Clubbing It!!! AWI Action at the Club Part I

Hi all,

I wasn't party to playing in this game but as it was one of Shaun's collections being used on the tabletop I couldn't resist taking a few snaps after we had concluded Part One of Game Two of To the Strongest (as seen on my La Journee Blog HERE)

The thing I really love about Shaun's collections are the loving attention to detail (I believe he could name every historical unit that he has in all of his armies). This really comes across when the mini's are being unloaded and set up on the table.

The game was based around the instigation of the combat that took place around the famous Guilford Courthouse as seen in an artistic depiction by Trioni below:

Having played in an entirely different game but lucky enough to be in the same room at Shaun's game I'm pleased to say that I was able to take a few snaps both prior to hostilities and after the game when the players had presumably gone to the pub for a glass of Port.

Hope you enjoy the pics:

Bye for now.

Chain of Command in 1/48

The set of pictures below are from a game that I wasn't playing but I was very struck by the look of the Scarab Miniatures 1/48 scale WWII troops. Oddly enough I'd never considered doing any WWII skirmish gaming in this scale and have always stuck quite rigidly to 28mm or 1/56. The Scarab range is the one that North Star used to sell quite a while back now and they are brilliantly sculpted. If only there were more choice as I discovered after looking at their website last evening- in this scale you really need to have all the individual miniatures looking well, individual!

Bye for now.

Durham Wargames Show 2015 Report

And so it came to pass, I was up with the larks, shaved, showered and watered (the first two seem to actually have been prerequisites for the punters at the show! Not a wif of BO present!!). Got to the club at about 8am and started setting up tables, helping the ubiquitous Dave Thomas empty his van of goodies into the hall and then did the rounds to take a look at the games. i decided upon taking some snaps of the 54mm Waterloo game by the Durham Group which I understand comes mainly from the collection of Conrad Cairns, author of the African Knights, Wargames Foundry and The First Carlist War, 1833-1840, Perry Miniatures. What Conrad doesn't know about these slightly esoteric subjects is probably not worth knowing! I believe that many of the miniatures on display come from his fathers collection that was passed down to him. Also involved in the slightly mammoth painting project was Steve Spence who did a stirling job as well. I keep meaning to post up some pics of Steve's work but I never seem to have found the right moment at the club. I'm sure that the time will come.

T.W.A.T.S.: 7YW Game(?)

For me at least I found this game to be one of the most pleasing to the eye of all the games at the show. It looked very well conceived and beautifully painted with loads of mini's on the table! One cannot underestimate the visual appeal of loads of mini's placed upon the table top! Afeter e-mailing Andy from Old Glory he was able to add the rollowing:

"based upon the battle of Blehiem but was pushed forward 50 years or so to the Seven Years War. There were 800 or so 28mm figures on the table.and technically our group is called the Tantobie Warfare and Tactical"

Eagle Miniatures:

Eagle Miniatures is run by Ian one of our club members and has a very wide ranging series of mini's from the (mostly) Black Powder period, especially though not exclusively Napoleonics

Homegrown and published 6/10mm Fantasy Rules:

Again, rules written and published by members of our club to cater for the smaller scales of Fantasy gaming. I'm not sure that my pics actually do the game justice as when I took the photo's the game had just started and there is unfortunately very little action. More info when I get it as (you guessed it!) I forgot to ask about the rules etc. [insert embarrassed smiley II]

EDIT (courtesy of Roy Williamson); The 10mm game was run by Stephen Hardy and friend [both members of Durham Wargames Club]. Stephen is the author of the Warband Rules which Pendraken Miniatures now produce to go alongside their 10mm Fantasy range.

Grimsby Wargamers: Zulu War

The Grimsby lads have somewhat of a reputation now for putting on large scale beautifully arranged games. This was to be no exception and the pics that follow are the results of both Nigel and I's attempt to do battle. The premise of the game being that the Brits and their allies were in the process of launching a punitive raid against a Zulu Settlement with the Zulu's taking exception to this. The game was played using the Grimsby club's Victorian Steel rules which are quick, easily understandable and have a nice period feel to them. Very much worth picking up or ordering the pdf from the site on my link. In the end Nigel, Malcolm and I fought ourselves to a standstill though it has to be said that they failed to bring on any more impi which saved the hides of the British and their Allies. Wolseley I am not!! 

SSAFA; A Worthy Charity:

Durham Wargames Group: 54mm Waterloo

This game should need no introduction it being the 200th anniversary of the battle (not to mention the battle being the most famous in Western Military History!)

15mm WWII Game:

Yep, you guessed it. I forgot to ask about this game too!! [insert embarrassed smiley III]. to be fair I did remember to pick up the flyer but it got lost in transit. It's a nice thought that someone might have picked it up on the bus and thought, "what's all this for a game of toy soldiers?" :>)

More info as I get it!

All in all a good day out at one of the NE best shows. It may not have the numbers and the number of games and traders that some shows have but it's very friendly, family friendly at that and is a great little showcase for the hobby. It was great to meet up with some old friends, Simon and Paul stick out along with the Steve Dean Forum lot that were present, Roy, Prussian Genadier and Carl (and his Dad!).

Bye for now.