"Come And Have A Go If You Think You're Lard Enough!"- March 7th, 2020

One of the last days gaming I enjoyed before the (...hopefully, temporary...) end of “normal life” (pre-quarantine/ lockdown) was down in Southampton on the 7th March. This was the second running of “Come And Have A Go If You Think You’re Lard Enough”, the very enjoyable Lard “Games Day” organised by all-round friend of Lard, and great chum, Mark “Peaches” Backhouse.  Mark had brought together over 80 wargamers in a day of terrific gaming, featuring games covering the full spread of history from Roman Britain to the Second World War.

I took part in two great games, the first being a naval game set in the Danish Langelansbælt in the Napoleonic Wars, and the second set in the Northwest Frontier of the 1920s. I loved both of the games. Bob’s naval game was a really interesting challenge - balancing two British sloops against nearly a dozen Danish oared gunboats. What the British ships brought in gunpowder and fire-power, they lost in mobility, with the Danish gunboats literally trying to row rings around the British vessels as they sought to negotiate then shifting sandbars and islands of the Langelandsbælt.  I was the British commander, and I managed to inflict a fair bit of damage to the Danish gunboats, but only exited one of the British sloops off the table to bring supplies to the British fleet blockading Copenhagen,

In the second game, run by Colin, I helped out with the brave and ferocious religious rebels seeking to discomfort the forces of the British Crown. On a lovely looking table - with some terrific mountainous terrain - we had figured out a cunning plan to try and pin the British down. Well, that plan lasted for about 15 minutes, before defeat seemed to loom into view - at which point we decided to go for “route 1” - or “dusty road 1” - and simply charged everything in sight.  That seemed to work a little bit better, but - more to the point - was far, far more fun!

 

Both games were so much fun to play in - huge thanks to both Bob and Colin and all my fellow players for a great wargaming experience.

With Mark’s generous photo-sharing, here’s some other photos from the other great games from the day.

One of my favourite games of the whole day was an excellent kriegspiel run by Derek and Mark, featuring the 1809 campaign at Eckmühl.  Although I didn't play, I enjoyed dropping by to see the players' maps and plans, accompanied by some fine 6mm MDF figures which Mark had painted for the game.  Talking to the various players, enjoying their reactions ("Where are the French again?"), and watching the state of the players' maps during the course of the day was a really enjoyable sideline for the day.  Perhaps just as much as playing a kriegspiel, watching kriegspiel with good friends playing is a terrific way of passing the time.  Huge kudos to Derek, Mark and Nick for their work on this really fine game.

So that's all from "Lard Enough 2020".  it was the first, and sadly (so far) the only show I've attended in 2020 - for obvious reasons.  One of the things I've realised in the past seven week is how much I've missed games days and slows like this, and I am sure you feel the same.  So, here's to "Come And Have A Go If You Think You're Lard Enough, 2021"!