Vintage Lard Day Discussion

I posted a query on the Bag the Hun FB group yesterday, to see if anyone is actually actively playing the rules, given the low profile of the system in most if not all Toofatlardies Lard Days, the Lard Mag and the the Lard Forum. The response was interesting and mostly revolved around people having the occasional game but failing to drum up interest at club or event level, which was what I expected. It seems the general consensus is that Lard Days are dominated by Chain of Command or Sharp Practise, as you'd expect. Nothing wrong with that but it is a shame to see good rules go unloved.

One 'tounge in cheek' suggestion that caught my attention was to have an alternative Lard Day dedicated to older or 'vintage' rules including Bag the Hun, Algernon Pulls It Off!, Kiss Me Hardy, Through the Mud and Blood, Triumph of the Will and many more. The premise would be to just focus on these classic rules rather than the more recent Chain of Command et al, so that equally vintage wargaming 'grognards' could enjoy playing older systems and also to encourage new, younger players to have a go. The tentative if less than serious event title might be 'Hipster Lard' which made me chuckle...

...but it's worth some thought?

Warfare 2025

Off to Warfare in Farnborough today with my eldest for the first show in at least three years. It was a bit underwhelming to be honest, with none of my favourite traders present and a relatively sparse selection of demo or participation games. No disrespect to the organisers or contributors, of course, but it just didn't have the vibe of the old venue. A couple did stand out, one a Lord of the Rings 54mm game and the other a Spanish American 28mm game, but otherwise it was a okay. I did come away with some gratuitous lead in the shape of some Perry Samurai figures and a single Perry Afghan mountain gun, for no particular reason but just because, so it wasn't a complete washout. One thing I did find of interest was a range of 1/600th scale ACW and War of the Pacific printed ships, which were very nice indeed, although I completely forgot to buy one until after we had left...typical. 

Local Lard Day 2026

I've been invited to run an air wargame at a local Lard day in January next year, which is a nice surprise. I've set up and umpired a couple of Bag the Hun games for Come and Have a Go if you think you're Lard Enough? a few years ago, but this time I'm thinking of offering an Algernon Pulls It Off! scenario instead, as it will be a bit of a change. This will almost certainly be a Jasta 18 themed game, for which I'll need to paint up some 1/300th scale aircraft, as the 1/600th scale models are just a bit too small for participation type games. I will also look into getting a new WW1 wargaming cloth or mat, as well as some making some new flight stands to match. All a long way off yet but these things have a habit of catching up with you if you don't get ahead of them sooner rather than later! 

No Show

 

I've decided not to go to Colours today, which I had been looking forward to, mainly because I'm skint at the moment. As I work freelance, I don't get paid over the summer and also get paid in arrears, so there's nothing coming in this month either. Added to that, we have to buy the offspring a car now he's passed his driving test, so that's going to soak up a fair bit of the bank balance this month as well. 

To be honest, I'd only buy stuff that I didn't really need and the thought of traipsing around the notoriously sweaty venue, with hundreds of overweight middle aged bearded men, myself included, all crowded in to a relatively small space on the hottest day of the century, wasn't particularly attractive. Oh well, I'll just have to save up for the Naval Wargames Weekend and Warfare instead.

Colours 2023

 

If it all goes according to the plan, I'm off to the one wargames show for the year at Colours in Newbury at the weekend. I'll be bringing the eldest along for the trip, as he likes a bit of wargaming now and then. I'm not planning on any big spending this year as finances are tight, so I'll be taking the time to check out to the games on display and to catch up with some wargaming contacts. I'm really looking forward to it this year!

Colours 2022

Just back from Colours in Newbury today, after an enjoyable trip to the first wargames show for a few years. The show was really busy and once again the ground floor was rammed, while upstairs was less well populated. There were fewer games on display, or so it seemed to me, but there were some good ones, the 1/600th scale WW2 Malta aerial game being the one that stood out for me. The traders seemed to be doing good business and I had a nice chat with Paul from Tumbling Dice. 

The swag bag this year was quite modest and I didn't find any of the Back of Beyond figures, terrain or rules that I was after. Instead, I have some nice 1/600th scale ACW riverine models from Syborg 3D, some 28mm Indonesian para-commandos and a Humber Pig from Warbases, some 1/2400th scale US pre-dreadnought cruisers from Tumbling Dice, some assorted blue paints and some I-94 decals for my WW1 aircraft, finishing off with a copy of Barry Hilton's Every Bullet Has Its Billet guide to late 17th century wargaming, just because it caught my eye. Not bad! 

1/600th Scale Modular Riverbank and Lakeside Terrain

I'm going to need some new scratchbuilt terrain for my 1/600th scale Steamer Wars project, so I thought I might as well 'kill two birds with one stone' and design it to be used for 1/600th ACW ironclad games as well. I've made my own coastal terrain modules before, so will use the same method again but change the scenery to something like the shores of Lake Tanganyika or the Yazoo River, which are not that dissimilar in terms of ground finish and vegetation, even if the water is a completely different colour.

I have in mind a series of modular terrain sections that could be used as shoreline or river banks, very much like the ones that I saw used at Colours a few years ago for Russian Civil War riverine actions. I think this was a Naval Wargames Society Steamer Wars demonstration game and very good it was too, so if I can do something similar I will be chuffed. I really liked the clever design of the river shore sections, which were used with two foot square river boards, arranged to create a realistic series of bends and meanders. What a clever idea!

Lard Day Bag the Hun

I had a very enjoyable time at Come and Have a Go if you think you're Lard Enough today, with both games of Bag the Hun having a really positive reception from the players, even though the Luftwaffe were well and truly bagged in both games. Anyway, here's the after action pictures, with more of the other splendid games to follow. A big thank you to all the players for joining in and to Mark Backhouse for another cracking day out!

Piper Operation Cobra

We arrived in Brittany this afternoon but, on the way over we stopped off with friends in Julloville, which is a short hop up the coast from Avranches in Normandy. It just so happens that there is a weekend of celebrations over the next few days, to commemorate the seventy fifth anniversary of Operation Cobra, and I was lucky enough to catch the start of it last night and this morning.

This included a visit to the vehicle park for the re-enactment yesterday evening, situated in the original SHAEF headquarters at a local manor house, together with a display of a T34/85 and Panther from Saumur, which not that long ago I bumped into a Tankfest. There was also a rather impressive Leclerc provided by the French army, which looked only slightly less incongruous parked outside the town hall.

This morning on the way to Avranches we also ran into a convoy of re-enactors in their various jeeps, beeps, trucks and half tracks, the highlight being a beautiful Harley Davidson motorcycle and an actual M16 SPAA half track. Quite a sight! The MP in charge of traffic control was a really nice chap too but I stopped short of asking him if I could sit on his bike for a photo. I guess I will just have to get one of my own!