Tag: wargames shows

Recon 2025 Pudsey: The end of the year show

Post author By lorenzoseventh
Post date 10th Dec 2025
No Comments on Recon 2025 Pudsey: The end of the year show

Recon 2025 didn’t happen for me this year due to family commitments. Which is a pity because I really like this show. In fact it has been almost my most commonly attended show.

It has certainly been my most enjoyable: Big shows are great but sometimes you just get overrun with the volume. It is Joseph Stalin’s rule in reverse – quantity does not always give you the quality you want.

So what to do?

Well for starters here are some links to those who did go.

https://wargameamateur.blogspot.com/2025/12/recon-pudsey-december-2025.html?sc=1765231696499&m=1#c7385298737468850535

https://www.instagram.com/p/DR9tnHbDKvw/

Then again here are some retrospective views of a great show.

https://thewargamingerratic.home.blog/2024/12/10/recon-2024/

https://thewargamingerratic.home.blog/2023/12/11/recon-2023-at-pudsey/

https://thewargamingerratic.home.blog/2021/12/08/recon-at-the-double/

And finally look out for the show next year and go along, maybe game (participation games are on the increase) but above all buy some stuff from real humans. Yes we can use postal/online methods yet the hobby is so much more with these face to face shows.

Tags Recon, recon 2025, wargame shows, wargames, wargames shows, wargaming

Battleground 2025

Back to the teeside show this time in Middlesbrough.

My Previous visit was to the Stockton venue

https://thewargamingerratic.home.blog/2023/11/26/battleground-on-tees/

Last year I missed out on this great show.

So on with this year’s attractions……

Flats are great especially en masse – Austrians including grenze border troops

One of the flat benefits can be seen here – many troops in a small space gives in my view a better view than with fully round figures.

Each flat is unique in design and sculpture which adds to the effect

The inevitable downside view with 2D models in a 3D scape

Next up 2nd Punic war …..

This was a played game – later on the Roman wings were crumbling

Tiger miniatures produce an eclectic range including turn of the century US forces expanding its borders at the expense of Spain

Operation Barbarossa 1941……

Extensive steppe in this action between German and Russian forces.

Now over to the squabbling British……

War of the three kingdoms 1639-1651 although you could call it the second one Hundred Years’ War given it got going between 1639 and 1642 while it only ended with Culloden in 1746.

Nicely presented tabletop and it was being gamed I think

Another proper Ancients bash – the battle of Raphia

Then it was Raphia again this time using hexes

I used to have a complete hex board for 6×4 all nicely flocked but in the end I found the hexes a distraction – compare with previous pics and take your pick

Wakefield wargamers did World War Two in an hour – an excellently crafted home built board game but with wargames quality figures, but this time not a hex in sight – the land and sea was laser cut curves – I forgot to get a picture.

Their stand showed the club activity and next up is historically their RECON show in Pudsey now run by Pit Gaming and it’s certainly worth a visit

I don’t tend to share loot stories much ……

My loot photos only because I had “no plans” to buy anything except some secondhand warhammer space marines (which I failed to do) for a friend

Yep – having no plan can sometimes result in the unexpected wallet dent

Luckily I have been asked a few times if I want anything for Christmas – so that’s sorted now.

Tags ACW, battleground, flat figures, pendraken miniatures, tiger miniatures, wargames, wargames shows, wargaming

wargame shows

Fiasco 2025

This year the dates fell such that no sooner was The Other Partizan only just fading in my memory than I was heading to Fiasco and Leeds in the morning sun.

I grabbed a coffee in a nearby cafe as I had turned up early. Obviously as everyone got the lay in bonus with British summertime ending, I thought it would be a big queue on opening at ten.

Centre shows the exhibition area entrance – the queue just after ten was not what I expected.

The reality is that the musuem while being a giant venue itself offered perhaps the floor space only half of that if the normal dock hall venue.

That said the dock hall venue had some of the most generous circulation areas of any major show. And that was a big plus I always thought. And of course it had a very high ceiling which simply added to a cavernous feel.

Today we got a compact, cosy yet brighter venue.

The victims for space were the big demo games – those that characterise the partizan shows. And some bigger retailers were missing.

However the traders present offered a nice selection and choice. In fact having gone intending to only maybe do some gaming I ended up buying quite a few things

Bow and blades stand yielded some Vallejo varnish

I can never refuse a bargain and love these pre coloured card models – at colour party paints

Some nice ship kits at stonewall figures

I was very happy with my purchases.

Actual size miniatures have a great table of products – I had to resist because I am still painting last year’s acquisitions

Some nice printed ships and planes at three decks dockyard

The games were mainly small table affairs with plenty of participants joining in.

Big games were in evidence but in smaller scale such as bouvines in 6mm

Plenty of naval action over on the right!

Vertical gaming – a neat, small but intriguing game by Django Ensoe and Stafford Collie

The display included some useful material

The facility was fully occupied and cosy with a great cafe in the museum just a few feet away if you chose to ignore the dedicated bar. The facility was better than the farm shed at Newark

The organisers-2025 flyer shows last years black cavern

Maybe next up- I want to go but other priorities may prevent me

I nipped into the armouries looking for a present for someone in their bookstore but came away with a surprise for me instead.

So a good day out as it happened.

Postscript

Thought I would share some extra bits

The books I bought at the armouries include some period illustrations. All helping to get into that feel for the times – a few telephones, telegrams for those who could afford it and snail mail ruled the day – or probably word of mouth!

I dug out 2024 because I did a long post on the armouries – no photos this year.

https://thewargamingerratic.home.blog/2024/10/27/a-genteel-fiasco-part-two/

And here is last years show post.

https://thewargamingerratic.home.blog/2024/10/29/a-genteel-fiasco-part-1/

Tags actual size miniatures, Fiasco Leeds, royal armouries, wargame shows, wargames, wargames shows, wargaming

wargame shows wargaming

Fiasco 2025 returns to the Museum

Post author By lorenzoseventh
Post date 22nd Oct 2025
No Comments on Fiasco 2025 returns to the Museum

I remember many years ago going to Fiasco Wargames show and it being held in the museum.

I seem to remember it was packed. So while it’s a great venue if the space available is cramped then it kind of backfires.

That said the usual venue in the dock hall is quite dark with black drapes even with a full lighting set up. The high ceiling height means the light quality at table level is poor compared to say Partizans agricultural shed.

The museum I recall was very well lit.

I might just go…..

Tags Fiasco Leeds, Leeds Wargames Club, wargame shows, wargames, wargames shows, wargaming

wargame shows wargaming

The “Other Partizan”

Ok so let’s get the loot out of the way – Yep zilch purchases 😱. Well ok not quite…..

Cash buy £2, which is just as well because I forgot to bring a wad of cash…..

Yep no cash on me and of course I saw plenty at the bring and buy………lots of frustration.

It then got to 15:30 (that’s another story for lower down) and I finally spent some money….

The show was “packed to the rafters” – I arrived late (for me) at 11:00. Then took an age to find a parking spot, literally there was no room left and certainly no one to tell you if there was some less obvious spaces.

No figure for me – clearly there were more than 500 at the show more like 5000 – I jest.

I got in and immediately found some obvious bring and buy purchases in the new awning area at the main entrance but then realised I had no cash so moved on. I did a full circuit twice before some refreshment.

I would say noise levels were vibrant to say the least.

Here is my selection of pics, clearly not necessarily the best – whatever that means – but things that caught my eye.

As always click to get the bigger picture

So I also got preoccupied with planes again…

Some more table envy

A few more…..

A full consignment of stirrers sits idle. Obviously few modellers at the show this year!

Ok that was a bit tongue in cheek, so now for the highlight – a game. In the afternoon I played Chris’s not quite mechanised Crete 1941. My guide was from Boston but I forgot his name: Sorry. Anyway he explained the game basics and led me through a few rounds which saw my Australian forces drive the Germans back.

My mission was to boot the Germans out of Khania and I did!

The rules are a neat combination of grid but given a wargaming look with 15mm figures densely occupying the hexes. The variable scales used for buildings, tanks, ships and aircraft tell you this is an abstract however the look is really good and the detailed vehicles especially are not regimented in style or painting, so you get a gritty result.

The rules are quick to pick up and give you the headaches of logistics, resources, ammo, positioning, energy for attack and indeed tenacity of defence.

Needless to say I enjoyed playing the game which is why I found myself shopping at 1530. And now I have a copy of Chris’s rules but no forces, I face yet another wargamers dilemma: Do I start another project 😱

Thanks for the chats Chris and a great scenario to play in.

All in all a great day for me at the Other Partizan.

And to think I nearly gave it a miss this year.

Tags gridded wargames, miniature wargames, not quite mechanised, the other partizan, wargames, wargames shows, WW2

wargame shows wargaming

The Other Partizan Newark 2023

Post author By lorenzoseventh
Post date 8th Oct 2023
6 Comments on The Other Partizan Newark 2023

On an unseasonally warm October Sunday I journeyed to Newark for the second Partizan show of the year.

It was busy – I am on the hard road by the other show building on the site – the car park was as full as I have seen it. Being a tin shed, in the distance – hot weather is not ideal – but the organisers had lots of fans and did a good job on ventilation.

Traffic was light so I got there early and decided to get some fresh air for half an hour before opening time: I queued. Upside of queuing was I got to see the demo games pretty much people free

I think this was Shrewsbury wargames club – in this case I was too early 🙂 just sheep grazing…..

I toured the demos before checking out HLBSCo for some plastic figure possibilities – I drew a blank.

Earnest discussions at the 1/72 table – Mr John Kersey I presume – all set for some boxing antics chinese style

Boondock Sayntes provided an impressive display

I am not sure which club this was – they did the biscotti wars – offering samples to enjoy – given its Garibaldi on the table you can guess the variety. These are Piedmontese troops

The scenery was eye catching and this was a well laid out participation game by Chesterfield I think.

Again I failed to note the club but I always like a balloon

I think this is Grimsby Club with an impressive medieval encounter

Gangs of Rome participation game with some nice colour in the buildings

Like a Stonewall WGC offered up a Neil Thomas rules normans encounter – again participation plus you can also sense we were at capacity for layout and access space

A good display siege at the end of the gaming area

Simon of MeG is publishing a renaissance ruleset in 2024 (ReG?) and put on a demo he devoted some time to our conversation which I appreciated – I also liked the 30 year old hinchliffe figures below. It will be interesting to see the time spread and also focus of this rule set.

Chris at Northampton battlefields society – joe ekins takes out 3 tigers participation

Going to Partizan – Operation Totalise

https://notquitemechanised.wordpress.com/2023/10/05/going-to-partizan-operation-totalise/

never take an untried new phone to a show – I had plenty of wrong focus results – the new phone seemed to have a mind of its own………the trees are in focus though! Which is a pity as I liked this ACW encounter

General Sikorski was the freebie this year.

Overall I enjoyed this partizan although somehow I think I prefer the May offering-not sure why?

I also missed the 1848 Hungarian war table, never went back to biscotti for some sharp practice or go for the boxing although I did chat with quite a few people perhaps more than I normally do – that I think is a good thing in these testing times.

Tags garibaldi, garibaldi wargaming, Helion, northampton battlefields society, not quite mechanised, operation totalise, Partizan, Partizan Newark, renato et Gloriam, the other partizan, wargames shows, wargaming, wars of italian unification

wargame shows wargaming

2022 Partizan Perambulation

Post author By lorenzoseventh
Post date 29th May 2022
5 Comments on 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!

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

The Immortals presented an excellent medieval action

Over to another Eastern European battle – no details gathered

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.

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.

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.

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.