Skirmish Wargames Group at the London Toy Soldier Show

I managed to miss the June show and would have missed yesterday's event had it not been for a last minute text from an old pal (so thanks for the heads up Keith).  Suddenly it's December and I don't know where the rest of the year has gone....too much work, not enough toy soldiers, that's where it went!

I digress, back to the show and I was delighted to see that the Skirmish Wargames Group had made a reappearance after several years of absence, they returned with a game based on the Spartacus Slave Revolt in Rome, and here it is:

Overview of the table, groups of rebels mill about rioting while a body of Gladiators square up to the black shield wall of the 9th Legion (Thomas Gunn figures).

View of the revolt from across the river.

Roman troops close in on the rioters.

The escapees from the Circus stand their ground.

Stand off with the Legionnaires....

........as the net tightens.....

.....the slaves have nothing to lose and throw themselves at the shield wall.

Once again the Skirmish Wargames Group showed us great figures and great scenery, I think the rules they were using were "Hail Ceasar" written by Rick Priestley and available to download from Warlord Games.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the Group's return to the London Show will become a regular feature once more as I always find their demonstrations inspiring.

More gratuitous pics of toy soldiers from the show to follow as time allows.  A great show followed by convivial company and a few pints in a proper old London boozer, when I returned home the latest issue of Plastic Warrior magazine was waiting on the mat for me (see link on the left).  

My Christmas has started.

King & Country WW2 Italian Askaris

On Saturday I went to the December 2012 London Toy Soldier Show, which is now operated by Guideline Publications and has moved venue to the Business Design Centre in North East London.  The new venue is large and airy and easy to find but people generally don't like change and a number of the stands I had hoped to see felt the move was a journey too far, in fairness driving in this part of London is a nightmare and parking costs an extortionate £30.  The Skirmish Wargames Group who have to bring most of their kit by public transport did not make the show, this was a major blow to me as the SWG game is always a major highlight of my day.

So what was there to see?  well lots of nice modern metal figures but not a lot to speak of in the way of old toy soldiers, nothing to get the blood racing at any rate, so I have a few bits but not a lot to share over the next few days. 

One thing I did like was this mini WW2 diorama on the King & Country stand, I don't know if this is new but I don't recall seeing it before and as I have "thing" for Askaris I don't think I would have passed it by, I particularly like the Bersaglieri motor cyclist and the chaps in the tower having a piggy back!

I should mention the change of location for the show was forced on Guidline due the proposed redevelopment of part of the previous venue, the organisers have done well to find and alternative site but the show was moved out from Central to North East London once before without success!

Skirmish Wargame Group - Toussaint L'Ouverture game in 54mm

The Skirmish Wargames Group are well known for picking some unusual scenarios but at the London Toy Soldier Show in June I think they surpassed themselves with a game set around the slave revolt of 1792 in Saint Domingue (Haiti).  A very confused affair in which plantation slaves rose against the French colonists and were armed by the Spanish (who occupied the eastern end of the island) and the British, who mounted an amphibious landing.  They then rallied to the French when the Revolutionaries abolished slavery and, led by the very able freed slave Francois Toussaint L'Ouverture, they ousted the Anglo Spanish garrisons and set up their own government.  Subsequently Toussanit found himself fighting the French again when Napoleon became First Consul and sent an expedition to reclaim the Island and reinstate the slave trade.

An overview of the table, in the centre a plantation building surrounded by bush and cane fields, at the far end the slaves are rousing themselves with voodoo incantations.  The fun thing about the SWG is their inventive use of scenery and accessories, the bushland is made from teddy bear fur while the plantation building has seen service as a Russian dacha for various periods.

The insurgents led by Toussaint L'Ouverture advance through the bush, the great man himself is in the left foreground sporting a bicorne with red and white plume, a band of armed Mulattos move forward on their right flank.  Toussaint and his men are new metal figures made by Beau Geste of Argentina.

Among the troops sent by Napoleon to retake the island in 1802 were these Polish regulars, also made by Beau Geste, and led by an officer from Replicants

When the French expedition arrived Toussaint led his men into the interior and fought a guerrilla campaign, which is the scenario for this game.  Although Toussaint surrendered early on and the country was soon pacified after that, the withdrawal of freedom and equal rights soon led to further insurrection and mutiny against the French, whose biggest enemy was now yellow fever.

I'm not sure where this chap fits in the story but he's a nice character figure and in period costume so why not?

The French colonists, figures from various sources and in sizes from 54mm up to 70mm it just shows that you can get away with mixing scales if you just don't stand the figures too close together!

The free mulattos were given equal rights with white and creole colonists after the storming of the Bastille but this was also revoked by Napoleon when he became First Consul. I think the mulattos above are conversions but I'm not sure from what.

The slaves practising voodoo are made from Marx Daktari set natives and some Hong Kong Tarzan figures.

London Toy Soldier Show March 2012 - Skirmish Wargames Group

The Skirmish Wargames Group continue with their run of 54mm wargames at the London Toy Soldier Show, this time with a scenario set on the Nile in Ancient Egypt (these games are always based on an historical battle and I forgot to take a note of which one this was, for which I am most remiss).  I've said it before (many times) and no doubt I'll keep repeating that these games are one of the highlights of the Show for me, the figures and landscapes they display are always imaginative and built to the highest quality.

The figures were supplied by Ted Herbert who found the Nile boat above in a junk shop in Cairo, you dn't get more authentic than that!

The figures include various makes such as Atlantic, Cherilea and Del Prado, by painting and mounting them in the same style they fit togehter well despite being slightly differing sizes.

The chariots are Del Prado, you have to buy six partworks to get all the bits to make just one chariot. 

The Group were celebrating the 100th edition of their newsletter "Reports from the skirmish line".  Well done you chaps!

London Toy Soldier Show 3rd December 2011

The London show organised by King & Country is being held at the Royal National Hotel this weekend but sadly I will not be there.  The December show is by far the best one of the three they run each year (in my opinion) and this will be the first one I have missed since this event began over a decade ago.  If anyone who is going plans to put a report and photos anywhere please leave a comment to let me know where it's posted so I can have a look, alternatively if anyone wants to send me the details I will happily post them here.

In the meantime here are some pics I took of one of the Skirmish Wargames Group's games at one of last year's London shows.

The SWG put on a different game at each of the three K & C shows held each year and they are always a highlight of the day for me.  Spectators are encouraged to join in but I have to admit that I strugle to follow the workings of the rules (because I'm a bit thick when it comes to that sort of thing) but the terrain and figures are never less than inspiring.

Skirmish Wargames Group Gordon Relief Game

King & Country, who make modern white metal toy soldiers for collectors, sponsor the London Toy Soldier Show which is held three times a year. A regular feature of these shows is a demonstration wargame run by the Skirmish Wargames Group using 54mm figures, they mix both metal and plastic and there is often a high level of conversions among them. These games are always very varied, I don't think I've ever seen the same game played twice and they are known for the excellent quality of the buildings and scenery they bring to the table. Past games have included Incas and Conquistadores, French Canadian trapers and various Colonial, First and Second World War scenarios. This game was based on the Gordon Relief Expedition, these games are always a highlight of the show for me.

General Gordon's compound at Khartoum, note the hippo basking in the undergrowth.

The Camel Corps stand to behind a defensive zariba

The Mahdist hordes rush in to attack

The Camel Corps make their stand with mounted camel troops on the flank.