I'm not really sure what I expected when a "brilliant" inspiration struck me back in March to initiate this survey. I figured it would be both educational to see what SGS members thought were the best games and fun. Both were true, but the results were rather disapointing. With two issues of voting time allotted, and prizes offered to one lucky contestant, I had hoped for many responses.

In that I was very disapointed. Only 19 ballots were received. This could have been (and still could be) a good promotional thing for the SGS. I'll have to talk with our new editor and see what we can do with the results. At least voters were very honest about their qualifications in some catagories. Catagories which were unfamiliar were not voted on or a favorite was indicated, but no second or third choice listed.

I had only intended to list the top three games in each catagory. But with such sparse feedback I will list every game that pulled 10 or more votes. Except for the final catagory, which is so diverse I listed every game that received a vote. Anyhow, thaks to all who voted for humoring your new Vice-President. The winner of the four mini-games is Frank Cunliff from Pittsburgh.

A] BEST WWII TACTICAL LAND SYSTEM.
1. SQUAD LEADER/ASL (AH)= 42
2. UP FRONT/BANZAI/DESERT WAR (AH)=22
3. PANZERBLITZ/LEADER (AH)=19
This certainly came as no surprise as ASL is THE game for much of the hobby. The beginnings of an Avalon Hill bias can be detected. Excellent systems like TANK LEADER (West End) and PANZER (Yaquinto) were passed over for the outdated PANZERBLITZ family.

B] BEST NON-WWII 20TH CENTURY LAND SYSTEM
1. MBT/IDF (AH)=16
2. SOLDIERS (SPI)=13
3. ARAB-ISRAELI WAR (AH)=11
SOLDIERS was a pleasant surprise. An early game from SPI it was a very good tactical game of WWI. It would be interesting to see how LANDSHIPS from Clash of Arms will compare.

C] BEST PRE-20TH CENTURY LAND SYSTEM
1. GREAT BATTLES OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR (SPI/SDI)=24
2. GLADIATOR (AH)=21
3. PRESTAGS system (SPI)=12
Beginning with TERRIBLE SWIFT SWORD, the GBACW has been continually refined and improved. GLADIATOR is a great game, but its inclusion here is interesting. The old SPI pre-gunpowder system (PHALANX, VIKING, etc.) still has fans.

D] BEST FANTASY BOARDGAME
1. DIVINE RIGHT (TSR)=13
2. TITAN (AH)=11
3. DRAGON PASS (Chaosium/AH)=8
Many people forget that TSR stands for Tactical Studies and Rules, and began its life as a publisher of miniatures rules and games before D&D took over. DIVINE RIGHT was a strong release.

E] BEST SCIENCE FICTION BOARDGAME
1. MERCHANT OF VENUS (AH)=24
2. STAR FLEET BATTLES (Task Force)-16
3 . DUNE (AH)=15
4. IMPERIUM (GDW)=14
5. STARSHIP TROOPERS (AH)=13
This proved to be a very popluar catagory and well balanced among publishers.

F] BEST ROLE-PLAYING SYSTEM.
1. DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS/AD&D (TSR)=34
2. TRAVELER (GDW)=11
3. RUNEQUEST (Chaosium/AH)=9
This proved to be no contest.

G] BEST 20TH CENTURY GRAND STRATEGY
1. THIRD REICH/A3R (AH)=26
2. ETO/PTO (TSR)= 17
3. GUNS OF AUGUST (AH)=16
4. WORLD IN FLAMES (ADG)=14
All of these are fine wargames. Those of us who stuck with 3R from its horrible first rulebook can feel some pride. GOA was an interesting finalist amongst its WWII cousins.

H] BEST PRE-20TH CENTURY GRAND STRATEGY
1. THE CIVIL WAR (VG)=20
2. EMPIRES IN ARMS (ADG/AH)=18
3. WAR AND PEACE (AH)=17
4. BRITTANIA=13
This was the kind of close balloting I was hoping to see. All are excellent games. The one sleeper I hoped to see do well was LA GRANDE ARMEE by TSR, but it bombed, as did another old favorite, IMERIUM ROMANUM II by West End.

I] BEST TACTICAL NAVAL GAME
1. WOODEN SHIPS & IRON MEN=28
2. SUBMARINE (AH)=24
3. IRONCLADS (Yaquinto)=18
4. JUTLAND (AH)=15
5. THE ROYAL NAVY (Quarterdeck)=13
Another strong and popular catagory. Jutland may have been hurt by receiving votes in catagory J. IRONCLADS has just been reprinted by Excalibur.

J] BEST OPERATIONAL NAVAL GAME
1. MIDWAY '64 (AH)=28
2. FLAT TOP (Battleline/AH)=19
3. VICTORY IN THE PACIFIC (AH)=16
4. BISMARK '78 (AH)=14 5. FLEET series (VG)=13 Age before beauty, MIDWAY was the only Avalon Hill classic to win a catagory.

K] BEST TACTICAL AIR GAME
1. RICHTHOFEN'S WAR (AH)=12
2T. WINGS (Yaquinto)=11
2T. ACE OF ACES (Nova)=11
4. HORNET LEADER (GMT)=10
World War One games blew away the competition.

L] BEST OPERATIONAL AIR GAME
1. LUFTWAFFE (AH)=33
2T. BOMBER (Yaquinto)=13
2T. BATTLE OF BRITAIN (Gamescience)=13
4. THEIR FINEST HOUR (GDW)=10 There are few games to chose from in this catagory. The old BOB is still a favorite. I was looking for ZEPPELIN, the recent S&T game of WWI air to do well but it was shot down in flames.

M] BEST 20TH CENTURY OPERATIONAL GAME
1. THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN (AH)=19
2. STORM OVER ARNHEM (AH)=13
3. PANZERGRUPPE GUDERIAN (SPI/AH)=12
4. BATTLE OF THE BULGE '81 (AH)=11 5. FIRE IN THE EAST (GDW)=10
Welcome to Pandora's Box, Volumn,,One. All of these games are worthy but the inclusion of SOA over its more refined brethren (TURNING POINT: STALINGRAD, etc.) is interesting.

N] BEST PRE-20TH CENTURY OPERTATIONAL GAME
1. CAESAR (AH)=20
2. NAPOLEON (AH/Columbia)=17
3. GETTYSBURG '88 (AH)=11
4. CAESAR'S LEGIONS=1O
The only surprise here is that individual games from the GREAT BATTLE OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR (catagory C) did not win, place, or show.

0] BEST "MONSTER" GAME
1. EUROPA series (GDW/GRD)=20
2. THE LONGEST DAY (AH)=13
3. CAMPAIGN FOR NORTH AFRICA (SPI)=10
A very select catagory, with many games receiving only one vote (first place) from a loyal fan. TERRIBLE SWIFT SWORD, WELLINGTON'S VICTORY and LA BATTAILLE DE LA MOSCVA were some of the others.

P] BEST "BEER AND PRETZELS" GAME
1. AXIS AND ALLIES (Milton Bradley)=25
2. NUCLEAR WAR (FBI)=21
3. ENEMY IN SIGHT (AH)=16
4T. A HOUSE DIVIDED (GDW)=11
4T. WAR AT SEA (AH)=11
6. ATTACK SUB (AH)=10
A good catagory. A&A only pulled down five votes but all were first placers. I must be getting older, one younger gamer asked what a "Beer and Pretzels" game was! I guess I should have used the new Political Correct term, Introductory Game.

Q] MOST REALISTIC GAME OF ALL TIME
1. SQUAD LEADER/ASL (AH)=19
2. FLAT TOP (AH)=11
3T. TOBRUK (AH)=10
3T. ADVANCED CIVILIZATION (AH)=10
I remember when SL first came out there was a big debate on its realism in comparison to TOBRUK. We now see which one stood the test of time.

R] BEST MULTI-PLAYER POWER POLITICS GAME
1. DIPLOMACY (AH)=38
2T. CIVILIZATION/ADV.CIV. (AH)=24
2T. KINGMAKER (AH)=24
4. REPUBLIC OF ROME (AH)=20
This was the tightest race for second place in the entire survey. All of these finalists will be around for as long as the hobby exists.

S] BEST SOLITAIRE GAME
1. AMBUSH series (VG)=31
2. B-17 (AH)=20
3. RAF (West End)=11
I was looking for strictly solitaire games to be voted on. Instead nearly every game under the sun that could be played solo picked up a vote!

T] BEST MINIATURE RULES
1. JOHNNY REB (Adventure Games)=10
2. NAPOLEON'S BATTLES (AH)=8
3. HARPOON (GDW)=7
If nothing else, this catagory proved that the SGS is even less a miniatures loving group than it is a role-playing bunch.

U] BEST PLAY BY MAIL GAME
1. DIPLOMACY (AH)=24
2. AFRIKA KORPS (AH)=19
3. STARLORD (FBI)=12
4. STARWEB (FBI)=10
Other FBI games accounted for 7 votes, so fellow SGS member Rick Loomis has a good thing going. I was surprised at the dismal showing of STALINGRAD.

V] BEST COMPUTER WARGAME
1. CIVILIZATION (MicroProse)=18
2. EMPIRE DELUXE (New World Computing)=13
3. SILENT SERVICE 2 (MicroProse)=10
This was a wild one as most of the games submitted were unknown to me.

W] BEST GAMING MAGAZINE/NEWSLETTER
1. THE GENERAL=37
2. STRATEGY AND TACTICS=21
3. COMMAND=12
4. RAMBLING WAY=10
The first place finisher came as no surprise. RAMBLING WAY is evidently a Dippy zine. Our beloved STRATEGIST proudly received seven votes.

X] BEST GAME COMPANY OF ALL TIME
1. AVALON HILL=67
2. SIMULATIONS PUBLICATIONS INCORTPORATED=22
3. GAME DESIGNER'S WORKSHOP=16 4. YAQUINTO=12 Big surprise here!

Y] BEST DESIGNER OF ALL TIME
1. James Dunnigan=33
2. Richard Berg=14
3T. Frank Chadwick=10
3T. Craig Taylor=10
I should have said Best Designer or Developer of A11 Time, but noted developers such as Don Greenwood and Redmond Simonson got a few votes to recognize their contribution to the hobby.

Z] GREATEST WARGAME IN THE KNOWN UNIVERSE
1. EUROPA (GDW/GRD)=15
2. EMPIRES IN ARMS (ADG/AH)=13
3. ADVANCED CIVILIZATION (AH)=12

And now, welcome to Pandora's Treasure Chest

ADVANCED SQUAD LEADER (AH)=10 VICTORY IN THE PACIFIC (AH)=8 HISTORY OF THE WORLD (AH)=6 ISRAELI DEFENSE FORCE (AH)=6 WAR AT SEA (AH)=6 BREAKOUT: NORMANDY (AH)=5 HELL'S FOXES (SGS)=5 LA BATAILLE DE LA MOSCOVA (GDW)=5 NUCLEAR WAR (FBI)=5 PANZERBLITZ (AH)=5 TERRIBLE SWIFT SWORD (SPI/TSR)-5 TOKYO EXPRESS (VG)=5 FLAT TOP (Battleline/AH)=4 A HOUSE DIVIDED (GDW)-3 ADVANCED THIRD REICH (AH)=3 CASE WHITE (GDW)=3 DIPLOMACY (AH)=3 DUNE (AH)=3 FIREPOWER (AH)=3 MIDWAY '64 (AH)=3 RAF (West End)=3 THE CIVIL WAR (VG)-3 TURNING POINT: STALINGRAD (AH)-3 UP FRONT (AH)=3 AFRIKA KORPS (AH)-1 ANZIO (AH)-1 ATTACK SUB (AH)=1 BRITTANIA (AH) -1 KINGMAKER (AH)-l STORM OVER ARNHEM (AH)=1 SUBMARINE (AH)-l