CWC WEEKEND 2026 - Photos

So after an eventful year the Cold War Commanders finally managed to gather at The Unit in Stone, Staffordshire for this years weekend game. Originally I had planned for a large Norway game but after a few players couldn't make it I had to do a quick rearrange with the players and forces we had available. So the table had elements of what was originally planned but not everything, hence some snow based troops looking a bit out of place. Maybe something to revisit at a future event.

Anyway as usual I was mad busy all weekend sorting food and umpiring the game and sorting air support so I wasn't able to take as many photos as I would have liked and it's always difficult to keep track of events across a 20' x 6' table. So here are a few photos from the game. Good friends, good game, good food and good beer!

Please check out Neil M's great blog for more photos and information on the weekend especially from his perspective as the commander of Soviet Naval forces. Link in the sidebar.

Thanks to everyone who came and planning is underway for next years "Dragonstrike" weekend.

CWC WEEKEND 2027 - Dragonstrike

After the completion of this years weekend, more on that soon, thoughts turn to next years game. We are trying something different next year with a game set around the South China Sea in 2000. Originally inspired by the book "Dragonstrike The Millennium War" by Humphrey Hawksley and Simon Holberton. 

The game will take place on the weekend of Saturday 2nd October & Sunday 3rd October at The Unit in Stone, Staffordshire. The initial plan is to have 4 or 5 tables representing different areas in the region. Places will be limited and as it stands we have Chinese, Russian, Australian, Indonesian, Vietnamese and French forces involved. 

If you are interested in attending please get in contact either in the comments below or by email, details in the sidebar.

TERRAIN - Arctic Cathedral Tromso

With the first of this years Cold War Commanders Weekend Events planned for the last weekend in May I have made a start on some of the new terrain pieces I have planned. As the first weekends theme is Arctic Strike - Norway 1985 I decided to have a go at the iconic Arctic Cathedral in Tromso.

So armed with a couple of boxes i'd saved (Corn Flakes and Bakers Complete) I set to work. Now I was never planning on buildings an accurate scale model, for one thing that probably would have resulted in the model being too big for the tabletop. I did struggle initially with the height of the Cathedral as there are numerous different heights stated on the internet so as the model had to fit on a 125mm x 100mm base I decided to go with what looked right for 6mm (1/300th) games. 

Construction was fairly easy using the box card to build up the different layers to the roof over a initial full length main building. The sections were then added one by one on top of the central core with smaller sections added to create the effect of the roof.

Overall I'm very happy with the completed model and will be adding some additional surrounding sections to allow the model to fit nicely with my existing terrain.

As always thanks for looking. Part Two will follow shortly once I have completed the additional sections that will eventually surround this model.

TERRAIN - Blessed Be Thy Name

Dan Hodgson from Reveille Studios was recently selling a few painted 6mm bits from his collection on Facebook and after a quick peruse through his wares I spotted this excellent church from the Total Battle Miniatures Black Powder European range. After a quick message to Dan and it was on its way. 

When its arrived it was based on a 80mm x 60mm MDF base which Dan had done all the ground work so I didn't want to remove it from its original base so I remembered reading a great little article over on Richard C's "The Land of Counterpane" blog where he details a great method of adding extra sections to smaller bases to achieve the required size. Link - City Planning 

So I decided to make a separate section to make the base 100mm x 100mm the same as our standard Terrain bases in our CWC games. 

With the addition of an L shaped section incorporating the graveyard and a parking area it makes the base 100mm x 100mm

I repainted the windows on the church to match the style of my other terrain plus I repainted the earth areas and added some static grass again to match my collection.

Graveyard bits from Leven (now Battlescale). Mick Hoe very kindly sent me a load of bits and bobs a few years ago

Decided to add a bit of colour by adding some red scatter

Great addition to the CWC terrain collection

Close up showing the graveyard

A quick addition to the collection. As always thanks for looking and I plan to be posting a lot more terrain updates as we start working towards the 2026 series of games including the Joy of Six game.

SAN THEODOROS CAMPAIGN - Los Picaros

For longer than I care to mention I have been working on starting a campaign inspired by fellow Cold War Commander Neil M's wonderful Khemed Campaign which uses the TinTin books as a source of inspiration. I am planning to use the San Theodoros setting from TinTin and the Picaros as the basis for my campaign. The campaign will see the Revolutionary forces of General Alcazar attempt to overthrow the Government forces of the evil General Tapioca.

I have recently finished the first units of Los Picaros, the troops loyal to General Alcazar in his attempt to overthrow General Tapioca. The figures are from 2d6 Wargaming Rhodesian Bush War range (Grey's Scouts). I have used them previously to represent a small unit of US Special Forces on horseback. Great figures! I have added a couple of supply bases using Baccus pack mules and each of the units has a mortar team in support plus an HQ unit on the round base.The mortars and dismounted command figures are again from 2d6 Wargaming from their WW2 ranges. 

SOVIET DPP-40 AMPHIBIOUS PONTOON SYSTEM - Part Four

After finding two tins of matt varnish that I had completely forgotten about I was able to complete the units. So I now have four complete bridging units to support my Cold War VDV forces.