Tuesday, November 22

Warfare 2011

Fresh back from the yearly trip to "Warfare", and time I think to report on how the show/day went...

All in all I'd say that this year was very quiet - it's something I've notcied this year, as both the Reading & Newbury shows are slightly unusual in the UK in that they are two day affairs. Given the choice, DG and I will always pick the Sunday, in my case at least, that's the day the family are least likely to be doing something on so it's easiest for me to get away. In the case of Colours and this weekends Warfare though, it was noticeably less busy...  still a buzz, but not grooving and a shaking like it normally is...  economic effects??  Who knows - I do wonder about the economic viability of two day shows in the current climate...  the traders are not going to turn up for two days if no-one is buying on the second day...  it did seem to me, by the way, that not a lot of cash was changing hands - purely a perception....

So what did Steve the Wargamer buy???  Not a lot really - I have enough stuff to be going on with so I was there mostly for a good mooch around

I pre-ordered three unit bags from Newline Designs (who are having a rather awesome 25% off sale running up to Christmas!) so I picked those up and saved myself the postage, they will re-stock the lead piles nicely, and will eventually end up as three new regiments, four if there's enough figures lying around to make a scratch/"scruffy" Confederate regiment...

On almost the same subject I also picked up some Vallejo paint - a butternut & a better shade of grey for the Reb infantry, and I also cracked and bought a Yellow of quite outstanding custard propensities...  I don't have much luck with yellow (in acrylics I understand it's a difficult colour to get to work) so I'm hoping Vallejo is better - I'll advise when I've had time to test....

Last of all I also picked up some more copies of "Practical Wargamer" - at only 10p a copy it would have been foolish not to...  I've almost set in my mind to try and collect a complete print run of this much missed, wholly underestimated, periodical...   just wish someone would do that on CD or DVD.

...and that was it.... so ignoring the figures, I spent exactly £5.65 - rubbish!

...and so the the games.... Warfare has never been what I would call a "demo show" - it's primarilly a competition weekend - but they do have the occasional jewel (remember Blenheim from a few years ago?? ...who can forget!), this year though was a little light, and I could only consider two of them as particular favourites.....

In second place was this little set-to by the guys from Tiny Terrain Models a 15mm Blitzkreig Commander Game based on the 101st Airborne drop on the Cotentin Peninsular at night on D-Day..


Deceptively simple terrain - loved the windmill...


..also loved the bocage - really claustrophobic effects...

Overview from the other end..
..lovely game - loads more details and pictures here [click here]

My winner was this game - a huge 20mm set-up based on a fighting withdrawal to a steamer, somewhere in the Far East, at the start of the Japanese invastions of WWII.

I leave you to guess what first caught my eye... 




Loved the storage tank - guessing it was once a childs sand bucket...!

Lots and lots of detail everywhere you looked...

Little do those vehicles know that the Japanese are already ahead of them...
...and there you have it - another Warfare come and gone - next stop Christmas, and then Salute 2012!

13 comments:

  1. Lovely 20mm game pictures but £5.65!!!!...you got to spend it like you stole it!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for the great pics, especially of the Japanese WW2 game. Sorry you didn't rate Skirmish Wargames Napoleonic in 54mm, but they won best demo game. You can see some pics on my blog.
    cheers
    Chris
    http://notjustoldschool.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  3. Cheers guys - appreciated...

    Chris - I spent some time having a look but came to the conclusion it wasn't my cup of tea - the figures were glorious/fantastic, and there were loads and loads of them, on a huge table - I think I came to conclusion it didn't look like skirmish gaming - and it's not my preferred scale except for one on one... mea culpa - I recommend everyone have a look at the blog reference though... :o)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks for the report Steve. Practical Wargamer - mmmm. Had a subscription for this and it usually arrived on a Saturday - started to read it in bed with the first cuppa of the day. Never been lucky enough to get the ones I missed though.
    Jim

    ReplyDelete
  5. Vallejo Flat Yellow is as good a yellow paint as I've found in acrylic; though it is still far from what you'd want. I guess perfection is impossible.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Two great looking games, I'd have had to buy something else, I couldn't go all the way to Reading and only spend a fiver.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Nice games Steve. Practical Wargamer was one of the best. I think I now have most of them.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I recall a good issue on 19th century European wars.

    ReplyDelete
  9. You are right in that Sunday was VERY quiet. Also people were looking but not buying...

    But it is no surprise - I'd estimate that 70% of my sales are currently from overseas rather than the UK.

    Mike

    Black Hat Miniatures

    ReplyDelete
  10. Missed Warfare for the first time in years as had to ferry my daughter about for some dance rehearsals on both days. Just as well probably as no time to paint at present. As for yellow....Humbrol Enamel!

    Great pictures of the Japanese game!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Also I cant talk for others but myself and mates from NI are limited by what we can carry home from the show (and sneak past HMV !!)but often make orders based on what we see on stands at later date. I know I did last year after seeing some of Mikes Black Hat Napoleonics (a mere 1/2 dozen or so) on his stand. Personally if show was cut to a single day we would likely not attend as not worth it travel costs wise.

    ReplyDelete