THE COURIER starts a new volume each anniversary year, here we are with Volume IV and a new theme - The Medieval Period (Or Middle Ages) with Dr. George Schneider as Theme Editor. George's bio will be found in this issue.
The intent of a theme is to cover, in some depth, lesser gamed areas with the purpose of developing the reader's interest in a period other than that which he is presently gaming. For this reason the Napoleonic War, The Ancient Period, the American Civil War, WWII and Modern won't be covered as themes - they should be covered to some extent in every issue.
"Ah!" you say, "what about WWII and Modern?" well, that seems to be the exception. Though it is probably the second most gamed period among Historical Miniature gamers, our readers constantly show a 45% to 55% N.I.Q. (Non Interest Quotient) in Volley Fire response to such articles. This is why so few show up over the course of a volume year.
As you will note from the cover, THE COURIER has won the HG WELLS award for the third year in a row (all 3 years of our existence). Many thanks to all who voted for our nomination and selection and especially to all the authors and editors who made it possible.
Subscribers will note a protective cover on the magazine. Hopefully this will ensure that your issue will arrive in better shape. The placement of the Supply Depot and the reply cards on the cover enable us to provide 2 more pages of text. PLEASE use the Volley Fire Card to rate the articles. It is our "report card" - the only way we know how well we are meeting your needs.
The Supply Depot has many new products at discount - take advantage of these savings while they last. Non-subscribers should note that one can easily save the cost of subscription and more on Supply Depot discounts.
YOU DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
The President of Mini Figs, USA, Steve Carpenter tells me that as a direct result of the correspondence in these pages and letters he has received from Historical Miniature gamers, Minifigs is re-releasing several of their 25mm lines. Seven Years War, Malborough, AMR are available now with Renaissance, ECW, 30 Years War, and ACW soon to follow. A new line of 25mm ancients is also in the works!
ERRATA
VOL. III, NO. 5: PIKE AND SHOT PART IV - Page 27, right hand column, 2nd paragraph, 4th sentence should read: By this standard a WRG bayonet may be fixed while a soldier in line (not fixing a bayonet - that must be done at the half) crossed 30 paces, while a Millward bayonet is still unfixed in the time it takes to march 100 meters. Clearly the WRG bayonet is a great technological innovation over the Millward bayonet.
VOL III, No. 6: REVIEWING STAND - apologies to Larry Duffield, reviewer, whose name we misspelled as Diffied in one of his two reviews.
THE SUDAN, 1884-98 reviewed in these pages is $6.00 + $1.25 postage, not just $6.00
THE COURIER DISPATCH - GLEANINGS - Savage and Soldier is $10 for 4 issues, not the $3 stated.
THEME EDITORIAL ON THE MIDDLE AGES
by George Schneider
The Middle Ages was traditionally regarded as the "Dark Age" when Europe slumbered between the fall of Rome and the flowering of the Renaissance. It was a barbaric age that lasted for a thousand years when nothing important really changed. Today, this viewpoint stands discredited. The Middle Ages denotes a complete cycle of civilization from its primeval beginnings in the forests of Germany, through its Gothic peak, to its civilized maturity that gave way to the modern age.
Warfare in the Middle Ages follows a parallel line of development. Although knights on horseback are its optimum expression, they did not ride alone. Many other military factors influenced warfare during this time. Foot soldiers progressed from barbaric warbands through disciplined men-at-arms who repelled most mounted attacks and supported friendly assaults as rallying points, to offensive formations of pikes and polearms that eventually doomed the mounted hegemony. Missile weapons always had an important role to play as a support or as primary attack mechanisms in some armies. Castles and sieges played another important part in the warfare of the Middle Ages, though I confess that such actions played as wargames take more patience than I have. Europe's neighbors, whether civilized like the Byzantines or Islam, rude like the Vikings, Scots or Magyars, also left a lasting impression on medieval military matters.
The Middle Ages is a wargaming theme that also should last 1,000 years. It is colorful, diversified, dynamic and only limited by the use of traditional weapons systems. Although "Ancients" or "Napoleonics" may dominate historical wargaming, the Middle Ages has all the ingredients to make it the second period for most and the essential period for some wargamers like myself.
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