Salute 2016

10mm WW1 action from Kallistra

So Salute 2016 has come and gone.  This year I made my third trip to see what was upcoming in the world of wargaming.  I was a late booker so the grab bag seemed a little light this year.  Top marks to the Warlords organisation wise the event ran very smooth. Overall a good event but I would have preferred to see more Games clubs games on offer for inspiration. This year seemed to have a lot of traders demonstrating their games. I think Warlord games had three Gates of Antares tables only. Someone mentioned there was something like 280 games traders so maybe ratio to traders tables was up match the numbers. Either way I felt the quirky games you get from the games clubs was missing a little. This years theme was steam punk which I thought it was represented better last year with Mars colonial games either it does not interest me much so I skipped by most of it.

Formula Minions racing

Studio tomahawk was high on my list for the event.  I was interested in the soon to be released SAGA campaign book, the Congo rule book and planned SAGA expansion into early medieval age.  The Campaign  book was on pre-release at the event.  I picked up a copy and I see a SAGA campaign at some point in the future.  It is good to see SAGA getting a campaign expansion. Finally SAGA getting a campaign system it should bring some more meaning to the battles, plus additional scenarios to give more variety to battles and chance to develop your warlord over the campaign.   I was hoping to pick up a copy of Congo but it is not yet ready for sale. The game pits players against each other in the setting of the late 19th century Congo filled with man eating lions, pygmy cannibals and rival Europeans power  Strangely, after talking about the game with the writers I am a little less keen to buy in. Partly because the rules will be in hardback (no softbacks or PDFs sadly), partly because it seems there may be a bit too many random events. In Musket and Tomahawks you get one to three random events per turn. In our games we are settling around two events since the consensus is three events is a bit too much. But as I understand Congo may have more. Then again maybe that suits the setting.  Gripping Beasts had some plastic late Roman (aka Arthurian) but there was not any info on when the early medieval age supplement would come out. If it is like the Cross and Crescent supplement I may just give it a miss since I am not keen on picking up more hardbacks  to carry around to games.

Star Trek game

Strangely I think bases were my biggest investment at Salute this year.  Before Salute I had got some custom movement trays from Warbases and after a bit of refinement I was back from more.

54mm Pennsula war something to do with the Sharp book series

Sharp in action

From warbase I picked bases for FIW/AWI, Sharp Practice 2 and Saga, while from  magnetic displays picked up some bases for Blucher.  Interestingly there was lack generic MDF bases available this year with most MDF suppliers opting instead to bring more elaborate MDF products. It is interesting to chart the development of MDF products over time at the start it was basic but no it is getting more and more elaborate go in the future. With even Commission figurines already do 6mm napoleonic figures in MDF.

Seven years war action

Most of the miniatures purchased went to Bluemoon/Old Glory. Last year I tried to get some French foreign legion but they were sold out.  This year they were the frist on the list. La legion and their arabs adversaries will be seeing action in in either Sharp practice 2, sword and flame or Man who would be king at some point in the future.  I also have a rather large package of AWI (Amerians, British, French and Germans) on the way.

Tripod Vs battleship

Attached is a link to the Salute pictures lots of good eye candy and some interesting ideas for future projects

Tripods Vs..

.. WW2 tanks

7TV Scooby do gang (another game I would like to try at some point)

Scooby in (in)action

Battle of Foteviken from Dalauppror (I really like the boats)

 4grounds Scifi terrain in action during the Horus Heresy 

Bluemoon Colonials ( I think I might borrow the basing idea for my French foreign legion)

Gates of Antares (one of several Gates demo tables)

That is all for now thanks for stopping by