Saturday 29 December 2018

The IWG Annual of Fun 2018.

 Well its that time of the year again. The Independent Wargames Group Annual of Fun 2018. For the young and uninformed from around the World the image above is the cartoon character Andy Capp who embodied the years when I was growing up in the North East of the 1960's and 1970's. Andy was a hard drinking, work shy, rascal who often fought with his wife Flo or any other person for that matter. He had a good heart and loved his life and football.


As a child I used to love to read his exploits and his view on life in and around Hartlepool, a place that sadly still suffers from deprivation and lack of investment.But Andy was always impulsive and hopeful of winning big on the horses. God forbid that he should need to get a job.


What has this to do with wargaming?
Very little really, but like all good annuals they should contain humorous and the like.
Anyway onto some more nostalgia, [do you see what I did there]   It has been a very busy Christmas Period and wargaming has taken a back seat but now I'm back so managed to complete another Hinchliffe unit for my English Civil War project, the aim? To re create the armies that my long standing opponent John Reidy sold way back in the 1980's which I was always impressed by and wanted to own but never had the cash to buy.
I can never replicate the way John painted that wonderful couple of armies, by God I would love to have them even now. Unusually for me I have drawn up a list of what I still need to buy and paint to complete the two armies, it is quite a long list. I say unusual because I try not to buy large amounts of metal now, because I find piles of unpainted figures very de-motivating. The list however is necessary as I know Ian Hinds intends to hold a Spring sale of Hinchliffe figures which it would make sense to use to buy what I need.
Anyway back to 2018. Show wise I didn't attend as many as usual, this was simply because of other commitments ie. holidays and family commitments. Of the shows I did attend the best for me was the first Partizan which had a great number of quality games to look at and gain inspiration. The worst...York and that was simply because of the success of the event which made attending quite an unpleasant experience. Hopefully next year's will be a more pleasant event with new games that will again inspire me.
One is overwhelmed by the number of brave individuals prepared to put their money where their mouths are and produce small ranges of figures, this year has been no different with some unusual subjects released. This is in 28mm by the way. I think there are several wargamers who deserve recognition for their courage. They will never make a fortune but still release figures. This years favourites for me are Graham Cummings of Crann Tara fame for releasing his wonderful SYW French mounted musketeers and Saxon figures sculpted by the son? of Charles Stadden. Brilliant. The second person who deserves a thank you is Barry Hilton for beginning to release a lovely Turkish range.Great sculpts.
On to rules. What a year yet again as wargames rules were released covering every period, scale and genre from skirmish to army sized games, it was never ending. John and I played several sets of these rules and frankly I enjoyed them all for different reasons. My overall favourite was Simon Miller's,  For King and Parliament which captured the period beautifully.
 John and I however have also looked back into our wargaming past and re discovered the excellence of the original Volley and Bayonet rules that give a subtle but quick playing game.Frank Chadwick is a very good writer of subtle rules.

Of course 2018 saw the release of Black Powder 2 which I naturally bought. One either loves or simply hates these rules. I actually have grown to appreciate their simplicity and lightness of touch, yes the new book has issues ie. poor proof reading, but as a set of fun rules they work and work very well. 
So what for the future? Well 2019 sees me travel over the border into the land of the Scots for The Great Game 2019, the re enactment of The Battle of Waterloo in 28mm. It should be quite a weekend and all for a very good cause. Apart from that I hope to fight more games and complete my ECW project which will then allow me to return to the renaissance and the small metal mountain calling me.I intend to get to more wargames shows next year, and visit ones I have never attended jut to see what they are about. So to all wargamers who visit this modest site, a Happy New Year and a very prosperous one.






22 comments:

  1. I loved reading Andy Capp in the Sunday Newspaper as a kid. Great comic strip!

    I wish I had your self-restraint regarding the lead pile but I do not. As some say, "it is what it is" and I have come to terms with it. While a small lead pile may motivate more painting, a large lead pile produces guilt and that leads to painting motivation too!

    Robbie you had a fruitful 2018 and here's to a productive and enjoyable 2019. Cheers!

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    1. Thanks Jonathan. I have tried to avoid bulk buying of figures after an early and bad experience as a teenager when I bought something like 30 boxes of Airfix French Napoleonic's. They were never painted and some never taken off their sprues finally I binned them when I thought there was no future in wargaming?

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  2. Robbie, enjoyed your blog in 2018 and your generosity towards the big nappy game for next year, best wishes for 2019.

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    1. Thanks Norm, its been a weird old 2018, so hopefully 2019 will be the same.

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  3. Nice one Robbie, all the best for the next year! Look forward to your reports on the 1815 bash.

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    1. All the best to yourself, hopefully I will be able to create some interesting little posts this new year.

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  4. Nice work.. and tempting too. Mr. Gilder's figures are really growing on me, although back in the 80's I thought them terribly dated... funny how tastes change. Nice to know Hind's are planning a sale too.
    Best wishes for 2019
    cheers
    Mike

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    1. Mike, its a strange thing how one returns to where things started as you get older. I could only afford small amounts of Hinchliffe figures when I was much younger, they then went out of favour as I began to buy from newer and what seemed better ranges.I think as I re examined what Peter Gilder had acieved I realised just how lovely the units looked and I wanted them. By the way the sale is planned for February.

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    2. Thanks Robbie, that gives me a month to scrape together a few coppers for more Renaissance figures.

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  5. Lovely unit Robbie. Happy to see you during Waterloo game.

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    1. I wouldnt be so certain of that Bartek, Im a bit like Marmite. But the weekend is setting itself up to be one hell of an event.

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  6. Robbie,
    Thanks for the kind words, as you know Crann Tara isn't about making money it's just about making nice figures for me 🤣 And those who want to share the hobby.
    I love your nostalgia trip with the ECW certainly brings back some great memories and regrets! However I'm trying to be focused and have lots of plans for the coming year. All the best to you and looking forward for some chats in the near future

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    1. All the best Graham. I know it was a big step embarking n Crann Tara but its grown exponentially. I will be returning to the Lace War period intent on adding some more eclectic units. Hopefully we will talk at York.

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  7. Lovely looking ECW regiment, thanks for the heads up about Ian Hinds sale, making lists though sounds dangerously like forward planning to me anathema to the amateur way we play the game,if I did that I wouldn't have loads of gendarmes and no mounted crossbowmen, anyway looking forward to you returning to the Rennaisance and I've also enjoyed Dr Millers rules.
    Best Iain

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    1. The sale is penciled in for February Iain.As for planning. Normally I just put my head down and paint until I think Ive enough, its probably not a good way to go about things but after 40 plus years of wargaming it will never change now.It probably explains just why I have so many gendarmes. God do I love the buggers. All the best to you and yours.

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  8. Robbie,a very happy and healthy new year to you and Neil and John,will we see you at Falkirk?
    johnc

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    1. I keep promising myself a night over the border John and would love to go to the show. Maybe this year perhaps.

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  9. Andy Capp, I remember him fondly from my youth, and the Perishers! All the very best for 2019 Robbie! See you at Partizan I hope.

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    1. Looking forward to the show David, perhaps this time I can buy you a tea and a biscuit and discuss the ACW.

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My 6mm Napoleonic set up.

My 6mm Napoleonic set up.
Austria 1809.

Austrian Hussars

Austrian Hussars
Hinchliffe figures

Austrian Grenzer

Austrian Grenzer
Austrian Grenzer

Smoggycon 2013

Smoggycon 2013
Smoggycon 2013

Smoggycon 2012

Smoggycon 2012
Smoggycon 2012

Smoogycon 2009

Smoogycon 2009
My French getting another beating