Tag Archives: MWBG

MWBG 396

Publication date Thursday 24^th March

With the Salute show guide free this month, giving us a monster issue with 96 pages, we’ve got a packed magazine overflowing with wargaming goodies:

• David Burden and James Fisher report on the efforts of Napoleonic gamers around the world who were spurred on by the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo in June last year – or, as we discover, even earlier.
• Chris Russell concludes his two-parter with his complete ruleset for early WWI air war gaming, featuring the eponymous German monoplane.

Of course, we have our regular spots too:

• The Editor celebrates ten years of editing wargame magazines in his Briefing; in his World Wide Wargaming, he begins a guide for using the internet to help with new projects and presents another pair of ‘Blogs of the Month’.
• In Forward Observer, Neil Shuck takes a long, hard look at the pros and cons of the Kickstarter phenomenon, asking whether too many companies – and consumers – are ill-advised to get sucked into the pressures of this funding method.
• Diane Sutherland, our resident wargames widow, is feeling a bit spiky this month, after husband Jon decided to get all defensive, so please avoid making any barbed comments because it’s a minefield out there, and if you want to avoid getting drilled with Diane’s Dremel, don’t try to feed the Frisian horse. You’ll see!
• In Fantasy Facts, John Treadaway casts his experienced eye over the latest offerings in the genre miniatures world, this month featuring a host of sci-fi and some, err... creatures!
• In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only board... Brad Harmer takes a walk on the dark side as he explores 40K spin-offs with no need for miniatures.
• In his Send three and fourpence column, Conrad Kinch presents a special this month – “King of the Chamla Constabulary”, a scenario for The Sword and the Flame.

Of course we have our Battlegames Combat Stress Appeal; our regular review slot Recce; and finally, our competition this month features a whopping £75 prize of a War of the Spanish Succession starter box from Baccus.

And the monster Salute 2016 show guide is packed with enthusiastic articles:

• After a welcome from the South London Warlords’ Club President and Membership Secretary Mac, there’s a piece by West Wind Productions about how they produced this year’s show miniature, the ‘Steampunk Mam’selle’.
• This is followed by an article by master brushman Kevin Dallimore showing precisely how he painted two versions of this stunning figure.
• Then we have a clutch of articles based on the theme of this year’s show – Steampunk. The first, by Sarwat Chadda, introduces the concepts and describes the joy of Steampunk for the newcomer, including its many manifestations in literature and fashion. Then Alan Patrick offers an overview of the variety of Steampunk/Victorian Sci-Fi land battle rules currently available to gamers. In the third article on the theme, John Treadaway explains what first drew him into the intriguing worlds of Steampunk, a path which led him to create some award-winning games based on his favourite ruleset. And finally, we hear cries of “Help! Help! It’s the Hooded Claw!” A four-player game of In Her Majesty’s Service (IHMS), is being organised by Philip Andrews, in which he will be controlling the Cult of the Hooded Claw as umpire. He apologises in advance for the outrageous accents!
• We also hear from Phil Portway, who has vivid memories of the famous Gun Run at The Royal Tournament, and his team has collaborated to come up with a game to recreate its challenge and excitement.
• Next, Ivan Congreve describes the epic planning and building of the stunning set for the Star Trek game, “Savage Dove, Star Date 5894.44”.
• Joel, Paul, Lawrence, Alan and Neil of the South London Warlords have created an extraordinary sci-fi game to demonstrate the appeal of Warhammer 30K. (Yes, thirty thousand!)
• And finally, John Treadaway of the South London Warlords – and this very magazine – outlines the history of the biggest one-day wargames show in the world.

Of course, the show guide also has essential information:

• A full list of all the games to be found at the show, including the names of who’s running them and where they are
• A useful double-page spread map of the hall in the ExCel centre to help you find everything on the day
• A list of all the traders and their stand numbers
• All rounded out with a glorious selection of stunning photos of last year’s painting competition winners

Wow! See you there on April 16^th!

The front cover shows Lady Felicity and Lord Edward Ronan Carr confronting Akhenaten and a mummified priest – an In Her Majesty’s Name scene in a ruined chapel. 28mm North Star miniatures, beautifully painted and photographed by Kevin Dallimore.

Remember also to check out the new website HERE

Roll ‘em high!

MWBG 395

Publication date Friday 19^th February

The new season is already under way and this issue has plenty to get your wargaming juices flowing:

• Charles S Grant celebrates the life and work of his friend, the popular military artist, historian and genial retired policeman Bob Marrion who passed away last autumn, illustrated with some of Bob’s wonderful artwork.
• Ever fancied being ruler of your own petty kingdom, turning the downtrodden native rabble into an elite fighting force to overthrow the local tyrants and take their wealth for yourself? In The man who would be king, Jim Webster shows you how to go about it.
• Hammerhead 2016 is held at the Newark Showground in Nottinghamshire on 5^th March, and this issue includes the official show guide, including a welcome from Sally of Kallistra, who organise the show, lovely photos of some of the games that make the show so special (every game is a participation game), a complete listing of all the games and traders alongside the easy-to-read floor-plan, and of course messages from some of the companies that will be trading at the show. See you there! (We’ll be on stand TD36 and I’m running a little game at table GB10.)
• In Travel tiles, Paul D Stevenson finds that there is much to recommend a wargaming surface that is both small and flat when portability is an important factor in your gaming life.
• Chris Russell opens a two-parter with Eindecker!, an account of the impact of the famous German monoplane on early aerial warfare. Next month, we’ll bring you his complete ruleset for early WWI air war gaming.
• Winter is coming! In A game effort, Gary Pready sets about turning the popular book/TV series Game of Thrones into a tabletop wargame, using mechanisms from another well-known ruleset with a vital twist of his own. All together now: “You know nothing, Jon Snow!”

Of course, we have our regular spots too:

• The Editor remembers illustrator Bob Marrion in his Briefing; in his World Wide Wargaming, he explains the transition to the new website shared with TableTop Gaming, explores the explosion of Facebook pages for wargamers and presents another ‘Blog of the Month’.
• Neil Shuck looks at the advantages of playing miniatures wargames – without the miniatures. He’s also been suffering from varnish woes and goes on to discuss basecoats, weathering and decals.
• Diane Sutherland finds more uses for coffee stirrers than Starbucks, and it’s all been getting a bit tacky – or, at least, the glue has. So set out on some secret coffee shop raids, and try to avoid getting accosted at Costa or nicked at Nero as your pockets bulge with wooden splints.
• In Fantasy Facts, John Treadaway gets excited about the latest offerings in spy-fi, gives credit where it’s due for Rick Priestley’s latest creation, and appreciates the smaller side of sci-fi.
• Boardgame specialist Brad Harmer-Barnes declares “CECI N’EST PAS UNE PIPE”. We think he’s talking about the fact that what we play are games, not war itself, thank goodness.
• In his Send three and fourpence column, Conrad Kinch offers some further observations on the always challenging art of scenario writing.
• Of course we have our Battlegames Combat Stress Appeal; our regular review slot Recce; places are still available for the third Featherstone Annual Tribute to be held at the Wargames Holiday Centre near Basingstoke, this year featuring the enormous Battle of Leipzig 1813; and finally, our competition this month features three £30 vouchers from Kallistra to spend on anything related to their extensive WWI figure and scenery ranges.

The front cover features a photo taken by Jon Sutherland of a huge Indian Mutiny game staged at Wargames Holidays in Crete.

Remember also to check out the new “Downloads” section on the new website!

Roll ‘em high!

LINK

MWBG 393

Publication date Friday 24^th December

Already looking forward to the New Year and what looks to be another great year for the hobby, in this issue:

• Richard Marsh confesses his love affair with 1970s Sandskrieg gaming by John Sandars and the ‘do it yourself’ attitude of a former age in The Return of von Bludengutz. Lots of lovely desert models as seemn on the front cover.
• In Adapting To the Strongest, Daniel Mersey explores the ways in which Simon Miller’s popular Ancients rules can be adapted to his existing miniatures and boardgame collection that he’s used for DBA and Commands & Colors.
• The Editor spent a pleasant afternoon in the Big Red Bat cave with the man responsible for some of the show-stopping games of the last couple of years, and an upsurge in interest in the Ancients period and reports here on A Chat with Simon Miller.
• American contributor Stokes Schwartz is keen to recreate military clutter for his wargames in Paint Your Wagon – what better way than to add elements of the logistical tail that has followed every army since time immemorial?
• Steve Jones returns with another of his crowd-pleasers, a single scenario suitable for playing in multiple periods, with or without adaptations to the terrain. So, whether you like ancients, horse and musket or WWII, you’ll enjoy One Ridge, Two Bridges.
• Even more for WWII fans! In Just What the World Needs, Jim Bambra explains what inspired him to enter the crowded WWII rules market, his design goals and how he went about creating and testing Armour Battles: Combat HQ.
• We also have a show report: Wim Van den Berghe visited mainland Europe’s biggest miniatures gaming convention Crisis 2015 at the beginning of November and kindly snapped away all day to provide us with lovely pictures from the Belgian show. Many thanks, Wim!.

Of course, we have our regular spots too:

• The Editor focuses on the future and his reborn love affair with a historical period and the teeny weeny miniatures he finds best suited for it in his Briefing; in his World Wide Wargaming, he explains how to set up your own Facebook Page and honours two blogs from one wargamer.
• Neil Shuck recaps his highlights of 2015 and looks forward to even more goodies in the coming year as well as progressing his own gaming..
• Diane Sutherland aspires to join the ranks of ‘footballers’ wives’, revealing secret desires for a half-timbered house with a gravel driveway and mullioned windows – but the ones her husband Jon wants are far too small to fit an Aga, and he doesn’t earn a footballer’s wages either...
• In Fantasy Facts, with one eye on the removals van and the packing cases, John Treadaway casts his eye over an impressive pile of genre offerings this month, including new rules for one of his favourite ‘periods’.
• Boardgame specialist Brad Harmer-Barnes uses his Hex Encounter to welcome you to the world-famous Hex Encounter Awards, hosted by your favourite card counter-pushing, genial and all-round shouty celebrity columnist.
• In his Send three and fourpence column, Conrad Kinch Conrad Kinch is surprised that we don’t use surprise more often in our games, but reminds us that it is simply surprise and not shock that we seek, to remain sociable..
• Of course we have our Battlegames Combat Stress Appeal which has received a significant boost this month, and our highly respected Recce section reviews all manner of books, rulesets, and other wargaming stuff.
• We also announce that places are available for the third Featherstone Annual tribute to be held at the Wargames Holiday Centre near Basingstoke, this year featuring the enormous Battle of Leipzig 1813.
• Finally, our competition this month features amazing generosity from The Plastic Soldier Company – not one, not two, not three, not four… FIVE of their brand new Army Boxes worth between £59.95 and £75 each!

Remember also to check out the “Goodies” section on our website at http://miniaturewargames.co.uk

Until next time, Happy New Year!

LINK