Ebor Lard

I was up early yesterday to travel up to North Yorkshire for the annual Ebor Lard gathering organised by John Savage. It was well worth the drive. Green Hammerton Village hall is a nice venue, clean and bright, albeit it can get a bit warm when filled with 40-odd wargamers!

Unlike previous events I was scheduled to pay a single game throughout the day (most people get a short game in the morning and a different one in the afternoon). I won't pretend I didn't find that quite intimidating. What if you get half an hour into the game and find that (a) you aren't enjoying it and (b) you've already cocked up so badly that you've no chance of achieving any of your objectives? 

I needn't have worried. Al Sheward had designed a game that was well balanced and engaging throughout. 

Al's game was one of the Oosterbeek Chain of Command games recently demonstrated to great approbation at the Airborne Museum near Arnhem. It was gorgeous.

I was interested to note that Al didn't use a printed terrain mat. All of the terrain was in the form of irregularly shaped boards that fitted together jigsaw fashion with lichen used where necessary to disguise the joins. I think this is something I'm going to try adapting for use in my 6mm games.

Utrechtseweg from the German end

Mark Pullan and I took on the roles of German platoon commanders attempting to break through the ring of British paras holding the Oosterbeek perimeter. Our opponents were old friend Ned Willets and new friend Neil Hepworth. Both German platoons were made up SS pioneers - far from elite troops. The two SS divisions near Arnhem were refitting after being badly mauled in Normandy. Mark was reinforced by the addition of a tripod-mounted machine-gun while I had a StuG III available.

An important location in the game is the Main Dressing Station - the pair of hotels used as hospitals for wounded during the Oosterbeek battles.

These provided barriers to manoeuvre as both sides seem to have respected them during the fighting.

On the right flank I tried to infiltrate around one of the hotels but the restricted space made it impossible to concentrate fire on the enemy.

In the end, the British were slightly ahead in terms of remaining force morale so Al called it a narrow British victory. It was a pleasure to lose on such a pretty battlefield!

I didn't get to see much of the other games, but here are a few pics.

Simon Walker ran Death in the Donga - an exploration of the death of Louis Napoleon, the Prince Imperial in Zululand that used the What a Cowboy rules:

Jeremy Short ran Getting Hitched using the Dux Brittaniarum rules translated to Medieval England:

Charley Walker can always be relied upon to produce a lovely Kiss Me Hardy naval action and this time it was The Nelson Touch:

Ade Deacon ran another What A Cowboy game, this time in the Mexican setting of Rancho Delmonte:

Host John Savage's own game was a Sharp Practice affair set during a fictional Prussian invasion of Victorian England and called the Battle of Westcott. 

David Hunter ran a Flashing Blades game called Stink in Brie. Very nicely presented!

And finally, Theo Street ran another What A Cowboy game, this time in a modern setting. I understand it was called Chocolate Hostage. I have no idea why as I was too busy playing my game to investigate.

After the games we retired to the Bay Horse Inn for stimulating conversation (with Richard Clarke as usual talking bollocks), Keralan beef and, in my case, one pint of Ruddles (I was driving). 

If you get the chance to attend a Lardy Day you really should.