Friends of the BoAR Series,

We’re now just four weeks away from WBC 2018 and I wanted to report on what we have planned for GMT’s Battles of the American Revolution tournament this year. Those of you that regularly check our folder on Consimworld or follow our Facebook page may already know some of this information. A refresher never hurts and I want to be sure those that don’t routinely get our posts will have everything they need to make a quality decision.

First the format. I heard you Chris Storzillo 🙂 The single elimination format I have used for years leaves too many players facing conflicts in their schedules. Besides that, other than the Mulligan round in a SE tournament, you’re out if you lose just once. For a real BoAR fan that can be pretty disappointing. So this year I’ve switched to Heats to provide more players with more options to play. We will have a total of SEVEN Heats; beginning Sunday and lasting through Wednesday. There is one Heat on Sunday and two-a-day (morning and evening) on Monday through Wednesday. You can choose to play in as many or as few Heats as your schedule will allow whether you win. lose or draw. It is my sincere hope that with this many days and times to choose from everybody should be able to fit in at least one or two heats. If you’re coming to WBC this year and you don’t play BoAR it won’t be because your schedule wouldn’t permit it.

After the Heats conclude on Wednesday night we will seed the top 8 players and they will enter the single elimination portion of the competition; The quarter-final on Thursday morning, the semi-final on Thursday evening and the final on Friday morning.

Now let’s look at this years line up.

• Heat 1 (Sunday, 3:00 pm) the new “Freeman’s Farm” scenario from Saratoga (3rd ed.)
• Heat 2 (Monday, 9:00 am) “Lee’s Advance” at Monmouth Courthouse.
• Heat 3 (Monday, 7:00 pm) the “Holding Action” at Monmouth Courthouse.
• Heat 4 (Tuesday, 9:00 am) the Guilford Courthouse “Historical” scenario (2nd ed.)
• Heat 5 (Tuesday, 7:00 pm) The Battle of Eutaw Springs (2nd ed.)
• Heat 6 (Wednesday, 9:00 am) “Knyphausen’s Feint” at Brandywine Creek (2nd ed.)
• Heat 7 (Wednesday, 7:00 pm), “Howe’s Flank Attack” at Brandywine Creek (2nd ed. and featuring the new Hessian Amusettes.)

The quarter-final will be The Battle of Germantown at 9:00 am on Thursday.

The semi-final will be The Battle of Saratoga (3rd ed.) at 6:00 pm on Thursday.

The final will be The Battle of Brandywine Creek (2nd ed. including the new intelligence rules; Muddying the Waters of Brandywine Creek.)

Players are asked to bring their own copies of the games to ensure an adequate supply, even if those copies are older editions. Remember also that as a “B” rated WBC event we will be offering a demo which will occur on Tuesday at 5:00 pm immediately preceding Heat 5. If you need a refresher on your BoAR be sure to join AGM Rob McCracken for a tune up.

Now let’s talk about prizes. Many of you know that this is the twentieth anniversary of BoAR being played at WBC from its humble beginnings as the Battle of Saratoga. Twenty years, eight volumes and ten battles later is a milestone by any measure. To honor this achievement we are GIVING AWAY a treasure trove of commemorative items to EVERYONE who plays. A special 20th anniversary logo was designed and is featured on t-shirts, coozies, dice cups, book marks and buttons. You get it all! All you have to do is show up and play.

But that’s not all. Beginning Monday we will have a raffle drawing right after registration closes for the 2nd Heat of the day. To qualify you have to play in either or both of that day’s Heats; one raffle ticket per Heat entered. This will be repeated on Tuesday and again on Wednesday with each day’s players represented in that days drawing. Play every day and have a chance in every drawing. Prizes will include shrink wrapped copies of BoAR games.

I will also be awarding extra prizes to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers. First place is a shrink wrapped BoAR tripack including the 3rd edition of Saratoga and 2nd editions of Brandywine Creek and Guilford Courthouse/Eutaw Springs complete with deluxe counters, hard mounted maps and a complete set of every replacement counter ever issued in the series with an accompanying explanatory manifest. Second place is a gently used foam core-mounted Big Board Games copy of Guilford Courthouse. Third place is an autographed artist’s proof of the front cover of Savannah by Rodger MacGowan.

If you like playtesting you’re in for one more treat. Most of you know that volume 9 in the series, The Battle of Rhode Island, made the P500 cut. Thanks very much for the continued support. As a reminder, that game will include a bonus scenario, the hypothetical Franco-American assault upon British-held Newport, Rhode Island and that scenario will be ready for a test drive at WBC. Prospective playtesters are welcome. We know the precise British deployment and the overall Allied battle plan. Historically the attack never happened because the French withdrew after their fleet was battered in a storm. This will allow us to model what an actual Franco-American assault might have looked like in the first bona fide attempt by the French to cooperate in battle with their new American allies. Sufficient new chrome has been added to put you on the field while the core BoAR game system remains true to form.

I hope to see many of you in  Seven Springs, PA and to share the twentieth anniversary of competative play of the Battles of the American Revolution series with you AND to load you up with keepsakes of the occasion.

Author: Mark Miklos