SDHistCon: New Orleans: WWII Museum, Arabian Struggle, Latitude 29

This is the true story of 14 wargamers picked to live in an airbnb. Find out what happens when people stop being polite — and start getting real. SDHistCon: New Orleans. Weekend spoiler: It was a great time! 

I hopped onto a plane on Aug. 7 and visited New Orleans for the first time ever. Harold Buchanan, founder of SDHistCon, assembled the Board of Directors and Board of Advisors, which I am a part of, to hang out in the Big Easy, see some history, eat good food and, of course, play some games! 

Accommodations

We all stayed at the Joe Hotel, which was a lovely boutique hotel/airbnb that had a living room, dining room, kitchen and backyard patio with a grill — so plenty of space for lounging and gaming. We booked up the entire place.

Most everyone else went home on Aug. 10, but I stuck around for another day to explore the city even more — there’s just endless things to do! For my extra night, I got a room at the Higgins Hotel, which was a block over from Joe Hotel. It was really easy getting around and walking to places from this area of the city, and not as hectic as say staying in the French Quarter. 

Games I played

I played a total of four games during this long weekend. First up was Tank Duel, a card-based game for 1 to 8 players that depicts tank-to-tank warfare on the Eastern Front of World War II in the early to mid-1940s. It was my first time playing this — it was chaotic fun, even if my tank broke and then caught on fire. The deck is made up of multi-use cards, and they’re used for everything from initiative, actions, cover modifier, terrain effect, target number to card effects. We played a short scenario for 8 players, four tanks for Russia and four tanks for Germany. Such a good wargame option for a large group, and gameplay is anywhere from 60 to 180 minutes depending on the scenario! 

I also got a chance to play Dan Bullock’s Fruit game again about United Fruit’s banana trade and its economic and political effects on Latin America during the period of 50 years in the early 1900s. This version was pretty much the same version I had played the previous month at Consimworld, but Dan added drafting back into this play. Players’ primary interests during this game was an exciting mix as there was a lot of going back and forth, especially between Guatemala and Honduras over contested areas. The game ended up in a three-way tie at the end, which Akar Bharadvaj winning from a tie-breaker. 

Dan, Akar and I got a chance to play Arabian Struggle, a card-driven conflict wargame set in the Arabian Peninsula in the early years of the 20th century. Three players each play one faction seeking to gain power over Arabia: the Hashemites, the Rasheedis, and the Saudis. The game plays for 60-90 minutes, and plays take turns playing a card for their hand for action points, or they can trigger the event, which then the card will be discarded from the game. Each card shows your faction’s strength, and one card is flipped over during each battle, with strengths added to the strengths of pieces on the board. Events that are good for your faction also give you strength during battles, so it’s a constant battle deciding how to play a card on your turn. The goal of the game is to have the most victory points at the end of the three eras, or you can either have control of four key cities, or have more than 12 VPs at any time. 

I also got a group to play That’s Not A Hat, which I talked about in Episode 161 on The Five By. I always describe the game as a cross between Memory and Musical Chairs. It’s hilarious and I love it so much — surely it isn’t hard to remember what’s on the card face-down in front of you? Apparently, it can be, with even one person saying, “I can’t believe how bad my memory is.” This small card game is always a crowd pleaser at the end of the night. It’s so very easy to lose track of your cupcake.

Places I visited

One of our field trips was to the WWII Museum. This place is great! There’s so much information, immersive exhibits and historical artifacts. You can also buy a second-day pass for $15 with regular admission in case you want to return to check out more stuff, which I did! I enjoyed the showcase on the Pacific Theater as well as the exhibit on the Monument Men, an Allied WWII unit who returned works of art that were stolen by the Nazis. 

We also enjoyed a ride on the Creole Queen riverboat to visit the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Chalmette Battlefield. I enjoyed the narration by a local historian while we sailed down the Mississippi River. New Orleans has such a storied history, including many battles over control by different nations, which definitely can be seen today in the diversity of its rich culture. 

Upon arriving at the historical park and battlefield, we got a little tour of the battlefield, along with more information about its history, as well as a quick tour around the visitor center. 

On my extra day, I got a chance to visit the Los Isleños Museum in St. Bernard Parish. An Isleño is a descendant of Canary Islanders who arrived in the territory of Louisiana during the late 18th century. Through their interaction with the natural environment and neighboring communities in the region, the Isleños of Louisiana have developed a unique identity and culture. 

The museum has a plaque commemorating St. Malo, a small fishing village that existed nearby that was the first permanent settlement of Filipinos in the United States. Those Filipinos caught fish and shrimp as they were in an environment similar to the wet tropics of home in the Philippines. What do the Canary Islanders and the Filipinos have in common in this era? The Spanish, who ruled New Orleans from 1763-1803. The Filipinos were essentially escaped enslaved people who jumped from those Spanish Galleons.

I also got to visit Faulkner House Books, which is a small bookstore housed where William Faulkner lived in New Orleans. He lived on the ground floor of this house in 1925 in the French Quarter where he completed his first novel “Soldier’s Pay.” I took a lot of Faulkner in college, so the student in me was feeling a little giddy.

Lastly, I got to see a concert at Champions Square in New Orleans. Champions Square is this outdoor festival plaza next to the Caesars Superdome. It was so easy to get to and enter, and I had a great time watching Teddy Swims live, even if I was sweating buckets in the hot humid heat.   

Places I ate and drank 

Oh man, the food and drinks were incredible in New Orleans. I am still thinking about all the places we ate. Here are the restaurants: 

• Brennan’s: Loved the duck confit mash I had. And of course, we ordered the bananas foster, which originated from this very establishment.

• Peche: Amazing seafood and even more amazing fried okra and grilled eggplant. 

• Meril: Their special that day was Chicken In A Waffle Cone. The chicken strips were so tender and flavorful. Sculpturally, a work of art, too, to look like an ice cream cone! 

• Sun Chong: This instagram-worthy restaurant is an Asian American concept inspired by Korean and Cajun letters, and it’s the chef’s love letter to his Korean grandmother. I ordered the I Love You, which has vodka, lychee, dragon fruit and lime juice, as well as miso brussels sprouts with peanuts and a  drum po’boy sandwich. 

• Cafe Du Monde: Of course I had to visit this place for beignets! It’s mostly outdoor seating, and I enjoyed very powdery fried goodness with a cup of cafe au lait. I should not have worn black that day. 

• Cafe Fleur De Lis: Had a savory catfish and grits here, where the grits were so incredibly fluffy and not – dare I say –  gritty. The bartender told me that their secret ingredient is cream cheese.

And the list of bars:

• Beachbum Berry’s Latitude 29: What a delightful tiki bar! Great drinks and yummy Asian fusion food! On those rare occasions that I see pandan on a drink menu, I have to order it. And it did not disappoint!

• Carousel Bar: This place was hopping on a Saturday night. Enjoyed a refreshing Fleur de Lis drink and checked out the rotating bar that looks like the center of a carousel. 

• Napoleon House: A building intended for Napoleon to live in after his exile, this famous house has a restaurant and bar. Such a cool historic vibe!

• Sazerac House: I signed up for a free tour of the three-story museum, which includes 3 cocktail samples. Lots of interactive displays and clips explaining the history New Orleans has had with its alcoholic drinks and why the Sazerac cocktail is officially the city drink. Such an elegant space and a nice break from the bustle of the city. 

And that was my time in New Orleans. Even though I am allergic to shellfish, I still partook in all the decadent food the city had to offer – and it was plenty. Loved learning all about the history from the field trips as well as walking through the French Quarter and being transported to another time in history.

I want to say a big thank you to Harold, Andrew and Pratik for planning this and for having me. I’m proud to be a part of the SDHistCon advisory board, as this organization works hard to bring historical games to a broader audience with its annual convention as well as its Summit Awards. Tickets are out for this year’s convention on Nov. 7-10 in San Diego! Hope to see you there!