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Thursday, 1 December 2011

Impetus at SmoggyCon: The Armies

The karma of my world was upset last weekend. Imagine the only wargaming convention that is literally within walking distance from me was last weekend. You guessed it. I was required to "work" forty miles away in the opposite direction! Heaping insult to injury I had to physically drive past the building. I literally "saw" the traders unloading their wares. Ironically I managed to finish work and get back to Middlesbrough just in time to see the same transit vans drive away into the distance. Talk about a tease.

I nevertheless entered the building "to search for survivors" as the tables were being packed away. I did manage to sit down with my Hartlepool friends and "chew the fat" and catch several Impetus "end games" being played out to the last dice roll. I have to say all the Impetus players I saw without exception seemed to be extremely friendly. A bunch unlike any other competition gamers I've seen or heard of before, they were literally "helping" each other play the games. Brilliant, no sign of any dummies, rattles or torn rule books on the floor!

Pop Quiz: Can you name me name these armies? I certainly couldn't, answers in the comments (no peeking).


Figure 1: Something "pike" versus "something else"? (see above).


Figure 2: Hmm, lots of 'warbandy' things versus a legion I think? (see above).


Figure 3: An intimidating long line (of Normans?) versus a shorted line of mounted things? (see above).


Figure 4: Erm, there seemed to be more 'dead' than 'living' on this table, with the remaining mounted chaps not wanting to close with the foot-sloggers? (see above).


Figure 5: Not at all sure here, one army may have been Numidian but that's a guess, the other side seemed sort of more ordered? (see above).

Footnote:
All was not lost as I visited "Ender the Bed Enterprises" and picked up something 20mm/1/76 WW2 (to be revealed in a later posting). I uncharacteristically restrained myself from buying (on impulse) a 1/2400(? or smaller) Napoleonic Trafalgar party pack from Tumbling Dice Miniatures. Maybe next time, it has set me thinking.
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8 comments:

  1. Tim Gow1 December 2011 at 22:22

    I feel your pain. Good to hear that against all the odds you managed to buy some toys.

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  2. SteveI2 December 2011 at 10:47

    First picture Han Chinese (top) vs Macedonian
    Second is Early Imperial Roman (left) vs Carthaginian
    Third is Romano-British (left) vs Palmyran
    Fourth is Numidian (top) vs Early Samurai
    Fifth is Hittite (left) vs Norman

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  3. Geordie an Exiled FoG2 December 2011 at 22:33

    Thanks Tim, it did make me wince but I'm over it now ;)

    Cheers Steve, the armies looked very impressive but I couldn't quite close enough at the time to take them all in

    How did you do in the competition?

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  4. SteveI3 December 2011 at 20:07

    Won 2 (just), lost 1 (by a lot!) finished in the lower middle order

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  5. Geordie an Exiled FoG3 December 2011 at 22:59

    Steve, your Warring States Chinese were very impressive

    Is it my imagination or were they "taking the terrain with them" as per their bases?

    I didn't get a chance to take a second look on the day but from the photograph's they don't appear flat with the table (unless it's a trick of the light or an optical illusion)

    Cheers

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  6. SteveI3 December 2011 at 23:14

    They do indeed take their own terrain along with them. Unfortunately I was informed that I couldn't claim to be uphill in every encounter!
    Put together they form a mini diorama have a look here http://littlesoldiercompany.co.uk/tag/warring-states/ for a little background on the project. I only finished them a couple of days before Smoggycon so have not got any photos of them completed - yet.

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  7. Geordie an Exiled FoG3 December 2011 at 23:53

    Ah, that explains it, I'm already looking forward to the photographs of the whole diorama

    PS Good AAR on your sight :)

    http://littlesoldiercompany.co.uk/2011/11/smoggycon-aar/

    ReplyDelete
  8. SteveI5 December 2011 at 13:13

    I've added a couple of pictures now.

    ReplyDelete