Conference of Wargamers 2012 session list

At the time of writing, the list of sessions which will be presented at CoW 2012 is as follows:

Knuston Hall - the CoW venue.

Ian Drury et al

Escape from Stalug Luft Knuston (plenary game)
The title says it all, but in order to make this a bit more challenging, please can any attendees with at least rudimentary German make themselves known to the game designer. (I can provide the uniforms, Lugers & MP40s -- just don't send the photos to the Daily Mail. . .)

WD Display Team North

ROLLBAHN OST
Three players each lead an Army Group to victory and glory against the Bolshevist hordes in 1941.  Basically the first six months of the war in the east – with toy tanks – in about 20 minutes.  A slightly more presentable version of the game played eight(!) times at COW 2011.  There are Iron Crosses to be won….

Tim Gow & Martin Rapier

PVO STRANY (AIR DEFENCE OF THE MOTHERLAND)
A lawn game set in the good old days of the Cold War.  This sees the return of the inflatable Vulcan (first seen at COW 2010).  Can the PVO players detect, intercept and shoot down this dangerous intruder into Soviet airspace?  Or will Knuston be nuked?  Involves silly hats, radios, mirrors and toy aeroplanes. 

Russell King

Here is a Bulletin from CBS News
A game about political assassinations in the US in the 1960's.  A challenging and dark combination of Argument Bingo, Balloon Debate, and a random Assassination Table.  Players become Malcolm X, Bobby Kennedy, Angela Davis, Barry Goldwater, George Wallace, Richard Nixon, Dr Martin Luther King and more.  In a CBS News Special format; Why is there so much hatred in America today?

John Bassett

COLD FEET
A role-play ADG about a real-life Cold War covert operation in the high Arctic. A revised development of the 2009 game, featuring ice stations, polar bears and implausibly modified old bombers. The game that proves that you can see Russia from Alaska.

John Bassett
PHILIPPI REVISITED
A talk on the Philippi campaign based on John's research for his forthcoming book. Some reflections on walking ancient battlefields, recreating the fall of the Roman Republic, and Mark Antony's art of war and how to wargame it.

Jim Roche

ENEMY COAST AHEAD
In the mid 80s Andy Callan published a Lancaster bomber simulator game in Nugget called 'Target For Tonight'. I modified it as 'Enemy Coast Ahead' for use by non WD wargamers or friends who came to visit and described these small modifications in N49.

Graham Evans & Phil Steele

CALL IT QIDS
The SoA’s incentive game for 2012 is a quick two player refight of the Battle of Kadesh. Playing in about 30 minutes (depending on player skill) it provides an enjoyable and challenging range of problems for the players through some innovative game mechanisms. Designed by Ian Russell Lowell, the well known fount of knowledge on all things Hittite, assisted by Phil Steele & Graham Evans the “show presentation” version will be on display featuring 6mm figures and a 28mm Ramesses II.

Ian Drury

SOUND GENERAL QUARTERS!
I played a lot of games with Lonnie Gill's 'General Quarters' rules in the 1980s. Now we have a third edition with an extensive range of supplements available online. This will be a demonstration game of General Quarters III for 3-6 players. The game will be based on the controversial destruction of the French squadron at Mers-el-Kebir by the RN in July 1940. This could be because for a small scenario, it involves aircraft, submarines, an aircraft carrier and battleships; but also an opportunity to deploy my spiffy new 1/3000 models of the Dunkerque and Strassbourg.

Tom Mouat

All Your Secrets Are Belong To Us!
A matrix game based on the murky world of international arms trading and computer hacking. This is, of course, a work of fiction and any similarity between the game briefings and real world nations, companies or organisations is purely coincidental.

Tom Mouat

Operation Herbstreise
A Staff-Planning Game (the players are all on the same side) (more or less...), set in WW2. Strategic vision, bold planning and ruthless determination are all that is needed to see things through to strike a decisive blow against the despised enemy! The game will feature a planning session followed by an execution phase.

Tom Mouat

Footfall Revised
A contemporary single-scenario role-playing / skirmish game for a super-secret team working for the Government to preserve freedom, democracy and the British way of life. 6-8 players after-dinner game. No special requirements. While this is another outing for the small band of determined men - this time the game will feature completely re-designed rules and mechanisms.

Wayne Thomas & David Brock

FAR AWAY WARS
An entertaining game set somewhere between the wars, in a country which is far away and of which we know little.  The forces of Chinese Warlords Chang-So-Lin and Wu-Pei-Fu will do battle in 15mm on a gridded table, using cunning new mechanisms.  Which of them will gain control of the town?  Opportunities for two commanders and any number of subordinates, minions and general hangers-on.

Phil Steele

Flat-Pack Platea
A reprise of the Society of Ancients Battle Day game using some rare old flat figures.

John Curry

The British Army Desert Wargame (1968)
The players will try out the wargaming rules used by the British Army for training for a desert war in Iraq in the late 1960's. Map based, platoon/ company level, it is an interesting exercise in real warfare. The rules will be published as part of the History of Wargaming Project.

John Bassett

The True Glory
A role-play on the Spanish Armada featuring Drake, Walsingham, Marlowe et al. Hunt down recusants and traitors! Summon spirits from the vasty deep!  Publish other people's plays in your own name! Hey nonny nonny...

Jim Wallman

Felissima Armada
This is connected with John Basset's armada planning game - the idea would be that it is a follow-on to John's session.

Jim Wallman

Garden Games
More little wars-style fighting involving toy soldiers and matchsticks. Bring a cushion.

Jim Wallman

Memphis Mangler Lite
A sub-set of the Memphis Mangler megagame held in February. Any number can take part.

Jim Wallman

Unheroic Samurai
A small-ish samurai game of leadership in the face of unspeakable horror.

Martin Rapier

Fire & Movement
A session featuring Phil Sabins simulation game of a British infantry battalion attack in 1944 from his book 'Simulating War'. An interesting treatment of the tension between concentration of effort and vulnerability on the modern battlefield with some novel ideas which may be applicable elsewhere.

Mike Elliott

An Improbable Site for a Battle
A staff planning game set in the 18^th century.

Mike Elliott

Pre-COW walk on the Friday afternoon of COW (by special request) on the First Battle of St Albans.

Fred Cartwright

DE BELLIS PARVIS
A set of ancient small unit rules.  "De Bellis Parvis" - concerning the little wars.

Tom Mouat

Cyber-Trumps
2-6 player card game about Hacking and Cyber-Defence. The game only take a few minutes and will be played multiple times at odd intervals in the margins of the other sessions over the weekend.