Historicon 2016: Online Registration Open

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About Historicon

Historicon is the largest gaming convention of its kind in the North American region. It is devoted to historical miniature wargaming and sponsored by the HMGS (Historical Miniatures Gaming Society. Last year I wrote a couple articles about Historicon 2015 to include reviews of Historicon 2015, Photos of Historicon 2015, and a Q&A on Historicon.

John Hill Memorial Games

John Hill was a regular facilitator at Historicon. He traveled every July out to this well-known wargaming convention.  Last year was the first Historicon since his passing. Many games were played at Historicon 2015 as a memorial to John Hill.  This year at Historicon 2016, there will be several games that will be played by Patrick LeBeau honoring John Hill.   Visit the Historicon 2016 Program Information to view further details.  The specific John Hill memorial games will be as such:

  • Thursday @ 12pm T-519 The Guards Counterattack, a John Hill memorial game corss-of-iron-canva
    • Length: 2 hrs
    • Hosted by: Patrick Lebeau
    • Scale: 15mm; Rules: John Hill’s Squad Leader in miniatures
    • No. of Players: 4
  • Thursday @ 2pm T-518 The Guards Counterattack II, a John Hill memorial game
    • Length: 2 hrs
    • Hosted by: Patrick Lebeau
    • Scale: 15mm; Rules: John Hill’s Classic Squad Leader in miniatures
    • No. of Players: 4.
  • Thursday @ 4pm T-523 The Guards Counterattack III, a John Hill memorial game
    • Length: 2 hrs
    • Hosted by: Patrick Lebeau
    • Scale: 15mm; Rules: John Hill’s Classic Squad Leader in miniatures
    • No. of Players: 4.
  • Friday @ 9am F-524 Debacle at Korosten, a John Hill memorial game
    • Length: 4 hrs
    • Hosted by: Patrick Lebeau
    • Scale: 15mm; Rules: John Hill’s Cross of Iron in miniatures
    • No. of Players: 6
  • Friday @ 2pm F-511 Debacle at Korosten, a John Hill memorial game
    • Length: 4 hrs
    • Hosted by: Patrick Lebeau
    • Scale: 15mm; Rules: John Hill’s Cross of Iron in miniatures
    • No. of Players: 6
  • Friday @ 2pm F-512 2nd Kernstown, July 24, 1864, a John Hill memorial game
    • Length: 4 hrs
    • Hosted by: P.J. O’Neil
    • Scale: 15mm, John Hill’s Johnny Reb III
    • No. of Players: 8

Details on Historicon 2016

The theme for Historicon 2016 is Cavalry, Mounted Warfare through the Ages and will be held at the Fredericksburg Expo & Convention Center just as it has been for many years.  The convention center offers a total of 11 meeting rooms.  The Grand Ballroom can be divided into six separate sections, accommodating up to 700 guests. The address for the convention center is  2371 Carl D Silver Pkwy, Fredericksburg, VA 22401.  

Historicon 2016

The dates are July 14-17, 2016.  Online Registration is Open.  It is highly recommended you register online so to avoid the long lines of paying at the door. You want to spend more time enjoying the convention and less time waiting in line.

Travel Arrangements to Historicon 2016

Need to check out cheap flights to Historicon 2016? Find them by using the form below:

Check out great deals on hotels here:

Comments

Please leave comments below and I will reply shortly.  If you are a wargamer and planning on attending Historicon 2016, please consider submitting photos to this website. You can send them to stephaniehill@acrossadeadlyfield.com.

Thank you for reading and look forward to hearing from you.

14 Comments

  1. Glen

    Stephanie, you have an amazing site! I knew war gaming was very popular. I should have figured there would be an annual convention. And it is right in my back yard, so to speak! That being Northern Virginia. New attendees to Historicon should have the opportunity to visit some of the famous Civil War battlefields. That would put the scale into perspective.

    Reply
    1. Stephanie Hill

      Hi Glen:

      You have hit a great point about one of the reasons why Historicon occurs in Virginia every year around the same time. Virginia has a rich history with relation to the Civil War. Beginning in April 1861 with Virginia’s secession from the Union, Richmond in Central Virginia was named the Capitol of the Confederacy. Speaking of famous Civil War battles fought in Northern Virginia, let us not forget that in July 1861 the First Battle of Bull Run in Manassas resulted in a Southern victory.

      My family and I lived in Manassas for many years during my childhood. My father facilitated many of his waragmes out of our large rambler-style home in Manassas. My father converted one of our large spacious rooms as the “wargaming room” where he had his oblong-shaped wargame table setup with his deliately painted miniature figurines and battlefields set up. Fellow wargamers came out to play every weekend and sometimes during the week. My mother put a stop to the weekday wargaming nights when my teachers were complaining that I was falling asleep in school, which was the direct result of the sounds of excited wargamers down the hallway from my bedroom playing until 3am keeping me awake.

      So, in response to your comment, yes, one of the reasons for Historicon being in it’s current location is because of the rich history that Northern Virginia has. Many gamers will take in the sights of the battlefields while they are in town for the convention.

      Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I hope to see you again soon.

      Stephanie (AKA John Hill’s daugher)

      Reply
  2. Nigel

    How extraordinary. I’m a bit perplexed as to how to play miniature wargaming. In my mind I see children with little army men but I’m sure it’s got to be more complicated than that. Especially as it seems to go for 2 hours per session.
    I’ve seen shops that sell these figures but never bothered to go in and ask. I think I may well do that next time I’m there.
    Sounds interesting Steph.

    Reply
    1. Stephanie Hill

      Hi Nigel:

      Yes, wargaming is much more complex than small children playing with toy soldiers, although those small children who enjoy playing with toy soldiers may very well grow up to become wargamers and thus become huge fans of my father’s wargames. Wargaming is about self discovery. As gamers compete with others, they learn more about their fears and shortcomings. They learn about their risk management and their decision making processes. The man to overcome game after game is yourself.

      So, yes, next time you are walking past the shop with miniature figurines in the window, take the time to stop and check out what this hobby is all about. You might learn something new about yourself.

      Thank you Nigel for commenting. Have a wonderful day and I hope to see you again.

      Stephanie

      Reply
  3. Shane

    Hi Stephanie
    It’s good to see these live wargames still active. For me this is the way wargames should be played unfortunately these days people have there heads in their smartphone or tablet and it just seems so impersonal and the satisfaction of winning is lost.

    Shane

    Reply
    1. Stephanie (Post author)

      Hi Shane:

      I am glad you enjoyed the post about Historicon. I agree that this is the way games, not just wargames, should be played. You are correct about too many people and younger generations preferring technology and their tablets over the ability to play in a face-to-face interaction for hours at a time. This builds a social structure, allows other like-minded gamers to make new friends, and establish a bond that last a long time. My father had many very close friends as a result of wargaming, one of his true passions, and he acquired those close friendships not through the use of smartphones and tablets. Your are right about technology making things seem impersonal.

      Have a great day! I hope you come back soon.

      Sincerely
      Stephanie

      Reply
  4. Arief

    Hi Stephanie,

    Do you have any videos about wargaming? I think it is great that Historicon is continuing to honor your father’s legacy and that Patrick LeBeau will be facilitating four of your father’s wargames. Squad Leader and Cross of Iron were excellent games. I would be curious to know what other wargames your father designed? Do you have a list?

    I really love to read how many gamers will honor your father, John Hill, by playing his games. Hope his memory lives forever.

    All the best,
    Arief

    Reply
    1. Stephanie (Post author)

      Hi Arief:

      Thank you for stopping today to read about Historicon 2016. I am sure it will be a great event and much fun for all. I too am grateful that Historicon is continuing my father;s legacy and friends and fans such as Patrick LeBeau will facilitate four scenarios from my father’s games. You are right in that Squad Leader and Cross of Iron are excellent games and they are still played today. In answer to your question, here is a list of all wargames my father designed.

      To view videos about wargaming, my suggestion would be to go to YouTube, because there are some great videos about wargaming. For a video about Historicon, you can watch a video of my father giving a speech at Historicon 2014 on the Additional Links page. My father in the video talks about how many people will say the hobby of wargaming is dying, and makes reference to the hundreds of gamers who are in attendance at Historicon, disproving the belief that the hobby of wargaming is dying.

      Thank you again for visiting. I hope you come back soon.

      Sincerely
      Stephanie

      Reply
  5. Dawn

    Hello you have put in a lot of great work into this site. I had no idea that something like this even existed. Miniature Wagraming looks like something that is very interesting. Your site is great for people who are looking for something new to get into that they have never heard of, and make it their new hobby as well as an incredible legacy to leave for your father. I was impressed by the number of wargames he designed. Thanks for Sharing 🙂 I will be back to explore your articles more.

    Reply
    1. Stephanie (Post author)

      Hi Dawn:

      Thank you for taking a peek at my website. I appreciate your kind words. The list of wargames my father designed is indeed impressive, as you said. I never thought of this site as a way to get people interested in something they have never heard of, but I appreciate the insight into that. If someone’s interest in wargaming is sparked by this website, that pleases me to no end.

      Have a wonderful day and be sure to keep in touch!

      Sincerely
      Stephanie

      Reply
  6. Tim Owen

    Stephanie~
    I have seen movies where the characters were using these types of figurines to reenact a historical battle.
    This is a great tool to teach people about our ancestors in a more exciting way.
    Your website is beautifully designed and an easy bookmark for me. What a great way to celebrate John.

    What made John get so interested in this event? Did he always have an interest in wargames?
    Battle on!
    Tim

    Reply
    1. Stephanie Hill

      Hi Tim:

      Thank you for stopping today to check out my website. I appreciate the kind words and compliment on my website. And yes, miniature wargaming of all genres, has been featured in different movies as a tool to reenact historical battles.

      Wargaming is not only entertaining, but can be educational as well. Not only do you learn about the steps our founding fathers used to win (or lose) certain battles, you can also use miniature wargaming to probe the future, make strategic choices, and discover their consequences before making expensive and irrevocable decisions. There is a book titled Wargaming for Leaders which provides a methodology to get at the issues that one leader, no matter how visionary, is unable to grasp on his or her own. This is accomplished by bringing together the real experts on the topic at hand to wage “cognitive warfare.” Through tapping the collective wisdom surrounding an issue, experts and leaders can experience and explore the future in a risk-free environment and find answers to questions that had not been on their radar–often with unexpected and startling results. That is what wargaming can do for us.

      My father, John Hill, had an passionate interest in wargaming throughout his entire life, as far as I know. At least I can say, he had an interest for my entire childhood and adulthood. My father did not just have an “interest” in the hobby of wargaming. He took what he was passionate about and turned into into a profitable business of designing wargames. Many of his works won several awards. You can more about his awards he won, including his induction into the Hall of Fame.

      Thank you for commenting and I do hope to see you again.

      Stephanie (AKA John’s Daughter)

      Reply
  7. larry

    Interesting read. I did not realize that they had such a thing. This would have been great to bring my high school History class too. Can you buy the figures and game boards? This would be a great teaching tool. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    1. Stephanie (Post author)

      Hi Larry:

      Pleasure meeting you. Thank you for visiting. In answer to your question, yes, you can purchase the games. You can view a list of wargames designed by John Hill and see which ones might work best for your history class. One of the neat things about wargaming is it is a fun way to learn about our history. You can develop social and team building skills while pretending you are a commanding general of a massive army getting ready to attack your enemies. ACW miniature wargaming is a great way to teach students about American Civil War.

      Thanks again. Have a great day!

      Sincerely,
      Stephanie

      Reply

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