"Do You Read WSS?" Topic

Now that Karwansaray Publishing has taken over Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy magazine, are you reading it?

* yes
* yes, and I subscribe
* no
* no, can't find it
* not any more
* never heard of it
* not interested in the subject matter

Yes, generally pick up a copy at my local B&N Bookstore if the content has interest for me.

Well I have a subscription but I do not read that much of it actually. I might not renew. I do read their Ancient Warfare as well as Medieval Warfare cover to cover.

Yes ever since the local book store started selling it to months ago but they stop selling wargames illustrated so its my only choice, but I do like it.

Just subscribed, was delivered my first issue yesterday.

No

x42

It has not been available locally, I have to check my B&N store and see if they carry it though.

Never 'eard of it before, but will look at my local B&N this weekend. If they Epub the thing, it will be my first Nook subscription…if I like what I see in person.

Never heard of it.

Yes, e-subscription.

Yes as it is available at Chapters for a fair price unlike some UK magazines that go from 4 pounds to 12 dollars when crossing the Atlantic.

#2 for me, though I may revert to picking it up issue by issue now it is in the high street.

no

yes. bought it today.

Yes. Along with Battlegames, my favourite wargames mags.

Yes, I read it before and read it now.

Yes, just read issue 58, excellent stuff, really interesting and thought provoking articles.

Just saw that B&N carried it, and like the format so decided on a subscription.

* no, can't find it
* not any more

Used to be in the local Chapters but haven't seen it in awhile (I believe production stopped for awhile?) and thus stopped looking for it.

Yes, have subscribed, like it.

No.

* no, can't find it

Bought a single epub issue when they relaunched and then a second hard copy issue from B&N and decided to became a digital subscriber last week. The digital subscription price is so affordable it seemed like a no-brainer.

I subscribed only because someone else told me of a discount special at that time. Since then I found out B&N will be/is carrying it.

It will be interesting to see if I get my mailed copy here in the US before or after B&N gets theirs.

At least I'll save gas money…

Yes – subscriber. AMAZING magazine.

Have done, but (like all glossies) not regularly

Phil

I always look at it in Smiths, but only buy if there is an article that I know I will refer to again in future.

So I bought the most recent Napoleonic themed issue for the army-level rules therein, despite the rest of it being of little interest – apart from Richard Priestley's and Richard Clarke's columns – after a cursory read.

Occasionally, although I already have a subscription for their Ancient Warfare & Medieval Warfare.

no

Just listening to the Meeples & Miniatures podcast where Neil interviews the WSS people now. Sounds great. I'll be checking it out.

yes, excellent magazine.

Yes, outstanding publication, as are Ancient Warfare and Medieval Warfare. Guy and Jasper do a great job.

Henry

one problem is as mentioned by a trader is the wargames magazines are much of a muchness – they need to create more distinction between each other. Back in the day there was just WI and MW and ne'er the twain did meet…..

Yes, buy a copy each issue at my FLGS…

UK John

Are you saying that because you used to work for WSS but no longer do?

Personally I am please to write for WSS as I think that ARE different and take a fresh approach that is far more representative of the hobby as a whole.

Richard

Yes, new version is a breath of fresh air!

Articles make you think as well as informing.

Best of all there's no ….ing Flames of War articles!

The latest issue #58 arrived at my door just a few minutes ago. Thank you Karwansaray Publishers for such prompt service and delivery to the U.S.

Richard – not sure what you mean here. Not personal – I think you are one of the movers and shakers in the hobby and admire your prodigious output of different rules and publications. Also taking the trouble to take it to the streets at shows and so on.
There was another poster making a point about Nottingham Mafia on another post but not me – not sure if you are even Nottingham based!
The traders comments weren't that specific but it does seem the mags to some extent or other are more samey than in the golden days of WI/MW/PW. Others have remarked about that to me. Even the photography was different between WI and MW back in the day. They used to champion different rulesets Rapid Fire in WI and 15mm stuff in MW. The wargames community is a very broad parish but it does seem only a favoured few rules are featured and it is all too UKcentric. Fair play to WI for having editors in different countries and looking beyond the UK and covering FoW which is a very popular rules system! If a magazine is being representative of the hobby it should be including FOW no? Also the other magazines have a wider range of writers – the current WSS relies on multiple contributions from the same writers – is that more representative?

Pat on the back – if you see what Arthur1815 has put above he mainly values Rick and your own editorial content in WSS. Some of the other comments above are also a bit hit and miss. Still if you ask for the truth………..

UK John, you were the former editor of Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy back in the day. My former boss in fact. As such I'd very be interested in your feedback. Suggestions, comments and critique are always welcome.
Please forward me your current address (are you still at your London N4 address?) and I will forward you a copy of WSS 58. My email is editor@wssmagazine.com, so drop me a line mate. I'll look forward to hearing from you.

I'll disagree with you about the contributors; my Boss has a rule, a minimum of two new authors per issue. There are some authors you'll see occasionally but I use the likes of Mark Backhouse and Eoghan Kelly because they are good. In WSS 58 we have five new authors. We also regularly use contributors from Europe, America and Australia.

Uk centric? We try not to be in our book, rules and miniature reviews, as the inclusion of Napoleon at War (WSS 58), .45 Adventure (WSS 57) and Strange Aeons (WSS 56) will attest (we have far more planned, expect Iron Ivan's latest in WS 59). Flames of War? I have been in contact with Dan of WI on that very subject. We will have the odd piece including a 'Lets Play' on edition 3 when one is available.

I'll be the first to admit the new WS&S is still improving. Judging by the sales figures (nearly double the old WS&S through WH Smiths alone), people seem like what we are doing.

Guy

Yes; subscribe

My own policy is that I don't care whose work I publish: the only criteria is that it must be good. If that can be done by giving new writers a chance, fantastic; if that means using copy from grognards, so be it.

There's also the matter of achieving a balance in each issue as far as possible, and I know that's what Guy aims for too.

Frankly, to say that the magazines are all "much of a muchness" these days is utter tosh. Each has their own individual character and slant, wargamers are spoilt for choice and that's to the good of the hobby. I also think that the average quality is consistently higher now than it's ever been, and that's due to the hard work of a lot of people.

Henry
Battlegames

Yes

Henry the scientist in me says the hypothesis needs to be proven.

I'll reserve judgement and see if all mags have rave reviews of the Warlord Rorke's Drift set before we can say the case for much of a muchness is proven.

Please bear in mind if all the mags devote page after page to Black Powder, WAB, Saga, Waterloo and the same stuff it duplicates and ignores all the other stuff out there that doesn't get a look in. Which magazine would even cover Anticamente for example? Well I must admit Mike Siggins would probably do a review of it! :) :) Where are the articles and reviews on Caliver's superb rules like The Gatlings Jammed? There are Your Guns and so on. Crush The Kaiser? No the mags play safe and cover the same stuff.

I saw some superb stuff from Funny Little Wars but which magazine would have the vision and integrity to run a piece on it?

There is a also an issue – can the market support four titles? Is there enough advertising revenue? There won't be enough to go round.

I will cease posting from now on as it keeps WSS at the top of the topic list.

The review for Crush the Kaiser's in WSS 59 BTW mate along with one for Lost Battles…

I'll drop Dave a line about the Gatlin's Jammed, thanks for the tip.

Ahhh, John, I see, so this is because I didn't have the space or time -- in amongst everything else that was happening, including being taken over by a Atlantic publishing in the run-up to Christmas -- to include your review of "Crush the Kaiser" in issue 27? And on that basis you call the magazines "much of a muchness"?

Dear me, John, I expected better from you. As an ex-editor, I would have thought you of all people would recognise that people like Guy and I have to make decisions on the spot, often under extreme pressure, and that is their responsibility. You ought to have spotted that I did, however, manage to include thoughtful reviews of Grand Manouevre, Zouave II, The Last Argument of Kings, Grand Battery and Tomorrow's War, a fair mix of rulesets by anyone's standards, I would have thought?

My editorial policy about reviews is simple: if someone sends me something to review, and I can find a reliable reviewer to review it within a reasonable time frame, it will be reviewed -- but it will wait it's turn like everything else, whether or not that suits the author's/publisher's/manufacturer's publicity drive. One would hope that stuff like a set of rules has a certain longevity beyond its release date, in any case.

Crush the Kaiser, as well as a couple of other rulesets of merit, will get its airing in issue 28, and I'm sure Paul Barnett will be perfectly happy about the pre-Salute publicity it brings.

Henry
Battlegames

yes and no – have piked up issues in the past, but not for a while, but may again if the issue theme interests me enough.

Yes, I have picked up the last two issues at B and N. Enjoyed them both very much. It gave me the same feeling I got when first started reading White Dwarf. Hopefully that feeling will be sustained longer than it was with WD as I haven't read that magazine in years. It certainly turned D U L L about 5-6 years back.