Cheaphammer!!!: Shows

Showing posts with label Shows. Show all posts

Saturday, 1 June 2024

The Great Exhibition

I've been to a lot of Wargames shows of varying sizes, but I was not really prepared for the scale of the UK Games Expo at the NEC in Birmingham.

Today was my first visit to the event and it was quite frankly, flipping huge.

As an indication of scale, the photo below captures about a third of the gaming hall, which was one of three, the other two being packed to the rafters with traders, demo games, exhibitors and more.

I went with Simon and Leon who I haven't seen for some time, so it was nice to catch up and explore and encourage each other to spend more than we should.

Leon also kindly passed on to me the miniatures from a Kickstarter his company, Kitbash Games, ran a while ago that I backed. I don't have the game cards for Pulp City or Super Mission Force yet, but I can crack on with painting them.

We also got the opportunity to try out a game called Power Vacuum, which was funded via Kickstarter. It was engaging and enjoyable and if you backed it, I'd suggest you made a good investment.

Obviously, there was shopping done, and I took the opportunity to pick up a few things from several companies and save myself some postage on intended future purchases.

My recent Fallout bingeing saw me making a beeline for the Modiphius stand and there were heavily promoting their new skirmish game Fallout Factions, which uses the same range of miniatures as Fallout: Wasteland Warfare, but is apparently more streamlined and plays faster, but without the narrative elements.

They were handily giving out free copies of the quick start rules, and so I might give it a try if I can convince someone to have a go.

I also picked up several card packs for Fallout Wasteland Warfare. There is an app available that provides the same information, but I'm old school (or just old) and prefer physical game pieces. I was also able to find out that the wave two Raiders card pack is being restocked soon, so I should be able to get all the cards I will need for the foreseeable future.

Finally, thanks to my purchases, I qualified for a free blister pack, and so I grabbed a couple of Robobrains to wander the Wasteland causing trouble.

At the TTCombat stand it was nice to see some of the newer miniatures they've added to the Dropzone Commander line in the flesh, including these towering behemoths.

However, given that I already have two full armies for the game, along with a Scourge fleet for Dropfleet Commander, my attention was grabbed more by this particular display of 32mm miniatures in the same setting.

Apparently this game will be coming to Kickstarter soon and I think it might be something that can garner interest within our gaming group.

The only problem is that I can't remember what word they've put between 'drop' and 'commander' this time.

Obviously, TTCombat also have Carnevale, which I haven't done anything for a while. I actually still have some miniatures to paint for this, so I didn't buy more right now, but I did pick up the Blood on the Water supplement, which I've been wanting for a while.

Other purchases of things I've wanted for a while included a very reasonably priced five-headed dragon from Archon Games, who may or may not end up being used as Tiamat in a D&D cartoon cast for 7TV, and a book of Sci-Fi backdrops (which I almost accidentally stole whilst trying to work out who to pay for it) from Handiwork Games, with the intention to jazz up my photography.

Given the name of this blog, I was also on the lookout for freebies, and simply signing up for a couple of mailing lists netted me an RPG map and a baby dragon miniature.

I'm sure I could have put more time into trawling for free stuff, and if I go again next year I'll see if I can increase my haul.

There were loads of pretty miniatures on display on different stands, such as these from Conquest Miniatures, but in no way was this a miniatures focused event, with the biggest crowds being found around the discount boardgames retailers.

One interesting effect of such a big venue was that it made displays that would usually seem extremely impressive feel a little small and underwhelming.

This is purely a contextual effect, but it was a reminder that these are 'miniature' wargames.

I'm aware that given the focus of my personal hobby, I've not really taken any photos outside of the wargaming part of the event.

As I was leaving I was regretting neglecting to take the opportunity to get some pictures of some of the excellent cosplay on display. However, I did get to very briefly meet and say hi to Dave from MiniWarGaming, so at least I could tick 'meet a niche celebrity' of my bucket list.

I forgot to ask for a photo with him too.

The event had a massively different feel to the other events I've been to, even Salute, and felt significantly more professional and mainstream.

It was also a reminder that wargaming is only part of a wider gaming community (included CCGs, RPGs and boardgames) and I think that some of the more traditional events could benefit from reaching out to these other facets of the community to bring more people through the doors.

One company which I was really pleased to see at such a large event was Crooked Dice. It's always nice to see Karl, but I felt that the eclectic range miniatures from a wide range of genres was in the right place to catch people with all sorts of different interests.

For the bustle around the Crooked Dice stand, I think I might be right.

All in all I had a great day. I didn't go too heavy on new miniatures, but I did pick up a number of things that I want and actually got a somewhat different view of the hobby.

I'll definitely go again, and next time I'll have a plan.

Acquired: -87
Painted: 267
Lead Mountain: 696

Monday, 27 May 2024

Show & Tell

I'm not sure why, but I don't get to as many wargames shows as I used to. It might be due to having a less historical focus to my painting (as most shows lean that way); it might be my relentless focus on reducing the Lead Mountain; it might be that my regular companions for these sorts of things are knee deep in 3d printing.

Whatever the reason, Matt and I made the decision to get ourselves to Partizan in Newark last weekend.

There's something timeless about most wargames shows. Mainly the same companies with stalls in pretty much the same places, selling largely the same stuff.

They're more of a market than a show.

Which is not a bad thing.

Of course, there are the display and demo games, representing a significant level of effort and commitment from the groups that put them together.

Due to the work required, there are obviously games I've seen before as if you have a 20'x8' board of Indian Mutiny terrain and miniatures, you're not going to just leave it packed away forever.

There are also new things to see, such as this much larger scaled game of Battlefleet Gothic, demonstrating the power of 3d printing and one of the impacts it's going to have on the hobby.

This game felt like a massive (and I used that word deliberately) combined effort from a gaming group and it's hard to convey the impact they had just in photos.

This was probably the only game that made us really stop to look, as it was truly different and a visual feast.

However, I was left wondering whether the original scale of the game was a better indication of the distances involved that this upscaled version.

But that wouldn't have looked as good.

I do get a bit jealous of some of the terrain on display and always ponder the idea of making a proper terrain board myself.

Then I remember that I'm a flighty wargaming butterfly who'd never maintain the level of focus required to bring something like that to fulfilment. Not to mention the fact that I have nowhere to store such a thing.

I could go for a smaller scale, which would tackle one problem and go sone way towards the other.

However, despite the care that goes into smaller scales, I'm just not stirred by them in the same way.

Perhaps I should focus on increasing my collection of scatter terrain, as there were plenty of displays that did just that and still managed to be visually impressive.

I did do a little bit of shopping. I picked up a few brushes, paints and bases. I also grabbed half a dozen miniatures that are going to be used in my oft-forgotten Freedom Force project, which is due for a splurge of activity soon.

Obviously, I also got given the traditional 'how the hell am I going to use that?' free miniature on the door. This time it was a Norman noble, Sir Walter D'Isgny, who I'm not entirely sure is a historical figure.

I have done a little bit of painting this week, but I'm not happy with it.

I put together a couple of Wargames Factory (the sprues are now owned by Warlord Games and used in their Project Z game) Zombie Vixens to use as proxy Feral Ghouls in Fallout: Wasteland Warfare.

However, not only have I messed up the painting to a point I'm not happy with, having now played Fallout 3, I know that the Feral Ghouls shouldn't have hair, and it bugs me.

At least they don't have noses, and they'll do. I'm not overly keen on the official miniatures either, so I guess I'll live with them.

You'll be no doubt delighted to hear that I have 'finished' Fallout 3 and so can turn my attention back to painting, which given that it's half term is a good thing.

Acquired: -100
Painted: 263
Lead Mountain: 687

Sunday, 5 February 2023

The Occult & Science Reserve

In the Lurkers from the Deep feature pack for 7TV Pulp, the forces of law and order are led by agents from the Occult and Science Reserve. They operate in in a strategic way to shield the public from the eldritch marvels that have been unearthed in the New England town of Marshport.

I know what you are thinking. Some of those agents look familiar. Well it's true. One or two of them were created prior to the release of Lurkers from the Deep and were part of the earlier pulp heroes Kickstarter from 7TV.

The others are all totally original characters...

First up we have the more generic characters in the group who might grace any occult themed pulp game in the vein of Call of Cthulhu: an Occult Investigator, a News Hound and Professor Jemima Whitwood.

The Occult Investigator is a character from the original Pulp Heroes and Villains Kickstarter. I only picked up the villains at the time (two of which still remain unpainted) and therefore was pleased to get my hands on this chap as a stretch goal with Lurkers from the Deep.

As it happens, I've actually picked up three of the six heroes since then, so I probably should have just bought them at the time.

This chap is destined to feature as one of the OSR Agents in the final scenario of the feature pack, and then after that, I'm not sure. I am musing on doing some more Lovecraft themed stuff, so he'll more than likely pop up then.

Professor Jemima Whitwood is the leader of the OSR raid on Marshport, and so this dynamic pose is more than suitable. I am slightly concerned that she seems to be expecting vampires rather than fish-demon hybrids, but I'm pretty sure a stake through the heart works on most things.

The News Hound is probably the most versatile of the miniatures in this batch and could conceivably pop up in all sorts of scenarios, especially superhero themed stuff with a pulp vibe like Freedom Force or Pulp City. I feel like she'd really benefit from a street base, and so that might be a change I make when I get my hands on more resin bases.

She will also feature in Lurkers from the Deep as an OSR Agent.

The four Esoteric Agents models are a marvellous bunch who add variety and character to the OSR's ranks. I am slightly concerned that these models might not get used in scenarios outside of Lurkers from the Deep given that I can't imagine what else they might be used as.

If there's something strange going on, this OSR Agent is who you'd call. As a master of the mystic arts he'll cure whatever ails the town of Marshport...sort of like a doctor.

I've given him a ~~cape~~ cloak from a Heroclix Robin model because...well...he looked cold. That's the only reason.

Howard Ashton, a Gadgeteer, is a stark contrast to the occult investigators, providing a cutting edge technological response to the problems faced by the OSR. Obviously, not everything he creates is perfect and he will often need to iron out some issues.

Of all the models in this group, I'm probably most pleased with this one, not because it's particularly amazing, but simply because I did the pale grey suit first, and managed to do the rest of the model without having to go back and redo any sections where I'd messed up.

I also like the contrast of the blue with the coppery-brass.

Agent Maggie Stone is a British Agent assigned the OSR and uses the Rugged Veteran profile card. She will fit well with the American Soldiers that I painted to accompany Captain America a few years ago, although I can't see a situation where I'd put him and her together. Not without going back in time, anyway.

Finally we have Colonel Julius Roth. When you absolutely have to kill every brother cultist in the room, accept no substitutes. Colonel Roth leads the military arm of the secret invasion of Marshport and appears in scenario three: the Battle of Marshport.

I will probably have to paint some more US soldiers before I get to that one, as it's a big scrap.

So that's seven more miniatures painted (and one broken Heroclix miniature disposed of), making for a bit more progress.

However, a trip to Vapnartak in York today saw me in an unusually spendy mood. From Wargames Foundry I picked up some more Victorian Police to complete that unit and some Home Guard to fill out my numbers for when I play the Vlad's Army feature pack, although they will also add to my Operation Sea Lion/VBCW force.

I also grabbed a few paints and a 2'x2' gaming mat from Crooked Dice simply because I wanted it, and not pictured above is a second hand dreadnought that is destined for my 40k/Horus Heresy army, which I grabbed for a fiver. Bargain.

Therefore today has actually been a little bit of a step backwards in terms of the Lead Mountain, but I'm quite keen to get the new models done and I have no plans to buy anything else in the near future, and so things should be moving in the right direction again fairly quickly.

Acquired: -12
Painted: 47
Lead Mountain: 525

Sunday, 22 May 2022

The Show Must Go On

For the first time in over two years I was able to get to a warganes show. So with Matt riding shotgun headed down to Newark for Partizan.

There's not much to this post other than pictures. I didn't get details of specific games, it was just a pleasure to see some big setups of the kind I haven't seen for some time.

The two pictures above and two below were from an immense 40mm Napoleonic set up. Clearly somewhere in the Peninsular War.

This was a display where I actually spoke to somebody (rare for me), although I didn't get details on the battle. There were landsknechts though, so that puts it somewhere in the vicinity of the Wars of Religion.

This big game was definitely from the Thirty Years War...I think. Pike and shot as far as the eye can see.

This was a 'Cold War Gone Hot' game using teeny-tiny tanks.

This is a big game that I believe was possibly dark ages Ireland. I really should read the signs.

Ah, now this is definitely the American War of Independence. I know this one.

Something somewhere in the middle ages.

Tiny boats on a shiny river.

Dead Man's Hand. Matt is trying manfully to get me to buy onto this game as he and Wes have already succumbed.

Something colonial. I presume India given that there are elephants.

The group putting this display on were particularly impressive. Not only were some of then dressed as period British officers, but they were also all holding rather large glasses of red wine at 10:30 in the morning.

This one was definitely Culloden. I recognise it enough and I also overheard people talking to confirm my suspicions.

Yes, I could just ask or look for signs, but where's the fun in that?

Little Big Horn, or Custer's Last Stand. The group putting this on had also put on Native American headdresses in a move that some would call cultural appropriation, but 10 year old me would have called, "really cool!"

An Aliens themed demo game. Each time I walked past this board, nobody had managed to leave the first corridor, so either there were balancing issues or it was just really thematic to the movie as to the Marines' effectiveness.

I've done a little bit of retroactive alterations to allow me to tick off another Hobby Bingo box. I used the Board In Brum 7TV day as and 'event/show' not a 'tournament'. However, it could count as either whereas Partizan was definitely a 'show', so I've now got both boxes ticked.

Obviously, attending a show had a detrimental effect on my purchase/painted numbers, but in terms of actual miniatures, I only bought a single model. However, I did get given what looked like a saxon king as I entered and picked up and unexpected Secret Santa gift of two miniatures. I also grabbed some mdf jetties which I suppose count as models, so I'm now in the red again.

Acquired: 85

Painted: 83