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Monday 24 April 2017

SALUTE2017: A photo report

On Saturday I made my first visit to SALUTE for five years. I had no great expectations as to what I would find when I got there, having been somewhat disappointed on my last two visits. In fact it turned out to be much better than I had hoped it would be, as I think the following photo report will show.

The closure of the Custom House station on the DLR (Docklands Light Railway) did not cause any problems for those of us attending SALUTE. In fact the alternative station we had to use (Prince Regent) was actually more convenient as it was less far to walk from the station to the venue inside the ExCel Centre. The only downside to the journey was the fact that it was raining as we arrived at Prince Regent.


The entrance to SALUTE was easy to find and marshals from the South London Warlords were on hand to check you in ...


... and direct you to the queue to go in.


This looks far more horrendous than it actually was, and the queue moved forward at a slow but steady pace. Considering how long it was when I joined it at 9.55am, the fact that it only took thirty minutes for me to get in seemed not too unreasonable.


Starting in the corner to the left of the entrance, I made my way around each of the games that was on show. (Please note that not all of the games shown in following photographs were easy to identify from their description in the Show Guide, and therefore may not have a club, society, group, or company attribution or a caption. These are indicated by a '?', and if I do manage to identify them at a later date, I will add an attribution.)

Simple Miniature Games: Maulifaux


?


Simple Miniature Games: Batman


Gentlemens Wargames Parlour: Left hand down a bit (or Sink HMS Eagle)
This game (set during the Very British Civil War period) featured some interesting conversions of model battleships ...


... and a rather neat model of an aircraft carrier.


Warlord Wargamers: English Civil War


Dalauppror: Fort Mosquito 1654
This was a battle between Swedish and Dutch colonial troops in mid-17th century Delaware ...


... and featured as its centrepiece a very nice model fort.


Wargames Illustrated: Celebrity Deathmatch!
Individual combat between historical and fictional characters.


Society of Ancients: The Battle of Kadesh



Gatehouse Wargames: Pearson's Farm
An American Civil War battle.


Legion Wargames Club: Mythos Demonstration Game
A skirmish/horror themed game set in a small townscape.


Modiphius Entertainment: Achtung! Cthulhu
An attack on the Nazi Black Sun base.


Modiphius Entertainment: Airfix Battles
A 54mm/1:35th-scale version of this popular game.


?


?


Hornchurch Wargames Club: Wars of the Roses
A demonstration game using 10cm hexes and home-grown rules.


Kampfgruppe Kegworth: The Curse of Deadman's Hand
An Old West game set in what appears to be a ghost town.


Little Wars of Australia: Tribal Primeval
A prehistoric skirmish game.


Essex Warriors: The Battle of Prague, 1757
A re-fight of one of Frederick the Great's victories.


The Old Guard: Command and Colours: Napoleonic
Napoleonic warfare using a tried and trusted game system.


Runewars


Dark Sphere Gaming Club: X-Wing
Empire vs. Rebel fighters dogfight above the planet Scarif.


Too Fat Lardies: Sharp Practice


Micro Art Studio: Wolsung Steampunk Skirmish Game
Extraordinary groups of men and women fighting shadowy organisations and foreign powers that are hell-bent on world power.


Weymouth Levellers: Search and Destroy! Vietnam, 1966
Buckle up and dust off ... and look out Charlie!


White Dragon Miniatures: Shattered Void: Hunting Bigger Prey
A deadly space dogfights between capital ships.


Crooked Dice Games Design Studio: 7TV: Wargaming in the World of Cult TV
A cinematic 7TV quick-play game set in a ruined version of London.


Crooked Dice Games Design Studio: 7TV: Wargaming in the World of Cult TV
A cinematic 7TV quick-play game set on an oil rig somewhere in the North Sea.


Crooked Dice Games Design Studio: 7TV: Wargaming in the World of Cult TV
A cinematic 7TV quick-play game set in a complex of old warehouses and workshops.


Maidstone Wargames Society: Fenris Descending
Human defenders vs. hundreds of deadly robots! Can they survive the onslaught?


The Naval Wargames Society: Gunboats of the Dvina
British and Soviet forces vie for control of this vital waterway during the summer of 1919.


G3 Wargamers: Devil's Run, Route 666
A post-apocalyptic free-for-all, no-holds-barred combat race game.


Pike and Shot Society: King Phillip's War
Can the local Indian tribes drive off the unwanted settlers?


The Ministry of Gentlemanly Warfare: Werewolves vs. Vampires
A fight between werewolves and vampires in a gaveyard.


The Ministry of Gentlemanly Warfare: Van Helsing vs. von Frankenstein
The arch vampire hunter vs. the creator of a monster. Who can possibly win this titanic struggle?


Herts Volunteers: Sword Beach, 1944
A re-fight of the British landings on Sword Beach on 6th June. 1944.


The game featured some very nice model landing craft and vehicles ...


... as well as some excellent terrain, which included ...


... a heavily-fortified urban area.


Tanks!


Flames of War demonstration game


Scarab Pals: Great War: Zero Hour: Italy, 1917
A monumental battle in Italy between the Allies and the Great Powers.


K-Kraft Miniatures: Relay 26
Opposing forces attempt to knock out a major communications link.


Crewe and Nantwich Wargaming Society: The Japanese Invasion of the Philippines.
This game featured some wonderful models ...


... and terrain.


Gaslands: Vehicle Mayhem!
A post-apocalypse vehicle combat game.


Tunbridge Wells Wargaming Society: Russian counter-attack near Rogochev
A re-fight of the 1942 Russian attack on a German defensive position.


Oxford Wargames Society: The Battle of Ashdown, 871
A re-fight of the battle to save Wessex from the invading Danes.


Wyre Forest Wargames Club: Battle of Kalisz, 1706


?


Games in Thanet Society: Papers Please!
Can the escaping British POWs make it?


The Drowned Earth


The Drowned Earth


Battle for Neustadt
The Cold War goes hot in 1984.


Ilford Wargames Group: Star Wars X-Wing Mega Battle


Continental Wars Society: Meet me at the Trocadero


A re-fight of the 1823 Siege of Cadiz ...


... when the French captured the fort on the island of Trocadero ...


... in support of the Spanish Bourbon monarchy.


Whitehall Warlords: Russian Civil War


Wigmore Warriors: Spaghetti Western
A game that used real spaghetti in one of its game mechanisms!


Simon Miller and the Wargames Holiday Centre: The Battle of Raphia, 217 BCE
The armies of Ptolemy IV and Antiochus the Great face each other in a re-fight of this epic battle.


Skirmish Wargames: Save the Tsar!
A 54mm-scale battle to rescue the Tsar.


?


Southbourne Tabletop and Boardgamers: The Red Navy in the Second Great Patriotic War of 1984
Naval warfare between a NATO task force and Soviet naval forces.


Lance and Longbow Society: Wars of the Roses
A skirmish game using a simplified version of the Lion Rampant rules.


Pedion Modular Battlefields


Freebooter Miniatures: Freebooter's Fate
A fantasy pirate game.


Real Time Wargames: The Art of War: Battles and Campaigns in 15th century Italy
Warfare in the age of the Condottieri.


Bexley Reapers Wargaming Club: Cretaceous Camp
Can you survive in a dinosaur-rich environment ... where you might be dinner?


Scimitar Games Club: Muskets and Tomahawks
A French and Indian Wars skirmish.


4TK Gaming: Science Fiction Battles


4TK Gaming: Science Fiction Battles


4Ground Limited: Fabled Realms battles


4Ground Limited: Fabled Realms battles


4Ground Limited: Fabled Realms battles


The Walking Dead


?


Jersey Privateers Gaming Club: The raid on Fanning Head, San Carlos, 21st May, 1982
Falklands War skirmish action.


Wild West Exodus


?


?


?


?


?


?


Royal Air Force Wargaming Association: Short Bill's Treasure Quest
Pirates competing again each other in a hunt for hidden for treasure.


Loughton Strike Force: Battle of Dresden, 1813


Red Knights Wargames: Infinity


Ancient and Modern/Donnington Miniatures: The Battle of Hastings


Warploque Miniatures: Arcworlds Fantasy skirmish


Mierce Models: Darklands demonstration game


Gripping Beast Limited: SAGA demonstration game


Gripping Beast Limited: SAGA participation session


Gripping Beast Limited: Swordpoint Demonstration game


Spartan Games: Game demonstration


Planetfall


Chesterfield Open Gaming Society: Frostgrave


GCT Studios Limited: Bushido demonstration


City of Henfield Squadron, RAF Fight Command: The Battle of Britain


Ironfist Publishing: Battlegroup Tobruk
The game featured some excellent terrain and models ...


... that my photographs do not do justice to.


Ard Hamma: The Sino-Japanese War
Sino-Japanese action.


Wings of Glory Aerodrome UK: Wings of Glory demonstration game


Wings of Glory Aerodrome UK: Wings of Glory demonstration game


Second Thunder: Open Combat Battlepit


Gravesend Gamers Guild: Star Wars Epic game


Ad Hoc Games Group: Nick the Tsar II
A fun free-for-all attempt attempt to rescue the Tsar and his family from the clutches of the darstadly Soviets!


?


?


The Sons of Simon de Montford: Animal Farm
Four Legs Good! Two Legs Bad!


Oshiro Modelterrain: Shiro O Kogeki (Attack the Castle)


School of History, University of Edinburgh: Crusades against Fellow Christians:
The Battle of Lodi Vecchio, 1239


Tin Soldiers of Antwerp: A Not So Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Beautiful models and figures, as well as a gamesmaster in a toga!


South London Warlords: Vietnam


Wyvern Wargamers: Battle of Cambrai, 1917


?


Grantham Strategy and Gaming Club: Discworld Witch Racing
This featured a complete model of the Unknown University ...


... of Ankh-Morpork.


As you may gather, there were a LOT of games on at SALUTE this year ... and if the number of attendees was anything to go by, the hobby seems to be in a reasonably healthy state!

34 comments:

  1. Excellent photos - somehow I missed the Drowned Earth game, so good to see it here!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ruglud,

      Thanks for your kind words about my photographs.

      I was amazed by the number of games that were at the show and feel sure that I missed some as well.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
  2. Bob,
    Thank you for such a thorough coverage of the Games at SALUTE2017- most enjoyable...it would be pretty hard to take in all the details of every game to know exactly what they were all about- you have done well. I like the look of the small 'Pirate Fantasy Skirmish' -Freebooters Fate- with the little Tree Island connected by jettys- very nice modelling...would like to know what was going on there. Huge variety of games indeed with a very wide range of interests shown by participants. Regards. KEV.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kev Robertson,

      SALUTE is a BIG show in so many different ways, and you could spend a long time there and still not see everything.

      My photo report gives some idea about what was going on at the show on the day ... but even so it only just scratches the surface.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
  3. I'm always amazes at the number of games that I completely missed despite trying to see them all!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alastair,

      It is such a big show that trying to see everything is almost impossible ... as we both found out!

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
  4. Nice pics Bob :)

    The game you have captioned as Wargames Illustrated "Celebrity deathmatch" isn't - not sure what game that was in the pic.
    Also, I think that the second pic you have down as "Drowned Earth" is actually from the Jurassic Park game

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TamsinP,

      Nice to have met you again on Saturday.

      As to the captions ... well I was going by the plan included in the show guide and by what I was told by people at some of the stands. You may well be right about me mixing up some of them ... and all I can plead in mitigation is old age and senility!

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
    2. Actually, it turns out you were right about the one with the dino being Drowned Earth.

      Looking at the show guide, I think the one you had as "celebrity deathmatch" is in fact "World of Twilight" which was next to it

      Delete
    3. TamsinP,

      Thanks for your additional information. It all goes to highlight one of my bugbears about wargame shows ... bad signage. If only each game/table HAD to have a proper sign, this sort of confusion would not arise.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
    4. Steve J,

      And easily avoidable without a great deal of effort.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
  5. Thanks for the photo tour! Interesting to see so many scifi/fantasy/horror themed games. I like that so many games seemed to be "pratical" to borrow a term, that is something your average group of friends could be doing at home on a Friday night.

    Also interesting to see an increasing number of gridded games. The Ashburn game looked particularly relevant to viewers with an interest in gridded ancient/medieval games.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ross Mac,

      I am not great lover of a lot of the fantasy genre, but there is a lot of crossover, and if that helps to keep more traditional wargaming healthy, then I'm willing to live in amity with it.

      There were lots of what I think of as the sort of wargame most people could stage at home or at a wargame club ... and I find that a very pleasing development. In fact I didn't see a single 'moving diorama' game at SALUTE, which is a majot change since my last visit.

      There were a few gridded wargames on show ... and if the sales of the Perry Miniatures TRAVEL BATTLE game is anything to go by, it is a growing trend.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
  6. Thanks, Bob. Unfortunately, I was not able to go this year, as I had a clash of dates (with a convention my wife wanted to attend on the other side of the country). Nice to see stuff vicariously!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan Paull,

      I had hoped to see you at the AIRFIX BATTLE table, but assumed that our paths just had not crossed.

      I am pleased that my photos have given you some idea what SALUTE was like.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
  7. Cool pics Bob. Great to chat again albeit rather breif!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ray Rousell,

      It was great to see you and Postie. I hope to you both again soon.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
  8. Great collection games and just as good a set of photographs Bob.

    You've managed to avoid a lot of 'wargamers belly' and 'disjointed hands'.

    I would hope to see some of these games at the more northern shows on the circuit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jim Duncan,

      Thanks for your kind comment about my photo report. For the first time in an age I managed to go to a wargame show where there didn't seem to be very many backpacks in evidence and hardly a trace of anyone with personal hygiene 'issues'.

      There seemed to be a reasonably wide geographic spread of clubs and wargame organisations represented at SALUTE, and with luck you should see some of them at northern shows later this year.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
  9. As others have said, you have provided a very comprehensive coverage of the event, with some superb photographs. I was struck by the quality of the scenery in most of the games.

    I was wondering if you managed to get a peep at the Perry portable war-game, which was scheduled for release at SALUTE?

    Bob

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bob Kett,

      Thanks very much for your kind words about my photo report. The general quality of terrain etc., at the show was quite impressive.

      I did have a look at the TRAVEL BATTLE wargame from the Perrys ... and a review has now been written and published on my blog!

      All the best,l

      Bob

      Delete
  10. Probably the best report on the show that I've seen so far. Thanks for posting the photographs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ubique Matt,

      Thanks very much for your complimentary comment. I'm very pleased that you found this blog entry interesting.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
  11. That's a LOT of fine pictures of some very fine looking games! Thanks for sharing them, Bob!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Great photo's Bob. Looks like you had a good day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lee Hadley,

      I certainly did ... and judging by your blog, so did you!

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
  13. Thanks for taking so many photos Bob. I missed so much in my quick dash around on my break from our demo game. A better show in some respects, such as more space, but certainly few games floated my boat this year:(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Steve J.,

      I'm glad that you enjoyed my photo report.

      It's one of the problems of putting on a game at a show ... you never get the chance to see what games other people are putting on. Having not gone to SALUTE for some years, I thought that it had improved quite a bit ... but I don't like the ExCel a Centre, even though I live reasonably close to it.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
  14. Thanks for an excellent report. And I thought I had seen all the games..!
    Btw I don't get this queueing business; I turned up at 10:50 and just strolled in. Why get there early just to queue?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. David in suffolk,

      I did my best to photograph every game at SALUTE ... but I am sure that I missed some out!

      As to queuing ... well I arrived at ExCel at 9.55am because each part of London's transport system seemed to be working in unison for once. Rather than having to wait for a bus, then the DLR train from Woolwich to Canning Town, and then the connection from Canning Town to Prince Regent, I arrived at each stop exactly at the same time that my bus/train did. As a result I arrived at ExCel whilst the queue was forming and joined it. If the transport links had not been so delay-free (i.e. working as normal), I would have arrived somewhat later and probably would have not had to queue.

      That's life!

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
  15. Great work, Bob, thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Barks,

      It was a great show, and I am very pleased that you enjoyed my photo report.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete

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