Joy of Six 2026

I managed to get myself to the annual Joy of Six show in Sheffield yesterday. You know what you are going to get: lots of very nice 6mm games and a bunch of 6mm traders, plus a couple of more general hobby traders (books, modelling stuff, lighting). There is also the chance to quiz Baccus' owner Peter Berry, and a chance to discuss a few issues of the day with a small panel of luminaries. The venue is really nice (Sheffield Hallam university), with a very decent cafe right next to the floor space. It also seems to have a high proportion of visitors who stay to the end, when the raffle is drawn. 

The Games:

 The first games were the demo layouts by Commission Figurines with their wood 6mm figures: set-ups from the Napoleonic, Ancients and ACW periods:

 

The next game was a Greek City states game by 'The Wargame Shop'. It was a participation game, and seemed to be well-attended throughout the day!

Next up, the Luton Lancers used Midgard for the Battle of Lewes. Simple, but very effective, and seemed very busy through the day:

Then there was a bigger Cold War battle - another very popular participation game. Lots going on with the terrain on this one!

Then the Baccus 6mm demo game: Lens from the Thirty Years' War. This has been their game for this show season, but apparently it is being retired soon.

Another very popular demo game next: the Ilkley Irregulars doing Borodino on a small board using Bloody Big Battles. BBB continues to be leader of the pack in terms of big battles in the C19, as judged by the number of games using them over the years at this show! 

Then there was a very neat and nice Battle of the Five Armies - I really liked the centrepiece (obviously) but also the mat and terrain was beautifully effective, yet very simple.

WW1 Next, presented by the South London Warlords, featuring the Marne 1914. I think I had seen this or something similar before, perhaps at Partizan or Hammerhead, but not an issue - it was nice then and was still very nice.

Next up was a battle from the 1991 Gulf War (Op Daguet); essentially an assault on an airfield. It was quite a big set-up, which definitely gave an impression of range and space. My photos don't quite do the mat justice, for some reason, it was nice with a definite desert feel.

Another very busy participation game next: a naval encounter set in the Spanish-American War of 1898. Everyone seemed to be having fun! And I genuinely don't think I have ever seen a naval game set in this conflict before. Done by Three Decks Dockyard and Sheffield WGS. I noticed that Three Decks Dockyard seem to have moved into 1/144 WW1 Aircraft too, which was a little tempting.

Next was a set of 3 urban warfare participation games, one seemingly set in Afghanistan, another one in a Western City and the third in the future. I think it was to showcase the (very nice) 3D-printed buildings 

Next was a C18 imaginations' battle, using Honours of War IIRC by 'The Loft of War'. Had quite a long chat with one of the guys here on the theory and practice of imaginations! He explained how inspired he had been by Henry Hyde, which makes sense (although The Loft of War was apparently not a tribute to 'The Loftwaffe'). Looked very pretty and seemed to be a vigorously contested action. 

The Grantham Gaming Club put on Undaunted, this time set in the Pacific. I really should get around to playing this!

Another big WW1 game next: Charles Rowntree putting on a 2nd Ypres game, covering the period just after the first big German gas attack of the war.

The view is from behind the German lines - they are in a 'big L', with the Allies in a 'small L' above them - the actual main gas attack is just above the 'point' of the 'L', where the red explosions stop.

Next up, James Morris and friends' 6mm Glorantha set-up. A very pretty, strongly-themed Midgard game, as is his signature!

Next was another small, pretty and very busy game - Gaines' Mill from the ACW. I had trouble getting close enough to get a really good shot!

Perhaps my favourite game of the show next - Civitate 1053, put on by Total Battle Miniatures. I have been fascinated by this battle ever since reading Normans in the Sun when I was a bairn! Anyway, the ground and walled town looked amazing, with the figures (mainly from the 1066-types from Baccus' range) complementing the look perfectly.

Just superb!! I want one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A big SF game next, put on by the Sheffield & Rotherham club. Lots going on in this one!

 A Franco-Prussian game next - looked very neat, with a good explanation of what was going on on the sheet! Was showcasing a set of rules I had never heard of before, Field Marshall Lieutenant.

I apologise that I didn't get the details of this next game: it was very busy when I was around! On the programme it was Operation Gotterdammerung by the Peterborough club, but I can't confirm that. Looked like an SF stompy robots / Battletech-y tupe game, but I am honestly not sure. The set-up looked good, mind:

Another game that looked a little familiar, Elefant Hunting by the Doncaster club. Simple looking but effective!

A battle that really piqued my interest next - 3RTR (I think) just outside Calais. Put on by the Cold War Commanders, I think they were using an old ruleset called Tac WW2 - seemed a very interesting encounter, looked roughly on an equivalent scale to Spearhead. Another simple but effective set-up.

And last game that I got a picture of was another FPW games using BBB. Another very busy game, so I didn't get full details (updated: thanks to the helpful comment, it was the battle of Coulmiers)

The game I didn't get a picture of was one I actually played: Wargames Developments did a game of 633 Sqn (the game of the film). It was good fun, using a card mechanic from 'Play Your Cards Right', which I assume was a subtle homage to Clausewitz... anyway, it was good stuff, and my squadron did manage to blow up the target, and a bunch of them survived (as prisoners), although not the Squadron Commander, who did at least get a posthumous VC for his efforts! The post-mission survival chances did seem to be slightly bear-ish on the chances of an unloaded, half-fuelled Mosquito being able to outrun German interceptors in 1943. And my slightly alternative take on the meaning and morality of the film did at least raise a smile from the staff too...

A Few Thoughts

It is a good show and the one show I often stay until the end for. The demo games and the participation games (the great majority) maintain their high standard, although I did miss a few people who regularly put on games here: Nick Dorrell, Per Broden, Robert Dunlop, James Mitchell, the MAD Gamers... The show did seem a bit quieter (as last year had been) in comparison with former years, which seems a pity. And the number of traders does seem to have gone down a little over the years - some from going out of business I guess, but not all. It is a shame for me, since I often look at shows and buy later online: I don't necessarily like going through individual model codes with a trader at a show, it takes ages and it feels slightly odd now, since that is not typically how shopping in general works now.

The Q&A was interesting, the panel had some different insights - as a mainly solo player, it can be quite good to hear some people talking about aspects of the hobby in person. It is a little bit of a shame there aren't some microphones though, the area where it is done isn't the best for hearing, especially with the hubbub of games only a few metres away. 

I had meant to buy some stuff, but got into a bit of analysis paralysis and couldn't decide what I really felt like! So them I rationalized this by saying to myself that I have lots to paint, coming away with nothing form this show show would be okay, good even... then I won a Rapier Mongol Army in the raffle! So I will add that to the painting pile...