The New Year is upon us and I guess that it's about time to bring the Free Dice to an end. Matter of fact, it has come to an end as anyone who has not entered their request prior to 31 Dec 88 has missed it.

My partner did not send me a new stack as he promised so I had to wing it on my own stock. It managed to last and I hope everyone has received theirs that has ordered them.

Scott Orten's commitment of 2 months bonus for a new member is still good until Feb. Even the old Editor took advantage of that as somewhere out there in gaming land are at least two new members that he brought into the fold. Will find out from Scott Orten the exact amount of members we have when he sends the the mailing list for the Jan issue. Soon I hope as I'm writing this article on New Years Eve.

I must somewhat apologize for this issue being a little late but it was the Holiday Season combined with several other things that got me behind. I am going to make an assumption here that no one really wanted to wait up New Years Eve just to read the -S-.

I celebrate all the Christmases, still have Russian Xmas on 7 Jan and Persian Xmas on the 22nd of Jan so thought I just might include a Christmas Card to all of you, here it is.

With the elections now over, I speak of the SGS elections and not the national ones, the Directorate has been trying to come up with a few possible ideas to draw attention to SGS to bring the membership up a few more members. Anyone with any ideas out there let them know as the increase in membership will keep the increase in our dues down.

In this issue, we have two role playing articles as well as 3 other variants. I have a promise of a Panzerleader variant that will update the armor to the modern day capabilities. I do not have a target date for receiving it but I'll get it out as soon as I receive it. If you noticed the collage or is it collage- whatever- the small group of pictures with Santa in the last issue, there hiding was a test of two of the playing pieces to determine the necessary size. How's that for being sneaky?

I have been receiving notices of Conventions at a more increasing rate lately. I don't know if I'm on someone's mailing list now or if there are just more conventions this time of year. If any of you receive any, drop me a line about them if there is time to get them in the newsletter. Even though you may not be going, someone else may be interested.

Old Santa must have forgotten the Editor was a gamer as there were no games under the tree this year at all unless one of you can come up with some sort of variant that needs a lot of socks? Here in Washington State AC (I list it that way to make a difference from Washington DC. There are two Washington's Virginia, Washington DC-District of Columbia and Washington AC Above California), anyway, here in the AC, the Iron Brigade at Fort Lewis is building a membership. They are mostly military gamers but there are some others around the area. Did get to do a face to face Afrika Korps with one plaver. fie said he had never been beaten as the Allied Player so I took the Germans and we started. On the 3rd German turn when the second Division Arrived, I owned Tobruch, his Armor was gone as well as a couple other 2-2-6s and he Resigned.

Tournament

My offer of a Titan tournament (send list of five stocks, CTD, to start) remains open. Also, it is 1989, so it must be time for the next SGS triennial STALINGRAD tournament, dedicated to play of Avalon Hill's finest board game.

Collecting

Be pleased to learn that work is now underway for Volume III of Pimper's All the World's Wargames (1983-1987), including addenda to cover omissions in previous volumes, is now underway. The present major effort is a complete recataloguing of my boardgaame collection, all item being labelled so that I can readily tell whether or not they have already been indexed. There are presently 2000+ board wargames, of which perhaps 1400 appeared in Pimper Volumes I and II and the Supplement. People interested in contributing to this effort, especially by cataloguing magazine games which appeared in S&T, Wargamer, and elsewhere, should contact George Phillies, 37-6 Park Avenue, Worcester MA 01609.