The Wild Geese Weekend - Kenilworth 2018

Now in it's third year, what was previously known as 'A Military Gentleman '  due to the connections with the superb book and forum published and run by John Ray has now become The Wild Geese due to a significant number of attendee's not being owners of the book.

We all gathered once again at the Chesford Grange Hotel in Warwickshire for a weekend of games.

Arriving on the Friday I dropped my two colleagues off at the hotel and then went to pick Jim Purkey up from Coventry railway station before heading over to Griffin moulds for a meet with Jane ( the owner) and the staff.

A return visit is to be scheduled to discuss 3D sculpting - no more to be said at this stage.

Following this it was then a return trip to meet up with everyone

23 attendees

Not much Wild about this lot!!!
First and foremost a big thanks to Colin Ashton and his wife Katherine for organising this event and for taking up the cudgel to run next years event.

There was a choice of four games
Paul Robinson from the Grimsby Club was hosting a Great Northern War game using his own rules, Willz Harley hosted a Seven Years War game utilising the traditional Spencer Smith figures and Jim Purkey's rules, Gary Phillips  took us to Africa to fight the Zulus using The Men Who Would Be King and finally Colin Ashton who hadn't had enough orgnasing the event decided to host a game - Versailles a most interesting 17th Century romp using his own rules.

Experience has taught me that it is more than likely I will only get to play in 3 games and I really wanted to play them all ! The two must plays were Gary's and Paul's so first thing Saturday morning I joined four other commanders on our quest to punish the Zulu's by burning their Kraal and the Cheifs hut.
Michael Perry took his command of engineers straight into the Kraal and set about the business, Stuart Insch took command of the Naval Brigade and the cavalry who went on their own  mission oblivious to all around them until the return trip. Leigh held the left flank and me the right. With a CO who was a shirker and one of my Company Officers being Brutal it was rather a difficult job getting my chaps to move and of course under the rules everytime you move Zulus may appear in our case they certainly did - particularly in the rear view mirror.

 Unexpected Zulus arrive to the rear Naval Brigade about face

 Gavin helped Gary with the Zulu's he saved our skins - 18 dice 5 or 6 to hit!!!!!!

 The Engineers set fire to the Kraal with some very artistic smoke markers

Time to leave

Second game was Paul Robinson's Great North War feast. I took command of Russians on the right flank and the overall aim was to prevent Swedish supplies crossing the bridge to the village. In reality the game would hinge on the cavalry battles in the centre but I did my bit tying down two Swedish regiments and eventually getting the better of them at the same time pushing my infantry forward to threaten Swedish cavalry who failed to charge me on two occassions.
Michael had take our infantry on the left where he did a sterling job engaging the Swedish foot even if he was roughly handled.
Martin took the cavalry in our centre and what a mighty battle it was on this occasion Gavin threw some incredible morale dice saving the Swedish cavalry who came back for round two later and won every melee thus saving the supply column.

Colin's game was the final game I played on Sunday morning - Versailles. Three players all on the same side - racing to cross the bridge before the sluice gates opened and flooded the area. En route collect 'courtesans' who could provide information re certain peoples duplicitous actions.

The twist was that each round the player drew a card which could either enhnace your forces or which you could play on a colleague causing their troops to fall back, fail to charge or take morale checks - did I feel guilty when Gav lost almost half his cavalry to poor morale checks _ not likely.

Aly won this one on a throw of the dice at the end - great fun.

Finally the game I didn't get chance to play - what looked like a most enjoyable romp

All in all a most excellent weekend and without doubt one I shall return to next year.