Welcome to issue 5! By now, you have noticed a new name on the masthead. Most gentle readers have seen my byline from the first issue forward, but who am I? I've been playing wargames since 1976, starting with Kreigspiel, and ending lately with a playtest of the final module in the Struggle for Europe series. In between I have written articles for the defunct but fondly remembered Chain of Command fanzine and the late and also lamented Grenadier magazine. I took a few years off to start a family and now I am back on the scene due to the friendly persuasion of the publisher. My aim is not to alter ATO's path in the slightest. I thought it was heading in the right direction and I want to keep it moving. To do that, I need your input, your submissions, and your willingness to tell your friends what a great publication we have going here. The mission is to provide you not only with challenging simulations, but also with challenging material that goes a step beyond the typical article. We may entertain you, inform you, perhaps even shock you, but I never want to bore you. This issue is full of fascinating and little known information from the 17th century to modern times. I am also proud to announce Ed Eerkes will be doing a regular column surrounding contemporary military issues. John Prados continues to show why he is one of gaming's longest running designers in his fascinating look at gaming unconventional warfare. Other items discuss battle tactics of the 17th century, aerial hitmen, Battles of the Seven Days compared to the later Atlanta Campaign, World War One at the tactical level, Tommy Franks as consummate general, the Japanese Imperial Guard, and, of course, our feature article and game on the Japanese plans to pay the Russians back for their defeats in 1939. It's alternate history at its most interesting, which caused me to consider the whole concept of alternate history. I once wrote an article on Alternate History books in the 1980's before the trend ballooned. It never saw print because of the obvious. All wargaming is alternate history when you think about it. Whenever you sit down to play a wargame, moving one unit out of its historical path or getting a combat result that was at variance with the actual event creates alternate history. Alternate History is still waxing as literature. Acknowledged masters Harry Turtledove and William Forstchen have several books in print as this goes to press. Peter Tsouras has edited and compiled several volumes of what ifs that are easily adaptable to the wargamer. However, the lines of late have blurred and both gaming and fiction have blended to the betterment of both. I will give you two examples. About eight years ago, an alternate history book called 1901 was published, positing a fictional war between Germany and the U.S. due to America's seizure of Spanish overseas possessions. The Kaiser was close to war, but good sense prevailed. Several naval actions occur in what is mostly a land combat novel. Recently, on Consimworld, in the Great War at Sea folder, several posts mentioned working on orders of battle to simulate the actions in the book. In the second example, Michael Dobson and Douglas Niles, no strangers to wargaming, wrote a fascinating novel called Fox on the Rhine, where Rommel commands the Battle of the Bulge. In the appendix, you could game out Rommel's plan using an already published wargame. Their sequel, which will appear soon, is equally adaptable to wargames. Each media complements and feeds the other. The world is full of alternatives, paths not taken. Wargames fill that niche so nicely. Want to see what would happen if Germany invades Russia in 1939 instead of 1941? Pull out your copy of War Without Mercy or some similar title and try it out. As I said earlier, I saw part of a playtest of the campaign game of Struggle for Europe and I was amazed to see the Nazis attack their soon to be Balkan allies to facilitate snapping up Greece, Yugoslavia, and Turkey on their way to the Middle East. Anything can happen in a wargame. That's what makes them so attractive. You can step up and try your hand at a situation that eluded the real participants. I have been happily changing history with cardboard for nearly 30 years and hope to do it for another 30. Right now, though, my focus is making this your number one wargame magazine. Years ago, I thrilled to the sword and spaceship adventures of John Carter of Mars, described by his creator, Edgar Rice Burroughs, as "the perfect example of a clean-limbed fighting man." He fought against long odds, giant green Martians, giant White Apes, and hordes of beasts and men, but always with a grim smile. No matter how dark it seemed, his philosophy was "I still live." At Against the Odds, gentle reader, wargaming not only still lives, it's having the time of its life. Dive in and join the party! Back to Table of Contents -- Against the Odds vol. 2 no. 1 Back to Against the Odds List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 2003 by LPS. This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com * Buy this back issue or subscribe to Against the Odds direct from LPS.