Salute '09

Saturday was Salute, at the ExCel centre, London. We set off around 0630,(yawn!) and travelled down by car. Thankfully traffic wasn't too heavy, and after a brief McD feed, we were off again, getting there parked and ready to go by 1100, so not bad going for 250 miles I reckon. Easy to get to, parking was good (£12 for the day) and t'was only a short walk to the event.

The first thing that hit me was the size of the place...not having been since Kensington, it's massive! Loads of room to move around, and no push & shoving. There was even space for those with the oversized rucksacks. There were a lot of decent games, streets of traders, and quality food nearby. Here's just a few pictures..
Victorian Society, smashing uniforms and gear..

Loughton Strike Force groups "PanzerGrenadier" game, Assault on the Reichstag. Truly a marvel with quality terrain and buildings, a real treat to look at.



Now this is large scale gaming, with engines and all..very realistic too.

A stunning model for the Colditz game..

And another stunning model for an Aztec (I think) game..

Reenactors were there too..

The Loughton Club crowd, having a good yabber..

Some Salute Organisers er organising..

A really good day out was had, and it was good to meet up with some old pals, Tim Hall, Dave Brown, Kev, Henry Hyde, Giles, Timmo, Andy et al. Buying wise, OG hasn't got me special wagon yet but it is on order, and some TSS terrain was obtained, along with some exotic bits and pieces. The standards of the games was good, some were different, and it was well organised from what I saw. After a slight argument with the SatNav and a detour, and a good feed at a Little Chef, we got home around 10pm. A 530 mile round trip, but well worth it!

Witterings...

Well here we are in late March, and the sun is shinning nicely, as we move towards Springtime. Life always improves in relation to the weather I think. It feels like it anyway. Work, sadly. has taken up most of my time lately, though in the 'current economic climate', I shouldn't be complaining of that really should I.
We didn't manage a game last week, ( I'd been on nights, and I'm beginning to feel the effects of shiftwork these days!) so we had a round of 'Call of Duty', an Xbox WW2 game-(I have been told by my youngest that Xbox does not start with an 'E'...weell what do I know eh!). I have to say, it fills a spot for a type of skirmish game, and it's very random and realistic I think..as a plain soldier, I didn't know if I was coming or going most of the time, there was bullets and explosions everywhere, and I hardly saw the enemy. It was hard work just to keep my character alive really, so yeah, realistic to the point of making you think how damned awful real warfare is. Still, the 'Nazi Zombie' scenario at the end was different, and a tad worrying too, even with MG's/shotguns/grenades we didn't live for long. The bugger's just keep coming on till you run out of bullets..if you blaze away as I do, theory being that more firepower=more defence..I found, c/o Richie, that actually hitting the target did help and that Zombies don't suffer from morale. After all, they're already dead, so what do they care eh. It does teach a good lesson on the need to have a basic plan and to work together though, so as a quick gaming session, it were good and enjoyable.
It's Salute this Saturday, large hurrah, haven't been for some years now, so I'm looking forward to that, there's a car full of us going down there for a visit, including Hairy Dave, lately back from a Missionary Trip to New Zealand. I'm not planning any big purchase, but there is a particular 25mm wagon set I need from Old Glory, so I hope they've got one in. And with a wander about, no doubt there'll be something else that I need that I didn't realise I needed till I saw it. You know how it is. I have got round to preparing my 10mm Hugomont buildings for painting, so really should get on with that soon. A bit of variety keeps the interest levels up and avoids stagnation. I'm back up to date with BattleGame and WI magazines, having received bundles of them by post, and had a right god read through. It's surprising what you miss when you let your subscriptions expire.
Lastly, welcome to Andy McMaster, latest Follower, who does a very interesting AWI Blog himself, see the Links list and have a look through it..I'm sure I know you from a Site somewhere..hope you enjoy the Blog and thanks for joining.
Apologise for being a tad quiet of late, but as said, work interferes with my hobby at times, and that's where I'm off to now. Bah Humbug!
Regards,
Peeler

Wittering and Some Photos..

A photo from a visit to Bovington Tank Museum last year, with MiniPeeler indicating what he thinks of Grey uniformed intolerant oppressors. Long may such an attitude be prevalent in this Realm of ours.

Blimey, it's been a week since my last post. Time fly's by doesn't it. Mind you, the good thing, as I've realised, with a Blog, is that you can do just as much as you like..and as little as you like too, as you feel. There is no pressure from anyone, and no rush with anything. Laid back and pleasant really.

Been on with painting another unit of Village Mob this last week, and they are nearly done. I reckon it's then time for some of those Blue Moon wagons and stuff to be glued and painted up, with some civilians to go with them.

Gaming wise, this week I've had a game of "Anima Tactics" with Rich D'Lord, (thanks Rich, by the way!), not my usual bag, but made a change I have to say! It's based on Japanese Cartoon Hero Characters, with a figure for each character, and a Personal detail card too, giving movement, strength, hit-ability and so on. Makes for a fun and interesting game, and it all comes in a pleasant box set, ready to play.

Also, I've had a DBN Quatre Bras game, but sadly forgot my camera (d'uh!) so will have to play it again for photos...which won't be a hardship. Briefly, the French attack went straight up the road toward the cross roads and got itself muddled up through being too concentrated. The Dutch held up well, only giving way after a few rounds from the late forming French Battery. They also held on well in Gemincourt, causing a lot of casualties before being over run. By this time, British and Brunswick reinforcements had started to turn up, but were held up by poor Command Cap dice. As the French pushed through the woods, they took out several units, making it a French Victory, but only just! I'm enjoying these DBN games, easy to set up and play, and I can feel a small campaign coming on soon..

I've tried making my own roads, using various methods...and when I'm happy with one, I'll post it up. Grumble mutter etc...

I recieved a box of books from Poacher, being a fair few Featherstone's, so having a good read and reminice with them.

Meanwhile, here's some pics of random 10mm GdB games, from the dim and distant past..

French Line advance toward the unsteady Dutch..

The Heavy Brigade awaits its chance to charge..

Scots Greys going against the French Line..

Thats all for now, I hope to post up some newly painted stuff soon. Oh, and welcome to our latest, Norman D. Landings, a good wargaming chum and John Preece, who does a Very interesting Blog, it must be said, and is well worth a read.

Regards,

Peeler

"Village Wars" in 25mm Project..

This is a 'background' project that I'm doing, a bit here and a bit there, and eventually I'll be able to put a game on with it. The idea of it, I have to say, has come from those old wargames books, and Battle Games stuff..'Wars of the Faltenian Succession' and so on. Being largely into Napoleonics, I fancied another period/scale, but I didn't want the effort of historical reference, so...I thought to myself, I like tricornes, and I like Old Glory figures, so I'll use their SYW range mostly, and paint the units up into my local village colours..easy to do, colourful, and stress free..I also wanted a lot of 'civilians'..because you get them in most wars, but not usually on the gaming table.

The benefit of 'doing your own thing', is that you can please yourself..hence there will be units of infantry, cavalry and artillery, as well as Village Mob, Village Idiots, Nuns (yes, Nuns!) and some Monks too..after all, it is the 1700's, and there were a few about back then. Also, you can use figures from slightly different era's, but which 'look right'..I have some ECW 'floppy hat' cavalry to paint up, having recently seen a Hammer House film, (you know, Peter Cushing), with some religious nuts riding around being very pious and righteous..I thought to myself, yep, I want one of those units too, they may be slow moving, but they'll put any non-believers to the sword once they start mixing it.

Also from Old Glory, from the 'Blue Moon' range, I have some smashing wagons and horses, which can be used as 'baggage', or just as locals wandering about, as they do, or as a distraction to certain units. From Hovels, I've obtained some lovely figures, being various farmers, locals on the beer (two of the figures even look a bit like myself and Hairy Dave, which is worrying), stocks, drunken harlots, farm animals, that sort of thing, which will grace the table nicely I think.

I'm heading towards one unit/Regt per base, of about 12 figures, to keep it easy, and I want each unit to have a name..'The Wykeham Foot', or 'The Wolds Regt', or 'The Lonsdale Losers'. Obviously, there will have to a 'Back Bar Forge Irregulars' unit..that'll be using the mob and drunken figures then...rules wise, I fancy doing my own, maybe a combination of bits from DBN/Featherstone/WRG style rules..with appropriate modifiers for all those 'odd' units. Whatever we end up with, the accent will be on having a fun, entertaining game, with lots of dice throwing...

Here's some pictures of what I have so far, and it reminds me that I need to waffle less and paint more..

A Regt of Wykeham Foot..(in the school colours)..

A Regt of HuttonBuscle Foot..(they all wear green up in that village)..

A unit of 'Village Mob'..you know, the local types who are up for a bit of a scrap, but easily distracted by beer wagons passing by..and harlots..and suchlike..

A unit of 'Nuns with Attitude'...try and trash their Church, and you'll have to get past them first..

A 'NorthMoor' Artillery battery with Limber..yep, they all wear brown in that village..with being non-historical, I can use older classier looking gun models too. I have a 54pdr to paint up...

And this is my latest nearly finished unit, in a sort of pink colour..not quite sure what they will be called, I may have to be careful naming this one..

I have a fair amount of stuff to paint my way through, but by keeping the units relatively small, I hope to be gaming it soon.