"Miniature Wargames issue 409 is out in just a few days…" Topic

Yes, it's that time of the month again: the next issue of Miniature Wargames is about to hit the shops and your letterbox. What's in this issue? Well just have a look below but make sure you read to the bottom for a great offer on subscriptions!

FORWARD OBSERVER
What's up and coming in (mostly) historical wargaming. This month we look at the latest battle mats from both Cigar Box and Deep Cut Studios plus the Bolt Action 2 Operation Sea Lion; WW2 Secrets; Death in the Dark Continent; and more including Pendraken's latest releases.

SEND THREE AND FOURPENCE
Bagging Boris: Conrad Kinch gives us a scenario for use with Black Ops rules set in that noted hotspot of villainy the Republic of Borduria.

HOSTAGE TO FORTUNE
Robin and Lady Marian run the risk of capture in a medieval skirmish scenario. Chris Jarvis offers a simple scenario for a short medieval skirmish.

ROOTS
Are old rule systems worth a second look? Andy Copestake of Old Glory certainly thinks so and tells us why the rules of Wells, Grant, Wesencraft, Featherstone, and Gush make such sense in his gaming world. Wise words…

KUNERSDORF
What do you do after a Seven Years War game finishes a wee bit early? Rather than watch the telly, Arthur Harmen suggests a bit of period based mano a mano… Included is a full rule set that needs just two figures and some playing cards.

(WELL) BEHIND THE LINES
Phil Andrews gives us some ideas gives us some game ideas for the use of support and supply vehicles in tactical gaming

DARKER HORIZONS
This month Fantasy Facts has its usual round up of what's out in the world(s) of non-historical gaming. There's a first look at Runewars from Fantasy Flight Games; a brief try out of Modiphius' latest offering Fallout (based on the computer game) and – amongst the other reviews from Sally 4th, Brigade and Ainsty – there's also a full set of rules for VSF Sky Galleons with Cloudships of Mars (with extra web content) and a scratch building guide for small scale (1/300th) models.

AFRICAN PRINCESSES
Kevin Dallimore paints some Mark Copplestone figures that would make a fine command unit for any suitable rule set in the Dark Continent. A full brush-by-brush exclusive.

WARGAMING MY WAY
Another look at what inspires us to take up the hobby. Robin Miles gives us a view of what drives him.

RECCE
Books for wargamers – what's a good read and what to leave on the shelf. This month's titles that run the gauntlet of our experienced review team include: The General Vs The President; My Memoirs of the British South African Police, 1966-1981… and a colonial upbringing in Northern Rhodesia; Napoleon and the Archduke Charles: a history of the Franco-Austrian campaign in the valley of the Danube 1809; Third Reich Victorious: alternate decisions of World War II; Wargame The Spanish Armada 1588 and The Roman Invasion AD43-84; In the Legions of Napoleon: the memoirs of a Polish officer in Spain and Russia 1808-1813; Courage In Combat; Barksdale's Charge: The true High Tide of the Confederacy at Gettysburg July 2, 1863; Miners at War 1914-1919.

WARGAMES WIDOW
Toupee Trees: Diane Sutherland sets about scratch building a very practical canopy of trees combining caltrops and horsehair for wargames mass foliage.

CLUB DIRECTORY
Find a club in your vicinity and add your club for free!

SUBS OFFER
Are you heading to Salute 2017 next weekend? Don't miss our best ever subscription offer!
Miniature Wargames has had a close involvement with the Salute Wargames show going back a full three decades. For all but one of those years Miniature Wargames has produced the show programme and – as the Salute show itself has grown – so the Miniature Wargames programme has grown with it.
Taking place next weekend (22nd April 2017) at ExCel Centre in the heart of London's dockland, Salute is the biggest wargaming trade show in the UK and attracts companies from all over the world, with the biggest concentration coming from the UK and Europe.

The large, spacious venue will be packed with hundreds of games to both admire and actually play – many are participation events – and the modelling and painting displayed, not just in the painting competition, will be second to none.

But – if you are there – don't miss Miniature Wargames' best ever subscription offer: just £39.99 for an annual subscription – a saving of over 25%. This offer will only be available at Salute – so pencil in a visit to stand TE03 to make sure you don't miss it. We'll see you at the Show!

John Treadaway
Editor of Miniature Wargames

Niiiiiice! Looking forwards to this one, especial the Behind The Lines article.

Oooh, the Cloudships of Mars is timely!
Will grab this as soon as its in at the FLGS.

I'm just in the midst now of reading and comparing a handful of rules for both fleet actions and 28mm aerial skirmish.

My copy will be waiting behind the counter at Games Plus.

God bless 'em.

John, can you share who did the rules for Cloudships?

Doug

Sure I can Doug: myself and the team I game with.

John T

Couldn't think of better hands than that… ;->=

Thanks!

Doug

Thanks Doug: we were playing it last weekend.

I hope folks enjoy it as much as we did!

John T

We better!

Thank god there are no show reviews in there this month. These days you can see pics online within hours of the show ending so photo reports seem to be lazy 'filler' pieces to me – four pieces last month was ridiculous.

I want articles that are actually about wargaming, not gossip from figure manufacturers along with pictures of games (and if we are have pictures lets have close ups of the little men). The content of the magazine seems to be lacking over the last few months. Have all the contributors stopped writing?

Just a quick post to say thanks to all of those who came up to me today at Salute for a chat and gave feedback on the magazine (and thanks especially for the constructive input: always welcome!).

It's also nice talking to both contributors and potential contributors as well: there were a number of games at the show that I'd love articles on explaining rules, systems and just their build/construction history.

I'm also sorry I missed talking to several people I had on my list to chat to: it was a busy day and I took lots of pictures.

For a show report, amongst other things!

John T

At first read-through, the rules look good.

Nice stream-lining of the 1889 rules.

Now who is going to start producing 6mm ships, please?

MiniMo – despite my fried Pete Merritt's valiant efforts at kit bashing – I agree: if ever there was a system that needs a 1/300th range it's this one!

John T

It was a valiant effort, and good — let's hope it primes the pump!

Funnily enough I had just that conversation with Tony Francis of Brigade Models this afternoon…

I have hopes!

Email them if you're interested!

John T

Done ^,^

I've been emailing with Tony already trying to track down photos of the various 1.1200 Fleet packs to try to help with purchasing decisions.

Heard from Tony on prospects for 1/300 nefs, report is "the wheels are turning"!

Skyboats may become a 3-scale genre for me ^,^

You know? When my gf used to do contract work for the state of Nebraska, in an office with many Indian programmers, she used to get upset and refer to someone with a new set of requirements by a British epithet. You know the one, begins with a 'w'?

The lads, all young enough to be her sons, quite shocked, 'Oh, Karen, that doesn't mean what you think it means…' It meant EXACTLY what she thought it did; demure as a matron, cursed like a sailor.

And exactly what I was thinking of you, John. No, really, ANOTHER scale? Already several 1/1200 'nef fleets, building ships for both 28mm and 15mm action, and you tempt me with this?!?! Really, a fourth scale?

Was pretty… And I do have a couple of Action Fleet Sand Barges… GET THEE BEHIND ME, SATAN!

But not TOO close behind me…

Doug

At least I've dodged the 15mm's ^,^

So shoot me why dontcha?*

I was talking with Tony at Brigade and… yeah: 1/300th just seemed a good scale for smaller games with not-huge-fleets (ie the sort of thing we did with the rules).

Aeronef and Brigade's Imperial Skies ranges are definitely aimed at bigger engagements, I think: you know, proper 'fleets'. This is more gunboats and screw-galleons, after all.

So I don't think there'll be a conflict or overlap. The same, I guess, as Brigade do Squadron Commander in the same scale (1/300th) as we are suggesting and the Starmada range of bigger ships in 1/3000th.

John T

* Mind you, you'll have to get in line/form an orderly queue**

** Both versions there for opposite sides of the pond

Thank god there are no show reviews in there this month. These days you can see pics online within hours of the show ending so photo reports seem to be lazy 'filler' pieces to me – four pieces last month was ridiculous.

Well there has been a noticeable drop off in photos of shows on here so far this year, and a dearth of links to blogs carrying reports of some of them, so I for one welcome show reports, especially new shows such as ROBIN.Otherwise there's little to inspire.

It's a fine line. The fundamentals of this, I figure, is that not each magazine can or should be balanced exactly. I'm aiming for more of an overall balance over a period of several issues.

John T