The tanks in use were the usual suspects, however the C19th game included several units which were converted – head swops or using different paint jobs.
Here are some of the units that were in play.
For 1859 Piedmontese I basically used these Hat ACW Infantry Firing, a paint job adaption. Crucially the kepi gradually replaced the tapered stove pipe in Piedmont/Sardinian Armies between 1848 and 1870 so ACW sets are a good source for these forces and require little adaption. And at a squint can cover Danish troops in their German wars 1848-1864, but thats another story.Hat Napoleonic Russian Militia were simply painted as Milan Civil Guard. A couple of figures had flat hats created to replace their busby like hats. The Flag is a home made effort using artists acrylic pens on dried out glasses cleaner material. Yep some “value” glasses cleaner wipes don’t have a long shelf life – and I have packets of them! However oddly they are a bit like tough crepe paper so of course ended up in the hobby spares box.
The biggest conversion on show was my 1849 Piedmontese or Sardinians – rapidly expanded infantry were sent into battle with simple frockcoats and larger red tapered shakoes. (the regulars had double breasted frockcoats and smaller tapered stove pipe hats). I used Hat marching ACW union troops and took the Shakoes and back packs from Hat Dutch Napoleonic Infantry. These lancers are circa early 1970’s Minifigs – conversion is in my “minds eye” to some Piedmont Lancers who of course did not wear green! or had combs on the helmets, red on their pennants……oh well its amazing what you can forgive.
These figures are Strelets 1877 Russian Artillery posing as french artillery circa 1850. The “piece” is I think a Zvezda item from their Great Northern Wars rangeThese trusty Hussars date from the 1970’s and are French Napoleonic. They regularly turn up as Austrian Hussars in my games.The river is from S&A Scenics and the bridge is a laser wood cut kit from 4ground
My last unit on show is the 1860 British Legion – that sailed to Sicily with Garibaldi’s Mediterranean Invasion Army. The figures are Strelets Russian Turkish war of 1877 Russians in summer uniform.
Even in these days of a truly massive games market the more obscure historical events being modelled benefit from some conversion and adaption in order to capture the flavour of uniforms.
After almost 2 years absence, wargame shows once again became a reality and I was pleased to have visited Leeds Wargames Club’s show at the Royal Armouries in Leeds.
Fiasco sponsors Sue Ryder Charity and the Soldiers Charity – the Army’s National Charity as well as Models for Heroes and the Battlefields Trust.
Hicks Hall was again the venue with a reduced trader and gaming footprint which made circulation easier.
I felt people had come to buy, people came with a purpose – to trade. And to meet fellow gamers, talk, discuss, game and well – enjoy themselves!
This is the first show I have attended since Recon 2019 almost 2 years ago.
Mask wearing was evident as was no mask wearing, but numbers were down so crowding and congestion were not an issue.
Notable for me, were two games right at the entrance, The Battle of Stoke Field 1487 and The Italian Wars.
The Italian Wars was a great spectacle with colourful 15/16th century pike, arquebusiers and mailed knights not to mention artillery, bills, swordsmen and many flags by Petes Flags.
Bradford Battletech Battalion caught my eye as their hex game with these recent (2019ish!) kickstarter plastics robot warriors looked quite enticing even for someone like me, that normally struggles for gaming interest after Napoleon has hit the buffers. I say normally because today most of my purchases were World War Two themed!
On the The Italian Wars table the buildings are made in west yorkshire but I forget the name……….the Yarkshire Gamer knows and has probably mentioned them in his podcasts
A recent Yarkshire Gamers podcast about the Italian Wars.
And the Winner is…….
I did not get the name of the demonstrator at Breese and Hudson but I am guessing he was either Mr Breese or Mr Hudson of Mansfield or more specifically Radcliffe on Trent. He was lucid and measured in explaining Stoke Field, while being clearly very enthusiastic and showing his enduring interest in the battle. In fact absolutely everything you could wish for from a demonstrator when just strolling up to a demo game that catches your eye.
The rules they played to were never mind the billhooks expanded, and yes I forget to get a photo, but given it was 1487 you can guess the Wars of the Roses picture or rather can you?
Stoke Field is an outlier battle of the wars with King Henry VII already in power. The battle itself involves significantly, Irish soldiers as well as European mercenaries – notably pike. Like many interesting campaigns this battle ended quickly but that is no barrier to the gamer. Makes a change from Barnet, Tewkesbury and Towton.
So Stoke Field and Messrs Breese and Hudson win my vote as top show stand!
I thought I might console myself with a virtual VAP this year via this site. So first up is something about traders.
Vapnartak is run by York Wargames Society volunteers and has a sizeable trader attendance. The York Racecourse site allows plenty of space although the organisers always ensure we all just about fit in!
In more recent times breakout space has improved yet I get the impression the number of traders remains unchanged? Maybe some of the games space has reduced. I am not sure on that.
The traders I have most often shopped with over the years have included
Caliver Books – no links at present
Dave Lanchesters Military Books – no links at present
Caliver Books have always given me a steady supply of books and especially rule books.
Currently preoccupied with mid 19th century warfare, I plan to use Brent Omans Piquet bought from Caliver Books.
I have also dipped into their figures occasionally plus the odd terrain purchase. At the show Caliver are the nearest thing to a street general wargames store before they became gaming cafes or just cafes and now just empty buildings!
These cast and painted buildings from Caliver Books have proved their worth in 2020 in my Saxon, Norman, Viking and Roman Britain outings.
Dave Lanchesters books have been a great source of the older Ospreys and I have often picked up Pen & Sword or Helion publications at great prices.
Many of these Ospreys have been bought at Dave’s store at various shows, all sadly missed.
And Dave has some really excellent condition out of print books.
Irregular Miniatures provide simply a vast range of figures and items that is staggering. Always something tempting to buy.
No pic, I hope to have some news in another post in Irregular.
Magister Militum, Westwind/Forged in Battle and Museum Miniatures have been my preferred 15mm suppliers – mainly ancients.
Forged in Battle command pack, detail is excellent.
All their figures have character despite their small size. I owned some 6mm Naploeonics back in the day but never got the bug so 15mm is as small as I go.
Museum Miniatures “Red Guard” drive off some pesky out of production Corvus Belli Cathaginians. Museum Miniatures got me into 15mm.
Funnily enough Peter Pig is another 15mm supplier yet it is his rules I have loved over the years – RFCM (Rules for the Common Man) remain the only other ruleset for pick up games I automatically think of for WW2 outings aside from my house rules based on the venerable Don Featherstone offerings. OK I do own Too Fat Lardies rules which really are the most engaging game rules in my view. However I have to be in the mood to play them!
Peter Pigs Bloody Barons have also found out my interest in the past although the figure scale has been 28mm or even Mike Tittensor’s SOA Bronze Age deriviative that saw 1/72 plastics take the field.
Peter Pig gave excellent pre game rules in their Wars of the Roses ruleset.
S&A Scenics have given me some excellent scenery of the “precise” kind and which give a nice “gamey” feel to a table top.
That clipped grass and trees from S&A Scenics just cries out for some shiney victorian era soldiersS&A Scenics do offer some nice crossover trees as well
In stark contrast Last Valley offer you trees and hedgerows which do feel very realistic to me. I like both – and yes use both together on occasion!
Last Valley make some nice pieces that often appear in my games.Many a time this last valley copse has held a unit or some piece of armour
Sally 4th have offered various companies products and I have often bought the Foreground pre coloured laser cut wood kits along with original citadel paints.
The detail on these buildings is so fine it is wasted in the gaming context at 3 feet or 1 metre. Mind you Foregrounds view on chiminies just does not chime with the rest of these exquisite models!
Dice are always in demand even if I don’t need them. The Dice Shop does what it says!
Pendraken Miniatures have also yielded some nice dice and I invariably get my bases from them. Alas their delightful figure ranges are just too small for me.
you can never have too many Pendraken bases in store!
I have a soft spot for 1/72 or small 25mm or large 20mm (take your pick). So Tumbling Dice have supplied some nice Dark Age figures.
Scale has always been a problem – Lamming 1970’s 20/25mm norman/saxons bookend 4 Tumbling Dice 1/72 true scale Saxon/Norman foot command figures
Last but not least are Magnetic Displays although I always remember them as Coritani. I buy their paintbrushes and occasionally paints. While their range of terrain features are always compelling and Renedra plastics have often figured in my purchasing, I always obtain spear reinforcements from Trevor & Paula who I just find are simply the most helpful and engaging of traders.
You always need a store of gabions and versatile bridges! Yes this is very old stock I rediscovered – which means I have too much stuff.
And of course there was the “infamous?” bring & buy scrum alley where pitches were offered on a time restricted basis. I could never make up my mind if it was any better than an ordinary bring and buy, except it crucially saved the wargames club members acting as intermediaries – double handling cash and items.
I managed to make some purchases. I never bought bad due to the selling mechanism so thats a good thing.
Whatever your wargaming activity I hope you are able to support your favorite traders despite the pandemic and the decimation it has caused to so many people in so many ways.
The Wargaming Erratic 