Vapnartak 2020

Yesterday I visited, what is for me at least,  the opening show of the year, Vapnartak, held at York race course.  It has a lot going for it, good parking easy to get to as its an out of town venue and a good range of games and traders.  The show is held in the main stand of the race course and uses all three floors, well three and a half as one is a mezzanine floor.  There are lifts for those who are not as mobile as they might like which is a bonus. Its a nice airy well lit venue as pretty much all of one wall is glass

This year bridges seemed to be a bit of a theme with a Pegasus Bridge demonstration game, and an Arnhem Bridge and a Chicago Way 'Untouchables' participation games.  That last one including Mounties on horseback and from what I could see an accountant with a pump action shotgun. Most of the other games seemed to have a bridge on display.  You know the scene it’s the one where Sean Connery integrates a corpse, with ‘maximum prejudice’.

The Chicago Way - Tommy Guns seemed to appeal to the younger audience

The usual traders were in attendance although there was no Peter Pig stand this year which was a shame as I had half a mind to pick up some of their Russian Civil War figures.  There were a few new faces including my long standing friend Lance of Galloping Major with his ever increasing range of French and Indian Wars figures and some really rather nice T-shirts too.  I picked up a copy of 'A Song of Drums and Tomahawks' from them.  These are a set of skirmish rules to me, and a first read through shows them as an interesting set with a feel similar to some of the original skirmish rule sets form the 1970's.   I have to say that despite being a 6mm nut these are some of the nicest figures I have seen in a long time.  There are some new figures due in the next few weeks of Rangers and Colonists in campaign dress that look really nice.  What I really liked was that they look like soldiers in campaign kit.  I'm not sure my painting will do them justice but I mean to give it a good go.  Lance is an excellent painter and its going to be hard to turn out a finished figure which is a tenth as good as his display figures.

On the top shelf are Galloping Major's new figures - I want some!

The Games were a nice mix of displays, demonstrations and participation games,  The Arnhem game seemed busy all day as did the Wings of Glory game.  There were a couple of locally themed games on including the Viking taking of York and a game set in Dark Age Beverley.  As always the League of Gentlemen Kriegspielers found another little known conflict of the early 20th century to put on as a game.  This time set in the Adriatic 1920 where the city of Fiume is the focal point (No I never heard of the place either!).

Meanwhile in The Adriatic

Its always nice to meet up with a few friends and pick up some new toys.  This years haul was mainly Baccus 6mm with a handful of Irregular Miniatures which I needed to fill out my Pictish and Scots Irish armies.  Mainly I was buying figures to create a 200pt Late Imperial Roman ADLG army from Baccus.  That will also morph into a Patrician Roman army at need.  Some Sassanid regular Infantry also came home with me as i think I may be able to use them as a proxy for Byzantine Scutatoi.  I also picked up a nice folding dice tower for Warbases and a few di, well you can never have enough di can you?

Arnhem -Grabner's assault over the Bridge seemed to stall most games and yes I know it's sideways on the image just won't turn!

The show was busy but as it is spread over three floors not difficult to walk around.  The bring and buy seemed quieter than previous years, perhaps eBay is having an impact there?  Numbers seemed to be about the same as the last time I attended and when I left at around 1.30pm people were still coming in.

All in all a good day out and if you have never been to Vapnartak it is worth the trip.  York as a City has plenty to see so you could easily make a long weekend of it.  For me all I have to do now is smuggle the additions to the lead pile past Mrs E!

Somewhere over Kent?

Entebbe The Limo is in front of the third Hercules

Pegasus Bridge, this was a big table