Triples 2013

This post is a bit late, but it was the annual Triples nerdfest here in Sheffield at the weekend. I attend Triples most years as it is local and I like to see the demonstration games; of which there was a lot, but not so many participation games. This is a source of disappointment for me, as I remember when I was a youth spending the two days of the Triples weekend playing game after game. This seems to have changed over the years with less chance to actually play being a recurring theme. I am not so interested in playing myself, but the amount of young lad (and lasses) that attend would benefit greatly from playing a participation game to see how much fun this hobby can be (and maybe learn something...). I know that a lot of it comes down to clubs and individuals not putting on participation games, but I think to encourage it, Sheffield Wargames Society should have a few participation games themselves at each Triples. Anyway, that's my twopenneth, if you agree or disagree let me know in the comments below.

Here are a bunch of photos that I took as I walked around, I don't remember what was what as I was recovering from watching the Eurovision song contest the night before...

Some radio controlled tank action! I'm not sure what was happening here, but it looked like good fun!

This was a big colonial game with some rather nice bits and pieces on a massive table. I'm not sure of the rules/scale/battle. Sorry...

The usual Triples punter...

As was this man. A gurning McGurk in his khaki underpants showing off his Pickelhaube.

This looked good, a 1950s War of the Worlds game.

This demo of the Bolt Action rules was slightly marred for me by the inclusion of the Maus tank seen at the top of the picture.

The rather stylish punter from before was later seen to be hanging around this Mad Max game.

A wargaming show wouldn't be a wargaming show without a massive Napoleonic game.

My favourite game of the day, a rewrite of H.G. Wells' Little Wars. A brightly coloured game with suitably attired gamers and donations to the British Legion.

The obligatory nudey lady.

Back to my confusion. I have no idea of the game being played or the period, but it looked 16/17/18th century and had an amazing pike block in the centre.

This was a participation game, a large scale DBA type-affair based on the Battle of Bosworth, with good king Dick resplendent.

Not a game, but an excellent modular set of First World War trenches (even though the dug outs were facing the wrong way...)

Another 'old school' game based on Don Featherstone's rules using brightly painted homecast Prince August figures. It's not often you see casualties knocked onto their sides...

A sci-fi naval game, it's nice to see a blue board amongst all the green.

And finally a picture of McGurk wishing he was lurking in Robert Graves' funk hole.

And what did I buy? Far more than I expected to:

A good day out, finished it in the pub talking about war and stuff like that. Thanks for reading!