The Naval Wargames Weekend has come and gone for another year, and this year’s was the
best yet. Thirteen games over two days, with nine games running on day 1, and
seven on day 2.
On
the Saturday I ran my Cod War game from Salute 2013. The rules were developed
slightly from the original game and, as always, much fun and merriment ensued
as frigates rammed coast guard vessels and vice versa. Highspot of the day was
the “death ride of the Leander” in the final game as she rammed and sank a
coast guard cutter, then immediately sideswiped a trawler and also sent her to
the bottom. Instant RN loss!
The
Solent Wargames Association ran two games each day. On the Saturday Mark
Backhouse ran his popular “Hail Agrippa” ancient naval participation game based
on the battle of Actium. An innovative set of
rules based on the “Hail Caesar” land rules, emphasising the similarities
between land and naval warfare of the period.
Solent’s
other table ran a WW2 coastal game in 1/1200 using Action Stations rules, with
lovely models and some exquisite coastline and harbour terrain pieces that
prompted much discussion. They also ran a developmental game covering piracy
off Somalia.
Mark
Barker and the Inshore Squadron presented the 1797 battle of Camperdown. The
battle was split into two phases, with the Southern Phase played out on day 1.
As always, Mark’s models were awesome.
Wayne
Pocock ran the Battle of the Yellow
Sea in 1/3000 using War Times Journal minis and Naval Thunder
rules. Naval Thunder has become something of a favourite with Wayne’s team within the NWS.
Jeff
Crane ran the second NWS game, this time a fantasy action with another battle
from his continuing “Keshian Civil War”
campaign (which must have been running for over 20 years
now).
Rob
Kirk and his team brought another WW2 coastal game, this time in 1/600 and
again using Action Stations. The setting was the Mediterranean,
with allied convoys beset by waves of Stukas and axis torpedo boats.
Another
Mediterranean setting covered George
Street’s 1/6000 modern naval game set off the
coast of Crete using a variant of Shipwreck.
This was an intriguing game played at the task force level.
Last
but not least, Mongoose Publishing
brought along their revised Victory at Sea WW2 naval rules and samples from
their new 1/1800 resin ship range. MGP played through several demo and parti
games based on the Battle
of the River Plate, and the new rules seemed to go gown well.
Although
not run as a trade show Mongoose brought along their trade stand and they were
joined on the trading front by Stuart Barnes Watson’s “Anchorage” 1/1200 ship dealership, both of
which prised some cold hard cash from the hands of the captive naval wargamers
present J
Saturday
evening’s barbeque was cancelled due to the inclement weather, but an intrepid
cadre of NWS veterans slept over at the museum after holding the NWS AGM. So we
were able to reset the hall bright and early for Sunday’s games.
For
me, Cod War gave way to the age of sail, with a demonstration through several
participation games of Ares Games new “Sails of Glory” miniatures game. SOG is
similar in concept to Wings of Glory, with simple yet effective rules using
prepainted models. Many games were played, much discussion had, and the
publication version awaited with great interest. As an aside the NWS will be
running this game at Colours in September.
Solent continued with the WW2 coastal and Somali
pirate theme, but also brought a lovely 20mm Sudan-esque riverine game. This
was a characterful game with some lovely scratch built riverboats, which always
seemed to be having a hard time against the Dervish horde!
Mark
Barker’s Inshore Squadron moved on to
the Northern Phase of Camperdown. As with the previous day’s action it seemed
the British were getting the rough end of the stick for a change!
Rob
Kirk’s team brought along their “Cockleshell Heroes” parti game, with canoes
converted from Airfix 20mm Commando figures, scratch built “targets” and the
dastardly Hun appearing from the shadows. I didn’t get a chance to play this
one but I spoke to some that did and it was a lot of fun.
Ian Armstrong, one
of Rob’s team, also brought along his “work in progress” – fleets of scratch
built Tudor era warships, fully rigged, fully crewed, which had to be seen to
be believed. This is a project that has been running since 2001. With luck the
fleets will be completed ready for a game at the next show in 2014.
So,
more games than ever, more games than we used to have at the old NWS show at
Fort Brockhurst and, as far as I am aware the biggest naval themed wargames
event in the UK, Europe and (maybe) the world. The aim of the show was to give
naval wargamers an opportunity to get together, play games, try each other’s
games and to swap ideas and techniques. In that I think it worked very well.
The feedback from attendees has been great with everyone planning to come back
in 2014. The tentative plan is to hold a
slightly bigger event the same weekend, so pencil in the 21st and 22nd
June for next year J
