As I have said before, the Warfare show in Reading is not one of my favourites to travel to, as driving in Reading is like driving in the Monaco Grand Prix with no pit exit lane. The awful one way system means that you can be doomed to circle around the centre endlessly, like Halley's Comet or, if you get in the wrong lane, be slingshot off to somewhere odd like Basingstoke, with no way to turn around for five miles, while being cut up by angry men in Vauxhalls. So what a relief to get a lift from Eric the Shed and arrive stress free.
I took my camera but really there isn't much to photograph, as the trade stands are trade stands and the hall is cramped (it was busy too) and the games are mostly of the tournament type. Rank after rank of wargames on largely identical green baize cloths with that sort of toy town scenery. It is the wargames equivalent of battery farming but I think, perhaps, that my exposure to Eric's marvellous scenery has spoiled me. We did have a chance to talk about planned campaigns for next year including Jason and the Argonauts and Frostgrave.
My limited purchases were all on my pre-show list, pretty much. Frostgrave soldiers and some lady Vikings from the Dice Bag Lady plus a couple of lady Dark Ages archers, which were a new release at the show from Elite Wargames and Models. I was going to buy the female Frostgave sigilist and apprentice to lead my lady Vikings but the figures were tiny. In fact all the metal Frostgrave figures were smaller than I expected. I went for the Norse-looking Enchanter and apprentice instead but I think some of my lady Vikings will dwarf them.
I thought I had bought the 7th Voyage Ray Harryhausen type rules when they first came out but have been unable to find them anywhere so I picked up a copy, as one of the stands had them at a third off.
Finally, and the only thing not on my list, was a bag of 10mm Republican Romans from Newline Designs. I have always wanted to do the Punic Wars but am I ever going to be able to paint enough 28mm figures? I will see if I can actually paint them but they look, unusually for this scale, quite good anatomically. I will have to make a decision about basing and rules. I sold my Warmaster Ancients rules years ago (foolishly, as the cheapest they go for now is about £32 a copy second hand) but maybe I should just use Hail Ceasar or some such.
It's too dark to paint this afternoon but maybe I can do some basing.
Thanks to Eric for the lift!
