Monday 23 February 2015

Cavalier 2015

Cavalier is a good show. It is the first show of the year for me and packed full of enjoyment. Normally.  I think I must have been having an Off day. I did not enjoy it hugely. Enough to go back but not so much that I will cry if I do not!

There are very few stand out games and here they are!






 Firstly a zombie game by East Street Games which they plan to release in the spring. The figures will start flowing  at the Salute show and each survivor will get a zombified version as well so when they turn muhahahahaha! You get the idea.  Quite an open cityscape with a few randomly placed tyre barricades sure.  But it was a zombie participation game so I will forgive them that. But No you could not play the zombies they had a ref who did that part. Yeah I know spoilsport!
Next up is a game by Southend wargames club. A 10mm ACW game using a mixture of figures from various manufacturers and looking the nuts as far as I was concerned.
 Nice figures and a terrain mat embellished with fences and hedges and  woods and trees. For me it was clearly the best looking game there.
 
 Some Wild west Malarkey from the North London group. I know wild west games always look great and this is no exception and would be an excellent club game but for me on the day it left me a little meh! I feel sorry for saying that as it was easily one of the best games there maybe I am wild wested out at present. I think it is all the mdf wild west buildings that make it so for me now. It just seems to be let's throw some money at it and it will look good. Whereas time, imagination and effort will always look better to me.

What on earth is going on below? Well clearly this is a James Bond skiing game. Maidstone wargames club really do put on some very good looking games. This one did not spark my interest though. But it was interesting as it did add a 3rd dimension which many if not all games seem to miss.  There are so many "Flat" games at shows it is a joy to see something different. Again this would make a great club game to waste an afternoon with but I feel sure I will get bored of it at the next show I manage to get to. But at least they are showing something different which to my jaded tastes is always good.
 
Overall I would give the show 6/10. worth a visit but with traders and numbers down it did seem to have lost a lot of atmosphere this year. (Normally I would give it 8/10) I know I am in a hyper critical mood but I did come away with some good buys (See previous post) and I am only showing games I like and not the other 12 or so that were there. But many of the other games just seemed bland club type games that I have seen dozens of times before. So I must endeavour to make any game I put on MORE than just blah! I will try to use this to do something better than the average club game. So from that point of view inspiring and inspirational. But the games on show mostly were not. (with exceptions noted above).
 
It was a good day, and meeting the other bloggers was nice. In fact for me that was the best part. So if you were there and we talked thank you for making my day.
 
 
All the best Clint.
 


28 comments:

  1. That ACW game looks great - just what Alan and I are trying to accomplish with our new 6mm ECW project

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    1. It did look good and I see no reason it would not look equally good with 6mm ACW, or medieval or anything really. They use books under the matt for hills and it does work very well.
      I am contemplating getting a mat just from seeing this use.

      Thanks Paul.

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    2. Do you happen to know what kind of mat they used? I think the rolling hills look is the way to go for 6mm but is only effective for friendly games not competitive play as it's far less proscriptive. I much prefer the former any day!

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    3. Sorry I don't know for sure but I did here the guy say it cost $50. So must have come from America.

      if you want a UK map I mat I would look at Deep cut studios
      http://www.deepcutstudio.com/

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    4. The mat is from Cigar Box Battles and can be bought in th UK from http://www.northstarfigures.com/ or from
      http://www.cigarboxbattle.com/ in the USA.

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    5. Brilliant Ray, cheers for that.

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    6. Thanks indeed. I thought those looked rather cartoon like on the website but they clearly look a lot better on the table. Cheers!

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  2. I can understand your views on the games, once you've seen your fist mdf western town all the others tend to look very samey and without originality.
    The 10mm ACW game does look excellent though, whilst the ski game looks far too impractible for playing on but does show effort and imagination for a one-off show - the type f thing I'd like to see at a show rather than a game that wouldn't look out of place as a club game.

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    1. Good lord man I think we agree totally. Thanks Joe.

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  3. Things seemed a bit ho-hum for you Clint but from the pictures I'll ave to agree. The Street furniture in the otherwise nice zombie game was uninspired, MDF western towns look dreary if not out right dreadful. Western buildings are so easy to make and the Perry bros. do a couple of very nice plastic buildings that town seemed a one stop shopping spree. The ACW game does look great!

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    1. I have to agree. I am sure that different people will find different things to enjoy though so I can't condemn anyone for putting on a tired looking game as most clubs aim at Salute to be the start of the new game season!

      Thanks Robert

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  4. I was waiting for this post in relation to the zombie game, but liked the photos on the ACW more :-P

    The small number of bases and figures per base to represent units appeals to my lack of space.

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    1. I think it was the best looking game on the day. And it is something I would like to own.

      The zombie game was good though. and I am sure there will be more news about it soon.
      Thanks Ian

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  5. Great report Clint, the show was a little underwhelming I've gotta agree. There were some great looking games and some not so great looking games. I'm sure we'll all still go, gotta spend that Christmas money somewhere, can't wait for Salute, otherwise it'll go on the wrong kind of paint!
    I missed the Zombie game??? Where was it??

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  6. Thanks Ray, the Zombie game was in the main hall. Part of the East street games stall, between "Tumbling Dice and SHQ. Not quite opposite grubby tanks stall. Hope that helps.

    I agree many games were so so, but rather than criticise I feel it is our DUTY to do better. Most people follow the standard, but one person in each regiment carries it!.

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  7. Nice report and pictures Clint. Thanks for sharing, it's great for those of us who can't attend.

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  8. I missed the 10mm ACW game, which as you will know is a good thing for me. I am determined not to be tempted into another scale for ACW. ( well not for a while anyway)

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    1. It was a really good looking game using the "Across a bloody field..." rules. I was chatting to the guy about matts. They really can be instant terrain. It has even gotten me thinking about 10mm ECW. I know I am fickle. The ACW game was in the bring and buy hall and we both get very distracted in there. Still another show in 3 weeks.

      Cheers Tim

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    2. ECW...you know you want to...

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  9. I think I recognise the mat used in the ACW game as coming from the US "Cigar Box Battle" company. North Star are taking orders for the UK (for another day only, I think).

    *Another* zombie game? Well, good luck to them, but I can't help thinking that there are enough rules & boardgames out there already. More miniatures might be welcome, though!

    The James Bond skiing game gets a prize from me for innovation! It looks like it should be good - but without trying it, who knows?

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    1. Thanks C6. Yes another zombie set of rules. I know there are enough but I think there are for most wargames periods. It never stops them re-doing WW2.

      I have not played it either but maybe I will at Salute, as I do know the guys. But we all want to be the baddies and kill Mr Bond don't we? Well I know I do.

      Once more cheers mate.

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  10. Great photo's mate and of course it was good to see you at the show.

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    1. Very pleasant to see you there as well. Thanks Lee.

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  11. Nice pics. That skiing game looks fun! What figures are they using for it can you remember?

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    1. Sorry Brummie I do not know the figures, But I will find out hopefully next weekend but maybe not until SALUTE>

      Cheers Mate.

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