At the end of June, Mike hosted the latest iteration – the second summer gathering – in Thirlmere, near Keswick, attracting about 30 gamers from across the north and Scotland. Thirlmere is a tiny habitation that boasts a pub, a few holiday homes and a community hall. It’s also handy for Hellvellyn and other fell-walking opportunities.

I met Mike at the first PunchedCon back in 2022. We played Quartermaster General 1914, my introduction to the series. We went on to play a Thirty Years War playtest variant of the QMG system with the designer. Towards the end of the evening, Mike was asked to say a few words to the full convention. It was at this stage that he talked about his small event in Cumbria.

Coincidentally, the day after PunchedCon ended I was due to go on holiday to Borrowdale, just south of Keswick. So I talked to Mike about his event, then called Unthirl Your Banners. Thirlmere; Unthirl; geddit?

Whilst up in the Lakes, I stopped by the local Keswick bookshop where Mike works to talk further. Having only just got back into the hobby, I was at litle hesitant about meeting up with heavy grognards. PunchedCon had been ok. I didn’t feel intimidated but I had my reservations. Mike put me at ease, and sold me a couple of Wainwright guides for my walks.

This year’s event ran from Thursday through Sunday. I’d arranged a couple of days beforehand to grab some fell-walking time. The combination works perfectly for me. Mike and I have had a couple of pre-con walks in the past – up Catbells and, overlooking Thirlmere Reservoir, Eagle Crag.

I had a relaxed gaming schedule, partly due to a last minute cancellation. But, I still played five longer games over the four days.

Apart from the games I played, there was the usual mixture of epic multi-map games, multi-player games, pop-up two-players, and not quite war games. These included Commands and Colours Napoleonics, DAK North Africa, Twilight Imperium, Imperial Struggle, Triumph and Tragedy, Conquest and Consequence, Holland ’44 and Fighting Formations.

I started with 1793: Patriots and Traitors, which some of us had played at the last Unfurl. In the first game, we’d struggled with the rules. And, I’d struggled with seeing a path to victory. But, we gave it another try. And, again, we bounced off it. It’s a shame as there is such potential for a good French Revolution political game. But this isn’t that game.

Congress of Vienna was next up. As you may know, I’m a big fan of this 2025 release. Again, it didn’t disappoint though I had a bruising time. We played the Clash of Armies scenario, which is much more battle heavy than the earlier scenarios. My Napoleon lost a crucial battle in Saxony during the second turn, opening the path for the Russians and Prussians to take Hanover. It was downhill from then on. In retrospect, I should have made a couple of tactical retreats to limit my losses. Ah well, it was good to get another session under the belt. One of these days, I’ll manage to play the full campaign.

Mike’s enthusiasm for camping is a bit a running gag but he has persuaded the hall to allow gamers to camp onsite. And, they do. For Summer Gathering, I counted over half-a-dozen tents, campervans and camping pods.

On Saturday, I joined a five-player tilt of Kingmaker II. This was just my second play of the re-worked classic. It’s a fun game though totally chaotic, as I experienced. I’d manoeuvred both my nobles to Exeter for a calling of Parliament only to get hammered by plague in the next turn. We got the rules wrong: I should have retained my least powerful noble. But, lesson learned.

Kingmaker was a taster for Fire in the Lake, the epic COIN Vietnam game. We played a shorter scenario rather than the campaign game. Even so, we weren’t able to finish that either. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable game with a lot of chatter around the table. The US and ARVN worked very closely together, and the US were in a good position as we ended. Their work together stymied my efforts as the VC. I was forced to play my pivotal event in a suboptimal position,I didn’t see a path to victory as things stood. Still, another epic battle.

A couple of years ago, the future af Unthirl was in doubt as Thirlmere hall was slated to close due to lack of volunteers to run it. Although the hall has been saved, Mike has subsequently moved the event to a bigger venue in Dalston near Carlisle. Whilst it’s a better facility, it lacks some of the charm of the original site.

As such, Mike has now arranged a couple of extra summer events back in Thirlmere. This makes it an attractive option for combining gaming and walking. Of course, being the Lakes, you’re subject to the vagaries of local weather. And, the elements didn’t disappoint as we had some epic mist and rain throughout my week up there. I still managed a good walk up Stake Pass, and some gentler strolls along the Langdale and Mickleden.

On the final day, I played a re-arranged game of Churchill from the same series as Congress of Vienna. I’ve been less impressed in my previous plays but I think that’s due to playing the tournament scenario which starts in the middle of the full campaign. We started with turn one but only got about halfway. We were well on the way to defeating the Axis, and – playing as Churchill – I wasn’t too far behind Roosevelt.

All in all, I had a good weekend despite a couple of disastrous performances. Unfurl is a great opportunity to meet up with old friends and to make new connections. Mike’s done an excellent job creating and nurturing the community. I look forward to the next event in October, and back to Thirlmere next June.

An opportunity to meet fellow boardgamers to play historical boardgames, conflict simulations and other strategy games.

“We are citizens of the world. The tragedy of our times is that we do not know this.”
― Woodrow Wilson

We moved back to Heslington, near the University of York, for our fifth meeting on Saturday 22 November 2025 to round out our first year.

Thanks to Richard for press-ganging inviting three guests. We had 16 in attendance, travelling from Fulford, Cambridge, Carlisle and points in between.

A fair range of games on offer, including a classic (though the first time I’ve played it) and some regulars.

Versailles 1919

A regular game at Eboracon and elsewhere. Probably not a war game, but the theme is a favourite of mine. There’s enough here to keep the brain engaged. Though part of the series that includes Congress of Vienna (my game of 2025), it sits more in Euro territory.Give GeekGold

Versailles 1919

Er. So good, it was played on two tables! I had the pleasure of teaching and taking a pasting.

Band of Brothers: Ghost Panzer

I think this is the right Band of Brothers game. Three scenarios played through the day, I believe.

Paths of Glory

This classic wargame needs little introduction. It’s the grand sweep of the Great War across Europe with a bit of the Near East. This struggle ended in a stalemate at 11VP, an early CP breakthrough notwithstanding.

No Retreat! Italian Front: 1943-45

I don’t think I’ve seen this entry in the No Retreat! series on the table before. The Russian Front game is very good, covering the whole arc of the war in the east. Looked like an interesting game.

Churchill

Props to Nicholas for teaching this for the second time at Eboracon. Great three player convention game with the struggle between the “Allies”. Is it really a win if you don’t defeat the Axis?

The British Way: Counterinsurgency at the End of Empire

Kenya mini-game: tense two-player COIN about Britain’s dirty war in East Africa. Possibly my favourite in the COIN series. I can highly recommend Emergency Exits: The Fight for Independence in Malaya, Kenya and Cyprus, an exhibition at the Imperial War Museum in London, which does an excellent job in chronicling the mess that was de-colonisation.

Looking forward to The British Way: Enemy of My Enemy, the expansion to The British Way.

El Grande

I went to a wargame convention and didn’t play a wargame but I did play this excellent area control “classic”. Thanks to newcomer Ryan for introducing us to this five-player game. Highly enjoyable.

People Power: Insurgency in the Philippines, 1981-1986

Nicholas had to teach this too. Not the easiest play as introduction to COIN but I think it’s one of the more underrated of the series.

A Game of Thrones: B’Twixt

Third time that I’ve played this card game full of skullduggery. I know next to little about the IP but that matters very little. It’s a solid card game that’s ideal to fill an hour or so with your best friends or enemies. Thanks Mike!

We had eleven attendees, enough for four simultaneous games: two two-player; two multi-player. There were broadly two sessions – morning and afternoon. The two two-player games – traditional hex-and-counter games – lasted all day. We had four multi-player games played.

The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.
– Dr Martin Luther King Jr

Games played

878 Vikings: Invasions of England

A four-player game of this title – not sure if it was the Academy Games version. Nice artwork on the cards.

France ’40

A day long ZOC-bond game with the Germans stalling across northern France. This was the first edition.

The first of many apologies for terrible photo but you know the game, surely?

Gettysburg: Lee’s Greatest Gamble

A good old fashioned Gettysburg hex-and-counter game; a magazine game too! Fantastic.

Two scenarios of this played. Check out the dice tower, a thing of beauty.

Versailles 1919

One of two of the Great Statesmen series to be played on the day. I will leave it to the participants to say who was a not-so great statesman on the day. Er, it was me.

Enjoyed by three participants as we had to hastily re-arrange games on the day.

Churchill

And, the other Great Statesmen game… Cries of “perfidious Albion” etc. Uncle Joe says “Nyet”.

This is a fabulous game, a mainstay of conventions though I slightly prefer Versailles 1919. We played the tournament scenario and collectively let the Axis survive.

Angola

Another convention stalwart, four factions, proxies, intrigue and damn Commies. I’m not sure how this turned out but I know it went down well with all.

Apols for the drunk photo.

18NewEngland

Honourable mention.

Sickness prevented this being played which is a shame. But, it’s not a wargame, you say? It’s war with money and influence and Eboracon strives to be a wide-ish church.

Hopefully, we’ll get to this at a future event.