And here with the lights out. I don't know about the kids, but I'll be sleeping with the light on tonight! 
The opening chapters set the scene of a European was that has ground into a blood soaked impasse with a war that neither side could 'win'. The Germans seem to have settled on the policy of static defence, holding onto their gains from the opening months of the war. The Allies meanwhile try time and again to break the stalemate with men and shells and bayonets. This picture of futility has been burned into our collective Psyche and for many people in Europe they could see no end to the slaughter.
In the background however there was a growing demand for some new tactic or weapon that would unlock the stalemate and allow Europe's armies to fight a more traditional war of maneuver. Many wild and impractical solutions were devised and some, such as the use of Poison Gas, were implemented with little or no effect except to increase the suffering at the front. A handful of individuals however held a vision of a fighting machine capable of crossing no mans land and the trenches beyond.
Secrecy was something of a joke. During the preceding years many people who had a hand in the development and concept of the tank had been openly discussing (and in the case of Ernest Swinton, lobbying) this potential wonder weapon. Questions were even asked in the House of commons and printed in Hansard about the new land ships. Fortunately the Germans didn't seem to have a subscription to Hansard and the secret remained secure. A new Training camp was established at Elveden Hall in Norfolk and the first recruits for the Machine Gun Heavy Section (the genesis of the Tank Corp) began to be assembled.
Secrecy however seems to have still been something of a farce and of course it worked both ways. For the new commanders and trainees of the Heavy Section finding out what the 'front' was actually like was near on impossible. None ever got close enough to the lines to see the sort of obstacles they would actually have to traverse and the conditions they would have to endure. None the less a mock trench system and man made trenches were dug at Elveden and the new tanks were put through their paces.
The vehicles themselves were far from perfect, indeed by any acceptable modern definition they would still have been described as prototypes. Prone to breakdowns they were hellish to work inside. Hot, incredibly noisy and filled with fumes the men inside were battered, bruised, roasted and even on some occasions rendered unconscious by the fumes. Despite this they were about to be committed to battle for the first time. The Somme would be their bloody debut and it was a muddy disaster.
Throughout the remainder of the book Campbell takes the reader through what felt like one disaster after another. Yet despite the heavy losses, breakdowns and lack of proper tactics the tanks had impressed the likes of Sir Douglas Haig enough that he called for more to be built. At Cambrai Tanks were used for the first time in a combined Arms operation that was initially a huge success. But the lack of a strategic reserve meant that the Germans were able to counterattack and retake most the the ground that was lost. Perhaps more crucially they were also able capture some British tanks and transport them to Germany for their secrets to be unravelled. 
At times during my time reading this book I felt like shouting at the pages. Battle after battle seems to have been fought using the the same plan as last time only tweaked a little "because this time it will work". The unmitigated horror and loss of life pours out of the pages with every first hand account and eyewitness report. The Generals in charge were not the ancient traditionalists they are often made out to be. Haig in particular seemed very open to new ideas and new technology. But time and time again the implementation of new weapons seemed to be piecemeal, premature and poorly executed resulting in horrific casulaties.
This book is definitely worthy of a place on my shelves and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone interested in the period.
I follow a lot of blogs but one of my favorites is by Wil Wheaton. Some of you will know Wil as Wesley Crusher from Startrek Next Generation (TNG) or earlier still as Gordie LaChance in the film Stand by Me. Wil is also a prolific and very talented writer and his blog Wil Wheaton Dot Net is a regular part of my week. Most D&D players will also know that he is a committed player of our beloved game. Just reading his words gave me a warm fuzzy feeling and made me want to rush home, dig out my Red Box and read the rulebooks again. Check out Wil's Blog, I think you'll enjoy it.
The latter pack consists of six small stacks of supplies (Barrels, sacks, oil drums etc). I'm in two minds how to use these. I could paint each up separately as small scenery items or I could put them on a single base and use it as a larger objective marker... any suggestions?
I've written several times about the need to introduce new blood into our hobby. Like many gamers my age I now have kids of my own and I'm already Despite this I did think the programme gave us old farts a small glimmer of hope. When the kids had finished their project (to build a 1:1 scale Airfix Supermarine Spitfire) they seemed genuinely proud of their achievement. Some even said they would make an Airfix model again - without the incentive of a TV personality prodding them with a stick to do so. These children learned the hard way that making a model is fun and deeply satisfying in a way that computer games with their instant gratification are not.
Let me state for the record that I love technology, I love computer games and I love living in the future. OK I haven't got the Jet Packs and Spaceships I wanted as a kid but on the whole we live in an exciting and fast moving age of wonder. But sometimes we need to slow down to truly appreciate what we have. I for one think this is ever more important for our children who are saturated and utterly immersed in this hi-tech world. Now and again we should encourage them to unplug, disconnect, turn off and slow down. That's also good advice for us adults.
The second questions is, what would be a better alternative for our PC's? Tolkien developed the ideal alternative in the form of the Elven Lembas Bread. This is often referred to as waybread and may have been based on the well known (but much less nutritious) hardtack biscuits used by the navy. This would complimented by the invigorating Ent-draught, a drink brewed from mountain spring water by the Tree Ents of Middle Earth.
I've been looking around for Testors Dullcote spray for some time. I found out today that Antenociti's Workshop has got a limited stock in. I've ordered a few cans for myself but thought I'd put the word out... there are 37 cans left in stock as of ten minutes ago!.jpg)
More recently, some of the tunnels have been used for live action role-playing (LARPing). This must have been an interesting experience because its not until you've wandered these tunnels with just a paraffin lamp to light your way do you realise how dark it is. This might sound like a silly statement but if you've ever played D&D you'll be familiar with the standard equipment every adventuring Player Character takes with them into the dungeon. The (burning) torch and Lantern sound fine on paper, but in reality they give off very little light. 
I've run or played in plenty of games where the 'light source' of an adventuring party is given little or no thought. It seems to be assumed that if a torch provides light for say a 60ft radius then everything is clear right out to that distance. In reality anything beyond about 15-20ft will be dark and hard to identify without direct light (from a Bullseye Lamp for instance). In future I will definitely be emphasising the poor visibility provided by these light sources when I run a game. The ubiquitous adventurers burning torch will never be the same again.
The Surfacescapes concept has been around for a couple of years but this is the first time I have seen it used in a 'practical' application. This looks like Wizards of the Coasts D&D Insider on steroids! But is it D&D?
I've never really taken to electronic dice rollers - call me old fashioned but I like the tactile experience of holding the dice. Other than this I quite like the look of this concept... especially the fact that this proves that D&D geeks are out there designing the software interfaces of tomorrow.
Truly, the Geeks shall inherit the Earth.
OK maybe this isn't a list to every ones taste (no pun intended), but this certainly seems to sum up the eating habits of my group. Surprisingly none of us have had a heart attack yet.
E18 was part of a fleet of submarines sent by the then First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill, to block the trade of Iron Ore across the Baltic which was fueling the German war effort.
.jpg)
.jpg)
Our initial exploration revealed nothing more than an empty room and hints of another plane of existence pressing on the area. The next door is opened, leading into a long corridor.
I had the privilege of meeting John at Dragonmeet in 2004 and got some of his books signed.
I'm not sure if he's planing on attending this year but if he does I'll be there.
Peter Greenaway (aka. "The Evil GM") - Pete is one of the Old Contemptibles, having been part of the group from the start. He's a talented GM and and uncannily lucky player. Pete took on the job of running our first 4E D&D game and we haven't let him off the hook yet. From time to time I have posted guest articles from Pete as he has an uncanny ability to sit on the fence and argue with himself!
John Dorney is a recent(ish) addition to the group. An Actor and writer he also does a bit of Stand Up Comedy and has been an interviewer at several SciFi conventions. Possibly his most prolific work however has been in several BBC Radio Dr Who episodes. John is the official funny man of the group. His roleplaying characters are always hilarious particularly the Half Orc Fighter, Runk, who became a legend in his own time.
Dave Stokes is a very talented artist who always has a sketchpad to hand. Earlier in the year he published his first art book and he's been very busy since then. He is also a fellow and long time blogger where he displays his artwork. Dave is a big time World of Warcraft player and has also run a Dragonlance D&D campaign for our group in the past, although after the mauling we gave his adventure he may be reconsidering ever doing that again!
Derek Kettlety is the quiet one in the group. This may be because he often found with his head down frantically scribbling notes during every game. Derek is legendary for his in depth development of character backstories. Several of his D&D characters have literally come to life in the form of short stories and even (its rumored) an as yet unpublished book. While other players are maxing out their skills and feats Derek is often the only one considering his PC's motivation and inner feelings.
Andrew Ashenden is another Old Contemptable having been part of our group pretty much from the start. He's also yet another Actor and a qualified Fight Director. Fortunately we haven't needed his skills with a Rapier or Quarterstaff in real life, but its always interesting to play alongside someone for whom these weapons are not just abstract rules in a book. When Andy is playing the GM usually braces himself for the unexpected...meaning action, combat and chaos. Andy literally is the Eye of the Storm.
Peter Gentry is part of the original old school D&D group. Along with the other Peter & Andy we all started playing D&D when it still came in a red box with a Dragon on the front of it. Peter now lives in Ipswich but still attends the occasional game when he passes through the old hometown. The standing joke is that all Pete's characters are actually the same guy, but with a different name. This is a little harsh but very funny. One day when Pete couldn't make a game we put a life sized cardboard cutout wizard and sat it in a chair to stand in for him..jpg)
So whats inside the glossy cover of issue 265?Once again this is a glossy, colourful and well put together magazine with interesting content. It's rare that I will read any magazine cover to cover but this is exactly what I have done with every issue of Wargames Illustrated since its rebirth earlier in the year. It could be argued that making each issue a 'special', might put people off if they don't game the period featured. But for me it has the opposite effect. Concentrating related articles on a given subject helps give a novice like me a chance to get inside the history and get a real flavor for gaming the period featured.
.jpg)
It would be nice to see some of the Demo tables with more information available to visitors. Some of the tables provided information sheets about their games but the majority didn't. This isn't in itself a problem, if you're the sort of person who feels comfortable sparking up a conversation with the guys on the table. But multiply those little conversations by say 30 demo tables and they all start to meld into one confused blur. I guess I feel the problem a little more acutely because I like to come away from a show with pictures as well as miniatures. Trying to figure out who was on what table, what their game was etc can be a bit daunting - even if I process my pictures the same day. As I get older and my mind starts to go I fully expect this problem will get worse!
It would be great if each demo table could provide some sort of handout with basic details on it. This doesn't have to be a double sided A4 colour brochure (although that would be nice). A simple photocopied A5 sheet would be sufficient. Something that would be relatively simple to put together and cheep to reproduce.
So what sort of information would I like to see on the sheet?
.jpg)
Not every demo or participation table is 'labeled'. Some have a sign up with the club/game details clearly displayed but quite a few have nothing. Now of course you can chat to the guys running the table to find out what you want but I often find it useful when identifying my photographs if I can take at least one picture with the table/club name label included. This is especially true for larger shows where there may be two of three Napoleonic games for instance.
I arrived just before 10am and waited in the cold morning sunshine for the doors to open. Once they did the queue was processed quickly and the cavernous space of the National Sports Centre waited inside. My first impression once through the doors was “renovation, what renovation?” as nothing much seems to have been changed by nearly two years worth of building work.
Another game that caught my eye was the Aspern-Essling Napoleonic encounter run by Too Fat Lardies. This used ‘blank markers’ to identify units that were as yet unidentified by opposing players (the models would come on later in the game as LOS was established). I had a long and interesting chat with one of the guys at the table…but forgot to get his name! (Note to self: Bring notebook in future!!). 
Deal Wargames Club put on an excellent display with their game Crossing the Irrawaddy. This featured an opposed waterborne landing, a very muddy looking river and some excellent terrain..jpg)
.jpg)
There seemed to be more participation games at this show (maybe I just notice them this time round). The South London Warlords were running their Usthutu game, complete with native headgear. Crawley Wargames Club had an interesting game called Operation peace for Galilee which looked like an interesting urban warfare scenario..jpg)
The Diamond Geezers had lots of players around their game The Raid simulating a commando attack on a port. 
And the South East Essex Military Society were running their Wot no Parachute? WW1 Aerial combat game (those models look great). .jpg)
All in all a very good show with an enjoyable mix of trade stands and display tables. All my pictures (including those I didn't have space for here) are available to view in my SELWG 09 Picasa Web Album. I've also put together a video slide show of my pictures here.
I was also on the lookout for my next Panzer Platoon and bought a box of five Panther A's. I plan on picking up some more of these at a later stage but I want to check out the quality of the models first. In particular I'm eager to compare these Panthers to those produced by other manufacturers.
I also picked up the Panzer Lehr dice & token set. Its a bit expensive at £12 but apparently I'm a sucker for good marketing! 
In addition to these main items I also picked up some small bits of painted scenery (dugouts) and some magnetic disks. I plan on using the latter inside the turrets of my tanks to hold them together while allowing movement. I'm using blue tack at the moment and frankly it's not up to the job.
It is considered by many to be the first proper set of Wargames rules although it is written with a degree of pre WWI naivety. Wells's of course was a well known pacifist and some his own philosophy can be seen in his words.
The picture is taken from the Illustrated London News and the full caption reads:
The Opel Blitz Opel 3.6-36S/SSM Gleisketten-Lastkraftwagen or Opel Maultier (meaning "Mule") was a vehicle born of necessity. When Germany invaded Russia it soon became clear that normal wheeled vehicles were going to struggle on the poor quality or often non existent roads. By the spring of 1942 it was decided to produce half tracked versions of existing wheeled vehicles. The Opel Blitz (pictured left) was one such vehicle. With its three ton load carrying capacity and its proven design it was already the backbone of the mobile armoured divisions. Conversion to a half tracked model meant this vehicle saw service until the end of the war. .jpg)
These miniatures are all resin (with integral base) and produced by Battlefront for the Flames of War game. I picked them up at the Redoubt show way back in July simply because they looked good. The models were actually quite easy to paint although I did find I needed to give them a good scrub in detergent to prep the surfaces for painting. .jpg)
The detailing on the resin miniatures is quite good without being overly elaborate and this actually made these easier to paint. The only downside to them being a single cast model their is no clearance between the vehicle and the base. This can be 'hidden' by painting the area black, which is fine for wargaming miniatures but maybe not so if you collect for display only.
I'm still unsure how I can use these in my Panzer Company but I'm sure I'll find a place for them eventually.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
The first picture shows how I fixed the tracks to the resin Hull pieces. The second picture shows the Mud Guards which I still consider to be too flimsy and their connection to the Tracks to be too small for a robust bond. I strongly suspect these will need regular repair once these models get into usage. The Third picture shows the bolts I fixed to the turrets and hulls to hold the minis while painting. I detailed this method in a recent post. The last of the four pictures shows the assembled vehicles base coated and highlighted awaiting detail.
So how did they turn out in the end?... here's the eye candy. .jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Now all I have to do is decide what to paint next and that will depend on what I buy at the SELWG show this sunday (More on that nearer the time).
.jpg){kind=link}