Crisis 2011: the aftermath

So it was upon us Tin Soldiers again, the annual Crisis show in Antwerp. Two hectic days of running around, loading and unloading and basically doing `stuff`. Friday started with the set up and unloading of traders unot the premises, saturday I spended most of my time in the BnS to end with the annual buffet, and with the `big news` for the futre editions, which of course will only be revealed here as well as soon as it is officially official.

So lets have a look at this years show, step by step as I worked my way around the halls at slightly after midday. The TSA news service presents you: Crisis 2011, the walk about!


A view from the trenches.

So we start in the back corner of the BnS, a view I had most day as it has been so far the most succesful show ever, clocking of apparently around 1200 paying entrants. Yes, once more it got very hot in there, but as TSA member I can only once more appologise for this, being a centre in the cinema complex, we have no influence on the climate control.







Now that bend forward guy has always been one of my `Hobby Heroes`. Mike McVey still owns me a villa with tennis court and swimming pool, for it was his gorgeously wood elf army waaaay back in WD 160 something that sparked my warhammer intrest as a 15 year old. I told him as such, he appologised for it (okay, that was tongue in cheeck for those taking it all to literally). Still, it is kinda special really getting a chat in with people you admired, which during unloading on friday is way easier then the hectics of saturday or other shows in full swing.







The main hall was crowded, and I had the impression that people stayed longer then other years, instead of doing the fast buy, they tended to give their eyes a feasting. And probably their wallet a depression...












Busy trade stands and crowded corridors, a lot of money seemed to be changing hands and I think quit a lot of people have serious loot stashes.






But of course a wargame convention is so much more then trades, shopping sprees, bring and buyes, meeting people and the likes, it is also about the centre piece of many a show: the Eye Candy












One thing I noticed in this years `trend` seems to be a return of the French - Indian wars, or FIW for short, with a couple of games on display, while there seemed to be procentually far less world war 2 Flames of War based games on display.




This game I really liked a lot due to it`s simplicity in design. `Papierslag` by Schild en Vriend (literally translating as Paper Battle) was played with cut out two diminesional models. It`s is not because I count Phil Dutré as one of my `convention chaps` that I`m in any way biased. I just loved the `bordering` of the playing table with those paper rows of scenery, I thought it gave a GREAT effect.












Now I must confess, I saw all the tables, but I can`t give any information on who ran the games for my report this time. It was a hectic two days, and I had to `do` the whole hall in about 15 minutes, taking the snapshots for the TSA unofficial blog report, which you are reading right now by the way, and didn`t even went on a serious shopping trip, more of that in my conclusion later on... but boy, did I forget to grab things!












So, the Loot then...

In hindsight, I forgot way to much things I wanted to get... so after show orders will be made soonish

From Black Cat, I did get their very cute limited edition model this year, the cat rolling on her back, but forgot to get that crate with hands comming out, I thought that would be a cool `filler` in a unit of Chaos Dwarfs. One mail order comming up soonish...

I also forgot to get to dax Magic, there was a heap of stuff I needed for painting and converting, inks and the likes. I`ll have to catch up with them probably at the Red Barons show in the first part of 2012 then.

I also forgot to grab me the smaller of the two different army deals for Mantic`s Abysmal Dwarfs, as well as some packs of Green Stuff from Army Painter.

And I forgot to get me a copy of the Storm of Magic wfb supplement.





But I`m happy with what I DID get though, a Great Taurus and 2 Hobgoblin command group blisters for 20 euros, and a very old Citadel (1988 series) Azakil Bonecrusher Chaos Dwarf. I also got some paints from Coat D`Arms, and the above mentioned Black Cat limited model as well as the Mercator limited edition for the Crisis show give away. I also grabbed me some dice, but they are actually under the box in the picture, a 10 piece set of burgundy and gold d6s, excellent for my Dawi Zharr...


And so the show ends for me, with in about 5 minutes from now a load snoaring and hopefully more then the 4 hours average sleep of the past days.

Ciao Ciao for now!