Antares Mega Battle at Phoenix Wargames Exhibition

This past weekend I attended the Phoenix Wargames Exhibition at the Rheged Centre, At the show I decided to showcase Beyond the Gates of Antares on behalf of House Lancaster, and what better way to do that than get as many miniatures into a battle as I could!

The scenario was that the Algoryn Prosperate had just landed their ship carrying vital supplies for the war effort against the Ghar Empire heading to Xilos, who then promptly ambush the Algoryn!

The Algoryn however are resolute and opt to make their stand, hoping to deny the Ghar their prize. Meanwhile the  C3 Strike Squads of the Concord have also heard of this supply drop and have decided to take an interest, whether to benefit themselves or to aid the Algoryn is unclear…that’s up to the players!

The large spaceship in the centre of the board was an old Manta Force vehicle by Bluebird Toys, simply repainted and weathered slightly. The ship actually contains numerous smaller vehicles, and once the plastic Algoryn hit the store I intend to convert many into the crew of the ship, since there is actually fully modeled seats and control panels within the toy!

The building surrounding the drop site are from 4Ground’s Jesserais set and Micro Arts Studios Infinity range, with the gorgeous looking mat created by Deep Cut Studios.

The table was arranged so that those wishing to get stuck into a massive game can just pick up where the battle left off, making for a great participation game. For those that were not familiar with the system, a small section of the battlefield was cunningly arranged for this specific role, with a squad of Algoryn AI going up against a C3 strike squad.  I am pleased to say many a player then went immediately over to the Warlord stand to buy their first miniatures!

The table attracted quite a bit of attention and I admit I am very happy with how it all came together, and the event itself is well worth a visit.

House Lancaster will be back next year at the event, bigger and better!

Phoenix Wargames Exhibition

This year saw the first Phoenix Wargames Exhibition held at the fantastic Rheged Centre in Penrith, Cumbria.

The event was organised by Chris Sutherland and funded by West Coast Gamer's and Hadrian's Hobbies.

The event covered two large rooms in the building, with one room dedicated to tournament games of Magic the Gathering and Batman: The Miniatures Game. These games were looked marvelous with a lot of effort going into the making of them.

Situated next to these was the bring and buy area, were you could rent a table out on a hourly basis and sell your excess miniatures,perfect for starting a new project, clearing some space and for those looking for a great deal on their wargaming hobby!

The main room featured all of the traders and most of the games tables. Among the plethora of systems there were games of Lord of the rings, pitting the fellowship against the Uruk Hai at Amon Hen, put on by Matt Crump of Wargames in the Dungeon.

The gents over at Hadrian's Hobbies created a awesome looking Warhammer 30k blasted cityscape, fought during the Horus Heresy.

  The Beyond the Gates of Antares mega battle attracted a lot of attention featuring masses of Ghar, Concord and Algoryn. It even featured a spaceship!

The Antares board  was run by myself on behalf of House Lancaster. This will be featured in more detail in a separate article soon.

There was also a fantastic looking game of Bolt Action, featuring a very impressive bridge made by the guys over at Z1 Design.

The show also featured Ancient battles and games set within the  age of black powder, with masses of infantry clashing on some great looking battlefields.

Overall the show was fantastic, with a great variety of systems and traders to keep you going. The venue is  great and is very easy to get to. Featuring shops, cafes and a very nice deli it is a perfect choice for all us hungry hobbyists!

At this point I must say thanks to all the clubs, traders and organisers that put on this great event, and of course the public, without which there wouldn’t be a show!

Here is a list of the traders and clubs, it was great meeting you all, here's to next year!

http://phoenix-show.co.uk/

http://cjsutherland.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/557962824304946/

http://www.warlordgames.com/

http://hadrianshobbies.co.uk/

http://wargamesinthedungeon.blogspot.co.uk/

http://gamesofwar.net/

http://emperortoadsemporium.com/

http://combatzone-scenery.co.uk/

www.facebook.com/cumbriawargaming

http://levenminiatures.co.uk/

http://hokaheywargaming.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/Grahams-Wuerkshoppe-112789322138273/

Lancaster Comics Day: House Lancaster Entertains!

So its been a while since I last posted anything... and here is why!

 Over the past number of weeks I have been preparing buildings, terrain and armies in preparation for our local comic con. The con also featured some great cakes created by another of our members, and we thanked Katie for them!

This past Sunday House Lancaster attended the annual Comic con in Lancaster, Lancashire, UK which is a yearly event showcasing local comic book talent. with seminars, stalls and more.  Among all this we were there to showcase our club and provide a decent games room for the public, where demo and participation games were available.

This was also a great opportunity to expand our club, by getting more members and showing a mere sample of what games systems we play. We had three main tables that stayed the same throughout the day, with two smaller ones that we could swap out.

On the larger we had Orks vs Death Guard in our 30k themed snow board, whilst games of Age of Sigmar and  Bolt Action focused on the core starter sets, giving a nice intro into each system. We also had games of X-wing and Beyond the Gates of Antares with Batman: The Miniatures Game and Judge Dredd on hand when we needed to swap something out. Dropzone commander was ever present and the skirmish game Malifaux attracted a lot of attention!

Overall despite the early close (we stayed till the very end) the event was a success for us, gaining more members and having some fun in the process!

It goes without saying that I need to thank the fine fellows of the gaming group that helped me out no end, without them there is no House Lancaster! Special thanks goes to Ben , Chris ,Mike and Dave for sticking with it on such a hot day, I owe you all a beer!

If you are interested in the House Lancaster gaming group, here is the Facebook group page:

A fresh new website is underway and should be up soon, a link will appear on here in due course.