Miniature Wargames Issue 407

The February issue of MINIATURE WARGAMES magazine was delivered several days ago, and I have managed to read it thoroughly before writing this review.

The articles included in this issue are:

• Welcome (i.e. the editorial) by John Treadaway
• Forward observer
• Send three and fourpence: Who will rid me of this turbulent priest? (Part Two of 'The March on Canterbury') by Conrad Kinch
• Wargaming my way: by Colin Ashton
• Mad Dogs and Englishmen: Indian Mutiny skirmish rules (Part One) by Jon Sutherland
• Firefight: Simple rules for small actions in the modern age (Part Two) by Stephen Jones
• Darker Horizons
• Fantasy Facts
• From Cradle to Frostgrave: by John Treadaway
• From the 4Ground up: Customising MDF building for SF games (Part One) by Roger Dixon
• Bloody Big Borodino: How to play a big Napoleonic game by adapting the 'Blood Big Battles' rules by Richard Morrill
• Recce
• Yes Minster: The continuing tales of a wargames widow by Diane Sutherland
• Club Spotlight: Crisis? What Crisis ...: The Tin Soldiers of Antwerp Wargame Club by Willie Bogaerts
• Club Directory

At first glance I thought that I was going to feel a little let down by this issue ... but as began to read it I discovered there was a lot in it that was of interest to me. Of particular interest were:

• The three scenarios in Conrad Kinch's Send three and fourpence article that all looked eminently playable and very suitable for either re-fighting using my own MEMOIR '44 stuff or even my own PORTABLE WARGAME rules.
• Jon Sutherland's Mad Dogs and Englishmen reminded me that although I think of myself as a Colonial wargamer, I have neglected to give serious thought to fighting Colonial battles in the Asian sub-continent ... and that I ought to do something to remedy that in the not too distant future.
• Roger Dixon's From the 4Ground up article about customising MDF buildings. (I don't own any MDF buildings as yet, but this article made me realise that I really ought to think about buying some.)
• The bulk of Bloody Big Borodino by Richard Morrill might refer to a set of rules that I neither own nor have used, but the scenario notes and map will no doubt prove useful to me once I have renovated, varnished, and based my small Napoleonic Russian Army.

The magazine also included a guide to HAMMERHEAD 2017, which will be taking place on 4th March at the Newark Showground.

Whilst I will not be going to this particular show, the fact that the guide was included with but not part of this issue is something that I applaud. I really don't like show guides that are stapled into the centre of a magazine, and I hope that this example will be followed by other shows and magazines in the future.