Tag: Scenery

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wargame shows wargaming

Partizan at the Double

Earlier this year I attended Partizan at Newark Showground. For the first time in many years I have made a second visit in one year – this time its the “other” Partizan.

Same location, same show – sort of.

The Autumn sun blazed through the south facing windows. I think that bright light helps – its uplifting. Except when your looking into the sun at the grasses selection on the Northumbrian Tin Soldier stand. You simply cannot please some people……

I enjoyed the Other Partizan. I almost feel Partizan in Spring was still all about what might be and was upbeat while the Other Partizan is no less upbeat but just maybe many gamers have now got stuff done and there is also an air of reflection maybe even planning thoughts for 2023…….

Here are some pics of things that caught my eye.

Westbury offered a more unusual amphibious demonstration……
Dark Ages featured on a few demonstration games
An expansive demonstration of the Anglo Danish shieldwall in its strong position at Hastings
a very effective winter demonstration of the Battle of the Bulge winter 1944.
A less popular era and also uncommon scale for shows.
A neat game with a thoughtful display – quite a few displays chose to use background screens to good effect
I like the period and find Phil Olleys armies rather compelling.
Its not just the details that attract. The choice of colours, textures – its complimentary
The castellated gate further adds to the effect.
From within – the town offers some delightful vignettes
Now a corner backdrop would have capped off this excellent display
Everything here is available to other gamers and yet in combination the game “viewing” was a step above the rest of the demonstrations for me.

Participation Games

Never mind the billhooks was present in the particpation area – 2 games I think. This one (with Andy Callan? – the Billhook brothers) had some nice renaissance figures in play
I still cannot make up my mind about printed mats, do they compliment or distract from the figures? I think it depends.
I spotted only one balloon – on the “The Bunker PG18” table where Martians? were about to rout human mankind
This was a participation, with it seemed, plenty of participation

Back to Demo Land

I liked this table in the demonstration zone but the photo picks up the sky “lines” which is unfortunate.
Probably the most striking demonstration scenery was Boondock Sayntes with their Turkish assault on this city comprising a variety of architectural styles but no less impressive for that. Maybe it is a modern eye to look for similarity. consistency and repetition.
Peter Pigs Bloody Barons was the chosen ruleset for this demonstration game
Rather traditional coloured lichen seemed effective to me
Lots of Perry miniatures on the table – rule of three figures per base shows you can extend your figures per base without any real loss of unit density.
These units felt good – a nice size and the three figures to a base means you can still enjoy all your artwork.
also the rule of three somehow makes the soldiers look less ordered – something to be welcomed in medieval armies.
The forces close to decide the latest historical findings about this most defining battle in english history.
The League of Extraordinary KreigSpeilers put on an excellent display of accurately proportioned 18th century era figures. They were very impressive yet somehow I think my vote remains with Phil Olley’s well fed troops and scenery on this occasion.

Materiel

I turned up in time to get a free figure: The Empress Matilda.

I might paint one one day!

I did buy a few items – nothing like some retail therapy.

I seem to be quite taken with autumnal or dry summer shades at the moment – Nothumbrian Tin Soldier no less.
These chaps are not what they seem (from HSLBCo) – you see british while I see Pickelhaubed Prussian types!

https://wordpress.com/post/thewargamingerratic.home.blog/5079

2022 The Other Partizan: Another excellent show advertising next years dates as well……………
Under one roof – 114 tables/stands offering a massive range of choice in games, demos, societies and traders
I was quite taken with the role playing ranges shown by Nothumbrian Tinsoldier but I must draw the line somewhere………anyway I do have some really ancient RPG kit that I can always drag into the light……….

https://wordpress.com/post/thewargamingerratic.home.blog/3388

In that last link nestling at the end of a post about RPG was a 1970’s era Minifig ECW regiment. A very failed project I think. Yet ECW remains an aspiration – I have the armies, copious rulesets and now even more scenarios, but for now the C19th remains a very interesting and compelling period – so unsurprising that I came away with something of that ilk.
Vintage already? 2007 era and I have numerous rulesets in use – yet I will enjoy this authors take on a transitional period that effectively sees Napoleonics rubbing shoulders with machine guns

Happy Gaming!

Categories
wargame shows wargaming

2022 Partizan Perambulation

Partizan at Newark Showground made a welcome return for me in 2022. Last visited in 2019 this show or rather the pair – “the other Partizan” that happens in the Autumn, had both become a regular destination for me.

This years show built on my trips to Vapnartak (masks still very evident as well as much caution) and Hammerhead (obvious relief as constraints eased) so I should not have been surprised that Partizan was “many in earnest”. I felt there was a lot of catching up conversation going on, which maybe meant slightly less participation? Yet the enthusiasm was so obvious – people discussing, looking and yes playing games – simple pleasures throwing dice and moving pieces.

And there was the other simple pleasure of admiring other peoples work. Conversations seemed easier and the enjoyment palpable.

For once I had no shopping list – 2 years of on online buying had emptied my pockets? Well no – quite simply I have been sticking to my projects and actually painting my figures and even gaming. That has meant less erratic moments for the Wargaming butterfly.

First up are the games that were on show. I concentrated on just a few for photos. on reflection mats seemed to be a theme for me!

commercial mat – not to my liking but I liked this Pike and Shot display by Mr Mike Spence.
Plenty of eastern cavalry – polish?
I really enjoyed reading Robert Frosts The Northern Wars 1558 to 1721, where a lot of actions involved storming defences – as shown here.
Excellent read if you can get a copy.
The pikemen gather

The 40mm Mr Ian Smith and friends was a glorious display of Napoleonic soldiers and fantastic scenery.

Napoleonic infantry columns advance
Artillery drop into action
Cavalry advance beneath the walls of an imposing town
The British Light Infantry and redcoats appear in the distance
I really liked the town walls
Excellent attention to detail made this a model come alive

The Immortals presented an excellent medieval action

The terrain was the first thing that caught my eye which is terrible because the figures are absolutley fantastic. But the terrain caught my eye becuase it looked so good in itself!
The painting schemes used here are simply fantastic even though I know medievals lend themselves to being pictured.
On the hill English foot await the cavalry attack while admiring the fantastic detail of the grasslands that surround them.
Behind the french lines are some equally fantastic buildings of another town – all scratch built.
This table won the “mat award” for me.
It was all about the Bretons and their succession……….
nearby I think was Mr James Morris and Chums? anyway his dark ages game was fought over Sherpa fleece – it was good and he kindly showed the process of turning this product into a usable table mat – top marks

Over to another Eastern European battle – no details gathered

traditional boards slightly textured worked ok for me.

Fast forward to 1833 and Westbury Wargames with their “two brothers war” in Portugal where all manner of nations piled in for another go just a few decades after Wellington and his Portuguese allies had fought their way through to Spanish held France.

Traditional scenic boards with some nice set pieces and out of shot excellent buildings (again scratch built)

And thats it. Well I did get distracted by mats and terrain this year. The terrain mats are a gift for the time hungry and space hungry gamer which is the most common type of wargamer I suggest. I think it is more the case that, at shows where displays are a product of a different amount of effort the textured cloths seem to be the better bet for “a look”? However I have seen some tables where the “hirsute” cloth swamped the poor figures who looked as though they were wading through 2m high grass.

All in all the displays I found were excellent and inspired me to wargame, which is what it is all about.

What did the other big sell do to me – the trader tour!

I impulsively fell for some pendraken and warbases material – invariably so. Usual suspects being bases plus some dice.

Gamers grass seems to be winning my texture competition and I am going more bland as well. You live and learn – my Austrian rifleman have demanded sunglasses to tackle the luminous green grasses they are striding through………..

The man in the “corner” shop hailed from Birmingham and brought many an interesting box for the 1/72 gamer. They were at T22 in the trader zone – see map at the end.

I fell for this station……..

But was too late for its mate the Italian church – curses.

I took this warbases church instead
Long gone – these out of production miniart romans are not everyones cup of tea even if the artwork is enticing
even rarer the cavalry are very nice. Not sure when my interests will return to the late roman period?

If you cant wait for me to paint these then try visiting https://comitatusgaulois.wordpress.com/

Chariobaude offers up a great range of painted Late Romans.

My current preoccupation is middle nineteenth century where in plastics you get the “plastic soldier review” much disliked Austrians. Failing this in 20-25 mm its really just Irregular Miniatures at each end so to speak 20mm or 28mm. I have posted a picture of 20mm Neapolitans posing as 1848 French at Rome elsewhere on this blog.

Irregular 20mm Neapolitans posing as French 1849 at Rome.
Austrian Artillery are always useful while the Carabiniers will get head swops – wearing kepis or stovepipes to become something useful. Plastic Soldier Review liked these horsemen……

I will be back in the Autumn for the Other Partizan

The free figure was nice – I might even paint him.
A nicely laid out and well organised show – very well attended! A hobby back to some of its social life

Categories
1/72 scale figures metal miniatures new additions wargame shows wargaming

Vapnartak 2022 Aquisitions

I do not normally post about what I buy to indulge my hobby. However this occasion fits nicely.

Apart from recognising that for the first time since 2019 I attended this show, one I have rarely missed, it solved a problem.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

What do you do when your sidetrack project becomes a Cuckoo in the nest. You buy another nest, metaphorically speaking, and stick it in it. I had attempted to paint and kitbash my way through the sidetrack project Fauxterre 1930, while progressing my main project of 2021 – Wars of Italian Unification 1848/1859 (in themselves ever more complicated but still fascinating).

So, having gone round the show in quick time I felt there was little to tempt me or solve my current project woes. “Or so I thought”.

Early War Miniatures was one of many (but not all) bigger traders busy selling at VAP22. With no bring and buy or competitions, plus only a select few demo/participation games, it was easy to get around but also the smaller sellers were not too diminished as they were spread across all 4 floors.

At Early War Miniatures I encountered a sell off of some completed figures. And they were exactly what I wanted for my Fauxterre 1930 project. Although I had opted for US and Russian forces – original plan – I had drifted into the interwar period and French forces had loomed into sight complete with Char B tanks, Renault’s and various quirky looking vehicles.

Net result was I came away with a prize and of course my wallet much lighter.

The effect was that a mini deluge in buying followed. There is a lesson in there somewhere.

Photo by Ron Lach on Pexels.com

The figures come next followed by the rest of my purchases with some kit armour and finished EWM tanks to finish.

French WW2 infantry from Early War Miniatures – 4 x 12 man rifle units plus HQ + Heavy Weapons
The complete set of French WW2 figures – it was the fact that it was a useable set that caught my eye – all ready to go.

The rest of my buys were somewhat “erratic” of course……….

impulse buys at Pendraken
My Great Northern Wars “Era” project remains unrealised. I seem to find Italy ever more interesting across all periods.
tufts for basing my italian wars of unification project (1848/1859) – for when I get some figures painted again!
Pendraken again – small dice are simply too enticing – should be banned.
I like AC’s!
This Renault Truck I nearly bought in injection kit form from Hannants – but at a higher price!
tankettes are the way forward!
Some interesting armour and vehicles for Fauxterre 1930
From EWM, my slow build of a Russian WW2 force now includes some decals – very slow it would seem
As part of a show discount Early War Miniatures included these miscasts for free. They are intact enough to become part of the Fauxterre 1930 war effort.

So a big thank you to Early War Miniatures who fixed a growing problem. Pendraken as ever met my needs for all sorts of extras while Helion Books invariably come up with attractive titles to feed my reading. Great Escape Games provided the tufts and some humour.

The large ground floor flowed freely as the demo and participation tables were absent this year.
Plenty of the smaller traders were located on the higher levels

Last of all for those who stuck the journey………..

3 M11/39 Italian tanks from Early War Miniatures

Thats all folks – just maybe for patient “John the Varnish” the next post should be about Wars of the Italian Unification although Fauxterre 1930 is still squawking away!

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Mythical Realms Scenery wargaming

Fauxterre 1816: Part 5 The Terrain of Kloster Arens

The Field of Battle

The actual battlefield terrain was an accident. I wanted a river crossing at a road junction scenario. Zarland aim to control the junction, just inside their border, to prevent the VinAlbans and Davarian forces uniting.

A flat landscape was planned and then I remembered my collapsible tables had height adjustable legs. Coupled with my desire to experiment with cloth battlefields, one thing led to another.

I used three collapsible picnic tables which come with some handy height adjustment

I had seen a number of blog battle reports showing rolling countryside. I played around with some wooden blocks and old towelling. Finally I tried using a spare quilt!

I was surprised how the quilt gave just enough shape although my “25mm metals” squashed it a bit too much at times

Yes thats a rolled up wargames felt mat pressed into service as well. The wood pieces are discarded TV unit shelves (you never know when you might need trapezoidal wood shelving!).

The result was as you see it and I immediately set about planning the action.

Kloster Arens is suffering some slight settlement – I hope that door opens inwards. The road zigzag was a result of laying out the road and it seeming natural that the road would not go straight up the valley side.

Categories
Military History Scenery wargaming

Taking in the Scenery

Following the Giro d’Italia we have Le Tour, the most famous professional cycle race in the world.

Coverage includes helicopter views as the peleton travels over 3000 kilometres across France in 21 days.

So if you like armchair viewing landscapes while planning your next campaign and can handle the chitchat of the commentators it is actually quite a relaxing experience.

And then there are the castles and houses for the Wargamer!

The race started in the north east – lots of grey stone
as we head south east the stone colour softens but there it no let up in fantastic castles
Many castles are integral with their medieval towns
Some as classic hilltop locations as well.
Even old Roman Colony footprints can be detected
Some of the landscape looks like it was created by a wargamer – the surreal Mont Ventoux