Claymore 2014

Well, yet again it's been some considerable time since I posted on my neglected but definately not forgotten wargames blog.  I've been away a lot, see.  In fact, since my last post I've spent two weeks in Spain, two weeks in northern Uganda, a week in the Netherlands and to top it all a few days in Dumfries and Galloway.  I've forgotten where I actually live.

Still, I did manage to get to Claymore last month, as is our solid tradition, although there is a lot going on in Scotland at the moment but no doubt normal service will be resumed after 18 September (or not, as the case may be).  However, overall it was as well attended as ever, although I did think that the traders were particularly out in force, at least in the atrium area.  Anyway, here are some pictures and impressions from the show (apologies for the poor quality of some photos as I had forgotten my proper camera)

Forcing the Dardanelles - looking North towards the Sea of Marmara

Games that caught my eye included this impressive WW1 Dardanelles game using 1/3000 Navwar ships and General Quarters 3. This was put on by (I think) the Gourock Wargames Club and was of particular interest to me because a) I've got quite a few WW1 ships that need an airing and b) I am currently working on a (real world) project involving a new bridge across the Bosphorus, up near the Black Sea, at the diametrically opposite end of this vital and historic sea route.

Things start going wrong early - but hey, that's WW1 for you

Anyway, even from the wargame you could see that it was never going to work - what were the Admiralty and Churchill thinking?  (Under-estimating foreigners as per usual I shouldn't wonder).

F&DWC Indian Mutiny game

Then there was this excellent Indian Mutiny game from Falkirk & District Wargames Club.  I was told that the figures were mainly Mutineer Minatures (who also had a stall nearby).

F&DWC Indian Mutiny - mainly Mutineer Minatures

A particularly colourful action was a Macedonians vs Thracians game put on by Kirriemuir Wargames Club, using the Crusader rules.

'Heads I Win, Heads You Lose' was the intriguing title of this game

Figures were Foundry and Old Glory and had all been professionally painted by 'Fernando of Sri Lanka'.  I was embarassed to mentioned that it had taken my 15 years to paint my DBM 500pt Lydian Army and by the time I'd finished DBM had gone out of fashion (but I digress).

A ruined temple - those Thracians were right philistines

Other games included a sprawling divisional level early WW1 game put on by the Tyneside Wargames Club using a variation of their Great Captain rules.

Look, most of Belgium and western France on one table

I also liked the ACW game by the Iron Brigade.  Not sure what rules they were using.

ACW Iron Brigade game

And there was something I'd not seen before which was a Black Powder refight of the Battle of Waterloo using 54mm figures, including Timpo, Airfix and other manufacturers.  I think it was scaled down a bit.  The erratic Congreve Rocket was fun though.

RPG! RPG! RPG!

So there you have it.  Another year gone and another Claymore attended.  It is always inspiring and I have decided that, now I'm not travelling so much, I am going to get a lot more wargaming done this year.  I should admit that I make that resolution every year after Claymore but I think that this year it will be different because it's certainly time for a radical change in how we do things around here...