Partizan 2026 Blew Me Away

The Partizan Wargames Show 2026 once again demonstrated exactly why it remains one of the most respected events in the UK historical tabletop wargaming calendar. Held at Newark Showground, Partizan has long built its reputation around beautifully presented demo games, stunning miniature painting, and an atmosphere that many hobbyists describe as a more relaxed and “civilised” alternative to the larger convention-style events. This year’s show absolutely lived up to that reputation.

In this latest video, I take a detailed look around the demo tables and share some of the games that particularly stood out to me during the day. One of the biggest talking points was the growing presence of smaller scales, showing just how cinematic smaller miniatures can look on the tabletop. At the same time, the classic spectacle of large-scale 28mm gaming was still alive and thriving, with massive Seven Years War, Vietnam, Napoleonic, and American Civil War tables drawing huge crowds throughout the event.

Among my personal highlights were the extraordinary Seven Years War game by Friends of a Military Gentleman, featuring around 2,000 beautifully painted 30mm figures, the atmospheric Cape Finisterre naval battle by Like a Stonewall, complete with fog banks and drifting smoke, and Harrogate Wargames Club’s astonishingly detailed Vietnam game Walk This Hue 1968. There were also fantastic participation games, Sharp Practice skirmishes, trench warfare displays, feudal Japanese battles, and plenty of wonderfully eccentric hobby details hidden across the tables.

My show video attempts to summarise my reflections on the social side of the hobby, which for me remains one of the most important aspects of shows like Partizan. Throughout the day, I spent a lot of time talking with viewers, fellow gamers, traders, and well-known personalities from the hobby, including Henry Hyde, Simon Miller, Barry Hilton, Rich Clarke, and John Kershaw. Some of the most meaningful conversations centred not just around rules and miniatures, but around creativity, mental health, friendship, and the positive role that tabletop gaming communities can play in people’s lives.

Partizan 2026 felt like a hobby in excellent health: visually ambitious, creative, welcoming, and constantly evolving. Whether you’re interested in historical wargaming, miniature painting, terrain building, or simply seeing what’s possible on the tabletop, there was no shortage of inspiration on display this year.