2nd June, Kelham Hall, Newark

PARTIZAN 2013

Some troubles on the home front meant I was lucky to get to Partizan with the Society gear and game ... Tired, lucky and pleased to relax amongst enthusiasts at a highlight show.

(Kelham Hall and gardens bathed in English summer sunshine)

Those who saw the pre-publicity will know that the venue was organised differently this year ... the far end fully opened up with a new entry door for the show and some of the traditional rooms no longer available for game tables (being a new restaurant area) ...

Actually it all went together well, although we were more than a little cramped for space.  The entry worked well, however ... the new end seemed nice too, and the day showed the establishment off at its best.

We took along Bosworth as part of a combined Society of Ancients/Lance & Longbow pitch, and had several engaging refights of the battle as well as representing the two Societies and chatting to fellow enthusiasts about ancient and medieval warfare (amongst other things ... ).

(Bosworth refought: Richard gets desperate)

There is a new (May 2013) version of DBA 3 available (the definitive version?: Phil told me at Campaign that his work with it was complete) and this was our first time with it.  a number of things seem simpler and clearer and the game seems to play the same and just as smoothly and plausibly.

It is probably worth saying that unfamiliar bits like side support are now second nature and merge perfectly well into the game.  The characteristic movement rates certainly give a better game than 2.2 and it seems right for this period that mounted troops are not able to race to hot spots on the battlefield (generals need to work to a more consistent plan these days).

We were in something of a rich zone for the ancients enthusiast ...

(Lincoln's dramatic and clever impetus game)

The Lincoln club had a spectacular snowscaped Impetus game using wintry sabots to convert DBA elements into Impetus units ...

(Miller & co's vast Raphia successor show down)

Simon miller's big game this year was a sprawling 28mm Raphia ... much anticipated and very warmly received, Simon has been painting pikemen for a very long time this year ...

And ... not quite ancients, perhaps ... the Skirmish Wargames folk had a 60mm Pavia game with even bigger figures than my game!

There were also a couple of Saga style (Saga, even) 28mm skirmish games in the room, but typically, they weren't really doing anything much when I was on my photo break (so were just the usual empty boards with single figure contingents lined up on the sides).  

I hope, one day, the enthusiasts for this very popular game will work out the presentation dynamics so we can all get as much from it as they clearly do ...

(more games from Partizan 2013)

Here's a bit more eye-candy from those great games ...

(a closer look at those Impetus sabots ...)

(clashing phalanxes in the vast Raphia refight ...)

(some of the other soldiers at Raphia)

(Del Prado figures from the Battle of Pavia game)

A noticeable feature of this year's show were the winter landscapes.   Readers of my P.B.Eye-Candy (20th Century) blog will know I have been working on this sort of scenery too - maybe co-incidence, or maybe it is just how we respond to several long icy winters in a row.

Out of our period, I know, but I thought the snowy Carlist battle worked very well - pretty much just normal terrain with snow powders dusted over (an interesting contrast to the Impetus game's dedicated 'white out') ...

There was also a freezing winter theme to the Fetterman Fight Indian Wars game which also was well supported by information boards (so I was able to work out what was going on) ...

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I must say I liked the new layout of Partizan, and particularly liked the dining room (no dining room has been one of my criticisms of Partizan over the years): it was a real bonus to sit down away from the stand with a snack and a friend on a break, and not have lunch debris around the stand and game.  Much improved.

Not enough 15mm and similar (or too much 28mm/skirmish ... however you like to see it) as usual - but otherwise a great show - very well attended and great to have the extra facilities.

Here's a few more pics.

(WWI airplanes ... I really liked the battlefield however ...)

(WD's Display Team North with their Great War participation game)

(more aeroplanes ... this time German bombers on peculiar tripod flight stands)

Well, that was Partizan as seen from the Society of Ancients stand ... We will be at Phalanx on the 15th where Martin C will have his annual DBA participation game challenge.

The summer is here!