The Lard Zone : Salute 52

In recent years the Lard Zone has been a regular feature at Salute, showcasing the best of Lardy games and giving attendees the opportunity to participate and try out games. Salute 52 was no different.

With the release of Chain of Command 2 and the future Arnhem Campaign Handbook in the offing Nick and Rich took the opportunity to put on a Market Garden game with with British paratroops taking on the various hodge-podge of kampf gruppen that assembled to oppose the landing. One of the striking things about this game was the topography of the table, (which I failed to captured with my photographs). Nevertheless, having a railway embankment and a station  the table sloped  down to a resdental area,  beautifully representing the terrain in there area where the battle took place.

One of the outstanding games on display was Joe Bilton’s What a Tanker, in Caen 1944, which saw a mass ranks of tanks Clash in the ruins of the Norman city. I impressed myself by taking quite a few pictures of this game which hardly feature a tank! But there is so much to enjoy in Joe's absolutely sublime terrain which captures Caen in the days following  the D-Day invasion.

Additionally, the Lard Zone featured games of General the Armee, and Strength And Honour , sadly the photos I snapped where too shaky to use here.

Best in Show : Salute 52

 

The best of show at Salute 52 was awarded to an amazing looking game depicting the Warsaw uprising in August to October1944. 

This was one most tragic episodes of the Second World War. The Polish Home Army rose up in Warsaw  only to be crushed by the occupying Germans as the Soviets halted their advance just short of the city, giving The Germans carte blanche to crush the up Rising desperately struggling to establish a home government prior to the arrival of the Soviets forces. 

‘O’ Group was used,  which is a personal favourite for playing battalion level  engagements. While my scale of choice is 6mm because it gives a great representation of the ‘empty battlefield’. 

However, this is the gold standard of presentation games, in fact this game is  comparable to the highest quality diorama. In 28mm scale every manner of exquisite detail is represented on the tabletop. The action  is spread over a number of different  levels gives a very dynamic feeling  to the scene. The eye is drawn to countless tableux, and vignettes covering  the table. 
 

The entire display inspires greater interest in playing games in built up areas and adding touches and details to the tabletop. 

Further Reading:

Rising ’44 : The Battle for Warsaw, Norman Davies, 2004 

 

Viewing: 

Warsaw 1944. 

Salute 52 : the Best One Yet?

Here are a random collection of photographs from Salute 52 in April, in some of the post show analysis the show was described as the best ones yet. Judging from the buzz around the show, the wide range of games on display and to participate in we are spoilt for choice when it comes to scratching that gaming itch. 

Although it should be noted that the demographic of the traders is changing  and it appears to be a younger crowd with a more eclectic mix of games ranging from skirmishes to games involving all manner of things.  I suspect some of the older traders  more established lead figure traders are heading toward retirement and doing less shows these days. Despite this, the vibrancy of younger traders brings new ideas into the hobby and this is without doubt a good thing.  I even ran into Dave from the Effekt Podcast,  running the Free League stand, which was great. Although it might be a stretch to describe him has young! (Sorry Dave.)

We were treated to a wide range of games from all sort of periods including Commando raids, Scandinavian 19th Century. Ken Reilly of Yarkshire Gamer fame and his Battle of Mentana game (below)  I am always drawn to the Papal States units with there splendid flags. 

  The Luftwaffe Airfield for the solo LRDG game DAK Attack. 

Salute 2017

Last Saturday was Salute time again. A day out I never fail to enjoy thoroughly.  So here are a few pictures of some games that jumped out at me .  Although there was many more that I wish I’d photographed. 

  

A splended looking Russian Revoltion game.

Some Woodland First Nations laying a trap

Plastic foliage put to good use.

 The Italian and the Austro-Hungraians  mix it up in this one (I think).

A outstanding display depicting the Battle of Cambrai with lots of tanks huffing and puffing.

A very attractive and naturalist piece of terrain depicting an action in the Falklands/Malvinas conflict. 

 

The Shape Practice demo game, looked and sounded great fun -lots of chortling! 

The slow demise of a Heinkel in the Wings of Glory particpation game.

Again, this year it was a case of so many things to see and so little time!
Thanks South London Warlords and all those who put on such a range of wonderfully creative  games.

Goodies from Salute!

As with recent years I have endeavoured to get to the Salute, one of the highlights of my wargaming calendar. I am often accompanied by a non-wargamer, sadly I was unaccompanied this year. There were still plenty of people to talk to.  This year as usual I Spent the best part of the day wondering around looking at games and new products rules and models. Yet again I missed the bloggers meet, although I suspect I do not blog enough to be considered a proper blogger!!

 In any case the purpose of this blog is not to review the show. There are many more capable of that than I. I’d suggest the Madaxeman’s Salute podcast as a good place to start!

The purpose of today’s post is to show off my German Observation Balloon which I acquired at Salute  from Red Eagle Miniatures,  rusted home to build and paint.  It is a lovely model of a  Parseval-Sigsfeld Drachen balloon from Light weight foam ,  with a really  excellent metal  truck containing  the winch to get the thing up and down.  

It was a good opportunity to get the air brush out and give it a lick of paint. I am quite pleased with the way it has turned out. 

I have never done any rigging before and on reflection I think the darning thread I used is way over scale it seems to resemble the rigging and It should  look okay on the gaming table hovering over my  earlier Great War Germans,  spotting targets for off table artillery batteries.

Salute 2015

I also made it to Salute  this year  and as usual was overwhelmed by the depth and breadth of our hobby.  In addition to the huge range  of  games and activities on display  the friendly atmosphere  was  a great reflection on the wargaming community.

This year  a friend of mine accompanied me who knew nothing about war-games. Indeed,  the week before he asked me tentatively  if he could come and watch a game at some point, because he was interested  in finding out more  a bout the hobby.  I thought to myself, that he should  possibly want to come to see Salute, that will give him a better idea about war-games. As you might imagine he  was quite surprised  by  the size and the scale of the whole affair!

In any case here are a few snaps to of some of the games and displays  I saw or played in  during  the day.

An outstanding Early World War II game  depicting a German assault on  a coastal town 

Some shots of  Donnington Figures participation game of Agincourt which played by our chums from Central London Wargames Club. 

Finally A fun fast and furious medieval game using Osprey's Lion Rampart rules organised  by the Blackwolf Wargames Club of Hitchin.