26, 2011 10:18 pm | 
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