BATTLEGROUP CAMPAIGN WEEKEND @ STAFFORD GAMES

Today IFP and PSC are announcing our first Battlegroup gaming event, to take place at Stafford Games on the weekend of October 18th-19th. It will be a Battlegroup Kursk campaign weekend, set during the furious battle for the strategic town of Ponyri on July 6th-7th, 1943. All games to played at 20mm (1/72nd or 1/76th scale) - we have more terrain for this size.

Each player (there is room for 16 aside) will take the role of a 600 pt Battlegroup commander and over the course of three games (2 on Saturday, 1 on Sunday), fight to earn victories and 'campaign points' for his side. Your forces will play a small role in gaining overall victory (or defeat) for your side (just like real life).

It isn't a tournament as such, with players trying to become the overall individual winner, it's a team game, and it'll have far better historical authenticity that any tournament, because all players will using forces from the BG Kursk army list, and so will only be using forces that were actual there (or available) for both sides. It will still have a bit of the competitive edge though... because your battlegroup's performance contributes to the final result. In the end, one side will be crowned as victors and there will be a medal for the player that earns the most points for his side, be it Russian or German.

To me, this is a way of keeping some historical-edge to the games and getting away from some of the a-historical nonsense of most WW2 tournaments I have seen. In the future, we'll try to do other events for other theatres, with Normandy being a big favourite - although we'd need to think of ways of providing enough terrain (and hedges) for that theatre.

Anyhow, tickets go on sale today from PSC website, with 16 available for the Germans and 16 for the Russians.  I'll be there as the campaign referee and hopefully so will Piers. Will from PSC is hoping to play on the Germans side - so that should be three solid wins for the Russians! I'll be a fine weekend of furious and fun gaming, chat (a buffet lunch on Saturday) and an evening social in the pub for those interested. It's a great chance to meet other BG players.

I'm only sorry I won't be playing my Russians in it, but I'm sure the Russian comrades will do me proud! (I'm not biased or anything).

Tickets are on sale from the PSC webstore: www.theplasticsoldiercompany.co.uk at £12 each (that just covers our hall hire, lunch and a few other expenses).

Here is the poster, spread the word and hopefully, see you in October.