Society of Ancients at SquareBash26

[lionheartrjc]

SquareBash26 was a military board game convention held at the Gatwick Europa Hotel from Friday 30th January to Sunday 1st September.  Sponsors included the Society of Ancients and the Wargames Research Group.

This inaugural event attracted over 90 people from the UK and Europe.

On Friday I played Pandemic: Fall of Rome (the historical themed game in the Pandemic series) which as anyone who has attended a Society Conference will know is a favourite of mine.  I then ran a Rome Total War Board Game.  In the evening I played in a game of The Saxon Shore is Burning.

On Saturday I played Successors (4th edition) which I had never played before.  A game with quite a lot to take in (it took over five hours to play).  I managed as Satrap of Media to raise the Indian Elephant corps and looked to be in a winning position when I was undone by anti-elephant devices....

In the evening we tried a three-player game of Rome Total War which was more a teaching exercise but provided me with ideas to create home-rules for a proper three-player version.

On Sunday I played Terraforming Mars and Castles of Burgundy which aren't really in our remit but I needed something somewhat easier on the brain!

A terrific time and if you are into board games one that I would thoroughly recommend.  Thanks to Martin Smith and Matthew Bennett for helping with the Society stand and coming along to enjoy some games.

Details about next year's event will be placed on the forum as soon as they are confirmed.  Well done to Andy and Caroline for running a terrific convention.

Richard

[Martin Smith]

SquareBash26 was a military board game convention held at the Gatwick Europa Hotel from Friday 30th January to Sunday 1st September.  Sponsors included the Society of Ancients and the Wargames Research Group.

This inaugural event attracted over 90 people from the UK and Europe.

On Friday I played Pandemic: Fall of Rome (the historical themed game in the Pandemic series) which as anyone who has attended a Society Conference will know is a favourite of mine.  I then ran a Rome Total War Board Game.  In the evening I played in a game of The Saxon Shore is Burning.

On Saturday I played Successors (4th edition) which I had never played before.  A game with quite a lot to take in (it took over five hours to play).  I managed as Satrap of Media to raise the Indian Elephant corps and looked to be in a winning position when I was undone by anti-elephant devices....

In the evening we tried a three-player game of Rome Total War which was more a teaching exercise but provided me with ideas to create home-rules for a proper three-player version.

On Sunday I played Terraforming Mars and Castles of Burgundy which aren't really in our remit but I needed something somewhat easier on the brain!

A terrific time and if you are into board games one that I would thoroughly recommend.  Thanks to Martin Smith and Matthew Bennett for helping with the Society stand and coming along to enjoy some games.

Details about next year's event will be placed on the forum as soon as they are confirmed.  Well done to Andy and Caroline for running a terrific convention.

Richard

..and thanks from me for helping me through Rome Total War, Richard. With an almost minimal grasp of the rules I raised some phenomenal 'Barbarian' armies (...pity they weren't legal 🙃) and gave Rome a hard time, to the best of my limited abilities, before Carthage and the Greeks sorted me out near the end.