Salute 2014

Along with a very high proportion of those in the hobby in the South of England I was at Excel yesterday at the UK's largest wargames show, Salute. It's been a while since I posted for various reasons but I thought it worthwhile me putting something down on this and hopefully it won't be too long before I get something else done.

I thought the show was pretty quiet when I first arrived about 10:30 (using a pre-paid ticket to by-pass the queue) but it soon warmed up and overall I thought it was as busy as I had ever seen it. Generally I enjoyed the show. I spent a lot of time shopping, mostly to a fairly targeted list which I had thought about in advance. I ended up lugging round a good deal of stuff; it wasn't really a great idea to buy some pretty bulky hills first! My purchases ranged from couple of small plastic sangars and roadblocks, via pre-ordered figures for VBCW from Peter Pig and napoleonics from Fighting 15s (plus a few extras from Essex) through to the 4Ground farm complex. Should keep me busy for a while:

I had a good look round the show trying to see as many games as possible and dropped by to see people I know where I could. Hence I didn't have time to play any games. Here are a few of the games which took my eye one way or another:

SL Warlords Battle of Pelennor Field
using 75mm Armies of Middle Earth models

Too Fat Lardies: Chain of Command
Passing Le Port - much more about this here

Team Lard met up at 12:00
Photo by Roger Bell_Well  & Courtesy of Trouble at T'Mill

Tin Soldiers of Antwerp
Antwerp 1914

War & Conquest - the 300 at Thermopylae

A Pressing Engagement (Normandy) - Jersey Privateers

This detail from the above appealed to me

Wigmore Warriors gave us two games
One from 1914, the beginning of WW1...

.. . and one from 1918

Part of a massive D-Day game: the biggest thing I saw

Japanese steampunk: I think. Looks fun

The Peterborough club's: 'Dead's Army'
Home Guard vs SS zombies

Wyvern Wargames - Battle of Mons 1914 using Kallistra terrain, figures & rules

Race for the Sea: another 1914 game, (this time with Mud & Blood rules)
South East Essex Military Society - I think

Prussian Uhlans from the above

Loughton Strike Force - Kursk 1943
Another massive game but with great detail:
I loved the sunflowers

From one corner of the 4 Ground stand - Normandy 1944 ...

... to the other side: their upcoming range of 'fantasy buildings
I'm safe, I don't do 28mm!! They do look superb though

But Somehow I managed to miss this! People were simply calling it the hill:

http://scrivsland.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/the-battle-of-keren-salute-2014.html

Looking forward to next year already.