Some of you may be aware that for several years we have held a Future War Commander Bootcamp weekend at Slimbridge in Gloucestershire.
This year we will be holding a one-day BKC Bootcamp at Slimbridge on Saturday 15th June
Bootcamp is NOT a tournament. It's an opportunity to lean how to play, to play against different opponents and to discuss and clarify rules. (not that the rules need clarification but interpretation can vary Smiley )
Unlike FWC Bootcamp which is just for 6mm, BKC Bootcamp is open to 6mm, 10mm & 15mm armies
The location is the Tudor Arms pub, GL2 7BP , which serves good beer and good food and has accommodation.
Mark Fry, the lovely chap who sorted out BKCIV, will be there.
It's free and it's Father's Day on Sunday so it's a fantastic opportunity for your family to show just how much they love you by letting you attend it (jeez - who writes this stuff?)
That sounds cracking, just a shame we're at the Phalanx show that weekend otherwise I might have made the journey down.
It was the one free week-end we could get as we have to compete with weddings, skittles competitions etc
Too far away to justify a trip by public transport but I do wish I was closer!
All the best to those who do make it.
Feedback, AARs and pictures would be much appreciated!
Quote from: Shedman on 25 March 2019, 09:42:10 AM
...skittles competitions, etc.
(https://secure.promosite.com.au/skittlesplay/images/header1920.jpg)
Quote from: Ithoriel on 25 March 2019, 12:50:16 PM
Too far away to justify a trip by public transport but I do wish I was closer!
Where are you Ithoriel ... maybe we can arrange for Boot Camp to travel another year?
I'm all the way up in Edinburgh
If it weren't 12h 15min and $1,700 - I would be there in a heartbeat
We shall share photos and the build-up info
or
You could set up 'sister' events on the same day in your part of the world?
This is what is happening with the Cold War 2019 'big game' in October, that is being run in parallel in the UK at Grimsby and Slimbridge, but also in Australia and potentially in France.
Guys,
would love to come back over and see you once more, but daughter finishes uni that weekend so can't get away.
best wishes for the day
Paul
On holiday so unable to make it :(
We will do other full weekend BKC Boot Camps next year - it's just getting in early enough to ensure that the Skittle Alley is available.
Maybe we might manage a year with a full set of events - BKCIV, CWC and FWC 8)
Hi Shedman
This looks really useful!
Is this a 'just turn up' event or is there a need to 'register' first and what about troops, terrain etc?
It would be great to have a bit more information.
Cheers Paul
Hi Paul
More info to follow ... but the plan (as this is only a 1 day event) is to run a number of different scale games - usually we (that is the Berkeley Vale Wargames Club) put these on - providing figures and terrain - so it's a register, turn up and play. This year we'll be using the Scenarios in the book to act as a structure for the games.
Where we have a 2 day weekend Boot Camp, we often create multi-player scenario games and request that participants bring along their own armies.
You'd be welcome to put on a game - if you have the troops/units to cover both sides?
Either way you'd be most welcome to join us ... the more the merrier
Al (Shedman) might want to add some extra thoughts ???
Cheers
Mark
Hi
Is the 'Boot Camp' still going ahead on 15 June?
I was hoping to just turn up, maybe join in a game, or just watch and ask lots of questions! Particularly on the new recce rules which I must admit have got my head spinning (see various questions on the forum, and that is from someone who spent some time in an armoured recce regiment for real)! Is that OK?
I must admit that all I was looking for from the update to BKC II was some clarification of some bits of the rules that I wasn't 100% sure about (and reading some of the answers to queries about BKC IV it seems clear that people were playing BKC II in different ways), particularly things like the visibility rules, who can see what and when. Again judging by some of the queries since BKC IV came out, I'm not sure that has been achieved with BKC IV. :(
Cheers Paul
Hi Paul
Yes - still going ahead. Be with us at the Tudor Arms 9.00 for 09.30 start.
More details on games will appear shortly - but we have a 6mm Eastern Front game to join in, along with a 15mm Western Desert game and also a 10mm game (I cannot remember where & what) and there might be others.
I will be there ... and if you bring along your rules set I will happily sign it ;D ;D ;D :d
Mark
PS: "you ain't seen me .. roight!"
In fact Paul - I'll specifically build in a Recce & Recce Support aspect to the Western Desert Game.
Looking forward to seeing you
Mark
Hi Mark
That's great. It's looking like nearly a 2 hour journey from where I am down in Somerset, so will get there as soon as I can.
I'll bring a pen as well ;)
Cheers Paul
Going to try and make it.
Not that far from Cheltenham :D
All welcome ... no matter how far they travel ;D
Hi Mark
I'm looking forward to meeting you on Saturday as well. Just for information, virtually all of my BKC games have been played solo; for some reason or other, I simply cannot get the small group of gamers I play with interested in WWII (I know it's sad). Hence I have to rely on what is actually written in the rule book and on the forum for any clarification needed (and I must admit to finding it difficult to completely follow some of the more 'technical' threads on the forum so far). As said in other posts I'm very much in the camp that was just hoping for some clarification to certain bits in BKC-II that were, to me a least, ambiguous or could do with a bit more explanation, rather than a whole load of new rules.
As well as the stuff on 'Recce' I'm hoping for some clarity on the visibility rules. I always thought the rules regarding visibility (who can see what and when) difficult to understand (again not helped by having to play solo). Unfortunately (from my point of view) the rules around visibility seem to be more or less a simple 'copy and paste' from BKC-II which doesn't help with my understanding of them.
Example (from the rule book):
• High Area Terrain Example on page 10, "It (an infantry unit) continues to the far edge of the terrain, where it has to stop again. As it is still in the wood, visibility and cover are again counted as if it is fully in the wood, however the unit's own vision is not impaired by the wood".
• Then, under High Area Terrain on page 14, "LOS (line of sight) is limited to 5cm into, through or out (my emphasis) of high area terrain where observer and the target both have Low profiles......".
• And under Concealed Troops on page 15:
Concealed troops can only be seen when:
• An enemy unit is within 10cm of troops with a Low profile or within 20cm of troops with an Average profile.
So, at what distance can an infantry unit (that has not fired or moved) on the edge of high area terrain be seen by another infantry unit? Now I appreciate that the rules on visibility might be crystal clear (pun intended) to you and other play testers and that I am missing something obvious, but from the way I am reading the rules I'm simply confused. Hopefully this is the kind of thing we can clear up on Saturday.
Cheers Paul
Hi
Just wanted to say thanks to Mark, Alan and the others for organising the bootcamp today it was good to meet you all.
Shame about all my artillery landing on my own sides troops! Sorry Alan.
Cheers Paul
Some photos of one of the two games at the 1st BKC Bootcamp
This was Scenario 2 - Assault using 15mm Spanish Civil War
The Nationalists had to capture the Graveyard from the Republicans within 8 turns which they failed to do
https://photos.app.goo.gl/6re6Y61JYP3NUaRs6 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/6re6Y61JYP3NUaRs6)
The other game was 6mm Eastern Front 1943 which I didn't get round to taking photos of
Thanks to all who attended especially Paul, Adam and Roman
Alan
Well ... we hosted our first BCKIV Bootcamp on Saturday 15th June and it appears to have been a great success.
We had 9 attendees over the course of the day - some stayed longer than others, but we had a hard core of 7 playing the 2 games through to completion.
Game 1 was a 6mm Russian Front game with 4 players (put on by Gordon), whilst the 2nd game with 3 players was a 15mm Spanish Civil War scenario.
I gather a Battle Report may be forthcoming on the Spanish Civil War game, as the photos taken by Al show the game off very well. I particulary like those aerial Stuka shots Al.
However, the 6mm game was so intense and closely fought that I think the photographic evidence is unfortunately lacking.
In the SCW game I played the Republicans, defending against a concerted Nationalist attack, with the town graveyard as the Nationalist objective (the Nationalist were played by Paul and Al). The game came close to a Nationalist win, but in the last game turn the heroic (posthumous) actions of a lone Republican MG unit and FAO seriously dented a massed Nationalist advance that threatened to roll up the Republican right flank, leaving the way to the graveyard clear. The dual between the single (on-table) Republican artillery piece and 3 nationalist guns, ended with 2 of the nationalist guns destroyed. But all 3 Republican tanks were knocked out either with artillery fire or from Nationalist Stuka attacks.
A great game Al - thanks for putting it on.
Thank's also to: Gordon, Roman, Rodger, Mark, Paul, Al, Steve, Mike and AJ for your attendance and active participation. We couldn't have done it without you.
We'll most certainly do this again next year - hopefully a 2 day event, like our FWC Bootcamp. I'll see if we can plan a date well in advance and will keep you posted.
Cheers
Mark