Just Add Water: May 2024

At the club we've been trying to play larger games of WAB as it was the general consensus that these were more enjoyable games, which they are IMHO. Less of the "I wanna win" attitude and more relaxed- just how I like to play a game. hopefully my compatriots too! It also allows us to get out all the toys which is often the dream of all wargamers so what is there not to like? So, our merry band, consisting of Neil, Graeme, "Little", Matt, Martin and my good self (invisible behind the camera) set about playing what was actually our second bout.

The first bout being finished the week before but I forgot my camera/forgot to take any pictures with said camera! (I know.....)

The Skirmishers and Light Cavalry of both sides advance.

On the Seleucid (moi) left the Scythians Horse Archers give cover to the Scythed Chariots and War Elephants as they (literally!) trundle forward.

Seleucid Skirmishing Archers and Scythian Horse Archers start loosing arrows but to very little effect. Roman Velites move seemingly inexorably forward threatening the Seleucid skirmish screen. Martin's Spanish Cavalry and Roman (Spanish in this game) Cavalry set a trap for the extra manoeuvrability of the Seleucid Companion Wedge just forward and to the right out of the frame.

The Roman Legions advance and are hit by as many arrows as find their mark. Not too many by the looks of things!

Mystery man appears (top right- one of Graeme's (also top right) buddies from his role playing days I gleaned. This picture gives a great view of the battle lines and perhaps highlights one of the problems with WAB in that Skirmishers can have too much of an influence on the outcome of events and tend to stand around, in everyone's way for much of the battle. in reality, as soon as the big boys started to close, except in exceptional circumstances, they would have been off and very glad about it!

Another view of the battle lines, this time highlighting Martin's Cavalry Trap.

I'm a bit unclear about what happened here but I think this is the moment that my Skirmishing Archers and Scythians combined to reduce the Numidians and gain a slight advantage for the Seleucids on the right flank.

Romans, playing checkers again!

(I just took this picture as it is a wee bit evocative- what with the War Elephant in the foreground and the lines of infantry of both sides into the background.)

The Romans keep on a coming, as steady as you like. The Seleucid's might have been better off taking plenty of Javelin and Shield armed Skirmishers, thrusting them forward at the "tougher than they look" Roman Velites.

The mighty charge of the Companions in Wedge sees off their Spanish adversaries

The War Elephant Crew and Scythians keep loosing those arrows. The Spanish Cavalry allies of the Romans retreat.

A look at the right flank lest Little Graeme feel left out and one of his Agema Wedges hits the romans squarely. The second Agema Wedge is held up by enemy Skirmishers!

End of tonight's session view...... part two tomorrow night and there will of course be a report!

I attended my favourite show Partizan last weekend; it is without doubt the UK's premier wargames show in terms of the overall high quality of the games. Durham Wargames Group were there with our collaborative effort, The Battle of Fulford Gate, a game I put on roughly 20 years ago for SESWC at the wonderful Claymore show in Edinburgh and a game we revisited a week ago at the show.

I was (by order of myself) allowed an hour away from the game, as we wanted to keep the game going as the day progressed, which unfortunately only allowed me to capture pictures the games that well..... captured my imagination. What is certain is that I missed a large number of games that were just as worthy as the ones featured here in this article. Apologies to those I missed out.

It was wonderful to catch up with so many people and especially Steve and Derek who I hadn't spoken to properly in a while. I mustn't forget, it was great to meet up with some welcome new faces too!

1st Corp, 28mm Mexican-American War, Across the Rio Grande

Boondock Sayntes, 28mm Indian Mutiny, The Battle of Unao September 1857

My pictures really do not do the amazing modelling details and brilliant storytelling of this game. I can only say that this game reminded me very much of the book, Our Bones are Scattered, Ian Ward a harrowing narrative history of the First War of Independence/Indian Mutiny. what a complete/sublime game.

Durham Wargames Group, 28mm (Not So) Dark Ages, The Battle at Fulford Gate

Miniatures came from the collections of myself, Aaron smith, Martin Gordon, Matt Boyd. The idea was for us to have a pile of casualty vignettes available to add to the game as the armies fought it out, to create points of interest but this came to very little as dropped my Anglo Danes at the club(!!), utterly underestimated the amount of time I would have to repair, retouch and rebase the miniatures and had no time to paint up the vignettes and base them. bummer as they would have made the game more of an For those who are interested in the result of the game, Harald Haadrada got into one combat and legged it so there was, in the end, no need of the "six foot of English soil" (wrong battle quote- right sentiment!).

James Morris and Chums Midgard Heroic Battles – double header The Silmarillion (28mm) & Trojan War (6mm)

James Morris' Midgard rules should be coming out this year via The Too Fat Lardies and will be a real treat. They can be amended with little effort to suit many a period but I think (from very early playtesting) they might mostly suit the Early Medieval/Dark Ages period and that of the conflicts in Tolkien's writings. I wait with bated breath to see as I have plans for these rules!

Like a Stonewall Wargames Group, Conquistador

North Riding Wargames Club, 28mm Sudan, It's Hot Here Sir

A fabulous looking game and very much "up my street" as I have a Sudan collection but it's nowhere near table ready. I had a great chat with the organisers who told me about a bit of filming with a French film company they had done, which was premiered to me on a phone- and I have to say, the film crew have done an amazing job at creating the atmosphere of the action, gun power and heat in the desert. I could say more but I'd better not (I'm not sure how much I'm allowed to say- contact North Riding Wargames Club if you seek more detail).

It's hot Here Sir were the set of rules being used for the game- hopefully they will be available to the wargaming public one day?

Mr Phil Olley, 28mm Eastern Renaissance, One Steppe at a Time

For me, this relatively small game was the standout of the show. Bright, colourful, with beautifully painted miniatures and painted background played out on lavish terrain A real, almost cinematic snapshot of a scene it was. Superbly presented too with apt paraphernalia too.

Mr Simon Miller, For King and Parliament, 28mm ECW, The Relief of Norchester

er, For King and Pa

Mr Steve Jones, 28mm AWI, Freeman's Farm

The Bodkins, 28mm Rome Vs Sassanids, Warriors of Rome: The 3rd Century Crisis

This game was another that completely blew my socks off! Fantastically crafted terrain, excellent attention to detail on all the painted miniatures and, more importantly, very much a period I'm obsessed with.