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… and should land in SoA member’s postboxes in the next few days! Here is the cover picture, together with a list of the contents and a short summary of each article , or go to the SoA news page. (If you aren’t already a member of The Society of Ancients , you can read about and join the society here.)
[ Cover picture: Mural from the late Tang Dynasty depicting Zhang Yichao’s victory over the Tibetans in Dunhuang ]Editorial
The view from the editor’s chair but also a plea for articles. It seems we’re running short. Time to put quill to parchment, pen to paper, fingers to keys, whatever method floats the boat. Hmmmm, that probably means me, too. Dang.
Guardroom
Featuring further, gripping developments in the continuing debate about those little cubes of fate that dog our every gaming move. The cold, cold hand of fate, the cruel talons of the dice demons or simply random fluctuations in the quantum field? However you see it, Lawrence Greaves adds his take to the lively discussion about probabilities in wargames that was kicked off by Nick Harbud’s article ‘Chances Are’ from Slingshot 328.
Every Man’s Hand – by Matthew Bennett and Roy Boss
Mediaeval jousts originally did not consist of lists and two knights charging each other with couched lances, but of open fields in which groups of knights, supported by infantry, fought mini-battles. Here is a ruleset that recreates this older and more military form of jousting.
Garamantes – by Jim Webster
The Garamantes were a nation of oasis-dwellers who lived south of the Roman frontier in Libya. Though not capable of fielding a heavyweight army, they did put interesting troop-types on the battlefield. Jim Webster uses their history to fine-tune the DBMM army list.
Going Back to Gaugamela – by Chris Hahn
Playing Gaugamela with l’Art de la Guerre produces an interesting game in which Alexander’s Companions perform much like their historical counterparts whilst Parmenio’s left flank does much more than just hold the line. Is that enough to defeat the Persian host? Read to find out…
The Sound of Battle – by Anthony Clipsom
How effective was a general’s ability to control his troops through sound signals like musical instruments and shouting on a Mediaeval battlefield? Anthony Clipsom does the research and comes up with some interesting answers.
An Armati List for Cyrus the Great – by Rodger Williams
The Persian armies between 550-530 BC are rather under-represented in Armati army lists. Using DBM as a starting point Rodger Williams makes up for that defect.
Counting the Enemy – by John Hastings
How big was the Caledonian army at Mons Graupius? In answering the question John Hastings tackles the problem how how much trust can be placed in the primary sources when they give the size of friendly and hostile armies, and shows that the sources can actually make good sense.
Telamon in Anaheim – by Andrew Gledhill
DBA is alive and well in Southern California, where a refight of Telamon produced an interesting and pretty game that was clean and exciting, in the best tradition of DBA. A second Telamon was fought after lunch. Another battle report is hopefully in the works?
T’angoed! – by Nicholas Harbud
The T’ang dynasty marked the territorial apogee of ancient China. Naturally, conquering so much real estate required the services of a very effective army. Nicholas Harbud breaks down the composition of the T’ang miliary machine and his recreation of it in 15mm.
Warfare in Antiquity Conference – Rodger Williams
Rodger Williams outlines the topics discussed at the King’s College conference that cover fields of particular interest to pre-gunpowder wargamers.
Slingshot Figure Reviews
Peter Studd reviews the new range of plastic 15mm ancient figures produced by the Plastic Soldier Company in connection with Simon Hall’s Mortem et Gloriam wargames system. (I really, really mustn’t read this. I shan’t. I … . Aiieeee! Somebody, anybody, hide my wallet!)
Slingshot Book & Game Reviews
Including reviews of:
Mortem et Gloriam, Battles of the Great Commanders, 1. Age of Attila by Richard Jeffrey-Cook (hmmm, that name, it sounds familiar);
Mari: capital of Northern Mesopotamia in the Third Millennium (The archaeology of Tell Hariri on the Euphrates) by Jean-Claude Margueron;
Jean de Bueil: Le Jouvencel by Craig Taylor & Jane H.M. Taylor;
The Armies of Ancient Persia by Marek Adam Wozniak;
Infamy, Infamy! by Too Fat Lardies (A review of the rules by Nick Harbud? Or maybe a cunning and unexpected flank move, by which means Nick brings reinforcements to the battle of ‘Chances Are’? You can make your own mind up when you read it.)
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