Salute 2023 Live Blog!

Make sure to have a look back over the Salute 2023 Live Blog and delve into the different gaming tables AND the painting competition that we explored over the day. With that in mind, also keep an eye out for some seriously indepth videos over the next week or so where we’re going to be talking with the gaming clubs and designers behind a host of those games. Watch this space.

Another of the impressive tabletops, and one that we couldn’t miss out, was from the Hailsham Wargames Club. By their own admittance, this wasn’t a display table but was there so people could have a good, fun demo game at the show whilst also enjoying a nice tabletop. I think they’ve done a sterling job on this one which represents a battle set during the Indian Mutiny/War Of Indian Independence.

In this 28mm Black Powder game, Sir Henry Havelock and his men are trying to rescue some besieged civilians and troops on the road to Cawnpore. This has then turned into a fun skirmish with some really well done additional bits and pieces thanks to the Hailsham lot. It’s a great table and a good way to draw people back to Salute. The gaming tables were somewhat MIA last time around so this has been a welcome return to form for Salute 2023.

Another absolutely amazing World War II tabletop, this time from the folks at the Retired Wargamers Reloaded. They have headed all the way back to Carentan and are playing out a 15mm scale clash between the Allies and the Axis in this war torn city.

The miniatures here are in 15mm scale and the rules for this are Rapid Fire Reloaded which, I have to admit, I’ve not heard a lot about to be honest. It seems like great fun though and a bunch of folks have been having a good time throughout the day.

Another impressive Modern Warfare-era tabletop, this time from the folks at the Maidstone Wargames Society. The focus of their tabletop was on Falluja during 2004 in Iraq. The miniatures are all in 20mm and there is a LOT of action packed into a small space.

The rules for the game are Force On Force and each player uses a squad of USMC soldiers to move between buildings and try and clear them out as they go. It’s tight, deadly, and plenty of things can go wrong! There are so many interesting sight lines and places for ambushes to take place. The attention to detail, especially with Modern-era tables, is great for setting the scene.

And the winner is…

Lisa Mason – Snow Dragon

And the winners are;

1st Place – Stephan Johnson

2nd Place – Mark Lifton

3rd Place – Ben Roberts

If you’ve ever doubted how epic Warmaster was/is then look no further than the awesome game being played out by the folks from the Chelmsford Bunker. They have decided to put together an epic clash using mighty armies of air, land and sea as the enemy tries to attack and bring down the walls of Marienburg.

The armies look stunning and it’s cool to see that Warmaster is getting some love. A lot of folks have been playing around with BIG but small armies over the last few years though so I think this style of Oldhammer is still very much a winner for a lot of people.

And the winners are;

1st Place – Caleb Brever – Fulgrim

2nd Place – Christoph Zwast – Tree Lord

3rd Place – Selby O’Rourke  – I Thought it was Treasure

And the winners are;

1st Place – Mark Lifton – Pallador Vs. Skull Grinder
2nd Place – Stephen Smith – Dark Mirror
3rd Place – Lia Mason – Mucha :Music

And the winners are;

1st Place – Janna De Conick – Midori Bust
2nd Place – Lance Allen – Priest Bust
3rd Place – Lee Hebblethwaite – Ponko Turtle

And the winners are;

1st Place – Lisa Mason – Snow Dragon
2nd Place – James Tato – Ship in a Bottle
3rd Place – Martin Collier – Troll

And the winners are;

1st Place – Mark Lifton – Zarbag’s Gitz
2nd Place – Hedley Coppock –City Militia
3rd Place – Lee Winnett – The Gouged Eyes

Salute 50 Painting Competition – Winners for Category 7 – Fantasy Figure

And the winners are;

1st Place – Adam Skinner – Papa Gumbo

2nd Place – Martin Collier – Nurgle Lord

3rd Place – Mamikon Khatchikan – Barbarian

And the winners are;

1st Place – Stephen Smith – Warhound Titan
2nd Place – Josh Golding – Ork Megatrak
3rd Place – Sebastien Clement – The War Griffon

And the winners are;

1st Place – Stephen Smith – Space Hulk Terminators
2nd Place – Pete Halloran – Ork Kommando Kill Team
3rd Place – David Roberts – Morat Assault Vanguard

Something of a fun one and a returning favourite by all accounts from the folks at 1/72 Wargames. They have brought their game, Kaiserschlacht back to Salute 2023 this year allowing you to play out the desperate last throw of the dice from the Kaiser before the American forces began to overwhelm their forces.

An impressive game which showcases some interesting ideas for fog of war and smoke on the battlefield. It may not have been intended but the air conditioning here in the ExCel actually ends up turning those into floating clouds of smog which are at least a little realistic!

And the winners are;

1st Place – David Roberts – Ghost Fusiliers

2nd Place – Adam Skinner – Emperors Children Praetor

3rd Place – James Taro – Grot Bike

And the winners are;

1st Place – Sebastien Clement – Vikings Vs. Saxons
2nd Place – Graham Green – Trebuchet
3rd Place – Darren Linnigton – Artillery

And the winners are;

1st Place – Darren Linnigton – Forming of the Line, 47 Regt.
2nd Place – Graham Green – Templars
3rd Place – Luke Lane – Royal Highland Regiment

I couldn’t not stop off at the amazing table and gaze at the stunning terrain that was part of The Battle Of Baenfleot which is a wonderful Burrows & Badgers game. The game takes place in a small village which is in the process of being assaulted by pirates!

The absolutely amazing terrain has been built by Magrathea, Builder Of Worlds and I think it really helps to set the scene for the wonderful world of Burrows & Badgers.

And the winners are;

1st Place – Mark Lifton – British Infantrymen

2nd Place – Stefan Johnson – Pirate

3rd Place – James Rudd – Vercingetorix

An awesome team have been running an awesome game which has been set in the heart of The Empire and The Old World. Mordheim is alive and well with a whole host of warbands coming together to clash in the ruined streets. The table for this is absolutely massive and it comes with a brilliant HUNK of wyrdstone right in the middle of it!

If this doesn’t make you want to return to Mordheim, I don’t know what will!

The Battle Of Oravais has also been played out by the folks at Hugo’s Heroes. This is a pretty awesome tabletop that stretches quite far indeed! It has armies for both the Swedish and the Finnish and is represented in both 28mm but also in a MUCH smaller scale.

The original smaller board (seen as the initial larger image down below) was used as a plan for the bigger one. But, the board has also turned out into an awesome gaming space in its own rights.