Dubai gaming – or was it in ancient Egypt?

As mentioned in my previous posting, I was having difficulty finding anything of wargaming interest in Dubai, where I am on a month-long business trip.

However, within minutes of writing that original posting, I stumbled across the address of a MeetUp group of wargamers and boardgamers here.  I made contact with them, and yesterday joined them for an hour to see what they were up to.

The group meets in the Ibn Battuta Mall, which is a fantastic Disneyland of a place that celebrates the regions that the famed Arab navigator Ibn Battuta visited in his world travels: Tunisia, Andulusia, India, China, Egypt and Persia.  The coffee-shop where they play is in the main Egyptian hall, which is very impressive indeed, like something out of a Nile temple – a perfect backdrop to gaming. 

Of course, the concept of gaming in a coffee-shop was new to me.  For board-games it works out well, but probably it wouldn’t be so great for miniatures gaming back home.

Another unusal aspect was the the mix of genders.  There were seven players in two games, with nearly half  being female.  More or less by chance, though, the guys and girls ended up at separate tables! 

Plus there was a range of nationalities, which is one of the wonderful things about Dubai as a whole.   

Because of the MeetUp system (something we could well investigate in New Zealand), several players were newbies, but they were quickly welcomed and inducted into the rules of the game.  I had a business meeting to go to, so couldn’t get involved in actual play, but enjoyed watching for the hour I was there.

The main game played this month was ‘Goa’ (by both tables) – a rather complex trading game based on the Portuguese spice trade on the sub-continent.  The French couple who were game-masters soon had everyone trading spices and shipping them home!

There was also an intriguing starter game of riccocheting robots, that had most of us puzzled!

Talking to some members, it seemed not much was known about miniatures gaming, other than a little Warhammer.  I did bring my copy of ‘Black Powder’ for them to leaf through.  If I were to live here, I could easily be convinced to take up board waraming in such a nice friendly setting, and would hope to somehow introduce them to miniatures gaming as well!

Incidently, through The Miniatures Page I have also found an ex-pat  miniatures wargamer who lives just across the Dubai Marina from me.  We plan to meet for a beer in the weekend to talk about gaming, although neither of us has armies here to actually play a game. 

Anyway, here are some pics of the Ibn Battuta Mall meeting the other day.

Gaming drought in Dubai

Never fear, I haven’t abondoned this blog.  I’m still in the Middle East on business.  I won’t be back till next month, and then it will take another week or so before I’m back into my normal home routine again.

Sad to say, there is little here in Dubai of any wargaming interest.  Quite surprising really, with the amount of ex-patriates out here … you would’ve thought there could be at least a few gamers amongst them.

I thought I had struck gold at one stage, when I saw a “model and hobby shop” listed on a mall directory.  But when I got there, it was only those huge radio-control cars and planes … not one plastic kitset, let alone any model soldiers.

I did find a fort, that is now the Dubai Museum (see heading photo).  It contains a collection of old weapons and cannons, but nothing spectacular, and the labelling is very basic.

And I did come across a huge bookshop that had a large military section.  It is a Japanese chain (name escapes me) and is on the top  level of the Dubai Mall.  So at least if you are ever stuck in Dubai, whilst you probably won’t find a gaming shop or club, at least there is some good reading available. 

Note added 16 June: Only an hour or so after writing the above, I was browsing through a Dubai Time Out magazine, and lo and behold, I came across an ad for a wargaming meetup group in Dubai!  So I’ve joined up, and might even be able to attend their next meeting that they hold in a coffee shop in a local mall.  They play boardgames only, by the sound of it, but it’ll be interesting to see whether anyone here is into miniatures gaming as well.

Mindens and the Middle East

I’m on a business trip to Dubai and Abu Dhabi for the next month or so. So it is unlikely I’ll have any particularly exciting updates over that period.

Please don’t lose interest in this blog while I’m away, however, as on my return I’ll be back reporting on my painting, and maybe even some gaming, with luck.  Who knows, I may see something of wargaming interest over there – though I’m not holding my breath!

I’m taking my copy of my Black Powder wargames rules away with me to read it from cover to cover a couple of times, and so be ready and rearing to play a game on my return.

I’ll just leave you with a couple of progress photos on my Seven Years War French battalion.   I’ve done a test paint job on one drummer so far.  The lace on drummers is usually a pig to paint.  But on the Minden fgures, it is very precisely sculpted.  All that I had to do was paint all laced areas red overall (the first thing I did after the usual black undercoat), then dry-brush with white, and finally edge in to the lace with the blue coat colour.  I am very pleased with the result – much tidier and more realistic than any other drummers’ lace I’ve even achieved.

Minden faces, too, are very easy to do.  Just paint with a straight light flesh, let dry and then wash with GW sepia wash, then use the same light flesh paint to highlight nose, chin and cheeks, and finally dab some devlan mud wash into the eye sockets and mouth – hey presto … done!  I have finally, after many years, ditched painting eyes with these figures, and it really works.

So there,  one drummer painted … only a dozen or so other drummers/officers/NCOs and 48 rank-and-file to do once I get back!!