Warfare 2019

[Colonel Kilgore]

It was good to see some familiar faces this morning at the Warfare show in Reading (I do hope Dave took Ben off to buy some brushes after our meeting - oh, the kids these days...  ).

It felt a little less dense than previous years (even though the car park was rammed solid - surely this can't have been due to people doing sports at the same venue...?), and one or two traders seemed to be absent, but broadly it was much as it has been for the last few years.

But that will change next year, when the event moves to Ascot racecourse. This sounds like a good move. The Rivermead Centre toilets are notorious, and many of the lights weren't working in the main hall today, plunging the far end of it in particular into gloom. This lack of light did, though, make the lit displays by the likes of Pendraken, Adler and Bacchus stand out so much better, and thus the little painted marvels they were showcasing. In the larger scales, Empress Miniatures' (unpainted) 28mm 20th and 21st Century figures were stunning. And there was also a fair amount of 15mm for sale too!

It was nice to see more youngsters and ladies than normal. Maybe the Rod Stewart effect has made wargaming more appealing too! I look forward to seeing how the Ascot venue will change things.

[Colonel Kilgore]

A few photos of the demonstration games:

"Lawks Drift", in 54mm, by Huntingdon & District Wargames Society:



A nicely-done Very British Civil War game in 54mm by Skirmish Wargames:



A Western - in the snow! I think this was by Combined Oppos:



Very nicely presented Dark Side of the Moon by South London Warlords:



An innovative English Civil War night action (throw a dice to lift a square and reveal what's underneath) - I think it must have been the Sealed Knot, judging by the superbly-attired gentlemen running this game, and the re-enactor kit on an adjacent table:



My personal favourite (in 15mm too) - the Cassinga Raid by Battlefront:



There's a website for next year's show (14th & 15th November 2020, but not many details yet): https://wargamesreading.co.uk/warfare2020/

[Matías]

Great pictures Colonel. Is that Tin Tin in the VBCW game?
And that Cassinga raid is Flames of War?

[Colonel Kilgore]

Ivan,

I think you're right about Tin Tin in the bottom left of the photo - I'd not spotted that!

And I'm assuming you're also right about Cassinga. I don't play Flames of War, but those that do may be able to judge better from the vehicle stat sheets on show. They had a variety of aircraft on the table too (appropriately) - I think 15mm on a big table is equivalent to 6mm on a kitchen table - you can fit an awful lot on, and they'd done the terrain really nicely.

[Colonel Kilgore]

Oh, and I've just found the nicely-produced "business card" that was handed out to advertise Warfare 2020 - we are promised "Larger Show, Free Parking, More Tournaments, More of Everything". What's not to like?

[Wardy64]

We didn't buy any paint brushes, but a couple of tins of panzer grey paint and some Matilda 2 tanks, for Ben's German army.

The Angola game brought back memories, it was at Bovy in 2008, Ben had a game and enjoyed beating the crocks in the river he was only 6 then! How time shoots by.

Dave & Ben

[Leslie BT]

Matilda's for a German army, a bit controversial Dave!!

[martin goddard]

Thank you for the photo report Simon. Some very good looking games there. Wish them luck with the move to Ascot.  These horse racing sites seem ideal for gaming. Newbury and York being examples.



martin

[Wardy64]

 

[Sean Clark]

Very now report Simon.

It's a few years since I've been down to Warfare....probably stopped when Peter Pig stopped attending. I may return for the change of venue next year.