The current list of sessions is below. For booking details see the WD website at : http://www.wargamedevelopments.org/cow.htm
COW Sessions
Paddy Griffith et al
THE PLENARY GAME
An adaptation of Joan Littlewood's "Oh What A Lovely War" (first presented as a stage show in 1963, then made into a film in 1969).
Some of the most important battles of the Great War on the Western Front will be played through, with every possibility that history will be re-written - and even that Ms Littlewood's searing condemnation of British military incompetence will be demonstrated to have been horribly misplaced.
Players will be split into three teams:-
- The Germans: Six players (should be conversant with German language as far as possible).
- The British PBI: As many as possible (A variety of broad regional accents is desirable).
- The British High Command: Seven Players, who must bring the Arrogance of Command and their
own "Monty Python & the Holy Grail"-style horses (Umpires will provide the Champagne).
All players are asked to bring suitable headgear for their roles (and Scotchmen please bring your own kilts); otherwise some provision may be made from the umpires' extensive stocks of cardboard.
WD Display Team North
THE END
Not the beginning of the end, nor even the end of the beginning and certainly not the beginning of the beginning. A typically modest game from WDDTN which aims to re-create the final year of WW2 in Europe. In about 15 minutes. Don’t worry, it includes toys.
Matthew Hartley
HASTINGS - A VIEW FROM THE SHIELDWALL
Each player is responsible for a small part (5 yards!) of the Anglo-Danish shieldwall on Senlac Hill, 15 Oct. 1066. Each player's aim is to survive the day. Some modestly innovative mechanisms will be involved.
Mike Elliott
LES PETITES BATAILLES
A playtest session on a simple set of rules for Napoleonic wargames using 6mm figures, in which 1 base is a battalion.
Mike Elliott
BATTLE OF NORTHAMPTON
An illustrated talk on the Battle of Northampton (July 1460) in the Wars of the Roses. Similar to the one I did in 2008 on 1st St Albans. Will include some of the latest research.
Bob Cordery
JOSEPH MORSCHAUSER: A FORGOTTEN PIONEER?
This session will begin with a presentation about Joseph Morschauser and his rules. After a brief biographical section it will move on to describe the rules he published in his book HOW TO PLAY WAR GAMES IN MINIATURE as well as covering his grid-based 'Ancient' and 'Frontier' rules. It will pick out the main elements of his various rules, concentrating in particular on the game mechanisms he chose to use. This will be followed by a short discussion, and the session will end with attendees having the opportunity to fight some battles using Morschauser's 'Frontier' rules and the most current version of my Morschauser-inspired Interbellum rules.
Tim Gow
SPOCK’S SHAMEFUL SECRET
No – it’s not a sci-fi game! This lawn game will in fact be a carefully crafted recreation of a crucial moment in military history.
Jonathan Crowe
WAR WHEEL
A team game involving 5 historical battles played to one-brain-cell rules. Two teams of 5 play one turn in each battle, moving round against their opponents. Each battle lasts 5 turns therefore.
Battles currently under consideration include one ancients, one dark ages, one English Civil War (all GB battles), one American Civil War, one World War 2. Games will vary in scale from 6mm to 25mm.
The purpose (apart from what I hope will be a challenging game) is to look at commonality between wargames rules of different periods, how perceptions of the game change with the scale it is played at, and how possible it is to make a competition out of historical battles which are inevitably not encounter battles between supposedly equal forces.
Phil Barker
SHARP END - BACK TO BUGGERUPISTAN
Miffed at the past ineffectiveness of the locals and heartened by the replacement of the cunning Anglians by Para who are believed to be a bit thick, the leadership over the border have sent their greatest tactician Shefan ibn Ouns with a huge lashkar of experienced warriors to restore the situation. Mayhem is expected. "The Winds of Paradise are blowing O my brothers!" Featuring the town of Bhangbhangduq, poppy fields, some very expensive American maize and a lot of lovely new 28mm figures.
John Bassett
COLD FEET
A role-play / planning game based on a real-life operation in the Arctic at the height of the Cold War. Roles will be allocated on the basis of ability to down Canadian Club whiskey.
John Bassett
SPARTACUS
An epic role-play/map game on the great slave uprising against Rome Featuring heroic rebels, dodgy pirates and corrupt governors, all done in finest WD taste. A developed version of last year's Rubicon game system. Players should provide their own snails and oysters.
David Bradbury
FIRE SO CLOSE YOU ARE SPLASHED BY HIS BLOOD
16th century galley warfare in the Mediterranean. A slightly more ambitious scenario than last year using the amphibious rules,
Ian Drury
THE LAST CRUSADE (The Battle of Nicopolis)
Jean Sans Peur and the The Last Crusade. As featured in a recent NUGGET, this is your chance to join Sigismund's Crusade to free the Balkans from the Ottoman threat. Features new rules for horse archers and a chance to see the Edirne slave market from the inside.
Richard Brooks
OP 14
An operational level Great War game (well, it’s quite good!) set in 1914.
Corps level activation and control, brigade level movement and combat resolution.
Red Square mechanisms adapted to:
Reflect narrative level typical of Great War, i.e. large multi-corps battles
Focus player attention on tough command choices
Differentiate ill matched opponents
Confront players with unforgiving tactical realities of 1914
Historical scenario from August 1914, 2-3 Corps a side, featuring Belgian ferocity rules.
Richard Brooks
DER GROSSER SCHWEIGER – The Life and Career of Helmut von Moltke the Elder
Illustrated talk on one of history’s most influential wargamers, who fought more unintended battles than any other great commander, and could be silent in seven languages:
Pioneered managerial command techniques needed by industrialised mass armies.
Mobilised power of modern weapons and transportation techniques to smash Europe’s traditional dominant military powers.
Greater than Napoleon or supremely fortunate in his opponents?
Martin Wallace
BULL RUN
A two-player board game based on the first battle of Bull Run. The rules are aimed at the entry level market and are pretty simple. I intend to run three games simultaneously, as I did with Gettysburg last year, so room for six player.
Martin Wallace
A FEW ACRES OF SNOW
Another two-player game, this one about the long struggle between Britain and France for dominance in North America. No idea how complex it will be as I've only just started designing it. It is meant to be the next two-player Treefrog game, so I have to have something ready by CoW. I will be running three games simultaneously, so room for six players
John Curry
EXERCISE SNOWBALL
Anti-terrorist training exercise in a hypothetical city. Players take on roles within the city government and manage the changing situation.
John Curry
THE ANTI-U-BOAT WARGAMES OF THE WESTERN APPROACHES TACTICAL SCHOOL (1943)
After years of research I have enough to reconstruct this key wartime training game. Players captain the escorts in this simulation.
John Curry
EARLY WARGAMES
After dinner practical session about early wargames. Including Triang’s combat, Waddington’s battle of the Little Bighorn, Battle of Balaclava by Strand Magazine (1890), Gen Horrock’s Combat.
John Curry
A TOWN TOO FAR
Plan a WWII airborne operation, then carry it out using megablitz type rules.
Martin Goddard & Rob Roriston
WASHINGTON’S ARMY (AWI)
A game that was worked on at COW last year and is now complete. A chance to playa game that COW attendees had some input in.
Martin Goddard & Rob Roriston
SQUARE BASHING (WW1)
A revisit of an older game in order to make it better and include new ideas. This will be a first outing, therefore it will be rough!
Martin Rapier
DRUMFIRE, CORPS LEVEL TRENCH WARFARE IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR
A fairly high level game looking at the planning and execution of a Corps level attack on the Western Front. It is anticipated that this session will be run in two parts, firstly a short planning session for senior commanders (Major and Lt Generals) in the luxurious environs of the bar, followed by a more conventional toy soldier game to fire the bombardment then carry out the attack. As a minimum three senior commanders are required, with the possible addition of sundry brigadiers on the big day itself.
Tom Mouat
A PLACE IN THE SUN
A presentation about life in the Green Zone in Baghdad. NATO Missions, Bob on the FOB, General Majiid, Body Armour, DFACs, IDFs, the IZ, Sexy Interpreter Girl, photography, T-Walls and the daily Car Bombs.
Tim Price
WE SHALL BE KINGS
An ADG about a small band of determined men after Saddam's hidden treasure... Palaces! Marble Floors! 50 degree heat! Flies! Special Forces! The smell of toilets!
Tony Hawkins & John Bassett
SHOT AT DAWN
A lawn game. More details to follow.
Dick Scolefield
THE BIRDS ARE SINGING AND IT’S A WONDERFUL DAY
For those that remember "The Birds are Singing and its a wonderful Day" there is a chance to have another "stressful time" being responsible for 18 blokes in WWII. Just a simple recognisance brief - should be easy!
Those of you who have not yet experienced this single player 15-20 minute role playing adventure though the French countryside then come and brave the difficulties of platoon command. Anything can happen but before it does the birds are singing and its a wonderful day!
