Hammerhead and finished Romans

Yesterday I attended the Hammerhead show in Newark which has recently had the organisation taken over by Dave Ryan of Caliver Books. The change in running may have had an effect - I will comment later.

It was very busy although a lot of people had left by around lunchtime. While queuing to get in, people could be seen leaving - whether to simply put stuff in their car or having finished the shopping trip going home barely after opening! From the numbers I assume the former, although some looked like they were finished for the day, weighed down with boxes....

As it bills itself as a Participation show, there were few of the eye-catching displays seen at Partizan and lots of games on small tables. Bigger games had gone for mats and free-standing terrain with a few exceptions, one of the smaller games at least had gone for sculpted terrain as seen in the typical display game. There were quite a few naval games which was a surprise but I guess easy to run as a participation.

I grabbed some photos going around the hall; some games I simply couldn't get close enough due to people playing, others it was a case of leaning in a snapping a quick shot - so some photos are not the best.

There were a couple of early horse and musket games in evidence.

The previously mentioned naval games

This last one using what I suspect is a cheap but effective plastic sea effect tablecloth

Midgard in evidence

The Boondock Sayntes using Indian walls and other historical scenery as Minas Tirith

Lego Alamo

Paper Boys WW2 Jungle

Pony Wars?

Star Wars

North Star Warriors of Athena lovely terrain not many figures!

Italian Wars - Hornsea Contemptable. I think this is the chap that has adapted Fire & Fury ACW... nice figures shame about the rather shabby TSS tiles...

My old Compadres of the Tyneside Wargames Club put on Operation Barbarossa again using 10mm figures and tanks designed and cast by the talented Pete Foggin

https://tynesidewargames.co.uk/

https://www.foggofwarminiatures.com/

I spent a bit of time catching up - not as much as I'd have liked but with a 3 hour window time was finite.

I also had a nice chat with Martin Rapier - disturbed him while eating his lunch! His blog is always worth a visit.

https://tgamesweplay.blogspot.com/

I didn't have time to play in any games (although no-one tried to engage) and aside from the socialising and a bit of shopping, was ready to go when my friend and lift asked. 

Looking at the programme today I had thought that I'd missed some traders, despite a tour of the hall, but found out that I had covered almost all of them. Likewise I had wanted to see an Arab-Israeli game, but never noticed it, but to be fair, a lot of small games or those using 6mm or smaller simply don't catch the eye and few seemed worth the effort of fighting past people's backs to get a picture!

I think this highlights some issues for me with the show. The venue. While no doubt convenient, I simply don't like shows in large sheds; they are noise and hard on the feet. Aside from the busy cafe, there was nowhere to sit. The catering and toilets are about adequate, but not brilliant.

The venue also suffers when attendance is high. It is noisy and people were chatting while blocking passages and trade stands, the passageways being very crowded at peak times. I saw one chap on sticks and wondered how he was faring. My view is that is down to the venue as well as how it is utilised.

The tablesales / bring and buy, was in the dead centre and was like a rugby scrum; it also acted as a blockage right opposite the main entrance. I think they will have to consider what Partizan have done and had marquees at the entrance for table sales and a bit more room - although frankly at opening this must cause access problems? These things take up lots of room and attract wargamers like vultures around a corpse!

The layout itself with traders around the edge and games in the middle doesn't work IMHO. Getting to the trade stands means threading a path through games. Why not divide the hall into games and traders? At lease that way you could see where most footfall occurs and plan space accordingly.

I'm aware of how much effort planning these events takes. I got the impression a lot was done at the last minute on this occasion. The website was not updated until two weeks before the event. I understand from a trader that I didn't know was going until I looked at the floorplan, told me he had been on the waiting list for 8 years (!) and only received an invite 2 weeks before the show! Given that some traders who normally attend were absent (listed in the "traders for 2025" up to 2 weeks before the show) I assume the invites or confirmations went out too late to plan properly. Given more and more are retiring and some have stopped attending shows, this could have a big impact....

It suggests to me that to continue, Hammerhead will have to up its game - it's not the venue that attracts people, it's the traders and games. If these are sub-par, attendance will suffer. Poor publicity and a change of date (all last minute) killed Sheffield Triples.

Anyway, aside from a few purchases none of which are particularly photogenic, the show was OK but not outstanding.

In other news, the Romans who had been painted, varnished and based had their bases finished.

Dulce bellum inexpertis - Romans

Plodding along with progress on the Caesar's War project. The last two weekends have seen attention turn to the Romans.

While legionaries are plentiful, the light axillaries were looking a bit thin on the ground, as were extra command stands. The existing stocks were raided and extra command figures purchased. Sadly, the Freikorps 15 range which most of the existing Romans came from have been redesigned in many cases and the current website lacks pictures of the whole range. Rather than buy something blind, I had to hunt around to find who does suitable command figures.

There was not a lot of choice for Marian Romans. I ended up buying some of the Xyston figures as these had the correct standards if lacking in Centurions. While they are a bit larger than most, it was a case of make do.

I did find the last of the FK 15 Legionaries.

From the same range came slings and javelins (early unarmoured auxilia figures):

Some stray Minifigs Cretans were also enlisted:

Then the Legion command stands; each "Legion" will consist of a command stand, 4x stands of Legionaries, 1-2 x LI and possibly cavalry. So looking at available FK15 legion figures and existing command stands, another 5 command stands will give 8 Legions. With one eye on the Civil War, 2 were painted as "Pompeian" or "Optimates" and 3 as "Caesarian" or "Popoulares" using the schemes I had decided on long ago when raising 2x DBA armies; one in light purple and dark red/crimson the other in red, no doubt influenced by the maps in Terry Wise's  Battles for Wargamers.

So the Optimate faction:

And the Populares:

When time allows they will receive some ground work and basing.  There remains still some more bits to finish. Two more Legions need assembling from painted figures, there are more Germans and Celts to add as well as baggage / camps, villages, more trees to base, possibly ships and fortifications. Hopefully, leave in April will allow time to make a start on the actual campaign and battles.

Next weekend is Hammerhead. No doubt I shall bump into a few bloggers.

Progress report

 Perhaps not as simulating as a discussion on storage  options😎

 https://russetcoatcpt.blogspot.com/2026/02/fnurban-40-boxing-clever.html

Nevertheless, an update on what progress I've made since last post.

Remember  those Gallic cavalry?

Well after touch ups, repairs and basing they look like this:

Some individual shots.

The "buying other people's painted figures that look like mine, but might need work" project continues with the addition of some Germans, looking very similar to mine, although on 3-to-a-base loose order. The bases need a bit of TLC....

A bit of a "PB&J" post (as Stew would say), but aside from uninteresting views of cleaned up Roman command figures and some remnant Gauls and Romans awaiting priming and painting respectively, not a lot else has happened chez moi. 

A lot more terrain has been purchased as well as fortifications for those Romans and houses for the Celts, oh and some storage boxes......😎 mainly as due to all these additions I needed to expand. These are of the small craft or DIY bits boxes, with 40mm or wider compartments and some deeper toolbox types for those pesky pikes, lances and elephants.

More Gallic War or "what a lot of old Gauls!"

The "old Gauls" in question are another lot of painted Celts from eBay in a bit of a sad state - "preloved" is the modern term I believe...

They were in a bit of a state with broken weapons and the infantry having a figure broken at the ankles on each stand, with the odd figure a bit wobbly when re-bent upright. Out came the super glue gel and baking soda.

Some work in progress shots, cavalry first.

You can see the red broom bristles flattened at the end to make spears.

A broom bristle was also used to make the top part of a Carnyx horn, bent into an "L" shape and when the glue had dried liquid greenstuff was applied and roughly shaped to look like a Carnyx - it came out much better than I expected.

Some spears and one man waving half a sword were repaired with broom bristles, the sword blade being flattened and cut to shape.

Again liquid green stuff was applied, including providing a new hand. Here's the group shot after paint touch ups and a few tufts of static grass added.

Some close ups, the Carnyx horn came out very well.

The cavalry were repaired, loose figures stuck to bases and the odd touch up of paint. Since then, they have had base texture added and the light cavalry have had a black AP wash.

While hunting for something else, I found these (not where I expected them to be)....

Designed for 20mm, they are perfect for 15mm. The hillfort will make an excellent Oppidum and the Roman fort either a variation of Oppidum or large Roman camp.

Saturday started clear and sunny, despite the forecast, so I took advantage of the weather to undercoat some of the back-log with spray can - mostly Seleucids but a few Romans and Celts. Today I have cleaned up more Roman command stands, finished the Gallic infantry and made a start on basing the Gallic cavalry. A productive weekend!