ShireCon 2026

 

ShireCon has just finished for 2026 and although it's a smaller affair than MOAB, it's growing bigger each year. This year saw a larger Bring and Buy area and there were a number of demo and competitive games being played.

I wasn't able to get any photos of the games as the space where these were being played was fairly tightly packed. However, apart from the obligatory 40K and AoS / Old World games, there were at least four tables for Warmaster (my favourite), and a couple of excellent 15mm Historical Medieval and Ancient games as well. Upstairs was a Bloodbowl competition with around eight to ten tables. So, a broader affair than just the usual 40k or AoS showing.

Of the demo games, there was a jousting game from around the 80's era of White Dwarf. Very obscure but one that I have heard was well designed though I've never had the chance to play it. If I had more time, I would have given it a shot. Hopefully it will be there again at MOAB. Demo wise, there was a WWII naval warfare game and Ma.K as well, both by their manufacturers.

Slave2Gaming was there, as was the producer of the naval demo game. I spent some time chatting to the owner of Slave2Gaming. Their 15mm sci-fi and Ma.K miniatures are excellent. They also had their 28mm alien and Elvis miniatures there as well as some 28mm WWII stuff that another attendee was grabbing for Konflikt 47.

For my part I was taken by all the 15mm sci-fi stuff including their new line of near-future Australian troops set in an alternative conflict where Oz is divided and in civil war. The premiss is that a tyrannical government has arisen (not so farfetched a concept when we remember COVID and what the State of Victoria's lock-down government did to its poor citizens) and the forces of resistance are fighting back from the inland desert. You can see the 15mm Desert Australia Korps (DAK) below as well as their other 15mm and 28mm goodies. I grabbed the 15mm DAK for a 15mm version of Konflikt 47 that I am working on.

Slave2Gaming are considering making their aliens also in 15mm sometime in the future. Great for Earth vs the Invaders and they have a great idea for their Elvis miniatures that will involve their 28mm alien range and Elvis. Mum on that one for now, but you can get some alien Elvis impersonators from S2G right now.

So that's it for ShireCon this year. Can't wait for MOAB.

ShireCon 2025 is on this weekend

 

ShireCon is on again for 2025. ShireCon is an annual tabletop gaming convention run by the Sutherland Shire Gamers. Now in its third year, if I remember correctly, it's becoming bigger with each year. Sutherland Shire Gamers run the excellent MOAB convention every year and ShireCon is certainly becoming a second success for them on the gaming calendar.

This year, Slave2Gaming is in attendance with a small selection from their shop. Slave2Gaming has some excellent 15mm sci-fi miniatures for Ma.K 15mm that I use for other games, such as Gruntz15mm and Starship Troopers. This ShireCon, the Slave2Gaming team have brought their Ma.K 15mm sci-fi range and these are masterful sculpts.

Apart from the plethora of 40K and Warhammer Fantasy games, there were some others that caught my eye.

A demo game of the sci-fi 15mm Ma.K under way

For a couple of years now, Slave2Gaming have been running Ma.K 15mm gaming convention where the rules for the game get play tested out. You can find out more here. That will be on again for the 14th June.

More Ma.K goodness

I can't remember what rules were being used for this Battle of Ramillies game, sorry.

Broadside - Empires of Steel

Broadside is a new WW1 Dreadnaught era game using 3D printed battleships. The scale is a little too large for my tastes. But below is something more in my style that was exciting to see.

10mm Warmaster Ogre army, 3d printed

I believe it was Dave I was talking too who owned this excellently painted 3d printed Ogre Kingdoms army. But there were about three tables upstairs that were set up ready for Warmaster with one of the guys I talked to fielding a Dwarf army. The games hadn't been set up as yet, but the tables were set with terrain. So, I only got a photo of the Ogre army. This is fantastic to see that this game is making a comeback with the Warmaster Revolution ruleset and being kept alive by a dedicated fanbase. Looks like I'm going to have to dust off my 10mm armies and brush up on the updated ruleset.

This will probably come back for MOAB and so I might think about joining in. It's been years since I played a game of this, my most favourite wargame. So, you just never know.

Anyway, it's on tomorrow as well. So, if you get a chance, stop by. There is also a Bring-n-Buy area that was being well patronised.