Salute 2011

So it's all done for this year.

I have to say it was a bit of a disappointment given that it is only my second year of going. A lot of the displays were the same boards as last year, though the scale of new demos seemed to be getting bigger. Myself and Bull were discussing how, considering the hobby by its very nature is creative, there was nothing particularly creative about what was on show – with the odd exception.

The prize for most dull looking game goes to some kind of historical battle where units were represented by what can only be described as large blocks of fudge – like you see in seaside towns. If every game were a massacre on both sides (and you had to eat your dead forces) I could understand the appeal, but how can you buy into the character of your troops (or give a toss about their well being) when they are represented by 5"x2" blocks of brown/grey solid plastic. Very dull indeed we thought.

There were a couple of good demo boards and lots of other stuff to see, including quite a few freelance sculptors and painters which was excellent. As expected there were plenty of retailers which was fantastic. The GW presence was remarkably low key which, considering this is the premier show for the industry in the UK, was a little surprising.

The main beacon of light was the Eden stand. A demo board with a ruined fairground was a genius idea and they had some of the best painted miniatures in the place (including the one at the top of the blog). Click on the images to see them bigger.

There were a handful of Malifaux boards which was nice to see. Unfortunately we didn't get to sit down and get a tutorial – it was quite busy, which was a shame.

On the flip side I manged to convince Bull to purchase a starter set – he went with the Viktorias – and we have a pencilled in game day, just have to check with our respective social secretaries (the married guys out there will know what I'm taking about).

I got away with just a couple of purchases – the Rising Powers book and the Scales of Justice model – though it was touch and go for a while (the Battlefoam Malifaux bag was calling to me…).

I got home and immediately got to adding more paint to the Lady, so she is almost finished now (thanks to Andy from Lair of the Breviks for the tips – greatly appreciated). I'd better get a move on – I have a game to paint for!

Now, if I could just wash this stamp off the back of my hand…