It is the end but the moment has been prepared for...

Term has ended, so my US company for Charlie Don't Surf has been arrayed on the worktop and is ready for two week's worth of attention, barring Christmas festivities and so forth.  As ever, the good intentions are based around getting one stage of painting done per day, so ideally these should be done and dusted soonish in plenty of time for Overlord 2011.

In the meantime, it's Club Sunday tomorrow.  Checklist time:

• Dr Who Miniature Game rules?  Check.
• Various Daleks, Robomen and Human Resistance miniatures?  Check.
• Dalek Invasion Of Earth 2150AD tournament scenario?  Check.
• Prizes?  Check.
• Inordinate quantity of snow?  Most definitely check...

 As for dinner, that ham hock in the larder definitely has possibilities.

Rocky Robins...

In which Sunday 12th December saw Abingdon Wargames Club uphold their fine tradition of coming last* in Oxford Wargames Society's annual Round Robin tournament.  Four very different and entertaining games, with exemplarary gentlemankly behaviour from the four clubs which entered teams.  Over the course of the day

• Medieval peasants threw snowballs at each other as they tried to make off with the best pine trees from the forest.
• Ambassadors and petitioners came into conflict as they attempted prevent each other from talking to the Czar at one of the Congress of Vienna's balls.
• Various stags sought to pass on their genes by mating with as many hinds as possible whilst challenging each other.
• Spanish Civil War Republicans quickly dealt with a Nationalist supply train before turning on each other to settle the finer points of Marxist theory.

Of particular note was the latter game, which used a very stripped-down version of TFL's Triumph Of The Will.  This very successfully showed how quickly the basic ideas behind TFL rules can be grasped by new players, with rules explained, understood and played to a satisfying conclusion in less than 90 minutes.  Jolly good stuff (even if I ended up as the whipping boy for the other three players...).

As ever a good day, and thanks to Messrs The Div, Neodynium and Bray for sallying forth on behalf of Abingdon!  Same time next year, chaps?

*Let us ignore the aberration that was the great victory of '08...