The Other Partizan 2017 - A picture review.

I've just got back from The Other Partizan. Hopeless day for buying stuff.

 I've been doing a lot of clearing out so didn't want to be tempted by a random new thing.  There were some Perry Napoleonics I'd hoped to find but no joy, so my haul was three metallic paints and some bases. I spent more on the entrance fee and the burger than the stash.

I was tempted by some of the weathering powders and paints, but want to do some more research online first.

A sucker for the shiny games...

However I got to a good look at a god chunk of the demo games.  A Partizan always has been about the games for me.  Kelham Hall suffered from it's many dark corners and the new venue is much lighter which makes it easier to enjoy the games.  I had the wrong lens on my camera - so there's limited depth of field on a lot of the shots... but here goes
with some things that caught my attention:

40mm is the future...

No it really isn't but the 40mm Napoleonic Demo games was thing to behold.  Ian, who's game it was, had pulled it all together with the enormous support of his painting friends.  He told me that 40mm has an impact at distance in a way that 28mm doesn't and allows for very effective painting, even as out eyes get older.    It was a wonderful display, based on a scenario from one of the Sharpe Novels.  Lovely to see Grand Manner rules in use too. Sash and Sabre, Perry and other figures, including some conversions and some cast conversions. Lots of colour and he picked up the gong for the best display game.

I'll come back to Napoleonics in a moment but first

 

Two Fat Lardies Passchendaele 1917

This was a remarkable piece of terrain building with layers of terrain removable to reveal bunkers and trenches.   The water was amazing, the tanks, whether in use of bogged down, were brilliantly painted.  I think it was a participation game - Two fat Lardies usually like to demo their rules, give people a taste.

Back to Horse and Musket.

I have always drooled over the extraordinary work of  the League of Augsburg  - I stared for ages at photos of their huge unit 28mm Napoleonics. So today I got to chat to them. Yes they did do Waterloo with double size units (that around 70 to an infantry battalion).  Today they did an 1814 game which allowed real use of the Old Guard, cavalry and infantry - for real in a real (toy) battle.

This rendition of  Arcis Sur Aube also allowed me to ogle at their super detailed artillery batteries with all sorts of figures in depth, especially the extra's from the Perry ranges.

Meanwhile Derby Club  Steve Jones (the East Midlands really is the UK Wargames hotspot) offered up some wonderful figures for an AWI game:

Meanwhile Phil Olley did himself extremely proud with the Battle of Neerfuncken - so many straight lines!

and this ACW game made wonderful use of door mat wheatfields...

Crikey Crecy

These were probably the finest figures I saw.  The picture really don't do them justice.  French mounted knights painted by three different people  - including the fine painter behind harness and Array - from the group the Bodkins.  Each figure is remarkable, that they shared a style that work across the game is exceptional.

Ok - so what else caught my eye:

A Very British Civil War appeals.. loved the 1930's clobber worn by the gamers and I didn't realise how much support material there is.

 

These Perry 28mm figures

and this very interesting idea of figures of women by women from Bad Squiddo games

Overall a good show - getting back that feeling of ultra eye candy from perhaps a decade ago. Or maybe how it feels is also shaped by how I feel!