The Megalomaniac (Mwhaha)

Sunday, 2 June 2013

Partizan

Popped over to Partizan today to have a look at the wonderful games and pick up a few trinkets. I got there around 12 and found it really busy. I missed out on the free figure which is normally a sign of high footfall. I am not sure if the new entrance effected the flow of people, and at least one room was almost one in one out, but it definitely had a crowded feel. Crowded in a good way, as it gave the show a buzz. So what game delights did I see....

Wargames Developments - WW1 participation

RAF Wargames Association - Blakes 7. This was a busy participation game. I will get my Blakes 7 figures painted honest!

RAF Wargames Association - Blakes 7

RAF Wargames Association - Blakes 7. Blakes team takes a bow between games. Great figures from Crooked Dice.

RAF Wargames Association - Blakes 7

Sheffield Old Boys - 28mm Dark Age skirmish 'Feast of Crows'

Grantham Strategy Club - Witch Racing. This looked great fun.

Grantham Strategy Club

North Hull Wargames Club - 20mm WW2 Blitzkrieg France. This was a great looking table with Brits defending against Germans. This room was a bit squeezed this year as the new management had placed the bar in here (not open). Even better for some reason the lights in the ceiling were pointing upwards so making this quite a dark room. The LED explosions did get a chance to shine.

North Hull Wargames Club - 20mm WW2 Blitzkrieg France.

North Hull Wargames Club - 20mm WW2 Blitzkrieg France. I loved these.

North Hull Wargames Club - 20mm WW2 Blitzkrieg France.

Newark Irregulars 28mm Jungle Warfare - Chindits against the Japs.

Newark Irregulars 28mm Jungle Warfare

Warlord Games 28mm WW2 Bolt Action game

Westbury Wargames - 28mm Carlist Wars 1837 - Battle of Arquijas. I'm a sucker for Perry Miniatures and games set in the snow. This was one of those games I had to keep coming back to look at.

Westbury Wargames - 28mm Carlist Wars 1837 - Battle of Arquijas

Great Escape Games - Wild West participation game showcasing their Dead Man's Hand rules.

Great Escape Games - Wild West participation game

Lance and Longbow Society

Lincoln Miniature Warfare Society - 'snowy' Impetus

Wargames Soldiers & Strategy Magazine 28mm Ninja participation game.

Wings of Glory Aerodrom Forum 1/144 WW1 air combat

Wings of Glory Aerodrome Forum 1/144 WW1 air combat

RAF Cranwell Wargames Club - 20mm WW2

South East Scotland Wargames Club - 28mm 1950s Korean War

League of Gentleman Anti-Alchemists 28mm 1857 Indian Mutiny game. This board was raised to about chest height giving the game a different viewing perspective. I liked it. Not so God like.

League of Gentleman Anti-Alchemists 28mm 1857 Indian Mutiny game

The Bunker - 28mm Sherlock Holmes. This board just keeps growing each time I see it. Very popular with the punters giving the game a go. I think there were 2 to 3 games being played simultaneously on the lay out. Great stuff. Lots to see.

The Bunker - 28mm Sherlock Holmes

The Bunker - 28mm Sherlock Holmes. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is the flying blur. I didn't notice this straight away. Brill.

The Bunker - 28mm Sherlock Holmes

South East London Wargames Group - Valhalla a Viking Skirmish game. Apparently the rules are free to download from the web.

South East London Wargames Group - Valhalla a Viking Skirmish game

Derby Wargames Society 28mm WW2 Desert Action

Very British Civil Forum Battle of Leicester game of the 1937 Very British Civil War. I love this 'what if', and the game was a delight to look at. Well painted figures, vignettes and a sausage dog, a bull dog and some ducks.

Very British Civil Forum Battle of Leicester game of the 1937 Very British Civil War

Very British Civil Forum Battle of Leicester game of the 1937 Very British Civil War. Is that a bath strapped to a wheel bed being used a mobile pill box?

Very British Civil Forum Battle of Leicester game of the 1937 Very British Civil War.

Very British Civil Forum Battle of Leicester game of the 1937 Very British Civil War. On second look I noticed these are Hinterland Miniatures ladies.

Very British Civil Forum Battle of Leicester game of the 1937 Very British Civil War.

Very British Civil Forum Battle of Leicester game of the 1937 Very British Civil War. Spot the bull dog and daschund. The daschund and it's owners are Westaphalia Miniatures supplied by Empress Miniatures in the UK.

Very British Civil Forum Battle of Leicester game of the 1937 Very British Civil War.

League of Augsburg 28mm 1690s Cavalry Clash - Flanders Bullets and Blades

Skirmish Wargames 54mm Battle of Pavia

Craig Davey, Simon Miller and Friends - 28mm Ancients - Battle of Raphia 217 BC. Ptolemiac and Selucid armies clash. I liked the terrain and figures on this game. The terrain was nice and simple but really looked like a cultivated plain. The figures looked great, and with 1500 plus on the board impressive. The rules used were Simon Miller's 'To The Strongest'. Rules designed to play quick large games. Similar to Hail Caesar but more suitable for competitions. I was shocked to discover that the Ptolemiac pikes painted by Simon were in fact pins with a pike head painted on, I'd have sworn there was a sculpted head. A game that meets my megalomaniac standards!

Craig Davey, Simon Miller and Friends - 28mm Ancients - Battle of Raphia 217 BC

Craig Davey, Simon Miller and Friends - 28mm Ancients - Battle of Raphia 217 BC. Ptolemiac phalanxes nearest the camera.

Craig Davey, Simon Miller and Friends - 28mm Ancients - Battle of Raphia 217 BC

Craig Davey, Simon Miller and Friends - 28mm Ancients - Battle of Raphia 217 BC. Nice use of Perry Miniatures plastic Sudanese with some conversion as Arabs in Selucid service.

Craig Davey, Simon Miller and Friends - 28mm Ancients - Battle of Raphia 217 BC

Kallistra - 15mm Napoleonic

Like a Stonewall Wargames Club - 28mm American Plains Indians - The Fetterman Fight, 1866

Like a Stonewall Wargames Club - 28mm American Plains Indians - The Fetterman Fight, 1866. Very atmospheric game, which in these pictures was turning in to a historical one. The ill fated commander is top left trying to ride to safety.

Like a Stonewall Wargames Club - 28mm American Plains Indians - The Fetterman Fight, 1866

Bramley Barn Wargames Club - 20mm Cold War - 1958 North German Plain fought using Rapid Fire rules.

Bramley Barn Wargames Club - 20mm Cold War

Bramley Barn Wargames Club - 20mm Cold War. Soviet T10s on the right the super heavy tank of the day.

Bramley Barn Wargames Club - 20mm Cold War

Bramley Barn Wargames Club - 20mm Cold War. A British Conqueror tank lurks in the trees.

Bramley Barn Wargames Club - 20mm Cold War. British Centurions waiting for the waves of Soviet tanks opposite.

Forest Outlaws - 28mm War of 1812 - Sacket's Harbour 29th May 1813

Sunday, 19 May 2013

25/28mm Crimean War and 1866 figure compatibility

As promised here are some pictures of Warlord and Foundry Crimean War figures side by side. As previously posted I was able to compare a Foundry figure with a Great War Miniatures one and found that the infantry were roughly compatible. The Great War figure was taller than Foundry, and similar in height to Warlord Games' Crimean figures. I found the cavalry for both Great War Miniatures and Warlord Games to be a similar height and much bigger that Foundry, see the Warlord and Foundry comparison photos below. Interestingly the Great War Miniatures Russian Hussar in cap was smaller than their 17th Lancer figures and to my eye just a millimetre or so off the Foundry figure height and horse size. I think the fact the horse was not galloping with it's legs extended helped a lot with this. I'd probably use this particularly figure with my Foundry cavalry.

Since I was taking photos I've added in North Star's 1866 Prussians as well. I have Franco-Prussian War armies and I fancy branching out in to the Austro-Prussian War. The method in my madness being the FPW French are suitable for the Crimea (ignore the Chassepot and a minor uniform difference) and the Prussians are suitable to fight the Austrians.

Warlord games left, Foundry right. The Warlord figure is taller but his pose of slightly leaning forward brings him close to the Foundry figure height.

Warlord Games on the left and Foundry on the right. The horse size stands out immediately.

Warlord Games on the left and Foundry on the right. The horse size again stands out immediately, and in this photo the Foundry cavalry man is much smaller. Interestingly the rump of both horses are the same height and the legs seem a similar length. If the Warlord horse had it's head down then these two wouldn't look that different. Although not shown when the riders are put on, the Warlord figure is taller by a couple of millimetres, enough for me not to dare mix them.

Warlord, Foundry, Foundry, Warlord

Here is a selection of the Crimean armies slowly being built. The majority are Foundry with one unit of Warlord in this mix. I can't tell them a part easily at this my normal wargaming viewing height. So for me I reckon I can mix Warlord and Great War Miniatures infantry which is great as it gives me more choice.

A Foundry battalion in front and Warlord at the rear. The height difference is not noticeable, at least to me.

Side shot. Warlord to the left and Foundry to the right. The Warlord figures have more detail than Foundry.

A slightly less blurred side shot.

The same figures, Warlord battalion behind the Foundry one. From wargaming height the differences are not noticeable to me.

Warlord, North Star, North Star, Foundry. The North Star 1866 officer is a perfect match for Foundry, the bugler is a little taller. The North Star 1866 are a little bulkier than Foundry. I would be happy to use both, as I do like some of the North Star poses, especially their charging infantry.

Warlord, Foundry, North Star 1866. I think the North Star figure is a good in between size and would work with both, but since it's only Foundry that I need to match then I think North Star work. So a result for me, I can use North Star Prussian cavalry as well.

Saturday, 18 May 2013

25/28mm Crimean War figures compatibility

I've been sussing out what figures work with which manufacturer for my 25mm to 28mm Crimean War armies. The majority of the growing collection is Wargames Foundry so my main criteria is that they need to fit in with these.

I like the look of Great War's range from North Star and Warlord Games figures. I found that both these ranges fit well with each other. The infantry of these ranges are approx. 1 to 2mm taller that Foundry figures. I have a Warlord Games British unit and to be honest when painted and based I struggled to tell which was which with Foundry. OK a closer inspection dispels this and the leaning forward of the Warlord figure helps with the height distance. Great War I don't own but I was able to to compare the figure with Foundry one at Sheffield Triples and I found the height difference the same as Warlord.

Cavalry compatibility is a different issue. I have both Foundry (the majority) and some Warlord samples. Warlord are larger, mainly due to the horse being bigger. Today I compares Foundry and Great War cavalry and again Great War were larger. Interestingly the Great War 17th Lancers were much bigger but the Russian Hussars in a less dramatic pose would probably work.

I'll post some photos of the Warlord and Foundry figures together.