BoAR news and upcoming events

 

Friends of BoAR,

 

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and are enjoying a great start to the New Year. With the holidays now behind us, I want to share good news about the many ways we will be celebrating the 250th anniversary of American Independence in 2026.  I sincerely hope you can participate in at least one event, although ideally you can join us in the winter, summer and fall.

 

RevCon (at Prezcon), February 2-March 1: In February we will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of RevCon, an all Rev War mini-Con that takes place at Prezcon in Charlottesville, VA each year during President's Day week.  Here is a QR code that will take you to the Prezcon website.  Check out their website.

 

 

Those who go, know how special RevCon has always been.  We have our own dedicated room for the week which we decorate with flags and where we play fife & drum music to set the tone.  I have attached a collage of pictures to this email to give you an idea. We play all sorts of Rev War games and vary the offerings every few years.  Games by numerous companies and designers, strategic, operational, and tactical. Hex & counter, point to point, area. Card driven, card assisted. Miniatures, blocks and chits.  Whatever your fancy, we have offered it. Points are accumulated all week for an overall champion who is awarded, The George Washington Award for Excellence in American Revolutionary War Gaming.

 

This year, in honor of our 20th anniversary and the 250th anniversary year of the Declaration of Independence, we have created a very special agenda.  Highlights include, but are not limited to a briefing by Professor Don Hanle on the Battle of Oriskany, a team game of Hold the Line using miniatures where we will align several game boards end-to-end and players will take the role of brigadiers controlling segments of the battlefield on their side, and a not-to-be-missed anniversary celebration with cake, sparkling wine, soft drinks, and three Huzzahs for General Washington!  Please see the attachment to this email for more details.

 

If you are someone who has never attended RevCon, make this the year that you change that trajectory.

 

World Boardgaming Championships, July 25-August 2: In July we will once again host a BoAR tournament at WBC. For over 25 years, Battles of the American Revolution has been offered as a "Century"game at WBC. It's been a great run and we are truly blessed to have had so much recurring support. The World Boardgame Championship brings out some of the very best competition and our group of dedicated players have truly become a family who welcome new players with open arms.   

 

This year, for the first time, WBC has agreed to give the BoAR tournament its own dedicated room, just like we have at RevCon.  We will be able to decorate it, have refreshments, leave our belongings safely secured overnight, and in general, relax and drift off to the 18th century.  The specific agenda for WBC has not yet been set but the deadline for event submission and GM registration is coming up soon, so be watching for more about the ways in which we will celebrate the 250th at WBC this year.

 

Here is a link to WBC,   https://www.boardgamers.org/wbcindex.html

 

 

Gaming the American Revolution - 250, Camden, South Carolina, September 24-27: I am most excited to share this last item with you. I hope you can join us for an all-GMT, all-American Revolution game event honoring the 250th anniversary year of the Declaration of Independence.  This gathering will be unlike any gaming Con you have ever attended.  Highlights include, but are not limited to a Meet & Greet in a restored, 18th century tavern complete with artillery fire!, A private group tour of the Camden Battlefield, access to Historic Camden throughout the weekend and three days of great Rev War gaming at the Camden American Revolutionary War Visitors Center & Museum.  

 

Games will include Battles of the American Revolution, Washington's War, and Liberty or Death.  Who's that around the corner?  Several GMT designers, podcasters, content providers and dignitaries will be in attendance.  Space will be limited and tickets will go on sale in late February.  Please see the attached flyer for more information and watch for the January edition of the GMT newsletter for an update from Gene Billingsley. This will truly be a not-to-be-missed affair.

 

 

As you can see, we are pulling out all the stops to make 2026 a special and memorable year for our community of American Revolutionary War historians, hobbyists, and gamers.  My best to you all for a healthy, happy and successful 2026. 

 

Mark Miklos