Salute 2013

Bloody Lobsters again!

After a 2 year hiatus, an expanded squad from the Prague Wargamers Club reached the shores of Salute. Through an orgy of frenzied shoppers, I managed to sneak in a few snaps of some nice games indeed. Details can be found at length in all the other blogs written about the day (I'm sure I'll eventually work out who put on what games).

The social highlight of the day was of course meeting up with fellow bloggers, and it was especially nice to meet "Sidney" (Roundwood's World), Fran (The Angry Lurker) and Ray "Sand bags" Rousell (Don't Throw a 1), as well as other members of Posties Rejects and many other bloggers (there were a lot at the meet). Again, I can't emphasize enough how many of my favourite bloggers have been a great inspiration for getting in to new periods, and getting on with painting the lead. I think blogging in general has been a real boost for the hobby.

Anyway, first up in the nice games sweepstakes was this impressive Peninsular War scenario in 54mm game put on by Victrix. It seems that 54mm (or even 40mm) is the new 28mm, whatever that means; it's a bit like 'black is the new yellow...' Very nice display, though gaming in this scale requires the prior purchase of a large mansion, with attached stables and gaming hall...

There was, as with my last visit in 2011, a Very British Civil War display game. Now this is all very silly/alternative history stuff, but very nicely presented . Still, all I could think of when looking at it was "the Trumpton Riots...." (who remembers that song ;-)

One of the 2 or 3 games which I thought upped the standard on the day was the 40mm Alamo game put on by Gringo 40's. Great terrain and buildings, and the same high standard with the figures. The Alamo church itself was spot on (I should know as I've stood in the original).

One of a number of American Civil War games on the day. This one was notable as the terrain of Little Round Top looked quite nice.

A very large World War 2 display game based in Normandy 1944. The details of the town were the winner here, as was some of the scenery, especially the river. Unfortunately WW2 tanks and figures are not actually that appealing to look at for me (damn that camouflage, give some redcoats anytime).

 

The other big winner of the day was the enormous Waterloo game. When I walked towards this thing (for how else could one describe such a spectacle), I thought "well, that looks like an interesting 15mm display." Oh, how wrong; the table was stuffed to the gills with nicely painted 28mm figures, thousands of the little devils. Now more than a few were still in stovepipe shakos, but this is easy to forgive when you appreciate the full game, along with accurate models of the two farms. No surprise really that it was the show winner (or so I have been told).

 

 

The wee Corsican himself handing out a few cooking tips...

In terms of the other game that had a touch of the "wow" factor, it had to be the siege/battle in Medieval Japan put on by Oshiro Model Terrain. Not crowded with figures as the Waterloo game, but full of a nicely created Japanese town.

The other game that caught my eye was a nice quirky game around the siege of Troy, put on by the Tin Soldiers of Antwerp. Again, a very nice display game, and the members from the Antwerp club a truly a nice and friendly bunch of people; top marks!

Where's Helen???

 

As the frenzied shopping showed no signs of abating, I joined in, and left for Prague, bag stuffed with some nice Front Rank reinforcements and a stack of Perry Plastic Austrians for our upcoming Austerlitz game, some Monmouth Rebels from Reiver castings to double as Vendee Rebels, French Consular Guard from Trent Miniatures, British Napoleonic Royal Marines from Grubby Tanks/Britannia, and that lovely 28mm Dutch windmill and some bridges from Grand Manner. New Perry Plastic AWI British and Gripping Beast Dark Age Warriors soaked up the last few Shekels.

Salute is also great for books and rules and general inspiration for projects beyond the current lead mountains, so purchases below have them lined up for me. The next three for end year, start of next, are below (though they will most likely keep me going through all of 2014), wish me luck...: