RE-PLAY 2025 Show Report

I've just dropped my latest video, a show report covering our fantastic day at RE-PLAY 2025, the annual wargaming event hosted by the Milton Hundred Wargames Club and the Royal Engineers Museum in Gillingham, Kent. 

What truly sets the RE-PLAY show apart is its unique and incredible setting. As we discuss in the video, the games aren't simply on tables in an empty hall; they are meticulously placed amongst the museum’s jaw-dropping historical exhibits. Imagine setting up your dice and tape measure next to a piece of the Berlin Wall or a massive V2 rocket! This spectacular backdrop creates an electric atmosphere, combining the joy of tabletop wargames with the gravitas of genuine historical relics. It’s an immersion unlike any other and genuinely great for introducing the general public to the hobby.

Our focus for RE-PLAY 2025 was a deep-cut historical scenario: "The Attack on Hill 112," set during the brutal fighting in Normandy, July 1944. This fierce engagement was part of the wider British offensive, Operation Jupiter. Using the beloved Rapid Fire Reloaded rules, Reject Dan (running his first-ever show demo—a huge congratulations to him!) guided players through the assault. The British VIII Corps, spearheaded by the veteran 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division and supported by the heavy armour of the 31st Tank Brigade—including scary Churchill Crocodile flamethrower tanks—were tasked with seizing Hill 112. This seemingly innocuous ridge was, in reality, a critical fortress commanding the battlefield.

The game mechanics perfectly captured the tension of WWII wargaming. The British faced a difficult, costly climb against entrenched German Panzergrenadiers, who were using interlocking machine guns, concealed anti-tank weapons, and deadly Nebelwerfer rocket artillery to hold the line. The German orders were strict: hold until the inevitable counterattack arrived, featuring heavy armour like Tiger I and Panzer IV tanks.

While we were incredibly busy talking to both wargamers and the general public and running our own scenario (a testament to how engaging the show was!), I managed to grab ten minutes to dash around the hall. The photos and video snippets show the sheer variety of wargaming on display. This annual event, expertly organised with the Milton Hundred Wargames Club, always draws a wide range of clubs, showcasing everything from ancients and fantasy to modern skirmish games.

A Taste of Typhoons and Trouble: A Rapid Fire Reloaded WWII Game

Over the weekend, a few of the Rejects dusted off the 15mm figures and came together for a rare WWII game—this time using Rapid Fire Reloaded. I picked up the rules earlier this year and had been itching to give them a proper run out. So, when Dan offered to host a game, I jumped at the chance. What followed was a cracking game—full of drama, unexpected twists, some triumphs, and (as always) a healthy serving of carnage. In short, it was everything a good wargame should be.

Our scenario came straight from one of the Rapid Fire Reloaded scenario books, focusing on the period between 6th and 9th June 1944—just days after the D-Day landings. British and Canadian forces were pushing inland from the beaches, facing stiff resistance as they tried to break out. Our game was set on the 9th and featured the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade, supported by British armour, advancing inland from Juno Beach.

Historically, the Sherbrooke Fusiliers and the Nova Scotia Highlanders had pushed a bit too far ahead of their artillery support and stumbled—rather unpleasantly—into elements of the newly arrived 12th SS Panzer Division. The SS, showing unnerving fire discipline, let the Canadians roll past their concealed positions before opening fire and causing utter mayhem. The result? The Canadians were cut off and forced to withdraw. It would take over a month before this ground was retaken.

Thankfully, things unfolded a little differently on our table...

How Not to Launch an Armoured Assault

Our game kicked off with the Allied vanguard under Stuart (aka Postie), consisting of a Recce Squadron of Stuart tanks, a Carrier Platoon with infantry, an Anti-tank battery of M10s, and a support company fielding a 6pdr and a 3" mortar. Stuart wasted no time and promptly pressed down the road towards Authie, with the objective tantalisingly close beyond.

Meanwhile, I commanded the main force, made up of three squadrons of Shermans (each handily equipped with a Firefly for that extra "knock-out punch") and a HQ platoon in carriers, complete with a 2" mortar, a PIAT team, and a bonus 75mm Sherman. Thinking myself rather clever, I swung the main force to the left to outflank what I suspected was a weak German position in the centre. I had visions of a sweeping advance, tanks charging heroically through cornfields, and a quick victory. What I actually got was a faceful of hidden SS Panzer Regiment, lying in wait like a bunch of patient crocodiles in a swamp.

The trap was sprung with cinematic brutality. In an instant, I lost my commanding officer, a Sherman, and—tragically—a Firefly. The road was now blocked with burning wrecks, and I was staring down the barrels of concealed German guns from heavy woodland. So much for my grand tactical outflanking manoeuvre. If this were a Hollywood movie, the dramatic music would have cut out and been replaced by a sad trombone.

Back near Authie, Stuart was having a hard time of his own. Trying to get infantry into hard cover while dodging fire from two AT guns and a squadron of Panzer IVs isn’t what you'd call a relaxing afternoon. One of our M10s was quickly brewed up, and for a brief moment, I was genuinely worried the game might be over before we’d even cracked open the biscuits. But then... the dice gods changed their minds.

A turn of appallingly ineffective fire from Steve (commanding the Germans) gave us the breathing space we needed. Stuart made the most of the opportunity with some excellent dice rolls—knocking out a couple of Panzer IVs and, in a moment of pure vindication, taking out a German 105mm howitzer. The tide, it seemed, was turning.

In keeping with the real Normandy campaign, we Allies had the upper hand in the air. And thanks to scenario rules, we were granted access to that iconic symbol of Allied support: the mighty Typhoon. Well, it looked mighty... until we used it. Despite calling in airstrikes on three separate occasions, we failed to hit a single thing. Not so much "Death from Above" as "Mild Inconvenience from a Distance." Eventually, the Typhoon was brought down by German AA fire, at which point I considered trading in my pilot's wings for a bus ticket home. Still, at least we tried. Repeatedly. And failed. Repeatedly.

As the game wore on, our situation improved. Despite my earlier blunder, having my tank force bogged down by the 12th SS may have worked to our advantage in a weird, wargamer’s version of accidental genius. By engaging them early—though unintentionally—we blunted their ambush. Had they waited until we were fully committed down the centre, they'd have been shooting into our sides and rear armour. Instead, we faced them head-on and slowly but surely began knocking them out one by one.

By this point, we'd seriously depleted the German armour. The battlefield was littered with burning wrecks, and the Allies were (somewhat battered but still breathing) in control of key positions. Cruicially, there was nothing between us and our ultimate objective at Franqueville. With the game tipping firmly in our favour, Steve sensibly decided that the Germans would have withdrawn and conceded the ground.

Final Thoughts

Considering how the game started—with burning Shermans, a dead CO, and a failed airstrike—I don’t think Stuart or I saw victory on the cards. But that's the joy of wargaming: just when things look bleak, the dice throw you a lifeline, your opponent has a wobbly turn, and your Firefly remembers how to aim.

All in all, it was a thoroughly enjoyable game with good friends, great models, and more drama than a Sunday night war film. Rapid Fire Reloaded worked brilliantly, and I’m already itching to get it back on the table again... Minus the uncooperative Typhoon! Indeed, I'm considering how I can use these rules with my 6mm North Africa collection, which hasn't seen the light of day in many years. 

Until then, keep your dice high and your morale higher!

Shot Down in Flames: Wargaming in three dimensions

How do wargames tackle a problem like 3-dimensional space? This week I discuss aerial combat wargames and (briefly) discuss how a few handle the complexities of warfare in three dimensions.

Dogfight over the Channel: 100 Octane and Supercharged

Over the weekend the Rejects gathered in the Shed-o-War for something different to our normal fayre. Richard has been writing again and has come up with a cracking set of rules for aerial warfare in WWII. The rules could work for other periods (within reason), but the test games, particularly this game, are set firmly in WWII. I donned my lucky lederhosen and flying goggles to join the Luftwaffe in a linked pair of games somewhere over the channel, with the white cliffs as our backdrop. 

The first game was a simple dogfight with two flights of aircraft battling for supremacy. The Germans were flying Messerschmitt Bf 109E and the British were flying Spitfires. For this introductory game, there was no spotting required and no cloud cover to complicate matters. This was to be a straight-up fight with both sets of pilots finding their wings and learning the rules. 

The second game was more interesting because each pilot started the game with two Blinds which had to be 'spotted' to either identify an enemy aircraft or eliminate it as just a speck on the windshield or a bird. There would also be clouds at various altitudes and as the game progressed these played a very important role in enabling pursued pilots to escape tails or jump enemy aircraft.

I found the clouds to be a welcome respite from being shot at when I was tailed by a Spitfire. Bullets were whizzing past my plane and it was only complete luck (or the lack of it) that saved me from Dan's relentless pursuit. Desperate to share the tail I dived for the clouds and safety. 

When I exited the clouds I was able to get behind my erstwhile pursuer and pump his aircraft full of holes. The pilot managed to bail out moments before his Spitfire exploded in a rather spectacular fireball. 

Unfortunately, I didn't have long to enjoy my win because Sprog Pilot, Stuart (shot down earlier in the game and respawned as a lower-level pilot) was able to put several bullet holes through my own fuel tank. Unfortunately, my pilot wasn't as lucky as Dan earlier and was lost in the resulting explosion. 

Richard has posted more photos on his blog My Wargaming Habit and I recommend you read that for a fuller review of the game/s. I'm sure this won't be the last time we play this game, and everyone seemed to have a good time, even when we were being 'bounced' by the enemy! 

General George S Patton

The painting Mojo has been a bit limited recently, and it's entirely my own fault. I’ve managed to pile project on top of project until finding time to paint has become a bit limited. That is not necessarily a negative, because I have played far more games - both in person and remotely via Zoom - than I usually would. And I have been working on my YouTube channel and writing some articles, so it's not like I have been idle. Add on top of this a work schedule that has doubled my workload and finding time to even think about painting has been difficult.

I have been trying to work my way through the Challenge Library but have reached an impasse. Eventually, I decided to do the ‘Statue of Someone Famous’ and I found this model of General Patton, but I didn’t want to just paint it as bronze or stone. So my ‘Statue’ is one of two options: either a waxwork statue of the man, or my 28mm model is in effect a miniature statue?? Ok, I’m stretching the definition for this section but you get where I am coming from.

General Patton is one of those characters who seem to stride across the pages of the history books. He certainly had a talent for war and an ego to match, so powerful that it easily reached across the intervening 79 years since his death. Reading anything about this man's life and ambitions one has to ask how different the world would have been had he lived?

Quick Strike AAR's - What shall I do next?

Earlier this year Little Wars TV challenged wargaming vloggers to make video AAR's that were shorter and more concise than the usual format seen on YouTube. The brief was deceptively simple but also devilishly difficult; to have a full battle report with a running time of 10 minutes or less but with some historical context, a scenario summary, and a recap of the game at the end. Given that normal video battle reports often run for over an hour, the concept of editing that down to just 10 minutes gives you some idea of the challenge.

Operation Caravan Quick Strike AAR

The LRDG raid on the Italian Airfield at Barce in September 1942 is a classic adventure story of endurance, bravery and brazen daring. This night attack followed a drive of 1850km across vast tracts of inhospitable desert.  The LRDG showed that targets hundreds of miles behind the front lines were vulnerable and nowhere was safe from attack by their "Ghost Patrols".

I first ran this game as a Demo at Broadside in 2017, but of course, running the game meant I didn't get to play it! So I decided I would recreate the scenario and play it as a solo game in my Operations Room. Having made the decision I promptly realised that the rules I used for the demo game were no longer suitable, so I wrote a quick set of simple rules for solo play. They still need a bit of polishing but they worked well, gave me an enjoyable game that replicated the difficulty of this scenario for both sides. 

The original version of this game was a Demo at the Broadside show in 2017.

To fit it on my smaller tale for this solo version I had to twist and squeeze the map a bit to ensure that all the essential elements were present.

As the game progresses smoke rises from more and more targets.

Ultimately the LRDG were there to destroy aircraft and infrastructure on the Italian Airfield, and in this, they succeeded spectacularly. 

Please watch the video and if you enjoyed it please 'like' and of course subscribe to my YouTube Channel Miniature Adventures. 

Imperial War Museum North: A Unique Collection & Iconic Building

I recently visited the Imperial War Museum North and wanted to share a few of my pictures while extolling the virtue of a visit. This is an interesting and thought-provoking family museum and well worth a visit.

A very interesting museum and well worth a visit if you are in the area. Entry to the museum is free although there is a charge for parking. I rate this quite highly if you have a family group because there are artefacts and interactive exhibits that will appeal to all ages and levels of knowlege. 

Unboxing a V-1 Flying Bomb

Today's video is just a short one looking at my latest purchase from eBay. This is the Battlefront V-1 that originally came in the Open Fire starter box for Flames of War. I didn't want the box but I'd always liked the rocket model and I found one on its own being sold on eBay so I snapped it up. The launch ramp is a bit short but it will still make a nice bit of interesting terrain or an objective in my Chain of Command games. 

Biggin Hill Memorial Museum: The Strongest link

On Sunday I had a belated, but much anticipated, 'fathers day' trip out to the Biggin Hill Memorial Museum. The Museum tells the story of RAF Biggin Hill, one of the most famous airfields of the Battle of Britain, through the personal experiences of those who served there. Despite being just a 45-minute drive from my home, I haven't been here before so this was a real treat for me. We did try to visit last year but of course, it was shut due to Covid restrictions, but now that museums are open again it was back on my list of places to visit in 2021. 

Ruined 15mm MDF Ruined Buildings and a Box Girder Bridge

Following on from a video I did a few weeks ago I bought some more low cost 15mm MDF buildings from eBay. The latest set is a collection of basic ruins designed as freestanding walls. I decided to upgrade these by mounting the walls on bases and filling the interiors with a rubble mix that I made from railway tallus, sand and broken MDF and bits of sprue. While I was at it I also made some additional rubble bases to add to the outside of the buildings and block streets so that I can recreate a destroyed town in my games. 

Along with the Buildings I also bought an MDF Box Girder Bridge from the same seller on eBay. The bridge and all the buildings were given a simple paint scheme and the finished products are shown at the end of the video.

The ruined buildings are two sets which combined cost a modest £11 in total while the Box Girder Bridge was £3.50. As with the buildings I bought before (link here) they are basic models but are easy to 'upgrade' and when painted look pretty good on the games table. 

Simple buildings with a simple paint scheme

I filled the interior with a rubble mix that I made from different sized railway tallus and bits of sprue and offcuts of MDF

I also made some additional 'rubble bases' to scatter in the streets and around the buildings. And lastly, I bought a Box Girder Bridge. 

I hope you liked the video and I'm sure this won't be the last stuff I buy from eBay or from this seller. 

Unboxing: 15mm Late War British Infantry

The problem with completing one project is that it inevitably leads to another. So having 'finished' my British Airborne troops for Chain of Command I couldn't help myself and decided to expand my British forces even more. So last week I bought some 15mm Command Decision WWII British Infantry figures from Skytrex. Cast in white metal these figures are packed with detail and character. So much so that I decided to make a short unboxing video to show them off, straight from the packet.

I have bought enough miniatures for a full Infantry Platoon, plus some support elements such as a Vickers MMG, extra 2" Mortars and medics. The models need a little bit of cleaning up but I hope to get started on these soon.

Making Cheap Smoke Markers

Inspiration comes from strange places sometimes and such is the way with today's video on my YouTube Channel Miniature Adventures. It's a how-to tutorial video on how to make cheap, quick and easy smoke markers for wargaming. Smokescreens are often hard to replicate on the wargames table but this easy method creates reusable markers that look good for just a few pence each. With materials bought from pound stores, this is a very cost-effective way of making good looking terrain for your wargames table. 

Using basic materials, easily available from any high street or online, these smoke tokens can be used to enhance the look of the miniatures wargame. They take only a few minutes to make and can be in use on the table in moments.

CLE Containers for British Airborne

This week I have completed a set of Drop Cannisters for my 15mm British Airborne troops. I'll use these either as scatter terrain, objective markers or jump-off points for my Chain of Command games. They are from Peter Pig and contain spare packs, Piat anti-tank guns and rifles. 

The CLE Container (Container Light Equipment) was a standardized cylindrical container used by the British during World War 2 to airdrop supplies to troops on the ground. They could be dropped from the bomb racks of aircraft and deployed a parachute pulled by a static line. Fully loaded they could hold between 200-250lb of equipment and were used to support parachute troops on the ground and for drops to resistance fighters. During Operation Market Garden they used different coloured chutes to indicate the nature of the contents;  red for ammunition, green for rations, white for medical supplies, blue for fuel and yellow for communication equipment.

Tank Duel at Breville

Today I thought I would share a very short video battle report that follows from the game I posted on my channel on Friday. I recycled the same terrain for a very quick game of What a Tanker!

The game was pretty short, but good fun none-the-less. 

The Road to Breville: A 30 Minute Battle Report

Last weekend, I used my newly enlarged games table for the first time and played a solo game of Chain of Command. The battle is set on D-Day, east of the Orne River and Canal near the landing ground of the 8th Airborne Brigade. While the action is fictitious the landscape is as close as I could get it for the location. I used Scenario 6 in the rulebook, attacking an Objective, with the Germans defending a critical crossroads. 

As before, I am trying to keep these video battle reports to about 30 minutes (give or take), so I didn't film every dice roll except for a few critical ones towards the end of the game. There are plenty of great Chain of Command games played in their entirety on youtube, which is great if you have a couple of hours to spare. However, I wanted to offer something a little more 'bite sized' without the spectacle of watching me fumble my lines, flicking back and forth through the rule book while muttering to myself. I hope you enjoy this shorter format and of course if you do please hit the like and subscribe buttons. 

Bombed out Buildings for WWII

Last week I posted a video of two resin terrain pieces from Ironclad Miniatures and I said I thought they were really nice looking models. I've now painted them up and I'm even more pleased with them. There is so much detail in these resin casts and that made painting them very easy. 

The models saw some action at the weekend and the Battle Report video from that game will be posted later in the week. 

Unboxing Ruined Buildings

I recently received some rather nice resin terrain from Ironclad Miniatures and shot a short Unboxing Video for my YouTube Channel, Miniature Adventures. The resin is very nice quality, with little cleaning required before painting, and is packed full of detail. 

I'm really pleased with these and hope to have them painted up and in action very soon. 

AHPC XI - Week 11 - Civilians

This week I have been working on several side projects, only one of which actually got finished on time. The others will be out during this week and I'll show those here next Wednesday. So the pace will appear to pick up as the Painting Challenge comes to an end but in fact, it's just that I have been working on multiple models at the same time. There are now just two weeks left in the Challenge and although I have hit my Target points I still have several things I want to get done by the end. Once the Challenge is over I'll probably reduce my painting output a bit so I can focus on playing more solo games and working on some new film for my youtube channel. 

French Civilians for WWII

I recently purchased several sets of French Civilians from Peter Pig for use in various 15mm WWII games. I wanted a collection of refugees, farmers, and other non-combat figures to use as 'set dressing' in my games. I may yet devise some simple in-game rules for their use, such as roads being clogged with refugees (restricting traffic) or to represent resistance fighters. 

As with all the Peter Pig stuff the figures are wonderful little sculps that rarely need much cleaning before the primer goes on. These were no exception with minimal flash and mould lines and any that were found were removed in a matter of seconds. 

I have bought a few more packs of other civilians that I missed the first time around on the website, so hopefully, I'll have a few more ready by next week.

The Chambers of Challenge

I haven't made much progress with the side quest bonus rounds, otherwise known as The Chambers of Challenge, due to an unexpected holdup in production. In short, the Postman hasn't delivered my parcel. The next chamber is something to do with a Laboratory. I ordered myself a nice set of mad scientist and assistants from Sally4th but nearly three weeks later and they still haven't arrived. Hats off to Allen at Sally4th because he's resending a replacement parcel, but time is ticking and I'm a bit stuck until they arrive. Postal deliveries where I live have been 'erratic' to say the least since before Christmas so I have no idea when they will turn up. My solution is to jump the blockage and paint the two chambers that follow, and just hold off submitting them until I have my Mad Scientist in hand and painted. So as stated earlier, expect a rush of entries in the last few days of the competition. 

AHPC XI - Week Ten - More Para's and a Pack of Gnolls

The Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge is continuing apace and true to its purpose it is keeping me on task. Week Ten is traditionally the time when I start closing in on my target and start thinking about what comes next. So it's no surprise that I have hit my target and can now look at what comes next. In the past, I have submitted an upwardly revised target to Curt, but this year I'm just going to enjoy being ahead. I have completed most of the projects I set out for myself at the start of the Challenge and I'm quite content to meander towards the end of the event in three weeks time. I'm still working on entires for the side event, The Chambers of Challenge, and hope to complete the entire quest within the next few weeks.