For various reasons I haven't been able to get to a wargames show since Salute earlier in the year so was glad to have a few hours at Warfare in Reading today. It's not my favourite show, not least because the drive there from my house is quite stressful and negotiating Reading's notorious one way system is always a pain. I managed to get lost on the way back and spent a terrifying 15 minutes in the centre of the town looking for an exit. If ever there is a monument to disastrous town planning, Reading is it: nightmare! Anyway I am safely back and it's time to review my purchases.
I was very conscious of my lead pile on this visit and had a very limited hit list of figures. Firstly, I bought two packs of Musketeer Miniatures Great Northern War Swedish cavalry. I supplied Bill of MM some copies of pictures I'd taken of a Swedish cavalry display in the Stockholm Army Museum when he was looking for research material for these. These cavalry have been a long time coming but I do wish he had put some of the dash and movement he did with his infantry figures into the cavalry. They are perfectly nice just a bit static: charging figures would have been more welcome and more Swedish!
Secondly, three packs of Perry Prussian Landwehr. I thought about the Warlord plastics but have read so many iffy reviews of them I decided accuracy and anatomy was better than cheaper price.
I am reading an excellent novel about Hannibal at present so am trying to put a few more Carthaginian army figures on fast track. I bought a pack of Crusader Miniatures Libyan skirmishers on the basis that they shouldn't take very long to do.
I'm also basing some Crusader Spanish for Lusitanians at the moment but needed bigger shields for them (according to my Osprey anyway) so picked up two packs of Magister Militum round shields which look just right.
New Empress Afghans: Sorry they are a bit blurred I only had my Blackberry camera with me!
My biggest figure purchase was of the new Empress Miniatures English Civil War cavalry. Now I actually have three painted units of Renegade/Bicorne ECW figures and thought that these would be too small (Perry/Warlord size). This does not appear to be the case however; I think they will be fine in separate units (the muskets are very much more in the proper proportions). Apart from a unit of cuirassiers I don't have any cavalry so for £40 bought a special deal which included all six of the new cavalry packs. They are truly gorgeous! Empress were promising a new range at the show and they had the first figures on display: some North West Frontier Afghan tribesmen. No-one makes a good range of these in 28mm and they are promising (eventually) some British for the period as well. At the speed I paint I'm not in a hurry!
My two biggest purchases were for scenics. I recall BigRedBat saying that maybe wargamers concentrate so much on figures that we don't get on with as many scenic items as we should. This is certainly true for me!
Muddy stream from The Last Valley
I have no way of representing streams or rivers in my games and have always felt that I could make my own but, of course, I never have the time so I bought come streams from The Last Valley. I'd seen their rivers and streams at Salute but couldn't carry them so I picked up 3 curved pieces and six straights. I am going to customise them quite a lot, I think, but they provide a good start.
Finally, I bought two scenic items for my main two projects: Jason and the Argonauts and the Zambezi campaign. Steve Barber (whose prehistoric settlement I have enjoyed playing) had a marvellous golden fleece and dead tree which I couldn't resist, although the resin and metal tree looks like it will need a bit of work.
I can't resist Grand Manner's stuff (is it me or have their prices increased a lot lately) and they had a perfect trading post for the Zambezi campaign. This I will get on with once I have finished the Argo. It's just the job for Trader Jones!
I had a quick chat with fellow Guildford Wargames Club member Mike of Black Hat Miniatures and he said that today had been very quiet. He also felt that people were coming with a fixed budget and once that was spent that was it. I really wonder whether Warfare can continue as a two day show in the current economic climate but, apparently, it is to do with the requirements of the wargaming tournament.
So that's it until Salute next year. Now all I have to do is actually paint something!