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.

Partizan 2012 (May 27th)

As always Partizan entertained and inspired me.  If I could only ever go one wargames show then I suspect Partizan would be my show of choice.  Quality participation games, quality demo games, and lots of the great and the good in the wargames hobby there. 

Firstly I must make big apologies to the staff at Wargames Soldiers Strategy - I didn’t take any photos of the naval wars of the Roses game. 

There are some pictures on the Too much Lead Blogspot and here at Another Slight Diversion

  

It was only going to be a morning visit as I had both mum to visit on the way back to the in laws and then to get back down to Exeter.  The plan was to start at the furthest place from the entrance/exit and work my way backwards.  That sort of fell apart as at 10.30 I was offered the chance to play Muskets and Tomahawks.  I was intrigued what was within this rule set given that I’m a fan of the fairly innovative SAGA and this is by the same author. 

For the most part the rules are very similar to what we have seen elsewhere – dice rolls to hit, dice rolls to kill (or save), dice for morale etc.   The cards reflect that this is a card driven activation system.   Where M&T has evolved is that rather than one card per unit (as per Battlemasters), and lots of rules from Two Fat Lardies (Which I also like) this give different numbers to different types: at its crudest analysis then irregulars like Rangers get 4 cards with one action (move, shoot, reload) per card, whereas regulars get 2 cards but 2 actions per card.  There is a bit more to the system than that – Indians, Civilians, Grenadiers, Officers and morale all playing a part along with optional event cards.  As I understand it so far (need to read rules) the contrast with the Two Fat Lardies system is that your cards are guaranteed to come up, compared with the “tea break” card that causes a re-shuffle although I’m not sure.   More on M&T and the French Indian Wars in a subsquent blog post.  

The Camera came out somewhat sparingly – as usual these days.  A few more pictures will appear on my next blog entry ‘scatter terrain’.  

An Arthurian game from Westbury Wargames

A VBCW game from the Gentleman's Wargames Parlour 

A Vinland game from Shaun at the Bunker.

In talking with him he did admit that lots of the rock - including that at the left had been reused from a '633 Squadron' game.  

A World War One game from Great War Miniatures.  Lots of really nice details in this and freely admitted to be a spatial compression game (so that a manufacturer can show off what they do) - the front line to the artillery to the supply tractors would in reality have been miles.   A nice change from the brown mud games.   

A Wars of the Roses game from Perry Miniatures.  As one might expect, this was stunning although I might have liked something that told me about the battle or the sides/heraldry (if fictional).  

Muskets and Tomahawks participation from Rich Jones. 

I probably spent more at Partizan on goodies than I did at Salute.  

        

~Muskets and Tomahawks

~Two Rice paddies (A4 size) from The Last Valley

~Song of Arthur and Merlin (Ganesha Games) - Ready printed copy from Dave Thomas

Various bits for M&T - Two Totem poles (Grand Manner) for use with Indians, Redendra Bell Tents for regular soldiers, Trade goods (two different sets) from Ainsty Castings, and some second hand French Indian Wars which I have now identified as Redoubt Enterprises (and good sculpts: I feel some Redoubt stuff is good and some poor). 

Chris

Legionary 2012

Legionary is my local show in Exeter.  It's had somewhat of a chequered history in recent years having been through several different hands and venues.  Alongside this has been the rationalisation of show attendance by traders and the effects of the downturn in the economy.   With Exeter being roughly 100 miles from Bristol then aside from any overnight costs its going to be a good 5-6 (if not more) gallons of fuel for anyone to get there and back from North of Bristol or West of Bournemouth.  In 2010 I'd been somewhat disappointed and whilst 2011 saw it move to the new venue as part of my general lack of enthusiasm I didn't go.
As always the show was very mixed - lots of Warhammer 40l/Fantasy and Flames of War from traders, and generally smaller local traders.  This does not always mean little league as for example Black Scorpion produce some of the finest figures available today in my opinion.   The Square and Dreamholme are some of the big producers of resin terrain.  None of these had much new though to interest me, and the first two (not sure about the third) were certainly at Salute only a few weeks previously.
A major part of the show in recent years has been the tournaments - Warhammer fantasy and 40K (Flames of War and Warmachine have been in/out as well in recent years) - which do not interest me at all.
The quality of the wargames on show seems to reflect the very variable nature of the hobby at the moment.  Some were very good, some were just disinterested in people around them, and a few (Saga / Dystopian Wars / War and Conquest) were linked in with traders at the show.
I'd arrived reasonably late on the afternoon and still had my stick re my bad back (see Salute blog).   I only got the camera out for two games, although a third featuring the Sudan was interesting but not of much interest to me to record.
Firstly a VBCW game from the Abbeywood Irregulars.

Next was a Victorian themed steam tanks plus HG Wells/Jules Verne "liftwood" aerial gunboats.  NOt something I particularly want to game but some excellent modelling being demonstrated. 

I had a quick explanation of the use of Strategy dice within War and Conquest from Rob Broom and Scarab Miniatures,  My copy from the Northstar sale had arrived that lunchtime and I'd not even had time to open it.  Had I been more organised then I should have allowed time for a walkthrough of the full game/rules.   

I bought very little at the show - a reflection probably of it coming only a couple of weeks after Salute and the traders that were there.  I got a few figures out of a bargain bin to convert into SAGA personalities - if its cheap when it goes under the hacksaw and I botch it then I'm not too upset.  One discovery made as I was literally heading towards the door, and people were starting to pack up /go home was some laser cut MDF terrain from Warmill - had I looked more closely then getting one of their cargo pods for me would have been on my list.  As it was I got a stargate (small centre one) for my chum in London.  Warmill are exactly the sort of small supplier with a niche product that I would like to see at Salute if the economics could be made right. 

Chris

   

The Dutch in 1940

Every so often I will come across a topic about which I know very little and use the power of the internet to research the answers.

Some of January disappeared in one such item – namely the Dutch in 1940.  My Dutch chum Jan had talked of the Black devils and paratroops and Holland wasn’t the walkover its lack of mention or time would suggest.  My knowledge on this was very poor – at least with Belgium I knew about the landings on Eben-Emael and the deployment of Brandenburgers (and how wearing an enemy uniform over your own but removing it before firing was within ‘acceptable” rules of war, dating back to Napoleonic periods and ships flying various nations flags…) but Holland ?  Nada, except that the Dutch resistance HQ in London was at De Hems which is one of my favourite drinking holes in the capital. 

The internet of course is your friend here..

http://www.waroverholland.nl/

Black devils is a reference to Dutch Marines at Rotterdam:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherlands_Marine_Corps

http://www.dutchmarines.com/History.html  

Re-enactor pictures here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/battle14/with/4609568630/

And was Holland the straw that broke the camel’s back ? 

http://www.waroverholland.nl/index.php?page=had-it-been-worth-the-sacrifices

Which then set me thinking about making Dutch Tram for use here, as well as in VBCW which has been on the back burner for a while.  

One ebay purchase later and we have some inspiration. 

I think if I take the roof off, remove the stairs, and give it a new roof and a repaint then it will do as a stand in for a single decker tram in 28mm scale.