Internal CONflict Rhineland 2024
The Internal CONflict is actually the first wargaming event I participate in this year. Due to multiple schedule collisions I wasn't able to visit any shows early to this date, as you can see from my event schedule. What does Internal mean regarding the CONflict? Well, it is not an open event, but internal affair and you have to be invited to tag along.
But (!) this is the first time, that I will host a demo table as well and I'm really looking forward to it. And obviously, we wouldn't show up empty handed, so we packed the car with some snacks (make sure those are non-greasy, as you don't want Orange Cheeto Dust on your miniatures) and drinks, as well as gaming materials. I'll go into that later, what my essentials for a convention are.
Regular readers know - no event report without a proper parking lot picture, and as the CONflict is held at the clubhouse of a local rifle club, parking is not an issue. Beside that, the hosts provide us optionally with a full catering, (breakfast, lunch and dinner from Friday afternoon until Sunday morning, along with a broad variety of drinks).
SzenarioCon 2024
My first visit to SzenarioCon in Hackenheim was just a year ago and yet the event has managed to become one of my favorites in a very short time. The reason for this is obvious, the range of gaming tables is very extensive and the gaming clubs really go out of their way to offer something special. Together with Jens, the head honcho of Chefoberboss, I visited Szenario again this year and would like to share my experience a few of the tables that were on display at the con. For a general look and a few more nice impressions, you can also take a look at Jens' YouTube video or directly go to the Szenario Facebook page.
We were there quite early and so I managed to take a snapshot in good time, when the hall wasn't filled to the brim. The number of registered guests and latecomers was between 250 and 300 people.
You can already see here that the many panels only allow a little more space for further exhibits. However, as the con has grown very steadily and, above all, successfully, an additional hall will be opened for exhibits next year.
Event Schedule for 2024
Another year another fresh event schedule we're trying to make possible this year.
List will be updated accordingly and focus around DACH and BeNeLux countries, with minor exceptions for special occasions:
SPIEL 2023 – Recap
After a 5-year pause, we return for the Internationale Spieltage, or how it is more commonly known as SPIEL 2023 in Essen.
And quite a few things have changed since the last time. This is the first show under the new ownership, as the Friedhelm Merz Verlag, who is the organiser of the show, was bought by the Spielwarenmesse eG, who hosts the International Toy Fair Nürnberg. This means, both events, the largest show for consumers and largest show for traders, belong to the same company.
Other things have changed as well. The ticket to the last show I visited in 2018 were 13 EUR, and now you have to pay 22 EUR for a day ticket. And I remember that in the past, you were able to park near the show, but that's off the table if you don't have access to an exhibition parking ticket. You are redirected to a park & ride parking lot, that is handled incredibly inefficient, park your car, stand in line to pay 8 EUR, get a token, that you hand back once you leave the parking lot after the show. Usually, you pay when you enter the parking lot, or when you leave it, without the additional queuing in front of a container. Never the less, the park & ride shuttle was on a good schedule, yet adding further 10-15 minutes each way to your travel.
9th Rhein Main Multiversum 2023
Hessen is calling! The 9th Rhein Main Multiversum was hosted by the Tabletop Club Rhein-Main in Nidderau.
The Multiversum is back, with traders and at a new location. The venue was moved from the Willi-Salzmann Halle to the Kultur- und Sporthalle Heldenbergen within the same city, but different districts. This venue is part of a small shopping park, which meant that not only parking was available abundant, but discounters and drink cash & carry were nearby as well.
Warlord Games – HQ Store & Studio 2023
While were in Nottingham for Bring Out Your Lead, we used the time on our hands to visit the new Warlord Games Headquarter and Store. The moved within Nottingham from the Business Centre (where Northstar and a few other miniature companies have their offices as well) to Lenton, not far from the Warhammer World. And once again, it is impressive to see how much the company has grown and I want to share my impression with you.
You can sign up for a guided studio tour, which is held Fridays at 13:00. You'll need to book the day before by 12:00. Tickets are 15 GBP per person (free entry for children under 15) and you get a goody bag of sample figures. Conor, who runs the Warlord HQ store, is the tour guide and brings you from station to station, to learn more about how the miniatures are crafted and how a miniature company this size operates.
Warhammer World 2023 – Exhibition Centre Part 3
And the third part of our coverage on the 2023 visits to the Warhammer World exhibition, focusing on the 40,000 part of Warhammer, including the gigantic centre piece of the exhibit further below.
Imperial Might
A huge mustering of the Imperial Guard. This has been in the exhibition since 2015, and can be seen in our 2018 and 2020 coverage, but is updated from time to time, to include newer units. For example the tanks in the front rows have been replaced by the Rogal Dorn Tanks. This time I paid more attention to the background and I really like scratch build supply train in the background, as well as the modified Valkyrie using the wings and eagle from the Aquila Strongpoint of the Wall of Martyrs kit (rare kit and OOP).
Warhammer World 2023 – Exhibition Centre Part 2
After covering the Bugmans Bar and the fantasy parts of the exhibition, we move further into the Dark Future of Warhammer 40,000 and the Horus Heresy.
As mentioned in the first article, we've covered parts of the exhibition in the visits of 2018 (Warhammer Fantasy / Age of Sigmar, Horus Heresy / Warhammer 40k) and 2020 (Warhammer Fantasy / Age of Sigmar, Horus Heresy / Warhammer 40k), and will focus more on the novelties and some spotlights this time.
Warhammer World 2023 – Exhibition Centre Part 1
Part of the Warhammer World experience is the Exhibition Centre, which covers large dioramas and walls full of display cases with vignettes, armies and individual miniatures very early ages of Citadel Miniatures until the most recent releases.
The exhibition centre spreads across two floors and four areas, and ticket prices are 7,50 GBP per adult, 5 GBP for children from 12 to 17, younger kids are free. There are group and family tickets available as well. You can buy a softcover book, which covers professional pictures and additional information on the larger dioramas for 18 GBP onsite, which is a perfect souvenir. The book is updated regularly and currently in its third edition.
As we already have covered the new exhibition centre in extensive articles from our visits in 2018 (Warhammer Fantasy / Age of Sigmar, Horus Heresy / Warhammer 40k) and 2020 (Warhammer Fantasy / Age of Sigmar, Horus Heresy / Warhammer 40k), the focus this time is more on some spotlights and novelties, as some of the larger setups were replaced and / or updated.
Warhammer World 2023 – Hobby Centre, Gaming Area & Bugmans Bar
Another visit to Nottingham, after 1999, 2004, 2010, 2013, 2018 and 2020 - if I didn't miss anything in between. While the big theme of the weekend was BRING OUT YOUR LEAD, we of course wouldn't skip a visit to Warhammer World while were already there. Not much new in the front, the Rhino is still there, the old Space Marine they moved from the Office building (was replaced by a Stormcast) towards the courtyard in front of Bugmans Bar.
But they remodelled the entrance of the shop and gaming area a bit. There's a front desk and small store, along with facilities on the ground floor. This used to be "just" an entrance, with the service desk being on the first floor, along with the store. They enlarged the store, which now feels more like a larger version of a regular Warhammer store and less like the Warhammer World store, as they replaced a lot of the merch, reduced the exclusives (like T-Shirts, Mugs etc.) etc. for regular stock. The reading area of the Black Library was removed for regular shelves and added a painting area. You can get a good comparison if you look up my 2020 visit of the Hobby centre.
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