Blast from the Past: HOTT at Historicon 2016!

 Back in 2016 Ren and I played in a Hordes of the Things (HotT) tournament on Sunday at the conclusion of Historicon 2016. It was a lot of fun, and I took plenty of pictures.

These days, Hordes of the Things is being replaced by De Bellis Fantasiae (DBF) from the same folks. I really liked HOTT, it was a generic fantasy system that played very fast games and required few figures, it really encouraged imaginative and inventive army designs. I have high hopes that DBF will hit that same itch. 

This was a 25mm tournament, which for HotT meant 60mm wide bases. I decided to really test how flexible HotT was, and I wanted to encourage Ren to give it a try, at the time he preferred historical games. So I put together two matching army lists for World War I armies, one German the other one British. I think it went great!

This game was run by David Schlanger with NASAMW. If anyone has contact with him please drop me a line. :)

The "Krazy Krauts", my HotT Army, WWI Germans.
The pillbox in the center was the stronghold. 
These were plastic 1/72 scale figures, primarily WW I Germans from HäT. The Taube I bought used, I don't know the manufacturer.
I called them the "Krazy Krauts" because on my high school swim team
some teammates called me the "Krazy Kraut."

"The Division", Ren's HotT army, WWI Brits. 
Again plastic 1/72 scale. The figures are primarily WW I British from HäT. The tanks are Battleground Flames of War, and the Sopwith Camel is Revell Germany.

I considered playing this army, the "Black Thunder Company." Some of my old AD&D players may recall it from the Mercs campaign. I was planning to run it originally, it is a more traditional "fantasy" list, but since Ren decded to play I thought matching armies would be better. These figures are primarily Revell Set 02567 Swedish Cavalry and Revell Set 02566 Imperial Artillery. This is definitely an army I will convert soon to DBF!

The opening match ups. A six player tournament!

Ren's first game was against the "Evil Army of Malevolent Horror!"
(I loaned this player my castle as a base). 

Ren begins to advance "The Division" against his foe. 

Ren's tank turn his foe's right flank. 

Casualties mount as "the Division"
faces down the "Malevolent Horror"

Ren's British World War I force is victorious in his first game!

For my first battle, my "Krazy Krauts" faced off against 
"Her Majesty's Mechanical Marvels." 

My "Krazy Krauts" advanced. I loved this game, our armies were 
very on theme with each other. And my opponents miniatures and models
were simply superb. As a long time Victorian sci-fi fanI was loving this . 

Perhaps I was too star-struck. Or perhaps I needed tanks of my own. 
Regardless I was soundly defeated. 

Ren's second game was against "Magicians' Union, Local 666."
His opponent had a very cleverly designed and built army with lots of magical fires.

Ren ended up getting burned!
The "Magicians' Union" defeated his British list.

My second game was against the "Good Army of Valourous Hope!"
Happily for me, I crushed their hopes and handily defeated this army. 

With one win and one loss each, for the final round
Ren and I were paired against each other.
Brits versus Germans!

Ren smiles as his tanks crush their way through my lines.
He won a convincing victory!

As you can see, Ren pulled a strong second place showing out of the tournament.
In contrast, I pulled a distant last place. Ah, well. :)

This remains a great memory and a fun Sunday tournament. It was quick and collegial, perfect for Sunday morning and a wonderful way to end Historicon 2016.

I miss the days when Historicon was being held in Fredericksburg. For us, it is far more expensive, and not as fun, up in Lexington, Pennsylvania.