The first big wargames show of the year is Vapnartak at the York racecourse. York is a lovely city, with plenty to see and a few decent bookshops as well. The venue is a short distance from the city centre, which wasn't a problem since I had a car. It was a quick visit as I was driving to Manchester for the Fulham game at Old Trafford in the afternoon. On Saturday, I stopped at Marston Moor, the site of the largest English Civil War battlefield. It is not far from York and has a decent memorial and information board. The site is also little changed from the 17th century.
The venue is bright and airy, with adequate car parking and catering. The local club has resolved the entrance issues, and the substantial queue entered the building quickly. Visitor numbers looked good, although trader numbers were down, with some well-known faces missing. It has always been mainly a trade show, with a small number of games on the top floor. The trader spaces would have benefited from more games, as they used to have on the ground floor.
The games were small but well-thought-out, mostly participation-based, and well-supported.
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| Wings of Glory is always a popular participation game and is a good length for a one-day show. |
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| Quartermaster general. A WW1 Risk-type game by the looks of it. |
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| Rebels and Patriots. Fighting over the booze wagon. |
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| The biggest game was Germantown using British Grenadier rules. By the Yarkshire gamer and team. |
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| This busy table was Fornovo using Midgard. Stretching the timeline for these rules, but the game looked good. |
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| Battlefield Northag, and fine modern town |
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| Japanese naval game, Hakodate 1869, with an engaging team of players. |
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| The unmistakable look of blood and sand, with a Ben-Hur-style chariot race. |
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| Gripping Beast came in force, bringing several games to showcase their fine figures and rules. |
I bought some bits and pieces and yet another set of Napoleonic rules! Thanks to the York club for all the hard work that goes into running this show.
