SAGA Grand Melee 2015

I was just wondering if there was to be a SAGA Grand Melee this year. It is about 12 months since I booked to play in the 2014 Grand Melee at Firestorm Games in Cardiff. Although I couldn't go on both days I had a terrific time losing playing.

Just had a look on the Gripping Beast site and there are details about this year's event which is to be held at the Derby Worlds in October. Not as convenient as Cardiff but I've not been to that show so it could be fun.

Take a look here for details.

Maybe it's time to dust the Vikings off? Perhaps a mini comp at Attack! 2015 this July even?

Legionary 2015

Next time I go to a convention with Mick I'll make sure I am ready really early!

Our planned departure time of 8am meant Mick arrived with 30 minutes to spare and I was still in the shower!  Just as well Jane was up and about to make him a mug of tea whilst I had a rapid rub down with the towel and got hastily dressed. We were ready to leave for Exeter on time and arrived at Legionary just after 10am.

There was already a buzz about the place with many games and traders already busy. The show is held at a livestock market on the edge of Exeter; there's plenty of space and has a good restaurant where we enjoyed the 'Farmers' Breakfast' before tackling the show .

The bring and buy had some interesting things on offer and I kicked myself for letting a bargain offering boxes  of Warlord Games 28mm British Napoleonic infantry for £10 each slip through my fingers. 

It was also great to catch up with old friends some I'd not seen for at least a week in the hubbub of Salute.

There were enough traders to provide more than enough ways to spend your money, including two from Wiltshire - Forlornhope Games (Gary Tate shown below) and EM4 Miniatures.

There was supposed to be a War & Conquest competition somewhere but I cannot say that I saw it to be much in evidence. However there were some great participation games so here are a few pics:

Michael Stokin, more used to trading as Angel Barracks, was there with his 6mm science fiction game. Michael will be running his own show Blas-Tastic in October, a show dedicated to sci-fi gaming.

I cannot find my note on this game but I admired the terrain.

As much as I enjoy playing naval games they just don't have the visual appeal of a brightly coloured army on well-made terrain. The ships above were quite fantastic though ( and large).

28mm Bosworth - figures from the collection of Gary Cookson.

Bored with Borgias by The South Somerset Wargamers Group. Nick Turner's impressive 28mm Italian Wars figures and using Pike and Shotte rules.

Legionary Show in Exeter today

Even if there is no Saga competition and it is a bank holiday weekend it is still worth braving the holiday traffic to head for Exeter and the Legionary show.

I went last year to play Saga and had a great time and it was a good show; not overly large but plenty to do and see. More photos later.

Legionary show details

Napoleonic Prussians in 15mm - the scale of the problem

It sometimes comes as a shock to realise what choice is actually available when it comes to wargame figures. Like most of us I have my preferred periods and consequently figures to match. But what happens when it is something new?

In March I spent a freezing four hours at the Corn Exchange, Devizes, playing a 15mm General de Brigade game. It was only freezing because the organiser of the Toy and Model Collectors' Fair thought he was doing us a favour by putting us right by the entrance of the venue. Unfortunately the doors stayed wide open and the outside temperature was hovering around zero!

It was nonetheless a good game; Mick provided terrain, figures, scenario and an up-to date version of the rules rather than my second edition that didn't seem very compatible with Mick's.

Over Easter I finished  (yes finished!!! ) painting all my Baccus Miniatures 6mm Napoleonic Prussians.

Of course I may need more at some stage but not for the moment. Intoxicated with the success of actually painting and finishing a complete army, down to the last figure, I recalled that I had 6mm Austrians from Baccus too so I made a start on these whilst thinking that 15mm Prussians would be good to have and play with.

After considerable research I pre-ordered figures from Time Cast - Old Glory and  Magister Militum to pick up at Salute last weekend. I also ordered some sample Prussians from Black Hat who make and sell the Gladiator range of Naploeonics.

Whilst at Salute I also bought some Lancashire Games figures. Maybe not surprisingly there is quite a difference in the size of figures and I should say that I hardly do anything in 15mm these days - 6mm, 10mm, 1/72 and 28mm is quite enough scales to cope with.

So here are some photos to show the contrast between the four makes of infantry I bought.

Above: Prussian Napoleonic Landwehr and Line infantry from four manufacturers side by side. Each with its own style of sculpting.

Here is a shot with a ruler to show the actual height of the figures.

And some cavalry too. I couldn't get any Lancashire Games cavalry at Salute as S&A Scenics had sold out of Prussian cavalry just before I hit their stand.

There is far more contrast between the cavalry figures than the infantry so it will be harder to decide which way to go when I start building the cavalry regiments up.

In the meantime it is the 6mm Austrians I need to get on with before I start 15mm Prussians...OK I confess I have been tempted to 'test' some of the Lancashire Games Line Infantry in Greatcoats.

Anyone in Wiltshire looking to go to Salute on 25 April?

Good morning. Next Saturday Devizes & District Wargames Group has a coach heading to London to visit the UK's largest Wargames show at the Excel Centre in Docklands.

We have spare seats on the coach if anyone wants a low fare for a day out to London. We will leave 7am and return around 7pm. £20 fare. Send me a message or email me through the club web site www.ddwg.org.uk

Making progress with Chain of Command figures

I'm about half way through my box of 1/72 Valiant WWII German infantry. Just finished basing these figures tonight.

A good day at Crusade in Penarth yesterday

Yesterday I made my first ever visit to the Crusade show in Penarth. Not a good start by me as the show was celebrating its 20th year.

It was a nice show with a good mix of games and traders plus a DBA competition and some key talks on military subjects.

I had a good day bargain hunting and picked up a couple of things I was after to start my venture into Infinity and Dropzone Commander.