Tuesday 6 November 2018

Crisis 2018 report

Back home now so I can finally post my Crisis report.  Another year and another excellent few days in Antwerp. Crisis is for me one of the highlights of the wargames calendar and this year was no exception. One big difference this year was the weather. Glorious blue sky, no rain and no wind! One might ask why bother going all that way when the vast majority of traders are from the UK? There isn’t a sensible answer other than it’s a great show, well organised, friendly organisers, enthusiastic gamers and in a beautiful city. It was also remarkable how very few morbidly obese  punters, with or without a poor understanding of personal hygeine and annoying backpacks, there were. I didn't see any.

We always make a week’s holiday of the trip  so had a few days tootling around in North Holland before the show, and afterwards we headed up to Leiden on Sunday morning before getting the ferry back on Monday evening.

I’d arranged with the organisers to get into the show by the side door to avoid having to queue, which was just as well as when we rolled up at about 10:30 there was still a pretty long line of punters waiting to get in.

The one item I actually had on my shopping list the trader had forgotten to bring so I made a few circuits of the halls meeting up with various friends and acquaintances and making a few impulse purchases of various bits and pieces I don't need along the way.

What follows are some photos of some of the games, but by no means all of them. ( As usual there were a fair few sci-fi/fantasy games which, in some cases considerable modelling and painting skills aside, don’t really float my boat), and I know I missed a few historical games despite several circuits of the halls. Anyway, here are my photos in no particular order.

Der Alde Garde



Venloo United

The Milka Cow



This was pretty eye catching. 

This guy had a birds-eye view of the town!


GNW Battle of Rugen. Impressive.










League of Augsberg showcasing their new Ottoman range on a freshly-sacrificed teddy bear fur mat.






A work of art no less! Hard core gamer.






Bussaco. Big.


WW1 thing from TfL.  Very pretty.

I can't help but think the St Chamond tanks are too small or the figures too big? 

Aaaaar! Pirates ahoy!

The new Firelock Games galleon is big.

I think this is Rotterdam 1940. Very nicely made terrain, and the seaplanes are cool.




Best game of the show for me by a country mile. Dunkirk 1940.




Zulu participation game in 54mm.



A  loads of cogs. 



Lansdhut 1809. Phil Dupree and his mate.


Warsaw 1920. Quite striking and I like the trees. I recommend the movie Warsaw 1920 if you can see it.



The Horns of Hattin.



More Sudanese excitement (I'm on my second circuit now)

Dunkirk again. Stunning!



Tom Hardy in his Spitfire.


South London Warlord's Battle of Albuera.



There you have it. If I was still working I'd give the show a strong Good with many Outstanding elements. I'd say Crisis 2018 ranks as equal 1st with Partisan for the shows I've visited this year. The games may not have all had that polished professional look of many games seen at UK shows (although some were better than many games seen here at home), but there is something about the show that puts it at the top for me. Enthusiasm for our wonderfully diverse hobby is probably it.

My rather modest bag of swag included some movement trays (less than half the price of Warbases), Polish Legion artillery and Vendee flags from Trent, three Indian draught elephants and some armed French Revolutionary Wars civilians from Foundry. Not much really.  Roll on Crisis 2019. Hopefully Brexit Balls won't bugger it up too much!

8 comments:

  1. You were very restrained in your spending Colin! I must make the effort to go next year I think.

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  2. Sounds like a good show. Interested to know how many aeuropean traders there are and what was in offer from them

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  3. Crumbs" - that's a lot of games! I've seen multiple images of the Dunkirk game on Facebook pages - it looks astonishing! Great feel for the flavour of the games - much appreciated.

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  4. Nice looking variety of games Colin - nice to be on the VIP list and by pass the hoi polloi too - hope you are extended the same courtesy by the Border Agency!

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  5. Some very impressive games on show, thanks for sharing...perhaps next year ?

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  6. I think a weekender in Antwerp is a requirement next year after your review Colin. Thanks for sharing the pics.
    Those trees ARE nice!

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  7. It was nice to meet each other and say hello. See you next year!

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  8. It was nice to meet you and say hello. See you next year!

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