Cavalier 2025

I attended  the Cavalier show in Tonbridge last weekend.  It was my first show for a while and the first time at Cavalier for possibly 7 years (since we last ran a game there) - I might have made it once in those times but don't remember.

Anthony and I were running the Relief of Fort Pippin Toy Soldier game to promote the Little Wars Forum that I run where a force of dastardly Prussians have attacked Fort Pippin and the British relief force has to set out from Chigley to relieve the fort. 

The rules we used are the Portable argame - using our favourite "instant death" version without strength points.  So, if you take a hit you either save and retreat one square or die.  if you can't retreat you also die.

This make a quick game and is very suitable for a 10 turn 4-player participation game.

We had a lot of interest in the game and met some other 54mm players and other Portable Wargame users.  I was very pleased to put a face to a name with David from the Ragged Soldier blog who had come from Suffolk to the show.  We have interacted in the past then I bought a few books from him and we have commented on each other's blogs.

I didn't get a chance to look at a lot of the other games but there seemed to be a decent standard and a decent mix - the organisers were very careful to pick a mix of games for the show.

Other members of Guildford Wargames Club were there with the Zeppelin Game that was run at Warfare.  In fact, with 6 on that game, 2 members manning the Society of Ancients stand and Anthony and me nearly half the club was there running games!

The show is (like a lot of smaller shows, it seems) smaller than in previous years when I used to trade there and there was a distinct lack of many figure manufacturers.  Warlord were there and I bought a 2 Curassier units and the 2 sets of TYW leaders for my epic scale TYW project.  The council have changed the parking to short term, which was a slight pain, and I unloaded and then moved the car a short distance to the station car park which was £3.50 for the day.

Numbers dropped away after 1pm and we started to pack up at 3pm along with most of the others present.

All in all, a good day with a lot of chatting about Toy Soldiers and meeting some new people.