ISSUE 1: PRINTED VERSION SOLD OUT — BUT NOW AVAILABLE AS A PDF DOWNLOAD!

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ISSUE 2: PRINTED VERSION SOLD OUT — BUT NOW AVAILABLE AS A PDF DOWNLOAD!

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ISSUE 3: LESS THAN 20 COPIES LEFT!
NOW ALSO AVAILABLE AS A PDF DOWNLOAD!

• Asquith's Way: blister packs — what about them?
Stuart Asquith, UK
• Competition crossword: win yourself some painted gladiator figures together with the arena and cards mounted on card and ready for blood!
(Competition now closed)
• Siege of Badajoz 1936: a challenging Spanish Civil War scenario
Adam Williams, UK
• Flames of War: Al Birch on the hunt for the 'perfect' WW2 gaming system
Alistair Birch, UK
• A project too far, part 2: Phil Olley convinces us it's possible to build an army in a month
Phil Olley, UK
• Larry Leadhead — a wry smile with the cartoon boys
Eric Hotz and Douglas Hamm, Canada
• The Wars of the Faltenian Succession:creating fictitious geography
Henry Hyde, UK
• Habet, hoc habet! Great gladiatorial fun — and learn some Latin too! You can download the gladiatorial arena as two A4 halves or a single A3 spread.
Arthur Harman, UK
• The Way of the Sword: ancient warfare the Oriental way, with a classic battle to fight
John Kersey , UK
• Forward Observer
Mike Siggins, UK
• For King or Parliament: a look at some free ECW rules and a scenario
Angus Konstam, UK
• Table Top Teaser: if you go down to the woods today...
C. S. Grant, UK
• To boldly go: looking at themed armies
Guy Hancock, UK
• Recce
Mike Siggins, John Preece, Richard Baber, Henry Hyde (all UK)

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ISSUE 4: LESS THAN 50 COPIES LEFT!
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• An excessive charge to Her Majesty. Guy Farrish looks at The Battle of the Yellow Ford 1598.
• Asquith's way. Stuart Asquith reviews the periods he likes to play, and why.
• Forward Observer. Mike Siggins has some interesting things to say about not having anything to say! (You'll understand when you see it...)
• Modelling 10mm WW2 Paras. Dave Robotham (yes, he lately of WJ's Brush Strokes fame) creates some brilliant scenic bases for use with Blitzkrieg Commander armies, with step-by-step photos.
• The Battle of Sittangbad: a demo game. New correspondent Michael Button interviews your blue-eyed boys about how they put on the game that wowed the crowds at Partizan in May.
• Beowulf: skirmish at Heorot. Daniel Mersey gives us a full set of skirmish rules for Beowulf and his brave Geatish warriors to take on the dreaded monster Grendel by firelight in the great hall. Your editor has provided you with a centre-spread gaming board as well. Download the PDF version here (approx 6Mb).
• The Wars of the Faltenian Succession. Yours truly takes map-making to new heights, with a full explanation of how to create your campaign map and give it lots of detail. Click here to download a sheet of A4 hex paper and click here to download my campaign map showing hex 'squares' as described in the article.
• The way of the sword, part 2. John Kersey shifts attention to the Japanese hero Miyamoto Musashi and gives us a cracking little scenario, the Lone Pine Tree. Get ready for Kurasawa movie moments! Accompanied by some fabulous photos by the Perry Twins and James Sharpe.
• Larry Leadhead by Doug Hamm and Eric Hotz -- more smiles from the Canadian duo.
• Table Top Teaser: this time, Charles Grant gives us a terrific raiding scenario, "Plunder and Pillage". I bet loads of you will be trying this one out!
• Our crossword competition for Dan Mersey's landmark book "Legendary Warriors" (now closed).
• Robert Piepenbrink debuts in this issue, bringing us some fascinating thoughts on "The art of bad generalship", a really thought-provoking beginning to what I hope proves to be a long association with us.
• The Recce section looks at a wide range of new products as usual.
• And finally, bringing up the rear, Guy Hancock's regular F&S-F slot "To boldly go..." looks at sci-fi skirmishing, describes his trip to Rackham in Paris to see their new boxed game AT-43 in action, and reviews the new Warhammer Fantasy boxed set "Battle for Skull Pass" and 7th Edition rules.

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ISSUE 5: LESS THAN 100 PRINTED COPIES LEFT! NOW ALSO AVAILABLE AS A PDF DOWNLOAD!

• A return to the Sudan. Jim Purky (Der Alte Fritz) gets his hands on the Gilder collection of Sudan miniatures and plays in the Grand Manner.
• Dave Robotham finishes Modelling 10mm WW2 Paras in his step-by-step guide.
• From battle to battlegame. Ross Macfarlane explains how he translates a historical battle onto thetabletop.
• One rule for one... Newcomer to the team Lee Swift outlines his helpful hints for writing your own wargames rules.
• Bob Barnetson and Bruce McFarlane give us a programmed campaign to play Hitler's planned invasion of Britain, Operation Sealion.
• C.S. Grant brings us a terrific Table Top Teaser that will have you hunting for treasure over Christmas.
• Asquith's way. Stuart Asquith talks about the periods he doesn't like to play, and why.
• Mike Siggins has plenty to say about plastics in Forward Observer.
• Snowballs at Brienne. Arthur Harman gives us our free game this issue -- a snowball fight for those of us who probably won't get a white Christmas!
• In my Wars of the Faltenian Succession episode, I write about creating a fictitious economy for campaign rules.
• Guy Hancock, our F&S-F Editor, pushes for more interesting scenery to fight your battles over in his regular column, To boldly go.
• We have a huge Recce section this time, with reviews of many new books, products and figures.
• And the Larry Leadhead guys give us a little seasonal special.

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ISSUE 6: LESS THAN 150 PRINTED COPIES LEFT! NOW ALSO AVAILABLE AS A PDF DOWNLOAD!

• Experienced wargamer Adrian Hussey says "I'll put a hex on you!" A terrific article explaining how to use hexes for your tabletop miniatures battles.
• Stuart Asquith changes hats and gives us the first in a series of Battles for Wargamers illustrated by John Parke. We start with Stow-on-the-Wold 1646.
• A hedge too far! Adam Williams demonstrates a quick way to recreate the Normandy Bocage.
• By popular demand, a competition. This time, you can win a copy of HPS Simulations' brand new "Punic Wars" PC game.
• Wargamers: metaphorically speaking. Bill Protz chews the cud and considers the potential pitfalls of new wargaming projects.
• The Wars of the Faltenian Succession. Your Editor takes the story a stage further, looking at the motivation for creating fictitious forces.
• Making medieval mayhem. Rob Dean and Ross Macfarlane pull off a minor miracle, creating an exciting and colourful demo game for less than $100.00 USD that's great for enticing beginners, and we have a FREE set of rules too!
• Warmaster: rules for all seasons? Veteran player Bob Barnetson analyses the strengths and weaknesses of these popular rules.
• Table Top Teaser: Charles Grant will have you being a Napoleonic Indiana Jones in the shadow of the pyramids.
• Forward Observer: Mike Siggins has plenty to say on the subject of salsa, guacamole and hoummus. You'll see!
• The wargamer's sage, Larry Leadhead gives us something to chuckle about as usual.
• We have another mountain of in-depth reviews in Recce.
• And in his ongoing Fantasy & sci-Fi slot "To boldly go", Guy Hancock shares his diary of a Warhammer Fantasy tournament he recently took part in.

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ISSUE 7: LESS THAN 200 PRINTED COPIES LEFT! NOW ALSO AVAILABLE AS A PDF DOWNLOAD!

• A brush with musketeers: Dave Robotham gives us a master-class in painting the new Musketeer Miniatures Great Northern War Swedish and Russian infantry.
• Forward Observer: Mike Siggins casts an eye over the latest trends in the hobby.
• Competition: win a collection of Osprey WWI titles.
• The Wars of the Faltenian Succession: just a short one this time, showing a simple way to introduce personalities to your fictitious campaigns.
• Battles for Wargamers — Kassassin 1882. Stuart Asquith proposes an exciting colonial action, illustrated by John Parke.
• The big push: John Kersey convinces us that WWI gaming can be fun, followed by a short piece about the Editor's grandfather who was wounded at Loos, 1915.
• Sans peur et sans reproche: a real belter, and the longest piece we've ever carried, Adrian Hussey gives us a great scenario for Ravenna 1512 AND provides us with a fuill set of hex-gaming rules. A classic.
• Larry Leadhead: more smiles from the Canadian wits.
• Table Top Teaser: C S Grant gives us a brand new piece, "Messing about on the river". Tremendous fun!
• To boldly go: Guy Hancock meets the team at Mongoose Publishing and discusses the future.

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ISSUE 8: LESS THAN 250 PRINTED COPIES LEFT! NOW ALSO AVAILABLE AS A PDF DOWNLOAD!

• The master's brush: a tribute to Angus McBride. Penned by Angus Konstam, who collaborated with Angus Mcbride on a number of projects, and with some glorious illustrations by the master himself, courtesy of Osprey Publishing.
• The wonders of the Internet: Greg Horne takes a look at Eureka's 100 Club scheme and their Arquebusiers de Grassin.
• Forward Observer: Mike Siggins is in positive mood as he surveys the hobby.
• Competition: win some beautifully-painted 40mm ancient Greeks.
• Battles for Wargamers: Kirbekan 1885. Stuart Asquith brings us another colonial battle from the Sudan, with original illustrations by John Parke.
• Carry on swashbuckling: Angus Konstam again, this time giving us an overview of wargaming with pirates.
• Race for the Rhine, part 1: Barry Hilton opens a mini-series on running a late WW2 campaign.
• Homage to Mollwitz: Michael Button tells the story of the big old school game put on by The War Gamers at Partizan in May.
• Nano-scale armies: Bob Barnetson brings us a primer on 2mm wargaming.
• The Wars of the Faltenian Succession: Henry Hyde describes ways to involve personalities in your campaigns and battles.
• Table Top Teaser: C S Grant gives us a delightful encounter scenario, "The Battle of Soggy Bottom".
• To Boldly Go: Guy Hancock writes his last piece before taking a sabattical, explaining why he's grown tired of WFB 2,000 point slugfests and sticking together endless plastic pieces!
• Then of course we have Larry Leadhead, and the usual extensive Recce section, reviewing umpteen items.

Battlegames is now being printed FULL COLOUR throughout!

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ISSUE 9: LESS THAN 250 PRINTED COPIES LEFT! NOW ALSO AVAILABLE AS A PDF DOWNLOAD!

• The Empire strikes back: regular Battlegames contributor Dan Mersey and the Editor went to visit Games Workshop Headquarters in Nottingham this summer, and this is our in-depth and, perhaps, controversial report.
• The Wars of the Faltenian Succession: the first of two sets of rules this issue, in this episode Henry Hyde gives you everything you need to fight your own 18th century campaign, whether real or fictitious.
• Forward Observer: now look at the mess he's got himself into! Mike Siggins counts the cost of his revived enthusiasm.
• Race for the Rhine, part 2: top gamer Barry Hilton continues his superb mini-series on running a late WW2 campaign.
• Figure sculpting masterclass: veteran sculptor and collector John Ray opens a window onto his astonishing talent. Dig out your Milliput!
• Quickdraw!: Andy Skyes, with the interference of the Editor, bring you a fast, fun set of Wild West shootout rules and a challenging scenario.
• To Boldly Go: Locum Fantasy & Sci-Fi Editor Roger Smith, veteran of GW tournaments, begins his tenure by... trying out some historical games! Thought-provoking, enthusiastic and outspoken, Roger's bound to be a favourite.
• Table Top Teaser: C S Grant gives us a tricky outflanking scenario, "Losing two fords".
• Battles for Wargamers: Lundy's Lane 1814. Stuart Asquith brings us a terrific nightfall battle from the war between Britain and America, with original illustrations by John Parke.
• Competition: win a fabulous, pro-painted Perry 28mm ECW gun emplacement.
• Then of course we have Larry Leadhead, and an absolutely enormous Recce section, reviewing umpteen items, including the Battleground fantasy card/miniatures game, The Sword and the Flame colonial rules, Washington's VIctory 54mm AWI playsets from All the King's Men, the PDF book The Ultimate Miniatures Painting Guide, Storming the Reich and Ambush Blitz WWII rules, and new releases from Strategia e Tattica, Italeri, Magister Militum, Frontline Wargaming and the Pike and Shot Society. Phew!
 

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ISSUE 10: LESS THAN 250 PRINTED COPIES LEFT! NOW ALSO AVAILABLE AS A PDF DOWNLOAD!

• Elements-based rules for Ancients: Bob Barnetson and the boys from Edmonton undertaking a major comparative review, including DBA, Armati, Vis Bellica, Warmaster Ancients and Command & Colors Ancients.
• A river runs through it: I give a step-by-step photo-lesson in making simple but effective waterways for wargames.
• Asquith's way: Stuart Asquith discusses creating 'wargames in a box' as a way into new periods and projects.
• In my Wars of the Faltenian Succession series, I deliver part 1 of the siege rules, enabling you to use treachery, starvation, surprise and assault to capture enemy strongholds in fictitious or historical settings.
• Mike Siggins has so much to talk about in his Forward Observer column that I can't relate it all here, but suffice it to say that he's inspired.
• Barry Hilton concludes his Race for the Rhine WW2 campaign series, with a comprehensive set of campaign rules for use in conjunction with Flames of War.
• Kriegspiel rides again: Richard Clarke of TooFatLardies explains the enduring appeal of Kriegsspiel, the mother of all modern wargaming.
• To boldly go: our Fantasy & Sci-Fi Editor Roger Smith, just back from a bashing at the Warhammer Fantasy Grand Tourney, licks his wounds by explaining the ten things that annoy him most about the Warhammer rules.
• C S Grant's Table Top Teaser this time is "Siege train", an exciting variant on the wagon train scenario that will test your abilities to the limit.
• The Recce section is overflowing with goodies. We were sent so many samples that I could have filled the magazine, so I've had to hold some over until next time. Reviews include DBMM and Warlord ancients rules, the new edition of The War Game, War Torn Worlds 'green' scenery, Zvezda plastics, Italeri bunkers, Neil Thomas' Ancient & Medieval Wargaming, Baccus colonials, Magister Militum Mongols, AIM 10mm ancients, Neil Litten's book Ramillies, Angus Konstam's Salerno, Rupert Matthew's book on Crécy, Strategia e Tattica's Teutonic Knights, various publications from the Pike & Shot Society, Castaway Arts Colonials, Buck Surdu's Look Sarge, No Charts WW2 rules, and Warhammer Historical's Siege & Conquest. Phew!
• And, of course, a smile with Larry Leadhead and a competition with a prize you have just got to see to believe! Flames of War fans will be beating a path to our door!
• Finally, this issue sees the launch of our classified advertising section by popular demand from small traders who can't always afford larger ads.
 

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ISSUE 11: STILL AVAILABLE!

• Bob Barnetson and Bruce McFarlane from Canada carry out another of their comparative reviews, this time of rules for gaming the American War of Independence. Patriots and Loyalists, Warfare in the Age of Reason, Shako, and British Grenadier, together with one boardgame conversion, Clash for a Continent, come under scrutiny.
• Dillon Browne — he of Bloody Picnic fame — delivers part 1 of a two-parter on how to write wargames rules.
• Paul Bright writes about the experience of staging an ancient Romans demo game using 10mm Magister Militum armies.
• Stuart Asquith's battle for wargamers this time is a fictitious scenario based on incidents from the French and Indian Wars, the defence of Fort Cumberland 1758.
• Mike Siggins' Forward Observer column ponders the emergence of 28mm plastics, the problems of getting decent lighting for painting, the challenges of painting samurai, online colour matching services and his Top 20 products from 2007, as well as other tidbits.
• Arthur Harman, who always comes up with innovative ideas, gives us some great systems for simulating the risk to our tabletop commanders.
• Our Fantasy & Sci-Fi Editor Roger Smith is also in rule-writing mode, and ponders some of the challenges facing rules designers in arriving at balanced troop capabilities.
• In my own penultimate episode of The wars of the Faltenian Succession, I deal with pontoon bridges (an eagle-eyed reader spotted their omission from an earlier issue) and give some simple, automated rules for carrying out conventional sieges in your campaigns, before taking a more in-depth look at siegecraft.
• C S Grant's Table Top Teaser this time is "Insurgency", pitching irregular forces against red-coated rank-and-file. A real humdinger, this could be adapted to any number of historically-paired opponents.
• The Recce section is packed as usual, with some excellent rules reviews in particular, including the new Field of Glory ancients rules, There Are Your Guns GdeB variant for the mid 19th century, and em4's Ludus Gladiatorus 2 fun gladiator game in a box.
• We have a new regular short column, War and Preece, from veteran British gamer and witty grumpy old man John Preece, whose skilful prose is directed at reminding us that not all new ideas are really new, nor old ideas really old. In his opening issue, he gives a deft sketch of Neil Cogswell.
 

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ISSUE 12: STILL AVAILABLE!

• The Don at 90. An homage to the man who has contributed perhaps more than any other to our wonderful hobby: Donald Featherstone, who turned 90 in March. His friend Chris Scott sent in a piece which I have added to, accompanied by a lovely photo from talented photographer Richard Ellis.
• Now, here's something you might not have expected to see in Battlegames: Pulpaganza!, by well-know American gamer Buck Surdu, is a wonderfully-written account of the pulp gaming extravaganza staged at Historicon last year. It sounds like tremendous fun was had by all, and the article describes some wonderful ideas that I know our readers will enjoy.
• Dillon Browne concludes his two-parter How to Write Wargames Rules with his own set of 'rules for rule-writing' AND demonstrates the principles with a terrific WWI 'tank-busting' game that should go a long way to changing people's minds about 'grim' Great War gaming.
• General de Brigade: an author inspired is Dave Brown's story of how this popular ruleset came into being, and the lengths he went to in order to ensure that it was both playable and historically accurate. He also delivers an exciting scenario to test your tabletop generalship: Salamanca — the French Rearguard.
• Mike Siggins' Forward Observer column deals with the artistic challenges of paints and pigments, has something to say about some 'pulp' rules, and of course takes a look at the sudden surge of 28mm plastic figures for historical gaming.
• Stuart Asquith's Battle for Wargamers this time is Trautenau, 1866. This fascinating and bloody encounter in the short Austro-Prussian war, which led to Prussia's supremacy over the Hapsburg Empire, deserves to be better known, and we hope that this piece does the trick.
• It's true: for the time being, this will be the last of my Wars of the Faltenian Succession articles, so I thought I'd better go out with a bang! So, what you get is a full set of simple rules for fighting a siege in the horse & musket era, with trench digging, sorties, escalades, the lot. Once the magazine is on sale next week, you'll be able to download some extra goodies for the game.
• In our fantasy & sci-fi section To Boldly Go, Roger Smith takes the opportunity to reveal a new ruleset under development down here in Sussex: Guy Hancock's Krigen™. This brilliant system has lots of potential, and in this issue we're treated to a full playtest game and the insights derived from it.
• C S Grant's Table Top Teaser is "Fighting Rearguard", which will have you trying to buy time for your retreating army. Who said wargaming wasn't challenging enough?
• The Recce section is somehwat shorter than normal this issue, because of having so much else to fit in the magazine, but there's still plenty here to help your buying decisions!
• John Preece's short War and Preece column remembers the contribution of American wargamer Joe Morschauser, a man before his time.
 

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ISSUE 13: STILL AVAILABLE !

• Bags of potential. New contributor Diane Sutherland brings a female perspective on the hobby. This long-suffering 'wargames widow' discusses the way we accumulate mountains of 'stuff' that most sane people would probably throw away.
• Mike Siggins' Forward Observer column can't avoid dealing with the arrival of yet more 28mm plastics, but also looks at bases, the new Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang pulp range, washes and painting techniques, adhesives, Sharp Practice from the Lardies, Alban Miniatures and much more besides.
• Bob Barnetson, one of our most prolific contributors, shows the breadth of his talents with The least you can do, a quick-and-dirty lesson in getting your wargames armies painted and ready for the table fast!
• Stokes Schwartz is new to Battlegames, but well-known to Old Schoolers who enjoy exploring imagi-nations. In 12 must-know secrets about 1/72 plastics, he extols the virtues of those much-maligned boxes of miniatures that can be found in almost every toy and model shop.
• Solo wargaming: the joy of self-simulation is Rich Barbuto's contribution to this packed issue. Rich is Editor of Lone Warrior, the journal of the Solo Wargamers Association, and has many excellent ideas for inspiring us to explore the potential of challenging ourselves in our wargames.
• Now that I'm taking a break from the Wars of the Faltenian Succession, I thought I'd come up with a tough, teaser-type challenge for you. The result is Night raid on Gravelines, best described as an 18th-century commando mission! Can your brave Marines execute the perfect sneak attack on this well-defended pirate lair?
• C S Grant's Table Top Teaser is Fighting withdrawal, or over the hills and far away, which has you pitching regular, government troops against onrushing hordes of highlanders charging through the heather. Can you make it back to the fort?
• In To Boldly Go, our fantasy & sci-fi Editor Roger Smith recalls the delights of his trip to Salute earlier this year and the surprising range of inspiration he derived from it. Roger tempted by Napoleonics? Surely not!
• Yet another new writer gets into print this issue: Tyler Provick explains Computer cartography for wargamers, giving us a useful introductory lesson on how to use free software like Inkscape to create magnificent maps.
• Unlike last time, the Recce section is absolutely heaving with reviews. Having held over stuff I didn't have space for last time, there was plenty to catch up with anyway, but a lot more bits and pieces have arrived over the last several weeks! A host of books, figures, models, computer games and rules come under the famously impartial Battlegames scrutiny.
• With his usual wit, John Preece's short War and Preece column honours the Oxford University Wargames Club, which may indeed be the oldest wargaming society in the world.
 

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ISSUE 14: STILL AVAILABLE !

• Chocolate teapots: Diane Sutherland reveals the unusual things her husband John does with decorative china.
• Figure piracy - scourge of the hobby? Bob Barnetson investigates the thorny subject of recasting miniatures.
• I like your style: Barry Hilton gives us a masterclass in comparative painting techniques. No less than seven different methods are described in detail, and he goes on to demonstrate top tips for basing too!
• Forward Observer: Siggo gets stuck in to the TooFatLardies Sharp Practice rules with an in-depth review.
• To boldly go: Roger Smith is impressed with the new 4th Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, and gets really excited about Games Workshop's new Warhammer Fantasy Dark Elves army book.
• Tabletop tips: the first in an occasional series, Phil Olley shows us how to set our gaming alight with tabletop fire effects.
• Seven years in Silesia: Angus Konstam describes what inspired him to write his Kriegskunst mid-18th century rules and the challenges he faced, then rounds off with an exciting scenario for us to try.
• The well of Tarka: Dan Mersey brings us a clever system for playing an 'automated' Sudan game and notes for adapting the Warhammer Historical Legends of the Old West for use in colonial wargames.
• Special FREE bonus! Now you can download my own Zulu Wars participation game as a Battlegames Mini Special right here, with free rules, that was directly inspired by Dan's system.
• Table top teaser: "reconnaissance in force". Phil Olley had a hand in the playtest of this brilliant scenario, including producing some wonderful shots of Charles Grant's Spencer Smiths in action — yes, the ones that were used in The War Game!
• Recce: plenty of book, rule, figure and computer game reviews. Steve Gill even read a book by God! (Sort of...)
• War and Preece: our dear Johnny Preece delves into a particular battle in Burma where a particular Brigadier was serving...
• The Battlegames Combat Stress Appeal: announced already, and I note with pride that a a handful of readers have already made extremely generous donations to get us on our way. Please help us to achieve our £1,000 target — see below. This issue tells you all about the appeal with a moving introduction from Julian Evans.
 

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ISSUE 15: STILL AVAILABLE!

NB I've changed the way the dates work on the cover of the magazine, with this issue showing November/December. This brings us more in line with standard magazine practice, preparatory to potentially appearing on shelves other than just hobby stockists. So, if you were expecting to see "September/October" on the front, don't panic, you haven't missed anything: trust the issue number!

• You've done what?!: Diane Sutherland watches in horror as husband Jon converts a favourite gaming board into an Indian village. Yes, really!
•Tabletop tips: Phil Olley shows us how to create eye-catching water features for wargames.
• Figure mutilation therapy: Barry Hilton continues the watery theme, demonstrating how he created wading figures for his stunning Battle of the Boyne demo game.
• The joy of six: A real corker, this. First of all, Peter Riley talks about what inspired him to write the Polemos American Civil War rules, then goes on to give us a cracking Gettysburg cavalry battle scenario and game report. I've included some notes for gaming the period in other scales and using different rules, and then I wrap up with an in-depth interview with Peter Berry of Baccus 6mm.
• Forward observer: Siggo's in chatty mode as ever, discussing what's been inspiring him lately, including a trip to The Other Partizan in September, some Peter Pig ACW rules, friends with frighteningly spacious areas for gaming, boardgaming the Spanish Civil War, paint stripping disasters and, in response to correspondence, an explanation of his mellowing philosophy.
• To boldly go: Roger dragged me along to Games Workshop's massive Games Day in Birmingham recently to see just how shell-shocked I would be, and this huge and multi-faceted event deserved an in-depth report for the benefit of those who have never been, so here it is.
• Spartacists and swastikas: New contributor Gary Chapman has provided an excellent introduction to gaming the period I actually wrote my BA dissertation about, the uprisings in Germany between the Freikorps and leftist groups following the end of WWI.
• Table top teaser: Charles Grant must be one of the most prolific wargames writers ever, and whilst juggling the publication of several titles (of which, see more below), he has managed to conjure up a brilliant — and hilarious — three-way teaser for our delectation! I expect to hear how you all got on with this scenarion, "Visitors with intent".
• Recce: The reviews section is absolutely heaving with stuff this time round, with lots of extremely good books on offer as well as other products, not forgetting those Perry plastic French!
• The Battlegames Shop brings exciting news of the latest Battlegames project: Volume 1 of the Table Top Teasers by C S Grant. As well as being a compilation of the first 12 Teasers, you'll find two extras in this 72pp, full-colour card-cover publication. Many of the early maps have been redrawn, and there's a great deal more material celebrating the tremendous fun that the Teasers have provided countless wargamers over the years. I anticipate publication in mid-December and you can order your copy here.
• The Battlegames Combat Stress Appeal: this issue brings you an update on the progress of the Appeal, together with a response from C S Grant, who is Vice President of the charity.

 

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ISSUE 16: STILL AVAILABLE!

• Diane Sutherland, entertaining as ever, gives us a wonderful wargamers' travelogue, pinpointing all the wargames and modelling shops in Athens!
• 'Eclaireur' has written up the scenario and game I attended at the South Mimms M25 services in November: Long Island, 27th August 1776. I've packed the piece with pretty pictures and a monster map -- the pics and map have been uploaded to the Dispatches/Historical section.
• Forward Observer: Siggo in good form, looking at all sorts of stuff, including (inevitably!) the ever-expanding ranges of 28mm plastics, and awarding gongs for the best of 2008 as well as succumbing to visual aids.
• Tally ho! New writer Tim Beresford gives a great introduction to aerial wargaming, via Biggles, Duxford and Wings of War to Bag the Hun and Algernon Pulls It Off from the TooFatLardies. Packed full of useful details for the newcomer to this kind of gaming, this is the story of one man's journey into the blue.
• This month's Table Top Teaser is rated as "fiendish" by CSG himself!
Confrontation on the islands, or "Burned Tapas" as he subtitles it, provides a real challenge for the most seasoned wargamer. Take a deep breath and plunge in!
• Follow the yellow brick road: another newcomer to the Battlegames stable, this time Kerry Thomas from New Zealand, gives us a step-by-step lesson in building rubbery roads for our wargames. Jolly useful and highly effective!
• Roger Smith uses his "To boldly go..." column to discuss the creation of a cleverly-phased sci-fi campaign, using different gaming scales and systems, with a promise of follow-up reports in future editions.
• Recce is absolutely crammed with stuff and I still had to leave lots out which will appear next time or on the website. A pile of books, miniatures, scenic materials and rules come under scrutiny, including recent Field of Glory releases, Warmaster Medieval and the brand new Trafalgar age of sail book from Warhammer Historical.
• The Battlegames Combat Stress Appeal update reveals that we've now raised more than double our initial target — and I've decided to extend the Appeal for another year with a target of £5,000.
• The competition this time is to win over £40 worth of WWI Austrian stormtroopers from new company Scarab Miniatures.
• And the Battlegames shop, of course, contains details for the Table Top Teasers special edition.
 

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ISSUE 17: STILL AVAILABLE!

• Diane Sutherland gives us "Have you seen my Neil Diamond CD?", another witty offering, this time with a recycling bent to create jungle scenery on old CDs.
• Siggo, in a short Forward Observer piece this month, lauds the work of Peter Gilder, chats about the latest offerings at shows, and prompts me to make a promise about a plastics tutorial next issue (see me, Siggins!)
• Wargamer and historian Chris Scott opens his account with a new series, "Talking wargaming", and his first topic is "Artillery and the tabletop". thought-provoking stuff.
• DCR Brown, author of the popular "General de Brigade" rules and all-round nice bloke, delivers the scenario and account of the huge Waterloo game played at South Mimms last November. Accompanied by a clutch of pretty pics and full Orders of Battle for the game, you'll find more material online for "Waterloo en masse" here on the Battlegames website shortly.
• "A dashing rescue, or General Blunt's woman" is Charles S Grant's Table Top Teaser this month. Can you save the lovely lady from the dastardly French?
• In his "To boldly go" column, Roger Smith considers the appeal of "Urban War" and "War Machine", comparing and contrasting their mechanisms and all-round hobby appeal. Pics of some stunning minis accompany this.
• Arsuf 1191 is the scenario offered by our second new contributor this issue. Daniel Johnson and his chums in Lancaster came up with their own Warmaster Medieval lists before the 'official' version was published recently, in order to stage this Warmaster megagame, pitting Richard the Lion Heart against his nemesis, Saladin.
• Recce is, as ever, packed with reviews of the newest books, toys and stuff, including plastic 28mm British Napoleonics from both Victrix and the Perrys, the immense "Frontline General" WWII game, "Through the Mud & Blood" from TooFatLardies, Offensive Miniatures US Paratroops, Alessio Cavatore's chess derivative "Shuuro" and much more besides...
• A new regular feature, we have an up-to-date worldwide calendar of events for May and June supplied by Tricks of the Newark Irregulars.
• An update for our Battlegames Combat Stress Appeal, with details of the special figures being sculpted and auctioned for Julian Evans' own appeal efforts.
• Our competition this month is to win a couple of copies of "Trafalgar" from Warhammer Historical, and the first out of the hat gets a 1/1200 GHQ ship-of-the-line too!
• Thanks to more advertising support again, we're back up to 56 pages, so keep kicking those advertisers' shins!
• And just in case your copy doesn't arrive in time, I'm giving a special mention to Legionary 09, featuring Total Carnage, to be held on 2nd May at The Great Hall, Exeter University, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4PY. More details at http://www.legionary-exeter.com.

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ISSUE 18: STILL AVILABLE!

• Diane Sutherland gives us "Good for sci-fi", an exploration of the potty possibilities offered by bits of polystyrene that her husband Jon has hoarded in the shed for all this time. She even offers her own bottle tops and bits and bobs to adorn her loved one's work.
• Siggo's Forward Observer is more fulsome this time round, with plenty to say about GW's War of the Ring, Partizan, paint pots and washes, current progress with his collection and almost nothing about plastics.
• I, on the other hand, having been dropped in it by Siggo last issue, have made good on my promise with Plastic? Don't panic!, a photo-feature showing how simple it can be to assemble and clean up a box of Perry plastic ACW cavalry ready for painting. So, no excuses for not at least giving them a try! Maybe next issue I'll even paint them, too.
• Wargamer and historian Chris Scott continues his series, "Talking wargaming", with "Dicey situations", a consideration of how dice can bring unexpected realism to our games.
• Our regular Canadian contributor Bob Barnetson decides to cash in on the latest Star Trek movie this issue, and what we get is a simple, fast and fun set of rules for pitching Star Fleet against the Klingons in "Red alert! Shields up!" Great fun! You'll also be able to find extra files for this here on the site next week.
• Our favourite Brigadier, Charles S Grant, is a bit of a Thin Lizzy fan on the (not so) quiet — yes, seriously! — and his Table Top Teaser this month is catchingly entitled Breakout, or "Tonight there's gonna be a jailbreak". Expect rampant prisoners of war and a whole lotta fun.
• As if we weren't confused enough by Diane, Siggo and Bob talking fantasy and sci-fi, this issue's melange is completed by Roger in his "To boldly go" column picking up the historical baton. Well, sort of. He's become intrigued by that blurry "is it history or is it fantasy" region, better known as Alternative History. And all because he took a short holiday on Jersey!
• Prepare to be stunned by new contributor Clarence Harrison, well-known for his Quindia Studios website and contributions to the recent rules output of Barry Hilton. Here, he gives us an exclusive step-by-step lesson in how to build the stunning Spanish abbey on a hilltop that graces our front cover. The Abbey of Santo Diago is set to become a scenery building classic.
• Recce is absolutely heaving with stuff, including books, miniatures, computer games and rules. We've got some new top-notch reviewers on the team, too.
• The calendar of events supplied by Tricks of the Newark Irregulars covers events in July and August worldwide.
• An update for our Battlegames Combat Stress Appeal, with details of how you can get involved with the fund-raising yourself just like Rich of TooFatLardies has.
• Our competition this month is to win a copy of the lavish Osprey commemorative tome, Men-at-Arms: A Celebration. This stunning collectors' book is worth £50, and we've got one to give away.
• And to round things off, we've even got new advertisers!

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ISSUE 19: OUT NOW!

• Diane Sutherland gives us "Twiggy", a step-by-step explanation of how to make trees from, err, trees, and other ingredients.
• Siggo's Forward Observer is very upbeat, perhaps because he's fallen back in love with Gilderesque painting styles. He also discusses the perennial problem of mates changing their minds about what periods to play, enthuses about Eureka miniatures, recounts more workbench disasters and, naturally, finds some new paints to get excited about.
• Tim Hall takes us up a gear with "Supersize us", an introduction to large-scale gaming in 54mm, with some astounding models on show and superb photographs of his WWII collection, such as the one featured on the cover.
• Wargamer and historian Chris Scott continues his series, "Talking wargaming", with "Orders and command", which includes some clever suggetions about how to include realistic order-writing into wargames, but without the hassle normally associated with them.
• This time, it's Charles M Grant, the son of our favourite Brigadier, who provides the Table Top Teaser. Gaining the initiative, or "The morning after the night before" is designed to make you plan ahead, as a small initial encounter precedes a larger action the following day, with the outcome of the skirmish affecting the battle that follows. Tricky stuff!
• "Cold Wars" is the result of some lateral thinking by one of our brightest wargames minds, Arthur Harman. They say that cooling the brain helps it to work better, so dump those fridge magnets and read on!
• Royal Marines Major Dave Fielder features in our Recce section too, but he's also penned an excellent scenario for the mid-19th century enthusiasts: Solferino 1859 is the subject of "A major engagement", a substantial grand tactical challenge for wargamers who prefer to play at being a general than a brigadier.
• Arthurian scholar Dan Mersey is back with "Badon and beyond", an enthusiastic introduction to gaming this particular slice of the Dark Ages. Prepare to be amazed at his clever use of GW Lord of the Rings miniatures and masses of useful information and resources for the wargamer wanting to try the period.
• Antipodean John Baxter pays a visit to highly-regarded company Eureka Miniatures in Australia in "The wargaming collective". Most of us in the UK and elsewhere get to hear very little about what's going on Down Under, so this piece gives us a refreshing insight into the extraordinary output of this top-rate outfit.
• Recce is a bit shorter this time, though still packed with erudite reviews by respected gamers. The reason is that I'm going to be changing the way we review miniatures — and believe me, I've got quite a backlog to catch up with next issue!
• The calendar of events supplied by Tricks of the Newark Irregulars covers events in September and October worldwide. Events in the first week or so of September, before the magazine is published, can be found here.
• An update for our Battlegames Combat Stress Appeal, including news on how many different groups are now helping the cause.
• Our competition this month is to win £25 of gift vouchers for the brand new gaming emporium that has opened in Brighton, Wargames Heaven.
• And to round things off, we've got more new advertisers!

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ISSUE 20: ON THE PRESSES!

• With one of her husband Jonathan's photos featured on the front cover, Diane Sutherland gives us "A brush with Mr Kipling". More than simply a guide to bad poetry, this is an in-depth look at ingenious ways to turn interesting comestible packaging into fortifications suitable for your colonial adventures. You'll never look at a dolmades tin or ice cream tub in the same way again.
• Mike Siggins has plenty of praise to give Keith Warren and his Real Time Wargames campaign rules in "Forward observer", moving on to discuss Pete Waterman (yes, really!), the Treemendus way of miniature arboriculture, enforced frugality in the hobby, competing direct-application pigments, and the new Wundermaterial, Reddiprene 38.
• Gary Mitchell takes a breather from his new post over at Miniature Wargames to bring us "Gaming the balance, a fascinating alternative WWII scenario that pitches the Walmington-on-Sea Home Guard against invading reptilians, based on the Harry Turtledove World War novels. More than a little tongue-in-cheek, this gives scope for you to prove that "they don't like it up 'em!" as you digest your mince pies.
• Wargamer and historian Chris Scott continues his thought-provoking series, "Talking wargaming", with "Invincible squares?", in which he draws to our attention the historically inconvenient fact that a good number of squares proved not to be impregnable at all.
• The Table Top Teaser this time is a real belter. Get ready to make some maps for "An affair of outposts — an introduction to map moving" in which two advance guards do their best to find and defeat the enemy and then hold their ground. A proper challenge to your wargaming skills, and the biggest Teaser map I've had to create yet!
• "If it ain't broke..." is new writer Robin Miles' paean to the Wargames Research Group's 5th Edition rules. More than just a journey into nostalgia, Robin plays through a Macedonians versus Seleucids scenario to help explain why he feels that this venerable ruleset still has much to offer.
• My own pen gets an increasingly rare outing to recount "A visit to Osprey Publishing". Earlier this year, I accepted an invitation from Osprey marketeer Joe McCullough to meet the team behind this well-known publishing brand, ask lots of impertinent questions and explore the treasure trove of goodies held in their vaults. And, as a bonus, I got to play a Wild West game after lunch!
• Another newcomer sees their name in lights this issue, with a wonderful piece dealing not only with the Salonika campaign of 1915-17, but also with how he managed to research the part that his own ancestor played in that conflict where he lost his life. "Trapped in the birdcage" by Barry Lee is not only informative. but also inspiring, with photos of some of his beautifully-painted WWI miniatures.
• Recce is truly crammed, and I still couldn't fit everything in! Books, games, miniatures, rules, glues — the list goes on and on. I've also instituted the new format with photographs provided of the miniatures reviewed that are actual size wherever possible.
• Then of course we have the calendar of events supplied by Tricks of the Newark Irregulars, an update for our Battlegames Combat Stress Appeal, which includes some exciting news, a competition this month is to win a 36-man Seven Years War battalion of the nation of your choice kindly donated by Minden Miniatures and, to round things off, messages from your favourite advertisers.
    Have fun reading, and season's greetings to you all!

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