SALUTE 2011 and what is really happening with plastic Naps?

[barr7430]

I am not in a strong position to comment on the content of SALUTE as I barely got away from the table for 30 minutes the whole day but.. things that caught my eye:

1. A 100mm? cardboard graveyard Zombie game for kids which looked really great fun.. I honestly wanted to stop and watch for a while
2. The massive 54mm? Arnhem game which ran same as last year
3. 20mm Kursk game with lovely steppe terrain
4. The 'Perry Flashing lights' syndrome transferred to a neat little 4 x 4 WW2 game with the lights showing fires in burned out vehicles
5. The siege of Worcester ECW game with the old Ian Weekly town walls and Dave Marshall's custom terrain
6. A big Roman effort by Warlord I think
7. Ice/Fantasy terrain by some club near the entrance.. don;t know who.
8. David Imrie's figures and vignettes from the ECW thread he has been building on Saxon Dog were truly outstanding but alas the terrain set up he wanted to use did not appear. The game was still, beautiful and David can be very proud of his efforts which I thought were some of his most creative work for some time.


So, what is going on with the Naps manufacturers?? Now some seem to be deliberately trying to slit the throats of others. Plastic Prussians abound, Victrix bring out Russians and announce plastic Austrians and the Perry's announce exactly the same in plastic.... great for the rest of us but smacking slightly of NEWS INTERNATIONAL syndrome in a hobby market which cannot sustain too much damage....

Harmony or even a gentleman's agreement to maximize choice and share profit is surely the way to go. Driving down prices with discounting or spoiler tactics with duplication reflect poorly on people we admire, want to like and respect for their contributions to the hobby..

what do you think?

[toggy]

Yes 3 of British wargaming's big hitters seem to be on a self destruction mission, with only 1 being in a position to not make a profitable return on any investment made on a range.
This seems to make no sense as there are numerous troop types still awaiting the plastic treatment, although I believe there are several more announcements to come in the next few months, especially from Victrix regarding cavalry.
As a punter though I suppose more choice is what we all crave, I just hope all the companies involved continue to produce the top quality figures we have come to expect.

Bob

[BP]

I too was most surprised to see that the Perrys were bringing out plastic Austrians and Russians, although the greens they were showing did have a caveat of "No release date available". They also had a green of a riflemen in a different pose to those they currently do, so they may well do a box of just riflemen too, which would sell well I reckon.

I then wandered along to Victrix and asked them about the release date for their plastic Austrians, which is July they were estimating, and the greens they had on show looked every bit as good as the Perrys.

My own take is the commonly heard refrain of 'why cant they finish a line' before branching out to something else. Plastic British cavalry would be a most welcome addition from Victrix. This would mean the only thing missing from the Victrix British Peninsular line would be rifles. Also if victrix can get some plastic French artillery and Legere. I wouldn't bother with plastic French cavalry, as the Perrys most definetley got there first.

Not sure how well a gentlemans agreement to work on separate but complimentary items would work between what are competing companies, but would hate to see any of them falter.

Anyway, good to bump into yourself Barry along with Bob. I think a couple of the guys I was down with will be along to Whitburn to have a closer look at the R2E game that day.

Bill

[toggy]

Good to see you again Bill, thought you bought some nice rifles, will go well with all those veteran elite portuguese you are building up.

See you at Whitburn

Bob

[BP]

I've been thinking some more about the Portuguese rating and I'm sure that 'Guard' would suffice now I've more time to think about it

Those 5/60th rifles are being rebased as I type, and for £45 for 12, I was most happy.

Bill

[toggy]

Just browsed another site and the thinking there is much the same, spoilers by the big boys to encroach on other manufacturers ranges.

As Bill said it would be good to see ranges completed before others were begun, although the Perry's have got most things covered for Waterloo in metal already.

Good to see though that more sets were in the pipeline for Austrians & Prussians, so this may mean cavalry and artillery.

Talking of artillery, I was really taken with the Victrix British artillery, they were very well painted but looked outstanding.

Bob

[Paul Darnell]

Not sure what you mean Barry by writing "Alas the terrain he (David) wanted to use did not turn up?

Seems rather like some odd dig at me?

It turned up, I turned up with it and we had a great game with all figs used and I'm not aware of David being upset about anything?

Cheers Paul the occasional terrain maker.

[barr7430]

I don't do digs. If I have something to say, I say it

[Paul Darnell]

Yes you do Barry, yes you do

[parkinspieces]

I have yet to really get in to 28mm plastics, but the promise of AWI plastic for basic types is really great news and it doesn't really encroach on anyone else's range

I've seen plenty of units around the web made up of both Victrix/Perry conversions so hopefully it's not going to be to much of a problem replicating. As one blogger said that the Perries only showed off 3-ups of greens not shown before i.e. the British cav shown last Salute will (I assume) show up sometime soon.

Personally, I'm quite happy to get the bog standard types in plastic and pay for metal "xtras" or special types as most wargame manufactures are out there to earn a living from their business. After all there all a LOT of plastic soldier collectors out there and not all wargamers, just look at Plasticreview site to see the amount of 1/72nd available and before anyone says they are for the kida market, no, their biggest market by far is adults.

I stll have my doubts about the durability of 28mm hard plastic figures for years of wargaming, but time will tell as I WILL be getting lots of the AWI when/if they come out

As for self detructing wargame businesses, well Foundry are still around despite all the slatting they get or have got over the years, time will tell but that's what's great about the capitalist system, more choice in the market place....and oh, freedom of speech

Talking about digs, what are you doing at Kelham this year Barry, you know how me and Mark like to have a "chat" about your game on the day

Cheers

Stuart

[barr7430]

Well Stuart,

I will be putting on something that I hope you will DIG

Ade is building some new terrain for WALCOURT.... not seen since Mark Allen did it way back in about 1992 or something like that. I of course will be introducing BLB2.. no doubt you can DIG that too!

Make sure you and Mark bring your shovels and if you both DIG hard enough you might
a. Reach China
b. Strike oil
c. Find treasure
d. Discover that last period you started and then buried to do something else

Look forward to seeing you there and criticising your Flesh tones!

[Paul Darnell]

Digging it all chaps and see you there

[CoffinDodger]

Gentlefolk,

A timely reminder that April 25th is ANZAC day when I trust you will join me in raising a glass to all the other diggers around the world.

Jim

[barr7430]

I can dig that Jim

[parkinspieces]

Barry,

I remember that Mark Allen game, the one dam time I forgot my camera at Partizan, I won't forget it this time....how time flies, looking forward to your game then Barry, so will my son Will as he's got Phil Robinson painting up his Front Rank WSS British at the moment and a brilliant job he's doing for him, must get round to completing mine

Talking about ANZAC day, I wonder if they'll have that superb looking Lone Pine Ridge game at Partizan

Cheers

Stuart