Miniature Wargames no 398

  Chaps who write for magazines are a funny lot. I know this as I am one of 'em! MW no 398 dropped on the mat yesterday and well since I'm all over the issue like a rash I have to be a bit careful.So leaving aside anything in it with my name on it here goes.
 The thorny issue of the ageing of the hobby comes up more than once and various solutions are proposed all of which seemingly forget that this is not one homogenous hobby but many different ones these days- some of which are not even  wargaming as their bits have no war in them. This is especially true of Brad Harmer-Barnes piece on Boardgames wherein he reckons that the way to get new blood into the hobby is to play fantasy and sci-fi games only, as what he calls VHS gaming is what drives the younger gamer- ie games inspired by videos and Cinema and he also opines that its all driven by Marketing. Now who am I a mere purveyor of models soldiers to argue with the might of Marketing. As it happens I think he paints the scene rather well though I object to  his solutions.It will be a cold day in Hell when I play a game with Zombies or Ghostbusters or Thunderbirds or Time travelling Nazi Robot Vampires or indeed any of the current crop of what Neil Shuck calls warband games. They are simply too limited in scope for my taste. Indeed of that whole crop of recent pulp games only Star Wars X wing even vaguely piqued my interest- until I saw the price for an even half decent set up. So no - although I suspect his overall premise may be correct and childishness abounds . I'll stick to wargaming with some War in it and not a Marketing man's wet dream..
 As always Neil Shucks column has interesting stuff in it and I can see I'm going to have to get a copy of Sharp Practice on Sunday at Partizan if I have time. However in point of fact - at least as far as Blue Moon are concerned 15mm Metal are cheaper that Perry Plastic Mr Shuck opines that metal 15mm are more expensive- not at My shop or indeed at several others His baseline is 3 boxes of Perry- so 60 quid from their website which gives you - in his example about 80 foot (Depending upon which boxes) and 12-14 cav. Now using Blue Moon your same 60 quid would get you 90 foot (3bags at 12quid each)and 15 cavalry-1 bag at £13.00 and still have £11.00 left over for some fiddly bits such as command or Rifles if you needed them. This as well as giving you many more pack options than the plastikrap  and not having to spend half your life assembling the bloody things. Now correct me if I'm wrong but more soldiers and 11 quid left over is hardy "more expensive"  than plastics ... not that I'd use my own cash on plastikrap anyhow ...  But having said that maybe Mr Shuck's 15mm  price examples were from AB/Eureka which would be more expensive,
Mind you the rest of the column is rather good especially the piece entitled "What attracts you to a game?" Despite the fact that Mr Shuck is far more "gamesey" that I will ever be I found myself agreeing with much of this.
 The Eastern Front in WW2 is not my thing. But the continuing series on wargaming its battles should be meat and drink to those chaps whose thing it is.
The Salute report was dammed useful as even though I was there I didn't see any of it so the report gave me a taste anyhow ....
 Another piece on the ageing of the hobby- by Clemmet and Davidson- I've known Tom and Dave for years. They have been part of the NE wargaming scene for  longer than I  by far so their thoughts and opinions are worth a read. I like their idea of the all inclusive show. I hope it works. Good Luck lads.
Fancy making an Eindecker or a sci- fi thingy- two articles show you how.
 There is also an article on skirmish gaming- Hmm not sure about this one. I've played enough assorted skirmish games in my time but somehow this article felt decidedly too general. Worse it just seemed a bit simplistic to me but perhaps that is becoming the way. "Leave your Brain at the door- become a Wargamer !!! "
Finally we come to Arthur Harman's piece- when Robbie Roddiss reads it he'll go spare !
Mr Harmans contention is that the emphasis on  high quality modelling   in some rulesets, books and Magazines puts people off joining the hobby therefore such is neither necessary  nor possibly desirable. He harks back to the early badly painted Airfix days and uses  mass produced 19th century engravings of Napoleonic battles to show us the way.
Talk about selective. Now his basic premise is right- fine artwork is not AND HAS NEVER BEEN a prerecquisite for enjoying wargaming but to fudge the issue this way is to say the least a little misleading. Also I don't accept that being good at something puts other off. By that train of thought there would be, for example,  no Sunday league Football because the small amateur teams would be put off by Manchester United. There would be no amateur photographers because they couldn't be David Bailey. I know plenty of wargamers who can't or won't paint or model.. That is their choice. There are plenty of other who paint and model to standards acceptable to themselves. That is their choice. I'm afraid "Lets all be crap to get the kiddies in" simply does not wash' as much as anything else its so bloody patronising.
 The only reason I used Airfix back in the day was because I could afford no better. The only reason my painting was truly crap was because I hadn't learned how- and yes I'm still learning!.
 That some modern rulesets are eye-candy heavy is true but that is the God of Marketing to which we must all pay Homage its not automatically a wargaming thing.For period inspiration why not try Baron Lejeaune Napoleonic battle painting  or perhaps some Victorian Genre artas well as  the "penny plain tuppence coloured" of Mr Harmans world?
 Of course the big difference is technology -we didn't have any- today you don't need models to play wargames you can do it on your phone without engagement of brain. So you'd have to actually like the models to engage in this hobby. If you like the models specifically you are more likely to want them to look goodand they will be an important part of the game to you so I'm afraid lets all be crap falls down on another level too.
When it come to new blood for God's sake stop obcessing about children- you'll get arrested !!!  New blood trickles in all the time though more of it tends towards Mr Harmer-Barnes end of the street than mine. So be it.
Nevertheless SOMEBODY is buying shedloads of soldiers. I'm busier than I've been for years
 Oh by the way- See you at Partizan on Sunday.
 Andy

Carronade- best Club show of the year ?

 A fine day on Saturday 7th May saw the crew and I up before the Larks (does that make us Pill-larks !! probably) to drive to Falkirk for Carronade with a van stuffed with soldiers. Fog in  Northmberland and the borders slowed us down more than a bit- visibility in parts down to 10 metres- Jim was driving using the force!
 However be that as it may once there and unloaded - fortifies by 'orrible coffee and a fine bacon and egg buttie the day began.
 I really do like this shiow. It is usually busy and friendly with lots of different stuff happening- this year was no exception and indeed perhaps better than last year. Considering how similar it is- in terms of  the heritage and condition of the cachement area ( lots of one time heavy industry and years of economic depression) it is amazing how different it was from a show of similar size in a similar area- to whit Battleground in Middlesbrough. You couldn't have to more different events.  Especially as a couple of the attending clubs were present at both.

 Carronade is a little cracker. I already have my name down for next year.
 As for the games - despite a rash of "boutique games" on tiny tables of 4 feet square or less there (and again those put on by "companies" I never saw beibng played)were still enough proper wargames to awake my interest- including at least 2 naval games . One a tiny scale Jutland and the other a fine 1/600th scale Russo- Japanese War game  using ships by none other than Old Glory - so yes I'm biased but nevertheless the models had been beautifully finished. It seemed to be a co-operative effort  between the Border Reivers Club and the Contemptible Little Wargames club - since chaps I knew from Both outfits were playing.
 There were plenty of other games too  a rather large Ancients game and best of all Westerhpoe Wargamers splendid Battle of Assaye,
 Check out their clubs report on the event here .
 http://westerhopewargames.blogspot.co.uk/
 Also I do by Gum like their attitude- historically based games played by blokes who read the actual books.. Bloody Well done lads!

 So yes I'll be back to Carronade next year.

Salute 2016- in the Horses mouth .. almost

 So back from Salute after a very busy weekend. Oh, and a busy Monday catching up with the hundred or so emials and orders.- Not everyone goes to Salute it just seems that way ..
 Only a 2 man crew this year and we almost didn't make it thanks to the horses on the A1. Missed us by inches- seriously I could have strokes its bloody ears if I'd had the van window open. I could certainly see its teeth. Poor buggers- all 3 of them were scared witless- not that horses have many wits to start with.
 We avoided 'em by inches.
 The rest of that Friday was mostly  uneventful- Got to Ex-Cel unloaded and set up. Drove to our hotel checked in did the  SSSS thing as you do  then went for a pint and some dinner- first pub- where we have eaten previously- Kitchen closed. Second pub - where we have eaten previously- kitchen closed. Not only are we having no fun we are starving to death Jim and I . Finally found an Indian restaurant so staved of the pangs... eventually
Next morning Dawns so giving ourselves almost an hour to drive the 8 miles or so to Ex-Cel off we set... first half no worries then we find the Bloody idiots who  organise this sort of thing have closed the A-13 or at least the bit of it we need. so it takes 40 minutes to travel the next mile.
 THEN many of the approach roads to Ex-cel are dug up  with blokes in hard hats moving very slowly  so the time we set ourselves is ebbing away and finally we make it to the stand ith abouit 10 minutes to spare... PHEW!
Of the show I've little to say since I saw NONE of it far far too busy. My overall impression was that there seemed to be fewer games that past years but this may simply have been due to the fact that my route to the Gents  didn't pass many games. The only "trade" I spoke to were the delightful ladies on the Miniature Wargames stand whose appearance made a very refreshing counterpoint to the hot and sweaty masses .....
By the end of the day with all that physical activity lifting bins and  leaping from customer to customer Jim and I knew we had put a shift in . So, back to the hotel - more traffic mess- by 7 pm the dinner etc  and Drive home on Sunday.... Nice.
 There were apparently complaints form some traders about the Warlords organistion this year.
 I'd like to go on record that  as far as I was concerned it all ran like a swiss watch No bother ...

Games at Salute

Perusing the Salute guide in the current MW I've already mentioned the 190 traders- now to the games- there are 86 listed.
 Of those some 40 are loosely historical. with a good number of periods represented including 2 battles of Hastings ....  and games in various scales though 15mm is a bit under represented out side WW2 and modern.
 Again we have the minor phenomenon of many of the sci-fant games being run by companies rather than clubs.
 I think this speaks rather to the limited nature of sci-fant gaming than anything else as - from the list only the Warlords themselves seem to have got out of the samey-gamey mould with their  sci- fant games- not unusual for them at all. They do  put the effort in .
Perusing further we find a game basedon Wacky Races- the 1970s cartoon- well late 60s when I watched it. - How is that wargaming? Now don't misunderstand it has a place at Salute which has not been a WARGAMES show for a good few years but rather a gaming event with some wargames in it.
 Why does this bother me I hear you ask?
 Well it doesn't- except that I won't get to see any of the games as I'll be working.

Brushes finally moving- well a little anyway ...

It has been a thin time for getting figures painted recently-.Work has seen to that . Busy busy and YES gentle reader  after a day filling orders and casting and sundry other toy soldier related jobs you get sick of the little lead gits so often do not feel like picking up a paintbrush to finish off some of your own gear.
 However here are a few pics of some recently finished- and some re based- 40mm Wars of the Roses. Eagle eyed readers may note that  I recently added 6 new figures to this range. 2 Archers and 4 more Men- at Arms- the latter fully plated up so to speak so that the range now has around 30 different figures in it.

the beginnings of the Percy contingent..

I now have around 70 of the models finished with more to come- but around half still need re- basing on those natty wooden bases from Warbases- the ones he does not call "Flames of War" bases at all no indeed. I don't use 'em for that popular but patronising rule set anyhow so don't care.

More men under the Percy banner,

As usual I don't make armies- or even smaller forces to fit rule sets as this narrows and limits possibilities within a given period. Period being far far more important than the opinions of a rule writer- unless on those rare occasions when he knows his period. So I'm looking at Tony Clipsom's set "Foray"  here though the easy option of Lion Rampart- medieval free medievals  may get used for a quick simple and  possibly brain free starting point.

A couple of lost blokes  in FdwardIV 's  livery find their way into the Earl of Northumberland contingent. 

As for other happenings - well Salute beckons so I doubt I'll get much more painting done soon.. Ah well  if you can't take a joke ......

Goin Going Gone ....

I take it from some of the comment I heard and read that a lot of chaps didn't think much of Triples this year. I know some traders had a torrid time.

 I was not one of them.

 Old Glory UK had its best Triples for at least 3 years

Mind you things were not that rosy in other parts of the venue.  With a couple of notable exceptions the games were awful .

  Most of the games were either 

 A Unintelligable.

 B Small - and virtually invisible from less than 5 feet away- even if they were in "28mm" - silliest of these was what looked like a WW2 game-  I saw Russian AFVs  on a3 feet by four feet table

C crewed by blokes who didn't want to talk to you  or indeed not crewed at all ..

D run by traders wanting to sell you their latest fantasy/sci- fi skirmish.

Oh Dearie Dearie me.

 The exceptions were however not like that.

 There was a 6mm game which frankly I should have taken more notice of- the terrain was lovely likewise an Ancients game which  looked pretty good

A large Napoleonic game in the centre of the main hall looked excellent  with loads of troops and a band of enthusiastic players.
 And Best of all the Grimsby clubs fantastic Dutch Wars Naval game- the quality of the model ships was stunning. The work and effort that had gone into this project was immense..
 Google Sheffield Triples 2016 for images of this and some at least of the other games on various other blogs.
 However the quality of the "Good" games at this show is not my major point here. I expect other bloggers have given the Triples organisers a kicking but there is only so much that they can do. If several traders don't turn up  how is that the organisers fault?. If the games turn out to be crap how is that the organisers fault.
 Perhaps other blokes find these 3 foot by 3 foot minigames acceptable- some must, as there are a hell of a lot of them about these days. They even  sometimes call it "skirmish gaming" perhaps to differentiate themselves from we of the "hardcore"!!!! However consider- these games are by their very nature limited- limited space limited number of units so again by its very nature they are tactically limited too. That means limited in terms of gameplay- repetitive and ultimately little more than a dice rolling contest so after half a dozen or so games must pall and- to a decent set of working braincells become boring so why are they supposedly so popular- I simply can't work it out nless wargamers are thicker than I think they are ....
 The idea for some  seems to be that show games should be the same as "club night" or even "dining table night" but surely a "show game" should be something a bit special to show what we CAN do not merely what some  do do  as it were. I've heard the argument that a really well displayed game can put people off and it has some value but consider with that attitude  the Motor show would never have had E-type or Aston- Martins only second hand Mondeos and. London Fashion Week would be run by ASDA.(That would be Walmart for chaps across the pond )
 However Show  gamers are volunteers so organisers have no control over what they do.  Though you might make a large exception when games are being run by commercial outfits who are also trading at the show,. Spartan games for instance had 2 or 3 small tables running various of their "games"  at Triples. They and others of course do this at other shows too. Are organisers now so short of games that they let these chaps in free? I don't know. But it makes you wonder. Is"hardcore" wargaming dead then or at least unwell or uninterested in the bigger picture. Or has the bigger picture simply become much much smaller and more introverted and dare I say it Juvenile?
 Now as we know most of the club demos or PP games are run by volunteers- sometimes they have sponsorship. For Instance I have and sometimes still do sponsor show games but IF I do I want some input into what is happening. I always had that input with the Stonewall group .. Obviously I can't speak for other outfits but it does make you wonder how  things are organised these days. .  I know of Railway modelling groups for instance who EXPECT expenses from the organisers of one of their shows for turning up and running their layouts. Never heard of that at one of our events in over 30 years- though at Derby at least the winners of the various prizes received small cheques.
 So the question must be what is the incentive to put sometimes years of effort into a show game- for the commercial outfits it is obvious but for clubs? Will we see show games taken over by  commercial minigames and therefore the visible face of the hobby become narrower ?. As the definiations of what "miniatures wargaming" actually is changes on an almost weekly basis- always to the detriment of "hardcore" historical wargaming (or so it often seems to this admittedly biased observer)

 Riddle me that one dudes? 

More Modern Mayhem

 Not really a battle report but simply a qucik not to point chaps at the report of our last modern Game- last weekend in fact. see here
http://tantobieinternettattler.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/plus-one-for-buying-umpire-pint.html

which give a full report of a fine scenario set up and run by Andrew the Tekkie using my 15mm collection.

 The report is a good read too.
Now back to work- Sheffield Triples beckons ....