Every year during the weekend between the second and third weeks of January I join our Berwick Wargames Association colleagues to hold a memorial game for fellow war gamer, Mick Evans.

Mick was an extremely funny, eccentric and likable guy who always regaled you with tales of missed opportunities, fickle dice, and sneaky tactics on the part of his opponent. Mick didn’t win many games but this didn’t seem to deter him as he fronted up next week with a brand new “sure-fire” tactic.

Mick is best known for his daring cavalry tactics, mostly unsuccessful, and his figure painting. His “conversion” of Airfix Africa Corps figures into Confederate Infantry with just a poor paint job still has us in fits of laughter. The club still holds these figures in honour of Mick.

Whilst most gamers would not want to emulate Mick’s painting prowess he said something to me one day that changed the way I paint. I was showing him some figures that I had just painted and was very proud of, when he said words to the effect of “hmm looks great, but they all look the same from four feet away on the table”. At the time I was a little offended but later realised that I am a gamer who paints to play not a painter who plays to show off his skills. I have since developed simple painting techniques that look effective but are quick and easy so I can game with the figures ASAP.

Thanks Mick, and as he would say let’s get to the game(s).

There were three games going on during the short time I was there, a Napoleonic Peninsula mini campaign using the club’s rules, a WW2 6mm game using “All Hell Let Loose” rules and a 28mm WW2 using “Battlegroup” rules.

Napoleonic Game:

Personally I do not like cotton wool all over the table, but to each his own!

World War 2 “All Hell Let Loose” game:

World War 2 “Battlegroup” game:

Although I was only able to stay an hour or so either side of the catered lunch it was good to catch up with some old (in both senses of the word) gaming mates.

I was also able to pick up some bargains at the bring and buy stand:

A series of books on the “Very British Civil War”. Late 2021 I was able to get some of these figures done and I hope to complete the rest this year so I can start gaming this period. I already had one of the books but the rest were great value.

Sixteen 15mm Mycenean chariots were a freebie and will just be used with the rest of my chariots armies. With a change of crew they will easily fit in with my Hittite and Syrian biblical period armies.

Back in March 2021 I put together a post on some figures I painted for Maree. These were based around the cat and dog role play D&D game “Animal Adventures”. I was able to pick up an unopened version of the Sourcebook on the “Secrets of Gullet Cove”.

All-in-all a great way to spend a few hours in the middle of a Saturday, which was only spoiled by drinking sparkling water, as I was on my own and driving. Don’t you hate being responsible!!!!