Claymore 2013

Well, I managed to achieve something since I last posted and that was to get to Claymore 2013 in Edinburgh.  It's been somewhat of a tradition since our school days and Geoff and I must have been going to it since at least 1980 when it was held at Adam House in Chambers Street, through the Meadowbank years (I had a tenement flat right across the road at the time) and now at its current home, the Edinburgh College campus in Granton (on the old gasworks site).

Anyway, some interesting games were on (with fewer Very British Civil War offerings than previously).  A bit too many odd space battles in evidence though (surely that is what computers are for?): I'm afraid I take the historical wargamer bit seriously.  Anyway, here are some highlights.  First are some pictures from the 15mm SYW Zorndorf refight put on by the Gourock Wargames Association (GWA).

Prussian cavalry cross the Langer-Grund on their right.

Cavalry action in the woods.

View from behind Russian centre.

View of Prussian centre.

View of Russian centre.

Cossacks in the woods.

Overview from the Russian's right flank (the Zabern-Grund in the foreground).

Prussian artillery and infantry.

Figures were a mixture of Old Glory (mainly Prussians) and Essex (mainly Russians).  The GWA was using the Piquet ruleset and it seemed inspiring enough for me to go off and buy a copy afterwards (added to the pile, but more of that later no doubt).

The next game that caught my eye was the Glasgow and District Wargaming Society's 28mm WW2 scenario Raid on Tito, depicting the botched attempt by the Germans to mount a combined airborne and ground attack on Tito's headquarters near Drvar in what is now Bosnia.  Rules were Bolt Action and this game was particularly interesting to me as I have recently been reading Fitzroy MacLean's Eastern Approaches (amongst other things).

Tito's forces threaten to over-run the German LZ and glider.

Tito's headquarters.

Panzerschrek in the marsh.

Germans infiltrate the woods.

Partizans defend Drvar.

Overview of Drvar

Another interesting game was the Charge of the Light Brigade public participation event put on by Kirriemuir Wargames Club.  Rules were apparently based on the Tennyson poem of the same name (sub-titled Anyone for Tennyson?).  The aim, as you might expect, was to get (the remains of) your squadron to the 'safety' of the Russian guns at the far end of the Valley of Death.

What's that you say, Nolan?  Those guns over there?  Righto!

It'll all end in tears.

"Very interesting, but stupid."

Hurry up lads.  If we don't get there in time the pubs will be all shut.

Other games included some sort of barbarian attack on a Roman fort put on by Claymore Castings (excellent figures):

Oi, leave that testudo alone.

The Tyneside Wargames Club with a massive Great Captain rules demonstration:

Impressive.

And RAF Leuchars' participation game Banzai!  Looked like fun - although I thought the guy in the foreground moving the aerial sea urchins on sticks around had escaped from the kitchens at Pizza Express.

Met office forecast - Divine Wind, gale force 10, backing easterly.

The traders were out in full force and apart from impulse buying a copy of Piquet Field of Battle 2nd edition to try out (1700-1900), I added to my collection of unpainted Blue Moon 15mm Marlburians and got a copy of the Osprey book on Peleliu 1944, just for interest.  Anyway, overall not too bad and thanks again to the SESWC for keeping this show on and growing all these years.