“Warfare" Showcase 2026

"Brickskrieg", "Commission Figurines" and "Blocks Of Glory"

I honestly can't remember looking forward to a wargaming show as much as I have been for this year's annual "Warfare" at the Farnborough International Exhibition Centre, and resultantly I found myself at the 'unique space for every event' with ample time for both a hot cup of coffee, as well as a rest from the drive, before the event even opened. Admittedly, I did struggle to find an exterior door which actually lead into the venue's reception area - as the one I took required me to 'hurdle' a barrier before I could reach the end of the queue for pre-paid tickets. However, once inside my ticket was quickly scanned and a (frustratingly short) wristband precariously fitted by the staff.

One of the first things which struck me when the show did start was just how quiet the Main Hall was, and how keen so many of the exhibitors were to offer me a demonstration of their latest ruleset. Not only did this provide me with a rare chance to peruse all the different blisters and figures on display at the "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" booth unmolested by fellow attendees - something I cannot recollect ever having had before. But it also gave me a good idea of what weird and wonderful games were on offer - most notably miniature World War Two brick battles by "Brickskrieg" and a similarly themed Napoleonic set-up by "Blocks Of Glory".

Some of the models on show at the "Warlord Games" booth

To begin with though, I initially visited all the different vendors firmly believing that my pre-order at Karl Perrotton's aforementioned stall was going to be my main purchase of the day, and whilst that (vain) hope faltered almost immediately - courtesy of Crooked Dice's four-figure Gameshow Gladiators blister set. I didn't realise just how badly my resolve would fail thanks largely to "Perry Miniatures" and their desire to 'off-load' the last of their Starcraft: Protoss Starter Sets by "Archon Studios".

Unforeseen splurges aside however, there was a terrific amount to see at Warfare with a few old favourites definitely capturing my attention. Foremost of these was probably "Warlord Games", whose small "Konflikt '47" table looked smashing. In addition, I couldn't help but drool over their French Foreign Legion miniatures, and if the Nottingham-based company had had a box to buy I'd certainly have added one to my carrier bag.

Some of the miniatures on display at the "TTCombat" stall

Likewise I was very impressed with some of the upcoming releases for "Dropzone Commander" by "TTCombat". Their Two-Player Starter Set was certainly on show and looked fantastic; albeit I wasn't all that taken with the Bioficer models found inside of it - at least the ancient, corrupted artificial intelligence's vehicles. I'm not sure if it was the red and gold paint-jobs or just the various vessels' designs. But I was very taken with their zombie-like infantry units and could well imagine a horde of them blazing their way across the battlefield.

By far the most astonishing stalls I encountered though, alongside the brick battle games, was a range of 6mm MDF figures by "Commission Figurines". These completely blew me away in how stunning they looked, as well as how cheap they were. I also felt the range was a brave innovation in a wargaming world increasingly dominated by 3D prints - and there were a huge number of stalls at this event selling just such items; whether it be 28mm resin miniatures or whopping PLA castles and keeps.

Just some of the "Bifrost Miniatures" range on show at the "Warbases" stand

The last thing to catch my eye was the "Bifrost Miniatures" display by "Warbases", which I kept repeatedly returning to until I eventually wilted and purchased a few dwarves ready to take on a couple of hordes of raging Haggis..!?! These models were wonderfully pigmented and simply seemed to cover every sort of creature a fantasy wargamer could think of. To be honest I only eventually succumbed to their lure when I spotted their current show deal - and thought I would personally challenge myself to get the blisters I picked up painted before next year's Salute.

Lastly, it was great to meet the friendly faces of fellow bloggers, YouTubers and rules writers who I'd not seen for quite a while. One such all-too brief meeting was with Roger Gerrish, who I had last met up with at a "Warlord Games" Open Day a good couple of years ago, and another was with Ray Rousell of "Don't Throw A 1" fame - whose presence later reminded me that I meant to pick up a copy of the fourth edition to "Beneath the Lily Banners" when I saw it just as I was leaving the show...