"Wargames Magazine Subscription Advice" Topic

My wife has suggested a subscription to a hobby magazine as a Christmas present. I was wondering if people had any reccomendations they could make. What was good about the various magazines?

I like "Miniature Wargames with Battlegames." Henry's always put out a nice product. Always worth a read cover to cover.

I like WSS (Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy) because:

1) It has almost nothing FOW related in it (if you are a big FOW fan go with Wargames Illustrated)

2) It has a nice variety of figure and rules reviews

3) I like the editorial pieces

4) It is the closest thing I have found for what I am looking for in a magazine.

I will second 79thPA for WSS on points 2-4. I also subscribe to WI as I play FOW too

Miniature Wargames with Battlegames.

WSS seems to have a higher article content to ad ratio, at least the last time I saw any in person.

Personally, I prefer MWBG because it is monthly, and because it is never dominated by a theme in the way WSS is – fine if you are interested in that theme; not so entertaining otherwise. So I subscribe to MWBG, and pick up the odd issue of WSS if the theme appeals to me.

I sub to MWBG – but that was a carry forward from BG.

I think MWBG has now become close enough to BG that I'm fully happy with it again

WI – I always flick through in Smiths, but only buy a couple of times per year. It's really nicely laid out, great pictures, but there's something missing (for me !). Text probably, or maybe it's the feeling that it's too linked to certain rule sets.

WSS – I don't know why I don't buy this more often. It seems to sit pretty happily halfway between MWBG's and WI's approaches.

Lone Warrior really is the magazine I enjoy the most. I've found Slingshot less inspiring than I'd hoped for this year (I was really fired up to get heavily into ancients again in 2013). The Journal is looking increasingly attractive.

Miniature Wargames with Battlegames.

I have subs to MW and WSS
MW is monthly and coves scifi and fantasy more than WSS
WSS is bimonthly and more theme oriented

I've given up on WI, it's too much eyecandy and not enough content

I subscribe to all three. They seem to go in cycles.
Sometimes they'll be great, then they slack off for a while.

WSS is my recommendation right now as I think its currently the best choice for historicals.

MWBG is getting weaker in my opinion as far as historicals are concerned. They are including more and more Fantasy, Sci-fi, Alternative history, Boardgames, and Video games. I disagree that it is becoming more like BG was. BG was touted as "Old School" wargaming. MWBS is not old school.

WI is pretty good. I don't play FOW but the mag still has other decent content. It does have a variety of period articles. The mag does cater to FOW and its variants. But they aren't sneaky about it. Its right out there.

MWBG is very refreshing, with brilliant ideas for scenarios and rules. Also, it caters for more than just the 28mm crowd. WSS is ok. I sometimes browse an issue of WI but never find anything of interest in it.

And Tin Dictator, maybe I have missed the issue, but I haven't seen any video games in MWBG yet (and hopefully, it stays that way). Also, no boardgames in the issues I read.

WSS is my choice, great magazine. WI I take on an issue by issue basis.

The boardgames and video games are typically in the reviews. So I guess they are not actually articles.
Nevertheless, I'm not interested in them. That's why I get minis magazines.

BG was touted as "Old School" wargaming. MWBS is not old school

Well, the last couple of issues have had (sadly) a lot of attention on Featherstone – more than any other magazine, and there's the routing out of the unknown outside the Geman speaking world early (and still played) Austrian wargame.

Imaginations and similar I view as very "old school" – right back to Charge !, but that's just my take on it.

Ask two gamers and you'll get three or more answers.

MWBG from Henry.

Sorry Tin Dictator, I don't want to get into an argument, but that's just not true – in the issues I have read (the ones which Henry Hyde did) there were no reviews of board- or computer games. You may like the magazine or not, but it is a minis magazine.

My subscription to WI, and WSS are up for renewal, I think my MWBG subscription will be too.

I was going to renew them all as paper copies, as like other have said find good and bad in each magazine.

Having seen the paper prices vs digital I've changed my mind and am going digital.