The yearly Phalanx wargame show (UK) was scheduled for Saturday 20th June, but as with most things that involve gatherings, it has been cancelled due to the 2020 Covid 19 pandemic.
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| Not obvious at this distance in this picture, taken 2 years ago at Phalanx, but these bases were gorgeous and I left the show inspired. |
Now, I know we are particularly well blessed for shows in the U.K. but this is one that is always on my ‘must attend’ list and so will be particularly missed and I thought doing something token to still mark the occasion would be worthwhile.
So with that in mind, I have put a couple of orders in to traders to represent a bit of buying, I have some lovely Wars of the Roses figures gifted from fellow blogger Phil Robinson that can represent the recycling of goodness on the ‘Bring and Buy’ visit and I will put something up on E-bay to reflect a bit of selling there. Now I just need to plan a game that will represent the feast of gaming tables that always entertain and inspire.
Hopefully all of these things taken together will help encapsulate a sense of what I can only describe as probably my favourite wargaming calendar event of the year.
A few years ago at Phalanx, Liverpool Wargames Association put on a Hastings display that was essentially a 4’ x 3’ table, with a long ridge across the width and some absolutely lovely 28mm figure bases (100mm wide) to set the scene. If I remember correctly, they were using a DBA type derivative. Anyway, it was splendid and had a big impact on my thinking as to what sort of games I wanted to play and I remember commenting on the blog at the time, that if I could have just brought one army home that day, it would have been from that table.
That experience was one of the several influences that got me enthused to do a Pocket Army project, intending that relatively small figure collections be used in small spaces to give a good game. In that regard the relevance of wargame shows and their ability to motivate and enthuse is something precious that we need to make sure we never let slip away.
And so ...... I will likely do a small game with some 28’s, as I like that sort of thing and one of the gaming experiences I am yet to enjoy is putting on a game at a show, but in the meantime this can be my virtual attempt! The idea will be that the game will show what can be done with just two or three boxes of figures and hopefully get someone enthused to something similar, as I was by the Hastings game.
I typically do a Phalanx ‘show report’ for the blog each year, so this time, I will put on a small game at home and do a short AAR for the blog, show off some of Phil’s models and list my modest loot! To be uploaded on the 20th (Phalanx day), it will be the ‘Not a Wargame Show’ part II.
Anyway that is the plan and it would be great if anyone reading this, for the sake of all the shows cancelled this year, fancied having a little dabble, perhaps supporting a trader if cash and need allows and putting their own game on and then doing a blog update or just throw a comment on the part II post here. A sort of Bloggers show of support for the show circuit in general.
