Saturday, May 15, 2010

Milton Keynes, 8th-9th May


CAMPAIGN 2010


The last of the late spring cluster of shows this year was Campaign - MKWS's unique show in the heart of shopping centre ...The Centre MK. Although quite a few wargame and military enthusiasts do attend, the majority of passers-by are ordinary members of the public. A great challenge, but a great opportunity.


We teamed-up for a Society of Ancients led multi pitch zone, SoA, WD and the Naseby Project/Battlefields Trust. As SoA, we had 2 versions of Anno Domino, Graham E's brand new The Elephant In The Room (Velites skirmishing against a Carthaginian War Elephant) and (a compressed version of ) 'Greyhounds in the Slips', and the latest version of my Zama Workshop DDBA game.

(a space saving version of Greyhounds in the Slips)


(close up of the 10mm figures in my Zama Workshop development game)


Graham and associates ran TEITR a dozen or so times over the weekend (x 3 players, each run). which was our most prolific game. He has some concerns about balance - elephant is almost always nobbled - but it doesn't seem to be worrying the players. Of course, against Roman Velites, the Elephant usually doesn't get through ... so no problem there, then. But you can pick up more thinking about this popular challenge on Graham's blog (Wargaming 4 Grown Ups) ...


(Surrounded! 54mm HaT models on the TEITR board)

Away from our little zone, Campaign was the usual mix of game/wargame trade, national competition tables and displays. On the Saturday, Aylesbury reprised their Roman attack on a British hill fort.


(last seen at Salute, looking good at Milton Keynes)



On the Sunday, I came across this excellent Lake Peipus game using Impetus - confirming, perhaps, that comment I made on the Salute entry re the diversity and quality of ancient/medieval games coming through at the moment.


(the snow is apparently material used for shop window displays - now there's a thought!)


Yet another busy and enjoyable show. Apparently Campaign will move dates next year as there will be an eco house built in Middleton Hall this time next year (of course, if I was building an eco house, it would have a wargames room! We should be working on that, perhaps!) ...

Thanks to all the SoA helpers (with me mostly seconded to the WD/BFT Naseby display, the manpower really helps) ... We had almost a full house on the Saturday ... variously Chris A, Graham E, Will, Graham and Alison Fordham (and Tamara), and Ian Lowell. Thank you all.

Thanks to MKWS for an event which continues to be a highlight.

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