Salute 2023 marked the 50th time that the South London Warlords put on their wargames show this April. Public attendance was strong though it is clear that the event is now unfortunately only a UK show, with companies and clubs from continental Europe sadly missing.
Ipsus 301 BC by To the Strongest!Ipsus 301 BC by To the Strongest!Carthage vs Rome by Society of AncientsCarthage vs Rome by Society of AncientsBattle of Leuctra 371 BC by Jon & Diane Sutherland with Miniatures Wargames MagazineBattle of Leuctra 371 BC by Jon & Diane Sutherland with Miniatures Wargames MagazineStrength & Honour with the Battle of Cannae 216 BC by Mark Backhouse
Skipping over the Dark and Middle Ages this year, Masterstroke Games showcased their new ruleset Force of Virtue while Wargames Illustrated put on a game of Never Mind the Billhooks during the Italian Wars.
Italy 1495 by Masterstroke GamesItaly 1495 by Masterstroke GamesNever Mind the Billhooks by Wargames IllustratedNever Mind the Billhooks by Wargames IllustratedNever Mind the Billhooks by Wargames IllustratedNever Mind the Billhooks by Wargames Illustrated
Kicking off my Salute 2019 photo reports are the Ancients & Medieval eras. Despite a lot of space staying empty on the showroom floor this year and the crowds seeming decidedly smaller, there were a number of nice participation games for this period. Thanks to undeadhighelf for providing additional pictures of these.
The South London Warlords put on an epic battle in an alternative history setting to determine who would triumph in a clash between ‘The Pilum and the Pike’. I love a good testudo nearly as much as I love a good phalanx.
The Pilum and the Pike by South London Warlords at Salute 2019
The Pilum and the Pike by South London Warlords at Salute 2019
The Pilum and the Pike by South London Warlords at Salute 2019
The Pilum and the Pike by South London Warlords at Salute 2019
Boudicca’s revolt was the background for the battle of Mancetter 61 CE. Two mighty armies of Iceni and Romans faced each other in this climactic encounter with victory promised To the Strongest!
Mancetter 61 CE for To the Strongest! at Salute 2019
Mancetter 61 CE for To the Strongest! at Salute 2019
Mancetter 61 CE for To the Strongest! at Salute 2019
Mancetter 61 CE for To the Strongest! at Salute 2019
The Society of Ancients recreated the ‘Battle at the Harzhorn’, pitting Romans against Germanic tribes in the 3rd century. The site of this ancient battle was discovered in 2008 and is still being excavated, revealing a treasure trove of new information about the era.
Battle at the Harzhorn by Society of Ancients at Salute 2019
Battle at the Harzhorn by Society of Ancients at Salute 2019
Battle at the Harzhorn by Society of Ancients at Salute 2019
‘Alexander: Conquest Fulfilled’ was the title of another hypothetical battle which saw the great Macedonian general lead his army on an invasion into China.
Alexander: Conquest Fulfilled for Warhammer Ancient Battles at Salute 2019
Alexander: Conquest Fulfilled for Warhammer Ancient Battles at Salute 2019
The University of Edinburgh and Supreme Littleness Designs staged ‘Raiders of the Crusader Keep’. Based on medieval sources and archeological discoveries, it allowed to take part in fighting through a 13th century crusader castle at Byblos.
Raiders of the Crusader Keep by Edinburgh University at Salute 2019
Raiders of the Crusader Keep by Edinburgh University at Salute 2019
Well before the beginning of recorded history, the Wargames Association of Reading led on a ‘Mammoth Hunt’ while simultaneously having to fight off rival tribes and hungry sabre tooth tigers.
Mammoth Hunt by Wargames Association of Reading at Salute 2019
Jumping ahead to 1421, the Lance and Longbow Society fought the ‘Battle of Bauge’, which was a confrontation between an English versus a French and Scottish army.
Battle of Bauge by Lance and Longbow Society at Salute 2019
Battle of Bauge by Lance and Longbow Society at Salute 2019
Battle of Bauge by Lance and Longbow Society at Salute 2019
Battle of Bauge by Lance and Longbow Society at Salute 2019
I managed to stick with my Achaemenid Persians and achieve the target of finishing a unit of infantry archers and a unit of horse archers. They are all wearing Median dress and would be troops drawn from the provinces. I am generally distinguishing more elite, royal troops by using yellow head dresses and more purple in their uniforms.
For the basing to use with Field of Glory, I cut 80mm strips of thing cardboard, painted them brown and stuck the figures down with Blue Tac, which makes them easy to move around without movement trays.
Massed archery
For the infantry, about half of the figures had all their basic colours on already, while the rest were only painted up to a single uniform colour. Now with a bit of highlighting throughout and patterns on their clothing, they can finally pass muster. These are not sparabara, which I have another regiment of that still needs to get the detailing treatment.
Leader with banner bearer and horn blower
Formed up for the advance
The horse archers are the first of three units of 12 cavalry each I need for the army. Since the others don’t have much paint on them yet, I might continue doing base colours on them first.
About 20 years ago, my Achaemenid Persians unleashed their invasion forces onto Greece, regularly facing off and being soundly repulsed by two Spartan and Athenian generals. In other words, history repeated itself.
Back then we played using the first edition of Warhammer Ancient Battles. Years later, while rarely playing or collecting historical armies, I bought Osprey’s Field of Glory, mainly to browse through the artwork and photography. Seeing as I recently felt inspired to continue work on the Achaemenids, I decided to organise them according to Field of Glory army lists and conventions. This mainly means grouping them into 80mm wide ‘bases’ (60mm is the default but I will mostly likely only ever field them against other armies of mine using the same standard) of 4 infantry or 3 cavalry.
The main reason I am revisiting the Achaemenid Persians is for painting though. The army has some paint on all the units I used to field, some being essentially finished yet quite basic, others only based with one or two main colours on.
The draw for any army of ancient Persia is surely the riot of colours and patterns in their dress, so I picked some of the initially completed figures, added some highlights and painted more patterns onto their tunics and trousers.
Archers are the mainstay of the Persian army
For the horse archers, I gave the mounts a spattering of white markings. Otherwise, I think their dark reddish brown is a nice backdrop for the bright riders. So that’s 10 down and about 100 left to go to really complete the army. I think Greece can rest easy for the moment, while the King of Kings marshals his forces.
The Lost and the Damned 