Paul,Dave,Brian and I visited the York show today,and having successfully returned,and been fed and watered,a full show report follows.
I don't think that this year had more visitors than previous years,mainly because I found I could walk around fairly unhindered by crowds of wargamers eager to spend their cash!As usual the "door staff" were friendly and helpful,and there was no queue to get in,the stands were full of "goodies" and well stocked of almost anything we gamers wanted/needed,and so the spending frenzy began!!!
No queues!-because Brian and Paul looked so incredibly young they were asked for I.D. to prove they were over 60(and hence eligible to get in for free!) but I wasn't!!!
A couple of shots of the traders,and you can see how much space there is-still the traders were doing a roaring trade!!
There were some great looking games and manned by people who actually wanted to talk about their game and the hobby in general,which I found very refreshing-a couple of more good games...........................
Two superb games,top is the Alamo,and bottom is what I considered to be the best looking game at the show,put on by the South London boys,a battle of the South American war of Independence .
There were also a good many Participation games,with both young and old encouraged to take part.
There were also the competition games-I personally think that these "Wargamers" should be taken outside and flogged!!-the state of their tables was a disgrace and did nothing for raising the profile of Wargaming................................
Agree or dis-agree??
Each to his own,but fecking snowmen? fecking hell!!
There was also a Bring and Buy section featuring all kinds of friendly characters,as you can see!-This particular seller was called Knobbie Roddis,I think,and is telling me he wants an extra £2 for some Gun Emplacements that I bought from him!!!
And so to the catering,which as usual was up to a very high standard,with lots of choices and very ample portions at reasonable prices.........................
Even Wayne,of Wargames Illustrated,had time to eat!!-maybe could have stopped eating to serve this guy though!!!!-sorry Wayne,see you at Falkirk.
The venue entrance-devoid of people-a great location,and a great day out.
Back home and all my purchases-paint brush,bases and gun emplacements.
One last photo,could the owner of this big,baldy head please send me money or it will go "viral".
A clue: runs a small wargames group called Independent Wargames group!!!!
Brian,Graham and I had a little "knock-a-bout" game last night with the plastic tanks,testing a couple of new rules for my "Solo" games,so didn't take any photo's,but had a good laugh and general discuss of wargaming,York,politics etc.etc.
My Roman Casualty figures have taken a bit of a back seat lately,due to D.I.Y. shelf making!!
However I have finished half of them and the four Roman Generals I bought from Lancashire games a couple of weeks ago.
This is the first lot ready to be under-coated-I have added "gruesome" spears and swords for effect!! I was a bit disappointed at the figures,mainly because there were so many "Eagle-Bearers,and the Legionaries were all standing up!! however I chopped the bases off and bent the figures to the poses I wanted,and when based properly they will look okay(?)
Almost complete,just a brown wash,and they will be ready to base,probably in two's with maybe a couple of singles!
The Roman Generals! I will take further photo's when they are "flocked " and based and have had their flesh added.
One final photo,taken from one of the thousands of catalogues my wife gets,this one is from a company called Danbury Mint,and purports to be a sculpture of Achilles-the purists out there will no doubt spot a couple(or more?) glaring errors,but I suppose it doesn't matter,it only costs £100!!!
Buoyed up with enthusiasm for my new Middle Eastern Town,I took myself off into the garage,armed with my camera,and the following was the result!!
Moorish/El Cid types.
Egyptian colonial types...................
Ancient Egyptian types.....................
Ubiquitous Roman types!.......................
British colonial types.......................
Western Desert tank types!!....................
Eastern Women-folk in camp types!......................
Embellishments,Temple/Mosque types............................
Embellishments,Church types,..........................
Embellishments,Plastic Duck types!!-courtesy of the wife-Ha Bloody Ha!!
Apart from the hilarious last use for this Town,I can see it being used for quite a few scenarios and covering a multitude of Periods.
"I don't suppose you want this" screeched the wife!!-bloody sacrilege,of course I want it-it may only look like cardboard packaging to "normal" people,but to a skinflint wargamer like me,it is a Middle Eastern town or village,if you apply a little imagination and a lot of black felt-tip pen!!...........................
It's only cardboard packaging!!-oh no it's not,turn it upside down and see.................
Black felt tip pen has done it's magic,and all of a sudden I have a gateway,and a semblance of a town!!
Working round the "Town" I have added "windows" and "doors"-clever or what??(possibly "what!!")
How on earth could anyone even consider throwing this out?
Look out for this little" masterpiece" appearing in the next hundred games we have!!!
Last night,my aim was to galvanise the group into thinking about the rules they are going to use once they get their WW2 figures and tanks painted and on the board.
To this end I visited the local "Pound Shop"(I spend so much time and money there that the manager has put me on his Xmas card list!!) and invested £10 of my pension(I'm retired you know) buying 20 tanks,plus 1.5 million infantry figures and helicopters,barbed wire,sand bags,signs etc. etc.!! to try and get the "lads" to organise movement rates and ranges for various types of tanks,ie Light,Medium and Heavy.
This is the terrain I set up,with 10 tanks either side of the board,with hills and buildings,plus a river and bridge,in between them.Each side had 2 brown tanks to act as lights,2 grey tanks to act as heavies,and 6 green tanks to act as mediums.
Cute little models(I tried to identify them through my "Tanks of WW2 book" but couldn't!)
Brown,or "light Tank".
I put these identification numbers on the back of each tank,for easy recognition.
Dave had "knocked up" a set of basic rules,and it was decided to try them-these seemed to work out ok,except that the movement and ranges had to be adjusted as we went along,but that was what the night was about.
We're off!!-I had envisaged a "proper" game using the info we had as a club (me excepted,my knowledge is very limited!) but it evolved into a series of "What if" type scenarios,which is good,but limited I thought,still, the rules were beginning to take shape.
Everyone had a say,and took part in the various "mock-up" scenarios-here Graham is moving a squadron of tanks towards Brian's squadron,who are moving behind some trees,whilst Dave is moving his "Heavies" to fire on the flank of Graham!!!-Paul is looking very relaxed and cool!!
Measuring ranges,using our "normal" measuring sticks-working on the theory that "if it ain't broken don't fix it!!-Dave's rules worked on a percentage chance of hitting the intended target,followed by a percentage chance of delivering a knock-out blow,if you did hit,taking into account the type of tank and thickness of armour in front,side and back!!-all very complicated to me,but made perfect sense to the rest of the lads!
Dave is pointing out that the three different tank types had different size guns,and 37mm and 2lb, guns were mentioned,at which point I "blanked"-I'm still working in pounds,shillings and pence!!!-however I'm sure that given time and a few more practice games,everything will work out fine.In a couple of weeks,Graham is going to bring some of his tanks and infantry etc. and Dave is going to get a few copies of his rules,and we'll have another "bash" at this very interesting and involved period.
Last night we took ourselves off to Ancient India,where a combined Indian force took on the might of the Macedonians led by Alexander the Great.
The usual format,top photo is scenario and bottom photo shows the troop layout before any moves.Paul was Alexander and I was Parmenio,commanding the left of the Macedonian army-I was facing Graham and Brian was facing Paul-bring it on!!!!
This shows our centre and right flank-because of the scenario,we lowered the morale and fighting points of the Phalanx,but kept the Companion cavalry high,hoping they would sweep the Indian cavalry aside and then descend on the Indian centre and win the game-Hurrah!!
What could possibly go wrong???
Brian sent his Elephants across the river,and Paul countered by sending the Phalanx forward to meet them-this was going to be tough!!-we had planned that one unit of Companion cavalry would "test" the Indian cavalry,whilst the other hung back awaiting the outcome of the first fight................
Paul did sterling work with his cavalry,forcing the Indians back,but Brian has a lot more in reserve,and he fed them in,forcing Paul to send another unit to help-nip and tuck!!!!
On my flank I have ordered my Peltasts forward against Graham's light infantry,and a "ding-dong" of a fight took place!Meanwhile Graham was sending his light chariots and light cavalry against my "blocking force" of Hypaspists,and he ran rings around them!!peppering them with arrows,and forcing them to defend,instead of attacking-woe is me!!
Oh no!! Brian's elephants are winning the melees along the whole line-can Paul get his dice throwing back to "normal" and start winning against them?
YES,was the response-hurrah!! with his Elephants rampaging through his own troops,Brian is looking despondent,but he has a strong line of infantry to take on the Phalanx units,just ready to attack!!-In the foreground,my Peltasts are not doing great,and I am sending a couple of units of Hypaspists to help-things are not looking good for the Macedonians!
Brian's cavalry have chased one unit of Companions off the board,forced another back,and still has three units untouched and held in reserve-what has gone wrong? Meanwhile in the foreground the Indian infantry are winning the melees against the Phalanx-all is lost-can we ask for a draw?
With my flank in all kinds of trouble,and the centre at a stand still,it looks to be the end,but hang on a minute,Paul has started to throw good dice in the centre>>>>>>>>>
Too little,too late I think!-we had to admit defeat,and I'm sure I saw Brian having a sly "gloat" behind his clip board(I hope not-because he will suffer!)
This was such a colorful and exciting game,played in good spirit-well done lads.
Roll on Sunday,don't know what type of game yet.
The Macedonian army was all Warrior Miniatures figures,and the Indian army was made up of Mini-figs and Warrior Miniatures,the Elephants were a mix of Britains Baby elephants and Mini-figs metal elephants.
