Attack at Devizes 2025

Always an enjoyable day out whenever it matches with a family visit back to Wiltshire. It's a chance to met up with old friends, sadly slowly diminishing; see some different traders and see some different games although only sttod out for me this year.

WW2 Pacific air/naval action with some innovative modular islands

ACW Picketts charge at Gettysburg

Some nice Vietnamese hooches on the Charlie Foxtrot stand unfortunately only available in 28mm

Very little booty from the show the old Almarks Panzerjaeger book and I made a swap with Alan McCoubrey for an Airfix Henschel HS123.

Phalanx 2025

A big day for the Beacon Club as we had two games at the show, Dave & Owen's Post D-Day bash and Si's battle of Arsuf put on for the Lance & Longbow Society. So to start here is Si's version of Arsuf 1191 AD Richard the Lionheart's victory over Saladin.

Ready for the off, with Saladin catching Richard on the march.

Mid point of the first game with the Crusaders under pressure

We managed to play two games over the days with Richard just managing to win both.

Now onto Dave and Owen's game which won best in show

Well done guys

Now other things that caught my eye, like these well painted crusaders and saracens by the LWA

Our neighbouring game was the Italian Wars

A nice looking WW2 jungle game

Fuentes de Oñoro 1810

WW2 action in Greece 1941 with Rapid Fire

Sassanid and Byzantine

My limited booty, the Dewotine will become a Vichy version and the two Panzer 38(t)'s will replace a plan to print a few more. The 28mm Hoplites was very much an impulse buy to go with my gangs of Rome, but couldn't be passed up at £5 for 34 figures, the Krupp Protz will just go in the stash for now.

Overall a great day out with not too far to travel

WMMS 2025

An especially early start with the clock change saw Andy, Si and myself trek south to the West Midlands Military Show. I was completely underwhelmed by the traders and ended up with no booty at all. Andy and Si did manage to pick up some bits especially from Tiger Miniatures, which had some interesting sets of figures (link)

At least this year I didn't forget my camera or phone, so on with some pictures.

Battle of Bras - Operation Goodwood with Rapid Fire

Battle of Raab 1809, nice to see some Italians in action

Vietnam action in 28mm

Normans in Sicily

AWI, mainly British and French

German Peasants War, had a good chat with Simon Chick

Seven Years War

Russian Civil War

Tony Dillon's take on Plancenoit played with NapPoker

Hammerhead 2025

An awayday and a bit as five of us stayed over on Friday night in Newark before the show. We turned up at Friday lunchtime and spent most of the afternoon and evening boardgaming. Saturday was bright and sunny and we headed off to the show getting in quite early, and headed off to the table sale. We then acquired three mats for the Beacon club so I took them back to my car before settling down to a tour of the traders and then the games.

None of the participation games tempted me this year but I did like the terrain on a few of the tables, starting with this 10mm Kelly's Heroes game - spot the tigers!

I was then struck by this small village set in one corner of a Midguard game

I did like the simplicity of the river edges used in the Boondock Sayntes fantasy game

Then I spotted the longhouse

And another building. Thanks to Graham from the Sayntes they are the modified version of the Games Workshop Rohan house or Stronghold set.

Another Midguard games set in the Trojan War

Finally the excellent terrain for this Zombie games the same as I saw back at Recon in 2022 (link)

I only succumbed to two purchases during the show and picked up a box of Roman Citizens for Gangs of Rome, which should go with my gladiators to give me another skirmish game option, and a sample box of HaT Napoleonic British Peninsula Cavalry.

Overall a great weekend and spent lots of time chatting to old friends