NZ Natcon 2014

[Philip]

Army lists have all been checked and confirmed.

Brett Preston-Thomas – Austrian Army in Germany 1800

Mike Haycock – Ottoman Turkish Army in the Balkans 1808

Al Donald – Anglo-Portuguese Army 1810-11

Steve Hill - Kingdom of Saxony 1812

Keith Marshall – Russian Infantry Corps, Army of the West 1812

Philip Abela – German Confederation 2nd Corps 1814

Kendall Blue – Prussian Army 1814

Kit Goldsbury – Anglo Netherlands Army in Belgium 1815

[KeefM]

Firstly, my apologies to all as I won't be able to bring the Sharpe's Eagle trophy with me to hand-over to whoever wins it this year ! It has failed to successflly compete with a fragile delivery to my Mum (ie too much carry-on luggage). Sorry. However, I will hand-deliver it through to whoever wins it in early June; either in Auckland, or in Tauranga (Steve, ), as I will be through there then.

Secondly, please be extra gentle with me this year . . . Friday morning's frst game will be the very first ever outing (and first ever deployment) of the newly minted Russians. Indeed, if had I only taken up Philip's very kind offer to submit a final list AFTER I got back from Oz I would have been able to incorporate some lessons learnt from the Melbourne ladz into my army list and, just maybe, have been the better prepared as a result (unlikey !). Ces't le vie.

So, while I will be rubbish at using them, I will at the very least be able to sit and admire the Russians - Andrew really has excelled himself (yet again), so I only regret not being able to do full justice to his work.

Plus, it will be good to get in 6 games defending against all your high aggro armies . . . that'll make a distinct change from having been a +3 attacker in 7 out of my last 9 games !

[KendallB]

I'm +4 so I wouldn't say defending is a foregone conclusion if we play!

[KeefM]

Hmmm ... am only +2 so will need to beat you by 3 on the dice throw - you've got more chance of getting an extra unit than I do of attacking you ... anyways I will be sure hanging out for my 50-50 chance to attack against Kit unless he went all mad and got a 'real' general in charge at Waterloo ...

[sonic]

I'm only +2 too so it will be 50:50

[KeefM]

You mean +3 Steve ... 2 for the army initiative plus a minimum of 1 for the general.

Kit and I start out at 1 for army initiative plus whatever we paid for our general ... mine's rubbish (sorry, "competent") and Kit's usually so too. Compared to us, you are one of the big nasty aggressive nations .

[sonic]

So is there going to be any pre-tournament slagging? I can't be slagged this is only my second tournie. But everyone else is fair game.

[KendallB]

If I get into the top half I'll be amazed!

[sonic]

that isn't slagging Kendall, that is praying.

[KeefM]

Beating Kendall's Birtish Gaurd infantry will be pretty much a highlight for evey game won't it ? Let's face it, when the allies are better than your main troops, now that's an army with genuine problems !! At least Kit's Dutch-Belgians lurk on his base-line and avoid all possible trouble, and Al needs to bring his Spanish super-allies forward into the line to extend his frontage out to, maybe, a full 12MU.

Anyways, the BIG question of the competition reallyy aught to be: who won't you end up playing - 6 rounds, 7 possible opponents ?? Mind you, under Swiss Chess rounds, the "final" will actually be in the 3rd or 4th round; just leaving the last 2 or 3 rounds for the highest 2 ranked players to try and score maximum points of the rest of us cellar-dwellers while we try and spoil their party !

Kit was dissapointed not to play any of Mike, Steve or me; so best bet this time around is that he only misses out on playing me cos I'll be at the bottom of the table vying with Kendall.

Bear in mind too, Steve, that Kit totally robbed you of 3rd place at Battlecry without ever having to play any of the top 3 finishers - so this really is your chance for some major payback . And, at least you have played some games with your Saxons; my poor Russians are getting their very frst sight of a table on Friday morning when I deploy them for the first time against Philip's Confederation horde (and who will likely be attacking me !). Erk and double erk !!

[sonic]

Now that is quality slagging.

[KendallB]

I have never used and will never use Birtish. British on the other hand is another story.

Oh, and at least I put my conscripts in the front line!

[BrettPT]

Humbug.
My glorious Austrians are on a roll of 6 straight wins* and are the popular favourites** for 1st place this year.
I swim in the sweet sea of a sure belief in victory. I feel just like Charles after Aspern-Essling!

Disclaimer:
* the full criteria for a win in each case may not actually have been met
** Neither the Austrian army nor myself may actually be popular, nor anyone's favorite.

[KeefM]

In other words ... a turkish delight

(Just noting your first game !)

[sonic]

Just finished basing everything. Now my only worry is the weather bomb supposed to hit Tauranga same time as I am leaving.

[Daemionhunter]

So Brett, Kit and co, how's it going?

[Philip]

Final results of the FOG-N tournament in Christchurch

1 Mike Haycock (Ottoman Turkish Army in the Balkans 1808) 104 points
2 Kit Goldsbury (Anglo Netherlands Army in Belgium 1815) 99
3 Keith Marshall (Russian Infantry Corps, Army of the West 1812) 97
4 Brett Preston-Thomas (Austrian Army in Germany 1800) 89
5 Kendall Blue (Prussian Army 1814) 77
6 Philip Abela (German Confederation 2nd Corps 1814) 68
7 Al Donald (Anglo-Portuguese Army 1810-11) 43
8 Steve Hill (Kingdom of Saxony 1812) 23

Best painted army - Brett Preston-Thomas (Austrian Army in Germany 1800)

[KeefM]

Another great competition . . . fantastic games and all played in good spirit. Congrats to Mike who has certainly mastered the Turks many foibles. Commisserations to Kit with his third 2nd placing in a row at Natcon - but just what an adorable bridesmaid he makes .

The highlight for me was the unfinished game against Brett in the 5th round which really really demanded to have been played out to a finish as it was so finely balanced. And, after hearing about it for a considerable period of time, I finally came face-to-face with the much-vaunted "Goldsbury Effect" wherein Kit passess all his tests (whether CMT or CT) and you fail almost all yours. However, the one thing the Russians have on their side is SIZE, so even in the face of the G-E I managed to hold out (ie scramble) for a 10-15 losing draw (and quite possibly had a few more turns of holding out left to go too). I was also 'lucky' enough to be sitting next to the notable mutual army break between Brett and Philip in the very last round, when the broken Austrian army's conscript Hussars inflicted one last rout on the German Confederation which in turn swept away 5 units and broke the Germans ! The sounds of Brett's repeated apologies to Philip still resonate. (Mind you, it was the same pesky conscript unit of Austrian Hussars who, while still in a plantation, closed with one of my Russian artillery batteries and forced their way into my line while their shattered Cuirassiers made off into the sunset.) Kendall's successful mission to not lose a game at NatCon proved the ultimate and unsurmountable hurdle for my Russians in the very final round when, as the attacker, he sat in a corner behind a river and leered across it suitably out of musket range and with much raspberry-blowing by the Prussians.

I'll put my Russian list up in the army-design section, along with a few observations/lessons . . .

[KitG]

I was robbed - again.

Firstly, Marshall, you were descending into a 22-3 had we been able to play a further turn each - you had taken a number of right crosses to the face and weren't hitting back - the ref pretty much had to stop the fight.

Secondly, Mike - you can't intercept with a unit that is in skirmish formation EITHER and Boo to Blue (who was on the rules committee) and when asked this question, said that you could with a CMT, which I realised after the game was the wrong answer. So that's your LARGE Heavy Cavalry Unit being charged in the flank off the hook then, Mike. Crap.

Well, congrats to Mike, the winner and to Phillip the organiser.

To the rest of you - Baaaaaah!- And particularly you, Donald - Your effort was so lame that you should be forced by some kind of National Redcoat Association to hand over your Penninsula British immediately until such time as you can prove that you either have a plan or are in some way entitled to command them.

[Daemionhunter]

Sounds like a great tournament. Well done.

Wonderful vitriol Kit. Almost worthy of Damian!