Nicon is the annual New Zealand North Island convention, this year held in Palmerston North by the Manawatu Wargames Club.
With 6 players the 25mm DBMM was the smallest competition in town, but it made up for it with a north/south split that saw the Aucklanders do decisively better than the Wellingtonians despite Al Duncan's play for the Tangata Whenua factor.
I reckon he lost 'cos he didn't do a haka or tūtū ngārahu all weekend - what sort of Maori army doesn't do haka??!!
Thanks to everyone who travelled a long way to be there, and hope to see y'all again soon!
Campbell Millar (Kushans) 66 pts (3 wins, 1 loss)
Ivan Truong (Early German - Cimbri & Teutons) 63 Pts (1 win, 3 draws)
Mike Campbell (Nikephorian Byzantine) 60 (2 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss)
Andrew Bennetts (Later Carthaginian) 56 (1 win, 2 draws, 1 loss)
Brent Senior-Partridge (Moslem Indian) 17 (1 draw, 2 losses)
Al Duncan (Maori) 13 (1 draw 2 losses)
The first 3 rounds were all north vs south:
Round 1:
Mike vs Andrew - the Carthaginians found Hannibal was too far out on one flank and unable to actually influence the battle, but their elephants did well - 19:6 to Byzantium
Cam vs Al: the Maori had no answer to the (almost) all mounted Kushans, and cataphracts and elephants made toe jam of the warriors. 25-0
Ivan vs Brent: The Germans closed down the battlefield with 2 huge terrain features, then flank marched...but it all took too long for a result - 15:10 to Germany over India
Round 2:
Mike vs Cam: Impetuous light horse should stay away from Cv(S)! Cam's army was split up by impetuosity and recoils, and was unable to come to grips with the Byzantines. 25-0
Al vs Ivan: with quick kills on both sides this was expected to be a bloodbath, but it seems the dice favoured the bold rather than the old, and it was the kairākau who died. 25-0 to Germany
Brent vs Andrew: The Carthaginians went around the flanks, and the Moslem micro command of artillery proved its Achilles heel, breaking to send the army home. 23-2 to Carthage
Round 3
Mike vs Ivan: Again with the massive German flank march (69 elements!) - but this time there was a heap of Cv(S) waiting for it - sadly not enough time to kill it tho - time ending with just 3 more elements required - having only killed 22 Wb and 2 Cv from that command!! 14:11 to Byzantium
Andrew vs Al: The Maori and Carthaginians fought a bloody draw - with both armies losing about 40% of their troops. 13:12 to Carthage I think
Brent vs Ivan: Again the German flank march caused a long game with a drawn result - 13:12 to Ivan
Round 4
Brent and Al decided to head home early given the bad weather & no chance of "getting anywhere", so only 2 games:
Mike vs Cam (again): this time Cam got it right - the Byzantines were unable to break up the Kushan charge, and it rode straight over the top of me for 23:2 win to Kusha.
Ivan vs Andrew: Ivan would win the competition if he got 15 points or more, but this time the slowness of the battle (yes, he flank marched those 69 elements....) counted against him, and time was called with a 13:12 draw to Carthage.
