Warfare 2018 -Wargames Association of Reading

Warfare has in recent times been the show that completes my usual annual circuit of wargaming shows I regularly attend, as it is this year.

I have reported on the show since 2016 and it is interesting comparing and contrasting shows held in previous years.

Warfare 2016
Warfare 2017

The show this year seemed quieter than on previous occasions and I and the chaps didn't seem to sense the elbow to elbow crush experienced on previous visits, certainly within the traders hall.

I particularly like Warfare for the breadth of traders it attracts and I was able to complete some purchase plans that were carried over from Crisis a couple of weeks ago and reported on here at JJ's

Crisis 2018

Despite the fact that I was revelling in the space within the trading and gaming halls, there was still that noisy hub-bub of happy wargamers as can be imagined in the pictures below and by leaving Exeter at 07.30 and getting into the show for 10.00, doors opening, we managed to get into Reading before the Saturday shopping traffic and got a parking spot close by before they were all taken.

The main games hall with play well and truly underway

With the luxury of being able to get round the traders for my purchases in double quick time, I was able to start looking at the games on display at least an hour before lunch and after dropping my stuff back to the car switched into blogging mode to capture some of the fun of the day.

Needless to say, but worth repeating, in no particular order and showing games that particularly caught my eye, I present a pick of the games that featured at this year's Warfare.

Earlswood Wargames Group - 28mm Stalingrad
I've seen the Earlswood chaps excellent Stalingrad game on previous occasions but never grow tiered of enjoying the modelling and attention to detail that has gone into this game.

Just about any WWII film you have seen centred on the bloody fighting within the city and its ruins are captured in the cameo scenes this game creates - well done chaps.

The Combined Oppos Wargames Group presented a game simply entitled 'Pirates' with some very nice 28mm ships, figures and terrain on display.

The Maidenhead Reapers Wargaming Society were running what looked like a fun action packed SAS desert airfield raid game when I passed by with one young player totally into the action with planes burning allover the place and SAS jeep teams moving among the carnage.

The Malvern Old Wargamers presented The Battle of Paraitakene 317 BC with Eumenes and Antigonus' repective successor armies going at it toe to toe and pike block to pike block.

The game was being played using the Amati rule set and with several collections from within the club that produced a very colourful and engaging game with the 28mm figures on show.

The Prince Rupert Blue Regiment of Foote featured in my report from last year with their skirmish game using 'Victory without Quarter'.

The chaps go the extra mile with an appearance in uniform and a display of their kit when on duty with the 'Sealed Knot'.

This year's game was focused on Price Rupert's and Prince Maurice's storming of Bristol in 1643, with a mat and river sections I immediately recognised as, like mine, from Terrain Mat.

As you can see we had some suitably medieval wall sections representing the old city boundary with Royalist troops set to attack the breach made in it, with the chaps using an adapted version of Donnybrook to govern the play.

Finally I manged to complete my day by adding some purchases to projects underway and ones still forming.

A visit to Dave Thomas added to my growing collection of Perry's Wars of the Roses 28mm figures which is the next collection planned after the completion of the Romano-Dacians.

In addition I managed also to add to my banners and standards for this collection by picking up some Freezywater Flags from The Lance and Longbow Society.

The Lance & Longbow Society

With the modifications and changes to my room, together with the completion of the first phase of the Roman-Dacian collection build, I am in the process of starting to put together an array of 28mm scatter and larger terrain items that will compliment some of the Roman buildings built earlier in the year.

http://jjwargames.blogspot.com/2018/04/theres-no-place-like-rome.html

Products for Wagamers (PfW) produce some really cost effective and nicely produced options for terrain which include these sections of rivers, one set of which I already had and to which I added a second yesterday.

http://www.productsforwargamers.com/

These sets offer 7ft of river for just £20 and in my preferable colours of muddy brown will only require a bit off additional work to render them in the way I want them to look.

As you can see the Roman tents are on the stick, together with the first sections of Renedra fencing

http://www.renedra.co.uk/index.php

and some randomly sized and shaped MDF terrain bases, also from PfW which will be used for my planned array of scatter terrain to simulate the rocky and broken terrain of Dacia in the first century.

So that's it for another year of shows and show reports, with some new shows reported on and with plans to add to the list in future years.

Thanks to Mr Steve, Steve M, Bob and Vince for sharing the day out and making it a proper 'Boys Beano' and thanks also to Alistair Osborne, Chair of the Wargames Association of Reading, and the team from the club who brought the show together - keep up the good work chaps.