Cavalier Wargames Show 2017

Phew, we've made it through a long desolate empty winter to the first wargames show of the year, and for Posties Rejects that means Cavalier at Tonbridge in Kent. This is a relatively modest sized event but we never fail to enjoy the selection of Traders and Demo games on display. This year was no exception and offered us a chance to reaffirm old friendships, spend some cash, restock our dwindling supplies and indulge in some ill advised impulse buys! 

Cavalier 2017 - Busy as usual

Peter Pig - Men of B Company - 15mm Vietnam Game

Peter Pig - Men of B Company - Vietnam Game

SEEM Zombie - 28mm Participation Game

Deal Wargames Society - Holding up the Traffic - Prudka, Poland 1939

Deal Wargames Society - Holding up the Traffic - Prudka, Poland 1939

Crawley Wargames D-Day Operation Overlord

Crawley Wargames D-Day Operation Overlord

Freikorps und Spartacist

Freikorps und Spartacist

Rainham Wargames - Blood Bilge and Iron Balls - 1/2400 Naval Demonstration Game

Rainham Wargames - Blood Bilge and Iron Balls

Maidstone Wargames Society - Fenris Decending - 28mm

Southend Wargames - Four Days Battle 1666

Gravesend Gamers Gild - X-Wing 

North London Wargames - Black Horse Strike - 15mm Vietnam

North London Wargames - Black Horse Strike - 15mm Vietnam

The Games Hall

Tunbridge Wargames - Age of Sigmar

Society of Ancients - Punic War - Battle of Cannae - 28mm

Society of Ancients - Punic War - Battle of Cannae - 28mm

The Anti-Alchemists - Calvados and Chips - 28mm WWII

The Anti-Alchemists - Calvados and Chips - 28mm WWII

My Swag from Cavalier - Lots of MDF bases, glue paint and 'bits' for base dressing. Some 6mm ancients including Creatan Archers from Colonel Bills and a ten Selanite Warriors from Ironclad Miniatures.

Big Picture - The Hochwald Gap

I haven't done a Big Picture feature in a while so here's one from the 2010 SELWG show at Crystal Palace in South London. This is a scene from a display game called The Hochwald Gap run by the Shepway Wargames Club.

Operation Veritable which was designed to bring the 21st Army Group to the west bank of the Rhine River. The operation was delayed by the German Ardennes Offensive but eventually began in February 1945. The plan's second phase called for the 2nd and 3rd Divisions to take the Hochwald Forest. The 4th Canadian Armoured would then sweep through the Hochwald Gap towards Wesel, followed by 2nd Division towards Xanten. Operation Blockbuster as it was known was scheduled for 27 February, but stubborn German resistance prolonged the battle for six days. It was not until 3rd March that the forest was finally cleared.

Shepway Wargames - The Hochwald Gap

This display game - done in 20mm - evocatively captured the bleak February landscape of the area. It stood out as one of the best tables at the show and was full of little details such as this military ambulance struggling through the mud.

Big Picture : White Winter in Russia

With the recent release by Battlefront of its Polish Armored Train I was trying to remember where I saw a battle involving a train, and then I found the picture I was looking for. This game "White Winter in Russia" wasnrun by the Southend-on-Sea Wargames Group at Salute 2009. It  was based on 20mm miniatures and a converted train set to represent a Partizan attack on a German supply train.