Epic post for an epic week. Far too much hobby giddiness ensued this week, always a good thing, except for the bank balance.
Jim and Matt from Too Much Unpainted Lead and I attended Salute at the Excel Centre in London this Saturday. Even though I’ve been a war-gamer for more years than I care to recall I’d never been to Salute. Shame on me. It was far bigger than I imagined, not necessarily in scale, but in the huge variety of traders, products and display games that were crammed into the show. After an embarrassing detour we finally arrived at around 11:00 and after our first circuit, where we only looked at traders, it had already gone 14:00. Far too many cool things to mention in just one post, maybe next time.
As we had a few games planned for the Salute weekend I was busy trying to get enough stuff ready to play the scenarios we were running. Two zombie games were planned as well as any other board games we could fit it. A trial of No More Room in Hell from Iron Ivan Games and All Things Zombie from THW filled the miniatures slots and Incursion and Pandemic made up the board game quota.
I have played Incursion from Grindhouse Games a few times now and it is a pretty darn good game. It has had similar comparisons but describing it as Space-Hulk-Nazi-zombie-diesel-punk fits the bill! Incursion components made up the majority of my show purchases and, inspired by the awesome work of Herrodadog, a full 3D board and play-set is in the works.
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| Outbreak City: 'Midnight Munchies Run' teaser. |
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| Incursion from Grindhouse Games |
Pandemic is a fantastic cooperative board game from Z-Man Games where the players do everything they can to stop the spread of deadly contagions and stem the outbreaks as they engulf the world. Although it is not a zombie game, it fit the theme of the weekend superbly. We played twice and lost both times, but only just, perfect.
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| Pandemic from Z-Man Games |
As we were set to play ‘The Road’ scenario for No More Room In Hell I picked up a quite a few new 1/43 scale vehicles. I picked up a few from Sainsburys and recognised a few from Colin’s blog. I also popped into a local collector’s store and found a number of old cars for just £1.99 each. As I’d stated in a previous post, I needed some more generic saloons (most of what I have is fire engines and working vehicles). I have no idea what a Lancia Lybra is, but these 1/43 models from Majorette fit the bill perfectly. To avoid the ‘I wish I had bought those’ problem, I bought one in each colour they had.
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It's the doors, you just have to!
 
Blingin'
 
Soft-Top
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Good post, good stuff and that's an excellent bus, good work and purchase.
ReplyDeleteVery nice. I have some of those same buildings, just not as well done as yours. I agree, that's a great bus, and I love the shot of the not-Ving using the car door for cover. Looking forward to seeing the road project.
ReplyDeleteThe only game you played that I don't have is Pandemic, but it sounds like I should add it to my collection.
ReplyDeleteYour teaser picture for your ATZ scenario is just that - a teaser. I want to see lots more! Next post, perhaps?
I admire your collection of cars and the bus looks great. I love cars that come with opening doors so I know where you're coming from!
Did you purchase anything interesting at Salute? With so many traders there you must have been spoilt for choice.
All in all, it sounds like you had a great weekend that surely comes close to my idea of Heaven.
Love Pandemic, and the easier Forbidden Island from the same design team. Gotta check out Incursion.
ReplyDeletegreat post! keep up the good work
ReplyDeleteReally nice post mate, I've been scouring my local shops for cars with opening doors, think I can find any? your city has come up a treat, the cars with the opening doors really give it an eerie somethings 'gone wrong' /lived in feeling.
ReplyDeleteShame we didn't get to meet up at Salute Adam :( Like your latest work above; I've seen that bus more than once in Wilkinson's and wondered whether to get it - I definitely shall now! Thanks for that!
ReplyDeleteTAL - Thank you. Wilco does 2 or 3 different ones. Well worth a look.
ReplyDeleteLuckyJoe - Cheers, working on the Road post now.
Bryan - Pandemic is very good and it has the right amount of challenge but you feel like you're almost there. Thanks, I think I am good for cars for a while now, special items only from now on. I picked up a full set of Incursion miniatures, some MiniNatur grass tufts, some 40K bits, all the dice I have been missing and some inserts for the KR bag we got free. Loads to be gettign on with.
DocStout - I'll check out Forbidden Island, thanks for the tip.
Tweaks Coffee - Thank you.
The Extraordinarii - Much appreciated. Keep looking, I tend to pop into any toy shop in any town I visit. I have plans to 'distress' a few cars and give the table an even more eerie look.
Colin - Yes, I just didn't quite appreciate how big it was gonna be. Next time. We seem to have picked up quite a few of the same cars (I went back and picked up a mini after seeing one on your table) Go for it!
Hi Adam,
ReplyDeleteI was there too and, even if it was my third Salute, I always want to come back!
Nice cars you got and, if you want to know, the Lancia Lybra is a fairly common Italian upper class car (in Italy of course!! :P ).
Speaking of toy store, I always enter in every toy store I see, I just love them (my girlfriend don't share my passion but tollerate it, she say that "when the time will come" I'll be the one to take kids in toy shops and hear them cry and shout!!).
Btw, Friday, on our way from St. Paul cathedral to the British museum, we bumped in a really big model store full of diecast cars (every price range), unfortunately I don't remember the name of the shop ar the street but it was big!! Hope you may be interested in it..
Cheers
'Twas a great weekend. The first Salute that I have attended as a punter and been able to look at it all in years. Feet were very achey by the time we were done.
ReplyDeletePandemic was ace and a great theme setter for the weekend, imagine every beginning of every zombie film were you have the exposition explaining the spread of the virus and you have it, except that you are trying to stop it.
Both zombie games were ace although we did suffer somewhat from a tidal wave of zeds (and my character peed himself - twice!!)
Gnotta - Pretty sure I'll be going again next year too. I got to see your painting entry. Having seen your work close up, it is even better in the flesh, great job. Thanks for the tip. Will do my best to try and find out the shop you found.
ReplyDeleteMatt - Very much so. After so much zomb-fun Monday morning was a huge come-down. Yup, the tidal wave of Zeds was ludicrous. In short we rolled almost the max no. Zeds to start on each game. Madness! I'm just gald it wasn't you peeding yourself in the man-cave. :)
I didn't think that Incursion would really be your thing, what with all the zmobies and...
ReplyDelete....ahhhhh, right!
ODGWRTE - :) There is that.
ReplyDeleteGreat selection of vehicles there! They look perfect to fill up your board :)
ReplyDeleteCheers Chris. The collection of vehicles has grown pretty well from very humble beginnings. In the 'On The Road' scenario we got to use pretty much all of them.
ReplyDelete