Like JD Power, only more awesome

The HMGS, Inc Newsletter is out and the award winners for Cold Wars were printed. I won't hold those in suspense any longer...

The Annual HMGS "BOB WATTS AWARD" for "BEST KIDS GAME": “Gnome Wars: Surf and Turf” by Jim Stanton, Steven Stanton, and the Stout Gnomes.

A couple little comments in regards to this. First off, congrats to Jim and Steve (and Stout Gnomes both Canadian and domestic). Second, it's not an unusual event. I do believe Jim has a nice shelf of Best Kids Game awards from past cons. It's the best thing the judges can offer (outside of Gnomish pirates during a power outage) under the belief that an actual historical game should win the "real" awards. Finally, the "Surf and Turf" was the Friday afternoon game, and nothing compared to the Saturday mega-game.

And one could wonder why I'm planning a Samoan extravaganza with "real" figures for Cold Wars '14. I may substitute the minis with gnomes halfway through just to prove a point.

 

The other award winners:

1. Best of Show: James Grotto and Tony Venturino and the Metropolitan Wargamers for their series of “sand  games”- “South of Caplainerie, Normandy 1944, “ “Mannerheim Line 1939,” “Ukraine 1941,” and “Hill 41, along the Gela-Niscemi 1943” (20mm WWI/WWII) The Sandbox Game, I believe.

2. Best "1812: World at War" Theme Event: "The battle of Shevardino" and “The Battle of Borodino” by David Waxtel and NJCON (25mm Napoleonic)

4. HMGS Legion of Honor Battle Star Awards:

 “Goodbye to Guns or All’s Quiet on the Ruritanian Front, 1918” by Jeff Wasileski and Nick Wasileski (28mm Pulp).

 “Russia, 1813” by Mike Tyson.

5. ‘Pour Encourager Les Autres’ (PELA) Awards: Selected from all miniatures events throughout the

Convention, with an emphasis on historical events

 “Prairie Grove December 7, 1862” by Paul Olszanski (15mm ACW)

 “Thanksgiving Comes to Schlegel’s Ferry” BY Eric Schlegel and HAWKS (25mm Pike and Shot).

 “St. Patrick’s Day comes to Schlegel’s Ferry” by James “Tank” Nickle and HAWKS (25mm Inter-War).

 “Fortress Pacific” by Steve Robinson and WAGS (25mm WWII).

 “Race across France 1944” by Joshua Osgood, Van Osgood, and the Reading Area Wargamers (28mm

WWII).

 “Sky Galleons of Mars” by David Kasper, Rick Dunn, and NOWS (28mm VSF).

 “Saturday Night’s Alright for . . . Sacking a Town” by Buck Surdu, Todd Harland-White, and HAWKS

(28mm Age of Piracy).

 

Now, no sour grapes on this category, and the HAWKS do an awesome job, but the Schlegel's Ferry games aren't exactly historical events. So, giving the pirate game a historical nod, that makes three of the events non-historical. This either means these event far exceed the expectations of wargamers, or the historical GMs need to work on their presentation. Grumpy grognards, perhaps?