Salute Part II - the shopping

My days of doing lots of shopping at Salute are over for various reasons - I already have it, I'm getting more careful with my cash, I can't carry it home on the train etc... 

Nevertheless, there are lots of new and shiny things at Salute... 

GENERAL

Just before going up to Salute I bought a copy of the new merged Miniature Wargames/Battlegames mag.  The old Miniature Wargames was always a curate’s egg for me – i.e. good in parts and I used to browse in Smiths and buy 2-3 issues a year.  The revamp looks good and I suspect that the introduction of the Battlegames contributors will improve what I see as the quality of the articles. 

Wargames Illustrated was there with the latest issue and an offer of a free figure of Joshua Chamberlain for the first 200 purchasers.  Given my love affair wth the magazine is waning then the inducement of a free, limited edition figure was enough to secure a purchase. 

The last magazne was the current issue of Medieval Warfare – Medieval Bishops themed issue.  Lots of interest here.   Right away then I should remind people that I write for the sister publication Wargames Soldiers Strategy.  I’ve let my subscription to the society of ancients lapse this year (too much DBA, biblical, greek and Republican Roman for my interests) and may well start up a sub to Medeval Warfare given the number of issues I’m buying. 

MUSKETS & TOMAHAWKS

Selection of multiple movement trays from Warbases. 

3 of the 5 man clumps

3 of the 5 man lines

Couple of 2 man but square edged trays that will the corners rounding off on. 

Some blank 25mm discs to infill with scenery etc….

SAGA

Big news of course washte box of unarmoured warrors from Gripping Beast.  Looks good and as the box says, enough to make up to 32 with slings or 16 with javelins, or 8 with swords or axes, whilst I suspect everyone could have a spear if you wanted.  .   

I bought a couple of figures for use as SAGA warlords. Nominally 28mm, more like 30mm and not cheap (USA imports). Tthe top viking is supplied with an axe and sword which makes him look more menacing.  

http://www.fenrisgames.com/shop.html#!/~/category/id=4201768&offset=0&sort=nameAsc

I also got a pack of 10 30mm lipped plastic bases to distinguish the warlords  for SAGA from EM4 miniatures. 

Japanese Stuff

The big news here was the Sarissa Laser cut mdf buildings.

http://www.sarissa-precision.co.uk/

I got a number of clan war packs at £3 each – essentially 16 Diadoji Iron Warrors (Samurai Spearmen) with a pack of mizu adepts (martial artists), bowmen and a couple of personalities. 

New to me were fouraminiatures

http://www.fouraminiatures.com/

Initially there was a range of Science Fiction pilots, snow troopers and others that caught my eye, but then from a Japanese viewpoint (I believe there are legends of quatic lizardmen) there was a lovely collection of “sea demons”.  

A few other small bits like some transfers and a couple of bits for friends and I was finished.  

Salute 2013 - Part 1 - the show

SALUTE 2013 – How was it for me…..

Well, by catching a later (and cheaper) train then I ddn't arrive until about 90 mins after opening and missed all the queues which was probably a good thing.   

Well, my initial response is that it was all a bit underwhelming.  With the height of the new(ish) venue and the (greyish) lighting then stands have always got a bit “lost”, and the “white noise” effect form the people, ceiling and echos make it hard work wth my hearing aid.  But the sense that I came away was that I was seeing too much that I’d already seen before over the last 2-3 years, and on many games there was that lack of a ‘wow” factor for me to want and look at them further.  Often, this is having eye candy at eye level to catch my eye, or the non gamng props that cause me to feel that the people have thought about the game they are putting on.   It's not the new and shiny (if obscure) period that I'm looking for - its the shop window effect to get my attention.  

I do wonder if the sheer costs of putting a game on at salute are putting people off.  Parking isn’t cheap, neither is fuel these days, and in reality how many people are actually interested in what you are doing at Salute rather than being there as a shopping fest?   There appeared to be two notable non attendees this year who have always put on games previously that I had a lot of time for – one was the Whistable and Herne Bay Wargamers  who have put on what I regard as a variety of good participation games in prevous years, and possibly the skirmish wargames association (the catalogue lists a game but it failed to register on me) who have normally done a very good 54mm game. 

Equally I wonder if the smaller traders are now being priced out of Salute.  

Overall I think I'm now in the position of seeing Partizan as my best show to visit. 

I took relatively few pictures this year - which is a reflection of my overall impressons.  Of course next year, if I downgrade what camera equipment I carry to save weight from the digital SLR with flashgun to the compact, then there will be lots of good games.....  

For those seeking a blog with lots of pictures then I would recommend

Big Lees Miniatures Adventures as a blog that I follow that has taken lots of photos. 

In no particular order  we have...

Cloudships of Mars from Oshiro Model Terrain.  OK, so he is selling some of the products, but the colour combination coupled with the cloudships caught my attention.   And its pseudo Steampunk.  

James Morris (of WAB El Cid and Shieldwall fame) normally has a game on at Salute, and this year it was Dux Bellorum (Dark Age), using as he freely admitted figures that I had probably seen before.  

Oshiro Model Terrain are best remembered by me for their Japanese stuff, and again they had a Japanese game on dispaly.   This did feature lots of things I've seen in the last 2-3 years but nevertheless I did take a picture of it.  

VBCW was there with another game.  Well displayed (e.g. the boards, sample weapons) as always and a game with lots of features.  Sometimes I wonder if less would be more in terms of VBCW games, or if more reflects the almost anarchic state of warfare with the various rival (even if allied) factions.  Loved the BUF HQ building in the back - almost masonic temple.... 

And last is the WSS Samurai game.   I didn't play in this (remember my hearing comments made earlier about noise at Salute) but when a game was in progress it seemed like people were having fun.

Muskets and Tomahawks Inspiration and a pleasant surprise

I said a few posts ago that I was starting to try and sort things out and decide what periods did I actually want to game.  I think I'm currently at 15+ different genres with not really a fully painted army for any of them.  Lots of bits of armies, and lots of unfinished armies at the "8 colour" stage so that they were competition legal (flesh, bases, trousers, jackets, armour, weapons, hair, shields) but not really very detailed.

The French Indian Wars is one of those that's going to be staying due to the appeal of the Muskets and Tomahawks Rules from Studio Tomahawk although largely promoted by Gripping Beast and North Star Miniatures in the UK.

The interest goes back much, much further but what it needed was a set of rules to capture the flavour of early books and television.  I had bought "Ranger" from Partizan Press but the emphasis was on larger battles (with regiments of say 24 figures) with regular troops alongside the Indians and Rangers.  I wanted the enlarged skirmish game that is the subject of Muskets and Tomahawks.
 

I must have been nine or ten (we moved around my tenth birthday) and I had the book at the 'old house" when I got a rather super book.

Whilst the BBC version of Last of the Mohicans was on TV in 1971 with Phillip Madoc.  The book has survived with its spine intact unlike the companion volume of "The Finding Out Book of Battles".  Both books were illustrated by Ronald Embleton who also wrote the Pioneers book.  The guy behind Galloping Major miniatures is also a long term fan of the pictures and also has the book.  What I've just realised as I've checked the web link is that he appears to have chosen the same picture as one of the favourites out of the book.  

Forty years ago America (I hadn't appreciated that we might actually mean Canada then) was still somewhat exotic - Jumbo Jets were relatively new and I had little realistic chance of actually seeing America.  I've still yet to see the Great Lakes area but have now visited Boston and the site of Bunker Hill, as well other Revolutionary War sites such as Lexington and Concorde and places on Paul Revere's ride.  

As part of sorting out then I've been taking stock of books:

  

Contents

Foreword · Part I: The French-Indian War 1754–1760 · Part II: The American Revolution 1775–1783 · Part III: The War of 1812 · Bibliography · Index

(This is a somewhat meaty tome that I've only really just dipped into, but seems promising

I bought this a long while ago because it was cheap and interesting.   Rather scholarly, its good at portraying Indian life and details but is short on what I want as a 28mm gamer - pictures of different types of warpaint.  The Galloping Major website has lots of useful information on painting Indians.   

These two were bought during my "Pirate" phase, out of sheer interest for what the Colonies had in terms of troops.  Given the time period covered then only of partial relevence, and volume 3, because of the Ranger Element has direct relevence to the M&T period.  

The Ranger book is one that no self respecting M&T enthusiast should be without.  The Raid book has lots of ideas, pictures and maps but is one to take slowly, probably with a map to hand to understand the relevence and locations.

A couple of very useful books and whilst the emphasis (especially in the French book) is on larger forts which are unlikely to appear on an M&T tabletop except as a backdrop there are a couple of very nice black & white drawings of smaller fortfied villages/hamlets which are very useful. 

The pleasant surprise was Redcoat, which was a book I'd bought from one of the online bargain book sellers that I deal with.  I'd never had time to look at it in depth (thing with the book clearance trade is buy it when you see it as it may not be there when you go back later) and had always put it with my Napoleonic books.  Sorting those out for storage though, I discovered (pleasant surprise) that it is a rebadged British Redcoat 1740-1793 and large amounts for the French Indian War and later the AWI. 

 

If  I had to rank them in terms of value for money (and I've taken to buying some books second hand now to save money) then:

1: Ranger book and Raid book

2: Forts books

3: Woodland Indians, Colonial Troops.  

No French Uniform book reviewed as I'm still waiting for that to arrive, and the redcoat book needs to be looked at in detail.  

Next, Movies...

Probably "The" movie to watch with its haunting Clannad soundtrack, although like me you have probably seen the best bets as short clips previously.  Lots of fighting, lots of redcoats, lots of Indians.  Touch of romance and some excellent shooting.  

Battle of the Brave is set in New France in what appears to be the Quebec area to judge from a siege scene.   First and foremost this is a tangled love story with betrayals and accusations.  Not much in the way of battle scenes or even shooting whilst I'm not sure I spotted a white coated French Regular in the entire movie nor a tomahawk.  Lots of Plot but not a great amount of action (other than brawling and sword fights etc), and lots of scenery to look at.  I got mine for a few pounds secondhand and at that price I felt it well worth it but pay more than £5 and I suspect you will be disappointed given the advertising statements made about it.  

Cleaning Fgures: Dettol, degreaser and hot water

Been busy with gaming this and that: I really should blog more frequently but once again a flurry of posts.

I came rather late to discovering that dettol/pinesol cleans metal figures much better than nitromors paintstripper and is alot safer to use.

However, I was presented with two problems recently.

Firstly some bases on some Redoubt Civilians with a few Front rank intended for Muskets and Tomahawks proved somewhat resilent to coming off.  I realised after a while that they were in fact plastic rather than the card I had supposed.   No idea what glue was used but it wouldn't "snap" off.  Since dettol I believe softens, if not melts plastic, then I wasn't willing to try the dettol bath as a first solution.  Second idea worked though - boiling water over the figures in a basin.

Next problem was with some other figures that had been undercoated in I know not what, but dettol would loosen it enough the produce a green gunge effect on the figure that wouldn't truly wash off, and scrubbing just seemed to gunge up the bristles.  What did work was kitchen "de greaser" followed by use of the old toothbrush and warm water.