Since COW2019, I seem to have been up to my eyes writing about what happened (including my 'Carry On up the Nile!' battle report) and sorting out the bookings for COW2020. I've also been quite heavily involved in Masonic-related activities, including attending a meeting of the research lodge of which I am the Immediate Past Master, and visiting the small Hertfordshire Provincial Grand Lodge archives, library, and museum in St Albans with regard to a book that I am writing. As a result, the latest issue of this magazine has been sitting unread until last weekend.
The articles included in this issue are:
If the truth be told, not a lot. As I read it, I began to wonder if I was actually reading a wargames magazine as this issue seemed include a lot of fantasy and science fiction gaming. Ironically, the Darker Horizons section (which I understood is where the fantasy and science fiction articles are supposed to go) only contained Fantasy Facts, whereas in the rest of the magazine we find First & Last: Battles of Tolkein's First Age, How To … build a fantasy house: Part Two, Combat Fatigue: Painting Wargames Atlantic's new Raumjager, and Shuttle Diplomacy: Scratch-building an accurate 28mm Star Trek Shuttle.
In addition, there are two product reviews (Wundermaske and Tools of the trade) which whilst useful, might have been included in the Forward observer section of the magazine.
I am sure that there are plenty of people who would have enjoyed reading this issue because it covered areas of the hobby that interest them ... but regretfully, I am not one of them.
The articles included in this issue are:
- Welcome (i.e. the editorial) by John Treadaway
- Forward observer
- Send three and fourpence: The keynote of everything to be simplicity: A co-operative D-Day scenario for Black Ops by Conrad Kinch
- First & Last: Battles of Tolkein's First Age by Graham Green of Greygreen Customs, with photographs by John Treadaway
- Men of Bronze: First impressions of the Osprey Rules for Hoplite Battles by David Tuck, with photographs by Malc Johnston
- Rugen Island: Swedish Pomerania: 1715 by Jon Sutherland, with photographs by Diane Sutherland
- Show Report: A Full Broadside: The Editor visits the Sittingbourne show with text and photographs by John Treadaway
- Darker Horizons
- Fantasy Facts
- The Great Expedition: Rules for Drake’s Raids in the New World 1585 to 1586 by Chris Swan, with photographs by John Treadaway
- Recce
- Wundermaske: The Editor investigates Panzer Putty ... with text and photographs by John Treadaway
- Tools of the trade: Load up your brush and dive in! We tackle a trinity of tints with a three-in-one review of Coat d'Arms, The Army Painter and Vallejo by James Winspear
- Combat Fatigue: Painting Wargames Atlantic's new Raumjager
- How To … build a fantasy house: Part Two: Grab your brush for some exterior decorating! with text and photographs by James Winspear
- Shuttle Diplomacy: Scratch-building an accurate 28mm Star Trek Shuttle with text and photographs by Tony Harwood
- Fifth Columnist: The continuing tales of a wargames widow with text and photographs by Diane Sutherland
- Club Directory
If the truth be told, not a lot. As I read it, I began to wonder if I was actually reading a wargames magazine as this issue seemed include a lot of fantasy and science fiction gaming. Ironically, the Darker Horizons section (which I understood is where the fantasy and science fiction articles are supposed to go) only contained Fantasy Facts, whereas in the rest of the magazine we find First & Last: Battles of Tolkein's First Age, How To … build a fantasy house: Part Two, Combat Fatigue: Painting Wargames Atlantic's new Raumjager, and Shuttle Diplomacy: Scratch-building an accurate 28mm Star Trek Shuttle.
In addition, there are two product reviews (Wundermaske and Tools of the trade) which whilst useful, might have been included in the Forward observer section of the magazine.
I am sure that there are plenty of people who would have enjoyed reading this issue because it covered areas of the hobby that interest them ... but regretfully, I am not one of them.
I find little, if anything of interest in any of the wargames magazines these days, which is a shame. I think they work well for 'new' gamers, but not for old sods like myself. I was sent a free copy of the latest WS&S as an incentive to renew my subscription, but flicking through it, it confirmed my belief that I had done the right thing in not renewing. I find I get more value out of Blogs and books these days. I hope they keep going but they're not for me.
ReplyDeleteSteve J.,
DeleteI really want the commercial wargame magazines to keep going, but if the price of that is for them to become wargame/fantasy/SciFi games magazines, then they are not for me. I can still get my 'fix' from publications like THE NUGGET and from blogs ... and I'm fast moving towards the opinion that over the next few months, that is where I will be heading more and more.
All the best,
Bob
I took advantage of the 1 year subscription for £9.99 starting with this issue. But if it continues like this I am certainly not renewing at full price!
ReplyDeleteFire at Will,
DeleteI'm hoping that this is just a minor 'blip', and isn't an indicator that the magazine is going to eventually combine with TABLE TOP GAMING, which is published by the same company.
All the best,
Bob
Personally I think there are plenty of interesting articles in that issue. The only reasons I have for not regularly buying wargame magazines are the price and the lack of featuring of 54mm games other than as an occasional eccentricity - mind you all wargamers are eccentrics to non-wargamers. The magazines I regularly get are Plastic Warrior and Model Soldier magazine although wargaming components are small. I buy the occasional glossy wargame magazine and sometimes adapt scenarios and rules to my 54mm games.
ReplyDeleteI like SF and fantasy at least as much as historical and frequently combine features of all of them in my games. And really a Lord of the Rings human figure serves just as well in a historical game as would many of the 'fantasy' houses. Rules for using swords and bows are much the same in historical or fantasy games. The difference is the latter can have extra layers such as magic and monsters.
Furthermore one of the best ways to keep such a hobby going is through fantasy and SF. That is where most boys are starting their interest from. There is a reason these magazines include fantasy and SF and that is because many people are into them.
The young enthusiast might or might not extend his non-historical interest to historical although there is plenty of crossover with fascination with knights who feature in both.
Quantrilltoy,
DeleteI suspect that we are going to disagree about the balance between wargaming and fantasy/SciFi articles in this particular issue. Whilst I personally don't enjoy fantasy or SciFi gaming, I can understand why people are attracted to both. What I found annoying about this issue was the fact that articles that were clearly suited for inclusion in the 'Darker Horizons' section weren't.
I'm not sure how many young fantasy/SciFi gamers evolve into wargamers. Based on my time in education, only a few did so on a continuum, although several return to gaming once they reach that time in their life when work and family no longer take up most of their waking hours.
All the best,
Bob
I suppose one of the problems is that the editor is dependent upon the submission of articles. He can only print what he gets. I've got some issues from the Henry Hyde era and he seems to have been able to get a wider variety of topics. I still see the ultimate outcome as a conflation of this magazine with Warners "Tabletop Gaming" which seems to attract a higher level of resources. Thanks for the review though - but I think I'l pass on this issue.
ReplyDeleteDavid Bradley,
DeleteI've considered writing for one or more of the glossy wargame magazines, but I'm not sure whether my stuff would be too niche for them.
I suspect that had Henry still been the editor, the magazine would have evolved somewhat differently.
All the best,
Bob
(AKA the GOW or the Grumpy Old Wargamer)
Hi Bob,
ReplyDeleteI use to buy Wargames Illustrated very regularly though that was a long time ago back in the 1990s...now, I do not buy any Games related Magazines unless there happens to be an article of great interest to me- though this has become rarer. I do not know the average price paid there in the UK for a single magazine- though here it is certainly steep...the last magazine I purchased was $22. I'm fairly certain that the Blogsphere presents more about home grown endeavors- which is good.I do miss how 'Military Modelling' was way back in the 1980s. Regards. KEV.
Kev Robertson (Kev),
DeleteWe are lucky in the UK to have three mainstream wargame magazines, none of which costs more than £5.00 to buy. If I was having to pay more than twice that to buy a copy, I'd also have to give serious consideration before buying a magazine,
I miss some of the magazines that are no longer around, including the WARGAMER'S NEWSLETTER, MINIATURE WARFARE, and BATTLE. They can sometimes still be picked up second-hand, and I do have a few that I look at every so often.
All the best,
Bob
The print version of Battlegames (before it merged with MW) is still very much missed.
ReplyDeleteBest Regards,
Stokes
Heinz-Ulrich von Boffke,
DeleteI also miss BATTKEGAMES, which I only discovered late in its publication history. I moved over to MW because Henry Hyde became the editor and melded the best bits of his pervious magazine with MW. Since he left, MW has had its ups and downs ... and this issue was a down,
All the best,
Bob
I am a little bias toward this edition as I was responsible for one of the articles, but I purchased my copy from W H Smiths and have to say that it is a very good read with lots to interest me.
ReplyDeleteTony Harwood
Tony (Tony Harwood),
DeleteYou certainly deserve the kudos due to anyone who puts pen to paper (or finger to keyboard) to write for a magazine.
If I felt that this issue was unbalanced in that there was too much of an emphasis on fantasy and science fiction gaming. My review reflects my own particular biases, and I hope that I made this clear,
All the best,
Bob
I really want these magazines to survive, but I suppose they do need people to write for them! This one suffered particularly in my estimation because I read it just after I had been leafing through some of the VERY early numbers, which had some marvellous stuff in them (and so much more - the print was smaller!). I too took out a sub at the irresistible price of £9.99, but unless there is a change I suspect I'll get my fix from the net, alas.
ReplyDeleteColkitto,
DeleteIf I won the National Lottery, I'd set up an old-style wargame magazine in the hope that it would gradually build up a loyal readership of wargamers who want a magazine about warganes for wargamers and by wargamers.
Perhaps one day ...
All the best,
Bob
I enjoy your reviews.
ReplyDeleteI used to buy Wargames Illustrated ,Practical Wargamer, Battlegames and Miniature Wargames,but like Kev, way back in the 1990s...now, I do not buy any Games related Magazines as I find them less than inspiring and prefer blogs like your own. I agree that the balance of articles seems weighted, but we often used to see themed issues - even fantasy. I would love to see an old school style magazine, but it would probably not pay for itself as the market would be too niche. The early issues of Battlegames were perfect in my humble opinion.
Jon Meech,
DeleteI'm pleased to read that you enjoy my reviews.
I gave up buying mainstream wargame magazines some years ago, and only began buying them again when Henry Hyde was editing BATTLEGAMES and then took over MW. I am now seriously thinking about giving up buying them again ... and any more issues like this one will convince to make that decision.
(Although I'm not a great fan of themed issues, at least you knew what you were getting. If had been 'sold' as a fantasy/SciFi issue, I'd have known what to expect.)
All the best,
Bob