Hellana 2012

Back after some very busy times: in the meantime I didn't remained idle anyway: for instance, on April, 1st I went to HELLANA 2012, one of the most important wargaming convention in Italy. The convention is held yearly in the small city of Agliana, close to Pistoia in Tuscany and I have many friends between the members of the local club, the "Gruppo Ludico Aglianese" which organizes the convention.

I spent some time browsing in the "bring and buy" stand and chatting with the fellow wargamers at the demonstration tables. In the end I bought only a book, albeit a rare one:

this book is a very complete and careful account of the whole Lonato-Castiglione campaign based on previously unpublished austrian sources: so bad that of the many planned titles in the Helmet Feldzug Series it remained the only one published. A must for each wargamer interested in the first napoleonic campaign and for everyone who likes the battles at the twilight of the Age of Reason.

Since I was accompained by my 13 y.o. son, I spent the bulk of my tiny budget to buy LOTR miniatures, painted and unpainted, as well as Games Workshop Rules and paints, brushes foliage, static grass and so on…

Here a closer look at some of the games played: the one I liked most was Ramilles 1706 in 6mm by the Club "I Tre Moschettieri" from Florence using the "A la Guerre" rules by the "Luridoteca" from Latina:

two of the French generals, without their whigs:

The battle of Mehr 1758 in 28 mm (Age of Reason rules) by the Wargame Club "Giuseppe Garibaldi" from Genova:

The battle of Punta Stilo (1940) by the BigFire Wargame Club from La Spezia with their rules "Admiral". The models are the Wizard collectable "Axis and Allies-War at Sea" in 1:1850:

Back to the Lace wars with the battle of Aschaffenburg (1743) in 6mm by the"Luridoteca"with their own rules "A la Guerre": 

at the table I met my old friend Luigi, with its very XVIIIth century "silhouette":

and the rule designer Gualtiero in the process of taking a picture of me when I was taking a picture of him: I nailed him!

Among the other games there was a nice 10mm medieval game by the CAWE (Club Amici del Wargame Esagonato=Friends of the hexed war-game) from Bologna (they indeed produce hexes, both raw and textured):

This is an ancient battle staged by the AFBIS of Florence (note the ever-present bald-headed French generals):

Two WW2 games for Rapid Fire (Narwa and Bastogne) and the defense of the Seelowe Heights, 1945 by the "Gruppo Ludico Aglianese":

Finally, an overview  of the convention-hall (a gym indeed) with some stands:

At dinner I had a very nice time with Giuseppe Rava (the one leaning on the table in the top picture), the author of the french Vae Victis magazine cover images and owner of Testudo, in front of a florentine steak and many glasses of Chianti: in the end it was a very nice day spent with some good friends and a lot of nicely-painted minis. Already waiting for the next year convention, were I hope to bring a table for the battle of Torgau with my 6mm!