Trevor Ridley of Atlantic Publishers has released the following statement to readers of Miniature Wargames and Battlegames magazines:
Some significant changes are coming to Miniature Wargames over the next couple of issues.
The April issue, No. 360 (to be published on 8 March), will be the last under the auspices of editor Andrew Hubback, who has steered the magazine through some challenging times over the last five years. Andrew will be taking the opportunity to bid you farewell in his final editorial, and I'm sure you will join me in wishing him well as he moves on to new challenges, and in thanking him for the highly professional job he has done in the service of the hobby.
Times change, and we realized that it was time for the 'grand old man' of the hobby – founded 30 years ago – to undergo a facelift to prepare it for the new and exciting times ahead. We therefore called in Henry Hyde, who many of you know already as the designer and editor of Battlegames, to overhaul the look and feel of Miniature Wargames. Subsequently, we asked him to take charge of the new-look publication from issue 361 onwards – this is the issue that will be launched at Salute in April. Battlegames will cease to exist as a stand-alone publication (though the brand will continue to be used for special editions and Henry's well-known Combat Stress Appeal), and Miniature Wargames will now state "with Battlegames." Subscribers are also being informed of these changes this week by post.
These developments have all happened since the New Year, and we wanted to make sure you were made aware of our plans at the earliest opportunity.
Miniature Wargames will continue to be fiercely independent under Henry's command. The publication will showcase the hobby in all its many and varied aspects, including historical, fantasy, sci-fi and 'imagi-nations', covering all scales from 3mm to 54mm, suiting all styles from Kriegsspiel counters to the most exquisite miniatures, from 'old school' to 'new school', and all age groups "from twelve years of age to 150" as HG Wells famously wrote. In short, our intention is to ensure that Miniature Wargames is the flagship of the hobby, equipped to face the next 30 years.
Everyone who has submitted contributions to either magazine will, of course, be contacted by Henry in due course, and we will be in touch with all advertisers and retailers as normal.
Finally, in recognition of the marriage of the two magazines, Miniature Wargames will increase the number of pages, meaning that you will have even more great hobby reading every month – but the cover price will remain at £4.25 GBP!
Issue 361 of Miniature Wargames will contain an extended editorial, but if you have immediate questions, Henry is highly visible online, with his Twitter account @battlegames, the Battlegames Facebook page, the Atlantic Publishers website, and Henry's wargaming blog. There are also bound to be threads on forums, where he will endeavor to answer as many questions as he can.
We very much look forward to having you aboard as we set sail on this exciting adventure.