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Total Model: On Location Salute: Zero Three
By Antar Howarth 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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