Red Barons convention Gent

Today, the yearly trip to the small, but extremely cozy convention in Gent of the Red Barons took place. With about 10 traders and 20 games, this show is for me a blast to the past, when shows and conventions used to be smaller regional affairs with the odd foreign trader or club.

This year once again, I had the opportunity to spend a heap of money (clocking out around 200 euros in the end, not bad for a small affair), get some whacky ideas going, and meet up with some familiar faces, as well as adding fresh ones.

The trade halls:





Our own club was present with a 28mm Vietnam game, focussing on the liberation of Erio di Lupo




There where a lot of nice games present, eye candy galore for the budding plans forming in my mind.

My personal favorite was this colonial game, a fictional scenario in which Leopold II and mistresses where visiting a settlement at the wrong time.





This was also the only game in which one of the (french languaged, but making a great effort to speak dutch) players interrupted his game just to tell about what they where exactly playing, how the terrain had been made et all. Bit pity as this is more the exception then the norm these days on shows all around though...

Another great piece of eye candy was the Stipsicz Hussars table, the camel corp in particular was really cool looking.




Paper terrain seems to be a new trend catching up, though i admit it looks cool, it just doesn`t `do it` for me though. Especcially not compared to `normal` terrain.




Mainstay traders of most shows in the Belgium, top to bottom, Dax magic with his, well, everything you want to build your models, Dave Thomas`s transportable wargames supermarket, Worean from Germany and Millenium Books for all your Osprey needs.






And some traders from France / Wallonia provided a range of well, like everything, whilst The Gamestore was there with some discount boxes.






But a personal winner for me every year is the Bring and Buy, really great deals at ridiculous cheap prices are to be had there, every year again. My `top find` this year was a bag of almost 100 metal Foudnry Saxons / Franks infantry (who will join my ranks of the Hibernians for WAB) for... 50 euros!



And then for the remaining gaming tables (I forgot one of 15mm nappies, but they weren`t set up yet when I was on my `personal walkabout`)

Murphy`s Heroes ran a naval game of barges and the likes in scale 1/600, a table heavily played by attendees all day.




De Witte Ridder brought along a 6mm world war 2 Flames of War game



A literally massive ancients game, with 54mm armies battling it out




Two of my favorite periods where also present, the ACW and the ECW, needless to say I drooled over the battles to much to remember to take much pictures...





And then the remaining games, in no particular order, but a lot of pretty tables around here again (the afghan game, the napoleon armies...). The show may not have had the most spectacular tables scenery wise or concept wise, but heck a LOT of good looking models on the tables (and EVERYTHING was painted).
















A highly enjoyable day, the only downside being me and my cheese for brain forgetting my jacketon the venue, maybe I`ll see it again, otherwise I only have myself to blame for that.

So to close the day of, the `loot picture` of a day at the Red Barons



Ciao ciao and see you at Salute