Photos of Great Games at Advance the Colors 2025!

    An overview of Advance the Colors 2025 with the Friday evening games in session

I was very happy with the success of our recent convention, Advance the Colors 2025. It was our 30th anniversary, so we were hoping for a show worthy of three decades. It was likely one of our highest attendances ever -- nudging ever so close to the 250 mark. ATC is the flagship convention of the Great Lakes chapter of the Historical Miniatures Gaming Society. Our chapter is mostly composed of Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan, with some members from surrounding states tossed in. It's a great group of gamers, very friendly and welcoming. Since Covid, the convention has been held in the Mercantile Building of the Clark County Fairgrounds, Springfield, OH.

    Abel D's samurai games using Test of Honour rules are a regular feature of our area conventions

I help organize and run the convention, so have a personal stake in it, of course! So, I wanted to post some of my favorite pictures that I took of various games being run. I'll let the eye candy speak for itself. Our date for next year is Oct. 9-10, 2026, if you want to put it in the calendar of your phone. We'd love to see you there! Hope you enjoy the photos...!

    An enthusiast of all things aerial, Bill W (with beard) teaches some World War I Check Your 6!

    Bob L's game of the 19th century Carlist war in Spain is one of the interesting periods covered

    Chris VF ran a number of demo games, including this War of Spanish Succession battle in 25mm

 

    Andy S puts some 'English' on his dice rolls in this Company of Heroes boardgame-Minis cross

    Damon R's very cool Sci-Fi speeders and race track was quite the draw with players having fun

    Danny M ran a number of games of World War II 'What A Tanker!' on both days of the convention

 

    Derek J closed out the convention Saturday night with his Colonial Boer War battle 

    Close up of JR's 'Dust 1947' battlefield with alternative World War II troops battling it out

    One of the several demos of Impetus ancient warfare run by the vendor Griffon's Lair

    Players having a good time in Homer's Saturday afternoon Colonial game set in the Mahdist War

    Jason S runs the 'Battle of Severn' - an English Civil War struggle actually fought in America

    More Colonial warfare set during the Boer War, this sprawling game being run by John W

 

    'Sharpe Practice' is a popular rules set and John S ran it to a good crowd on Saturday

    One of the nicest guys you'll ever meet, Jim B, helps run Kaiju Double Crush on a gorgeous tabletop

 

    Cinematic shot of Kim Y's 'Battle of Patriot City' - a superhero battle royale on a stunning tabletop

    'The Shot Heard Round the World' by Larry from Gettysburg Soldiers & Jim W was a popular event

    Miniature Building Authority ran modern demos on a beautiful table featuring their terrain

    Gordon & Mike came down from Toledo to run a World War I land battle for players on Saturday

    The Motor City Gaming booth staff run a father and son through how to play Konflikt '47

    CJ brought his massive pirate ship to the convention for numerous games of 'Mutiny on the Sea Jay'

    A staple of area conventions is the redoubtable Paul M running 'Age of Steam' naval games

    Gaming from recent headlines -- Phil D ran 'Battles from Ukraine' on both days of ATC

    Con Director Randy provides the 'Boom!' sound effects in Damon's World War I aerial game

    Closeup of Rich S's galleys in a naval clash that kick-started the convention on Friday morning

    Rich B of RRB Minis ran a Sci-Fi free-for-all Friday night in 'Science Grab on Sita'

    Chris V returned to ATC to run another of his show-stopper games in the 'Battle of San Juan Hill'

    Sporting his bicorne, Steve V runs one of his 3, well-attended Napoleonic clashes over the weekend

    'Avast Ye!' shouts GM Ted B, as he directs the pirate battle with Lego ships raging on the floor

 

    Tim P runs one of his ATC Hobby U classes on Friday, teaching gamers to make their own scenery

    Budding cavemen around Tim R's 'Paleo Wars' game, seeking to secure the most loot for their tribe

    Todd S teaches players the popular 'Trench Wars' system and its Weird World War I wackiness

    Thomas C directs a game of Wings of Glory for World War II, as bombers try to complete a run

    Board member Troy H walks players through the tactically interesting 'Conquest' rules set

    GM Brad R gives Jenny some hints on how to survive the attack of 'Zombies on the Moon'

    One of tourney organizer Tim P's beautiful Bolt Action tables being fought over on Saturday

    UK gaming celebrity Graham of 'Graham's Wargame Vault' playing in one of the 2 Saga tourneys

 

    Team Yankee & Flames of War enjoyed a Renaissance of record player numbers over the weekend

    Alan & Richard laying the groundwork this year for a new tournament at ATC - Art De La Guerre