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Salute: Zero Three |
Apr 27, 2003 |
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On Saturday I paid a visit to London to attend the annual Salute expo. The
show - which is staged by the South London Warlords - is trumpeted as the
biggest one day wargames show in Britain. Held within the voluminous interior
of hall 2 in the Olympia exhibition centre, and spread over three floors,
it's certainly a spectacle to behold, especially to the uninitiated - like
me!
As perhaps the premiere event on the wargaming calendar, I expected
to see a healthy turnout - and I wasn't disappointed. I arrived just after
noon and the place was positively heaving. I'm reliably informed that a
queue had formed around the block long before the doors had even opened.
As I entered the building I was accosted by one of a line of bouncers who
were poised to intercept the unwary. I was shepherded towards a kiosk where
my wallet was relieved of £7 in return for a very handy red, plastic
bag! On closer inspection I learned the bag was not - as I first thought
- empty. Indeed, there were a number of items fighting for space including
a programme, a six-sided die and a rather neat 28mm figure of Richard I
- sculpted by Mark Copplestone. I was also handed a badge which I was instructed
to pin to my person - less I be intercepted by the ever vigilant bouncers
again.
 The
floor of the main hall was alive with people of all ages, sizes and persuasions.
Thankfully, I had just extricated myself from a tube train swollen with expectant
Chelsea supporters, so my shoulder-dipping, body swerve technique was honed
to perfection and I managed to navigate the throng without any ill effects.
My first port of call was to a stand bearing the warrant of "Ainsty
Castings". Although I have posted several updates about the range
on Total Model, this was the first time I'd been close enough to actually
touch the stuff. I can say - with some confidence - that I have never seen
so much resin in all my born days! The Ainsty range is huge, very attractive
and certainly worthy of the attention being paid to it by the enthusiasts
standing shoulder-to-shoulder in front of the presentation. I look forward
to reviewing several pieces in the days ahead.
Around the corner was the Wargames Illustrated magazine stand manned by
Duncan Macfarlane. To his side I spotted the ever chirpy persona of Nick
Eyre from North
Star Military Models. Nick had brought along a display of his excellent
Projekt X miniatures - as well as a number of figures from Artizan Design.
Both ranges appeared to be attracting no-end of attention. Whilst I stopped
to chat, Nick gave me one of his new El
Cid figures, released to coincide with the new "El Cid" Warhammer
rules from Games
Workshop.
Downstairs, where the ceiling was slightly lower and the air was slightly
warmer, my eye was drawn to a stand draped in camouflage netting. This turned
out to be the table manned by Pete Brown and The
Assault Group. This presentation was as modern as their line-up of 28mm
figures. As well as a great selection of miniatures - all neatly packed
in boxes surrounded by straw - their stand incorporated a computer screen
on which was displayed a rolling slide-show of painted figures. I was struck
by the amount of people who were keen to stop and gather around - just to
see procession of images unfold. The Assault Group certainly made good use
of the technology which is now readily available and I'm sure we'll be seeing
a lot more of them in the future.
Towards the back of the floor I discovered the Crusader
Miniatures stand and Mark Sims. It's not often you get the chance to
see Orcs and WWII soldiers standing side-by-side and it was great to see
this superb range on figures painted and neatly arrayed. There is a certain
"chunkiness" to Crusader minis which is very pleasing to the eye
which demands that passers-by take a closer look. My advice to you is that
you should do the same!
By my reckoning, the award for the biggest presentation should go to i-Kore.
Their booth on the main floor - which featured the Celtos and VOID ranges
- was both big and impressive. It was only after I'd travelled up the escalator
to the first floor, however, that I realised they'd also erected another
entirely separate stand just for their 15mm Xyston range! Both areas were
flooded with enthusiasts of all ages, all eager to inspect the figures that
everyone is talking about.
Tucked away in a corner of the hall I caught up with Steve
Barber. Steve produces a truly diverse range of miniatures which spans
everything from dinosaur hunting cavemen - through gladiators and Samurai
- to 1920's prohibition gangsters. As well as producing the figures, Steve
also writes his own rule sets and build his own scenery. Like so many of
the younger manufacturers at the show, Steve has seen the benefits of no-holds-barred
presentation. All of the figures and scenery items on his stand were expertly
painted and on full display. Such a colourful presentation grasps the imagination
- far more than "dead lead" ever will.
Whilst I travelled the aisles and tables of all three floors of the show,
I stopped to talk to Jim Syme of Alternative
Armies, Paul Hammond of Skytrex
and the irrepressible Pete Berry of Baccus
6mm. All three reported a good day's trade. Indeed, it was difficult
to squeeze a word in edge wise amidst the melee! Other presentations of
note include the excellent Forge World stand - which featured a painted
40k scale Warhound Titan - and the impressive "Warmachine" game
system. This was being demonstrated by Mike McVey - whose painting talents
often graced the pages of White Dwarf - and who is now a co-producer of
the project. If you're a fan of futuristic games, then this is one to watch
out for.
Other stalwart manufacturers who caught my eye included Dixon, B&B Miniatures,
Black
Tree, Britannia, Vendel
and Old Glory. There were also a number of companies who were entirely new
to me, including Old Crow, Snapdragon Studio, and Marbeth Designs.
I spent well over 4 hours at Olympia and yet it seemed to pass in a matter
of minutes. This is merely a testament to the sheer number of sites and sounds that were bombarding my senses. They were innumerable wargames demonstrations taking place
- many of them beautifully rendered - on battlefields the size of banqueting
tables. There was also a truly eye catching catwalk fashion show, featuring
period dress and uniforms. I certainly had a very full day and would not
hesitate to recommend the show to anyone interested in miniature gaming,
collector or otherwise.
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