OwlCon XXXVI

OwlCon XXXVI came to Houston the weekend of February 10-12, 2017 and, as usual, attracted gamers of all shapes and sizes.

​Billed as "Superb Owl Con LI", you can easily surmise the theme of the event from its name and its logo.

The final event schedule featured the usual panoply of board, card, miniature, RPG, and LARP games, but Houston Beer and Pretzel Wargaming was well represented with eight different miniature wargames run by five of our regular and most active game masters.

The range of games we ran included everything from medieval to pike and shot to WWII, and explored action at scales from 1:2400 to 28mm, covering actions on land, at sea, and in the air.

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The games we ran included the following (descriptions for each are lifted from the OwlCon agenda):

Battle of Digne - Brigadier General Commands - Daniel
August 1944, Brigadier General Fred Butler has an exciting new assignment to lead a Task Force in Operation Dragoon, the Allied invasion of the South of France. His mission is to lead a breakout from the bridgehead deep into enemy held territory in the French Alps. There’d be some help from the French Resistance, but an armored thrust into mountainous terrain is a challenge. Are you up to it?

Battle of Montelimar - Brigadier General Commands - Daniel
August 1944, Brigadier General Fred Butler’s advance has gone better than expected and his task force has circled around behind the German positions. Can this force block the German retreat? Elements of the 11th Panzer Division will be tough to bottle up!

Marianas Turkey Shoot - Check Your Six! - Rob
Fly over the sea on June 19, 1944 in command of a section of fighters to either break through the steel wall of American airpower and strike at the vulnerable carriers of TF 58, or join in the air defense assisted by the power of radar to break up the waves of inbound Japanese airstrikes. Check Your Six! is a fun air combat rule set where energy management and plotting of the aircraft's movement are made easy and generate exciting air combat encounters.

Not This Christmas... - Combat Patrol WWII - Andy
It is December 16, 1944, just east of the small village of Hoscheid, Luxembourg, not far from the Our/Sauer river line. When the Americans arrived here in September they were hopeful that they would be home in time for Christmas, they are about to learn that it won't be THIS Christmas. A group of well dug in GIs are now about to be faced with a resurgent enemy, as the German 5th Fallschirmjaeger Division spearhead a drive west, as part of Hitler's Operation Wacht Am Rhein.

The Adventures of Robin Hood - GASLIGHT - Rob
All ages are welcome in this game. Parent players are required for kid players under 12. Annual tax collection time has arrived in the villages around Sherwood Forest! Join the Sheriff's men to collect the tax and a little extra for themselves, or protect livestock and wealth against Prince John’s bullies, or fight for justice as some of Robin Hood's merry men.

Naval Battle of Kula Gulf - General Quarters (Early Edition) - Barry
It is July, 1943, and the Americans are trying to retake New Georgia in the Solomon Islands. To do so, the Tokyo Express must be intercepted to prevent the Japanese from reinforcing the island. This will be an historical night battle featuring light forces (cruisers and smaller).

Hanami in Furukou - Ronin - Andy and Lloyd
Gorgeous miniatures table chock full of cool buildings, ships, and cherry blossom trees. You are the leader of a small group of warriors who need to infiltrate the city and complete a mission - unfortunately, someone else has an opposing mission! All Players are welcome, no materials required. This is a very easy rule set to pick up quickly. Just show up and play! This game plays quickly after the first couple turns.

Stock Cars: Rubbin' is Racin' - Win Or Go Home - Brian
Ever wanted to drive a race car? Now you can with Win or Go Home the new rules from Two Hour Wargames (aka: THW Game Design). Plan your passes, pit stops and even bumping other drivers who get in the way. With these rules, you are always part of the race, and are making important decisions every turn. Come and experience all of the thrills of auto racing, but without the risks. Multiple races run if time permits.