6th August, Edinburgh

Claymore

The annual race to the north saw us get to Scotland in daylight for a change ... and staying over in Linlithgow (birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots ... which it regularly reminds you, but which I shall remember) strategically a few miles short of Edinburgh.
A very friendly town and somewhere worth paying more attention (it has a palace and a loch though not open as darkness was falling ...)...

After our usual scenic trip into Edinburgh, we met up with Paul and the Glasgow team with half an hour or so in which to set up.
(Claymore 2011 ... click on the pictures for a larger image)
The Phoenix team were doing a vast 28mm demonstration game of Magnesia using Tactica II, a big table and a good number of players. I hope I can convey properly the size of this game
(Awesome: the Battle of Magnesia by the Society of Ancients and Glasgow Phoenix Club)
Elsewhere, the show was not quite as thrilling as last year.
Our Hall was pretty good and had the great value 'RAF' Leuchars team doing a Great Escape game, some good looking naval stuff and a genuinely remarkable Chinese battle and terrain display in 15mm.


(more of that Great Escape game)

(ancient China brought alive in every detail)
The Atrium was not the spectacle I was eagerly anticipating after last year. A mix of corporate 28mm and really quite poor Sci Fi. Or was it fantasy? Anyway the part-painted black plastic 28mm stuff on bases that don't match the crude terrain. That's usually Sci Fi, I think ...

Though there were some historical tables that didn't do much better (to think this was home last year to that magnificent Napoleon in the Desert and to an Old School demo!).
It means I'll be giving the photo space to Magnesia which drew a lot of attention and had some exciting moments.

Here is some more of the big picture ...

(engagements all along the line)
(the elephants pushed ahead of the phalanx in this reconstruction)
And here are some close ups ...
(the celebrated confrontation between the Cataphracts and Legions)
(the Argyraspides push ahead and to maintain contact with the Cataphract assault ...)
(Dahae allies skirmish on the river flank)
Excellent. Many thanks to SESWC for another great show.

Yes we will certainly be back.

It was a pity some of the Atrium exhibitors let the show down ... maybe the Warhammer stuff needs hiving off somewhere so there's plenty for youngsters to join in but it doesn't get too central an exposure - in a play space rather than a showcase ...

Nice chatting to old friends and new ones, too