Sunday, 21 April 2013

Salute 2013..........my annual exodus............


Friday 'helping' some Frothers to set up. Ian and Roy for Fenris Games


The Rev setting up his Slaughter House of Horror....


Akula with the Planet of the Apes game...Dags looks on incredulously whilst Richard Scott (Otherworld Miniatures) wonders how he can fit it in his van on the way home.....and if Akula will notice that it's gone...


The bags for the next day....I spoke to Robert Bothwell the treasurer of South London Warlords (who run the show) about the cost of producing the plastic mini and he pointed out the bill for renting the 'room' for the day was £42,000.........getting the tables from another company up North itself cost £22,000. Kind of kicks a measly few grand for one plastic tooling into touch. 


The inscrutable Dave Thomas desperately avoiding the chance of being recognised in a picture....stockist and purveyor of fine goods from across the Empire....also has The Dave T Shop on ebay.


Ah the Bolotomus in all it's glory, hand crafted by Badger Loving Fluffster (not Hamster.....oops!) from Frothers....more on Snit's Revenge later


After the set up, The Dickens Inn Pub. Possibly the most expensive pub in London. Very nice area (near Tower Bridge)...........worth a visit if you are doing the tourist bit, just be mindful of prices.


Colonel Bill, Dags and Andy of Ainsty Castings


Didn't catch this gentleman's name. Very pleasant although not a Frother.


Pizza...deserved a mention.......


Akula on fine form...Manatic and Germy to his left.....Manatic on his first foray to Salute from the distant land of Finland. Neither Germy nor I are aware as to why we gave up very good window seats earlier on to  a friendly bunch on the next table.


Another gentleman whose name I didn't get....although probably did but after 5 beers the grey matter tends to dissolve......


Germy's 'non-Frother' friend. I believe he was impressed by us all......the Rev in the distance looking at the next table in distain.


Roy and Ian now having set up the Fenris stand are free to enjoy a beer....


'You want how much resin for next year's idea'???



The Rev shows Duff how it should be done...whatever 'it' is....Manatic moves carefully away.....sensible lad


A new day dawned and, replete with buffet breakfast, I ventured on....


looking to the right of Excel....for no real reason except that it is a nice view..


Stormtroopers keeping the rabble queue in check....


Thought I'd grab these pics before the hordes descended....tooling for the freebie Greek warrior




Frother's (well, Pete and Ben's) Snit's Revenge.....won most innovative of the show.










Frother's wrestling game.....Uncle Evil doing his worst to a poor unsuspecting child...


Fenris Games' Gothic mansion which I am half way through....







Goblinaid greens in all their glorious greenery.....





Ian announced a 'Cthulhu Wars' Kickstarter venture....more news once I get it....the website is not yet up and running although there is a Facebook page here.  The main info so far;


About
Cthulhu Wars is a strategy/horror board game from Lovecraft's classic Cthulhu Mythos where you play as the Old Ones fighting for dominance of the earth.
MissionToday, our mission is to create a great strategy/horror board game that Lovecraft himself would be proud to play.
Company OverviewWith the support of a core team of industry veterans, Sandy Petersen's passion for both digital gaming and Lovecraft will be combined in their dream project – Cthulhu World Combat.
This team has a proven track record, and our members’ games have sold tens of millions of copies worldwide, and has received dozens of awards from the game industry.
DescriptionCthulhu Wars is the first Cthulhu Mythos product in which YOU play as one of these alien gods yourself. The game takes place after the Old Ones have returned to the Earth. You strive to occupy the world for yourself, and compete with the other forces of destruction A.K.A. your friends.
General InformationWelcome to CTHULHU WARS' Facebook page!
I’m super excited to announce this board game, since it combines my two greatest loves – strategy games & horror (specifically the Cthulhu mythos). I’ve teamed up with a group of game pros who have decades of experience in the industry. We are united in our goal to see this game become reality.
Other questions and comments and suggestions will be entertained here on this facebook page, so please SHARE and LIKE us today!

Let’s do this!










Frothers Zoids game....need to find out what this was about.......


Conquest, re-enactment group...their website in very interesting.






New Forge World Necron thingy......


Email to them gets their free catalogue full of resin goodness


D & D display in the extreme........






4Ground had some amazing products up for grabs in various scales...














Perry Miniatures greens and bits and pieces...




I actually managed to not pick up the new 8th Army plastics.....early onset Alzheimers methink. They have new metal Italians on the site already and space for WW2 Germans as well....insert happy face here.




The twins themselves, seemed busy all day of course..


MicroArt Studio with their Discworld and Wolsung VSF....
























The Rev's (of Frother's Fame) Haunted House of Horror attracted a lot of people








Heresy Miniatures Dragon...a fearsome beast still giving Andy nightmares on casting. Also the potential SF trooper plastic 3-ups.



Andy Foster, the man himself....


Return to the Planet of the Apes, Akula of Frothers latest meglomaniacal game project....










Various games throughout the show.........





Crooked Dice 7TV mini scenarios......








Their stand was a most dangerous place to browse....





Plastic Soldier Company's display....


Mantic Dreadball arena from Amera Mouldings.......




Fireforge Games incredibly versatile Mongol 3-ups. I chatted to one of the owners and he showed me a lot of pics on his laptop - late Summer release.


Their plastic knights.....gorgeous paint jobs



The World of Twilight.....lovely minis cored to their central theme.









Urban Construct new release....damned if I can find their website though...which I have now as I remembered the wrong name. They are not Urban Conflict.....insert slightly embarrassed grin here...




Wrestling game....not exactly WWF.....c/o Ammon Miniatures






















40K madness..............



Grand Manner resin.......lovely jubbly



Waterloo on a 1-2-1 scale.....or so it seemed.............




Busy hall!








Gateshead Gaming selling a range - let them know I sent you!



Tercio Creative from Spain......wonderful sculpts...








Agora Miniatures...............






Agema Miniatures at their first show with the new plastic Roman Velites....




The legend that is Duncan McFarlane (need to check the spelling even though I've known him for years!)


The pungent bring and buy......not as bad as previous years however a deodorant stand would do well. Or possibly not.


Speed painting WarMachine minis...


Freebooter's Fate game


A brief respite for some.......


Star Wars!


Lost this guys leaflet - let me know!



These guys had some very nice resin...Zinge Industries


Ainsty Castings had more of the GoblinAid greens on display along with their most wonderful apes with guns...




Gringo 40's fights the Alamo...almost on a 1-2-1 scale again....



their new Mayans



More games across the show......





A Westwind Empire of the Dead game set above the smog of London town.....







Wargames Illustrated subscription vignettes were on sale for half price.....result!


I am Spartacus!


Critical Mass Games.....oh what a bunch of stuff
 they have now!






Scheltrum Miniatures with their Interwar lovelies...still not painted though!





Another legend of the hobby, John Treadaway of Warlords in the centre of the pic




A Very British Civil War.....................








Sarissa Precision......



The Warlords info stand was busy through out the day as well......mugs, t-shirts, keyrings etc etc. Also the plastic show mini for £4




Antenociti Workshop's game board WIPs



Victrix greens..........


Black Scorpion Miniatures



Eureka Miniatures showing their new goods.....







A friend of theirs sharing some space showing his work.....looks very promising



AB Miniatures 20mm WW2...





Hawk Wargames Dropzone Commander....so tempted but would need to blow half a year's mortgage payments just to do it all justice....thanks to Dr.Falkenhayn of Lead Adventure Forum for pointing out I'd mis-named them earlier......insert yet another embarrassed grin......I should get emoticons on here!








I met up with Alex of Warploque Miniatures fame on Friday...great guy and excellent sculptor. I missed his stand on the day (God alone knows how....Salute has more than 4 corners methinks...Euclydian geometry...) so pics nabbed of his Facebook page;






Nice new range of Dwarves suitable for an adventure....'a burgling we go'..............XIII Legion.




Picked these remainder items up - if anyone has any ideas on the company please let me know as Googl-fu has failed both myself and Stunties......they look vaguely like Ratnik sculpts....






And Salute would not be Salute without an after show drinkie......Frothers on good form plus some others I spotted.....







Megan Fox popped in to check how things were going....








Had to post pics of the London Marathon....troopers the lot of them and made me think of the hell that went on in Boston. A lot of police presence however the cheers and general 'jubilation' was a joy to behold.