Tuesday 12 March 2013

Alumwell Wargaming Show (WMMS) 2013

What better way is there to enjoy Mother's Day than to send it buying and playing toy soldiers?

Held at the Aldersley Leisure Village in Wolverhampton the West Midland Military Show (WMMS) is only around ten miles from where I live and has a decent mix of traders, model displays, re-enactors, demo and participation games. After bring picked up by Ade and his good lady wife from IKEA we battled our way through the snow and freezing temperatures (well it was jolly cold) to arrive at the show just after midday, with my brother Neil arriving shortly afterwards. It seemed that there was a good turn out considering the weather and the fact the show coincided with Mothering Sunday. 

Armed with a shopping list I set off hot pursuit of little lead and plastic recruits. In typical fashion it was only towards the end of the day that I remembered to take any photos.

As per usual at WMMS the gamers and modellers are a friendly bunch and there were numerous games and displays that caught my eye.  I'm not normally a fan of hex based terrain but a Spanish Civil War game using Empress Miniatures figures and terrain was particularly nice.
Spanish Civil War - Empress Miniatures
 
Spanish Civil War - Empress Miniatures
 
Spanish Civil War - Empress Miniatures
 
Spanish Civil War - Empress Miniatures

WWII demo game of Battle of Villiers Fossard
 
WWII demo game of Battle of Villiers Fossard
 
WWII demo game of Battle of Villiers Fossard
  
AWI game - STAGS & Questing Knight Games
AWI game - STAGS & Questing Knight Games
 
Battle of Guildford Courthouse (1781) Figures from Blue Moon

Towards the end of the day we played a very entertaining game of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson (Neil and Ade of Wargaming For Fun fame) pursuing Jack the Ripper (aka 'the Butcher of Bromley-by-Bow' aka me) around the East End of London using Empire of the Dead rules from Westwind (Ade's wife Shaz didn't want to play - boo, girls are rubbish!) There was some fantastic terrain on display made by the chap running the game, Thunderchicken (not his real name I assume) which can be seen here.
 
During the game Jack managed to entice a poor cockney working girl to her doom whilst pushing the pursuing coppers further and further away (by wining several of the initiative phases) from the crime scenes as it was possible. A second victim was saved when Holmes disturbed the scene after fighting off Jack with a swing of her handbag. In the effort to make a quick getaway Jack managed to knock the bumbling Watson flat on his arse and give the smarty pants Holmes a good clip round the ear despite taking two gunshot wounds. I still lost the game though as Jack failed to secure four victims but it was good fun none the less. 
Holmes & Watson armed with their trusty red plastic pointy sticks
 
"Come here my pretty" Jack claims her first victim underneath the arches.

Super scratch-built terrain - the East End (in miniature)
 
I didn't manage to get everything I wanted on my list but I'm in no rush (especially considering my glacial painting efforts). My next show will probably be Derby which isn't until late September but which I suspect will come around all too quickly.
 
I have several posts almost ready to be published (honest) so thanks for visiting and come back soon.

17 comments:

  1. I spent Mothers Day cooking a big meal for my family and then doing the washing up. Something is wrong in my life!

    Nice looking tables and the Watson and Holmes game sounds like fun.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Anne, I think you need to have a good talk to your family - it's Mother's Day afterall. Or give them a very stern stare like my mom does when I've done something wrong (that's when I know I'm in real trouble).

      Delete
  2. It was a good show. I find it a bit odd that I must have walked past several people, whose blogs I routinely read, during the course of the day, yet didn't know them from Adam face to face. Thunderchicken is a LAF regular too and I walked past him numerous times without recognition.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cheers Jim, it is quite odd that we can stroll past our 'online' friends and never know it. We should all wear badges! Thunderchicken's (sorry, I don't know his real name) terrain was superb.

      Delete
  3. You must have arrived just after I left Matt! Couldn't stay all that long, so didn't get a chance to join in with the EotD game, but it looked great fun and the terrain was superb.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Nick, haha no wonder I couldn't see you! I thought you putting on a demo game. Sure we'll bump into each other sooner rather than later.

      Delete
  4. Thanks for the pics especially the east end game!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Very nice pictures ! Thanks !

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yes, love the East End terrain. And now my interest is peaked about this Thunderchicken fellow you speak of.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cheers Sean, there are some great tutorials on the Lead Adventures Forum, very useful.

      Delete
  7. Great pictures here! The buildings, terrain, planes, are really nice...
    Phil

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks for posting the pictures, I was there as well, very good show as always.

    All the best

    Airhead

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Airhead, we should defo wear name badges! Ade should have a tutorial video online soon'ish that was directly inspired by one of your blog articles.

      Delete
  9. Im glad you like Mother's Day ;) i would to :) great pics

    ReplyDelete