Gleanings: Magazines

Courier Dispatch News

by Dick Bryant

Miniature Wargames (Available in area hobby stores; monthly, $3.50/issue; subscriptions available from Wargames, Box278, Rte.40, East Triadelphia, WV26059): The January 87 issue contains an interesting article concerning "Foreign Intervention and the Spanish Civil War"; a thought-provoking piece encouraging the use of 'role-playing' in historical miniatures games; an article regarding a Napoleonic cavalry skirmish in 1806 which does not relate itself to "wargaming" directly, something I do not think needs to be in a wargaming publication as wargamers are more than capable of reading historical works on their own to obtain such information; another one of Ian Weekley's excellent pieces on constructing wargames buildings, this one a Maltese watch tower; and several other articles. As usual, the pictures are superb and as I've mentioned previously, useful in constructing/upgrading one's wargaming terrain. Highly valuable publication!

Gorget & Sash (5218 Landgrave Lane, Springfield, VA 22151; quarterly, $14.00/$18.00 overseas): Volume III, number 2 has articles on the storming of Spring Hill Redoubt during the siege of Savannah, 1779; Jacobite regimental colors; and the history of the Butirski regiment, the oldest regiment in the Imperial Russian Army. G&S is a professionally produced 32 page publication and is the journal of the Early Modern Warfare Society. Since it also provides figure and wargames products reviews, in addition to historical articles, I suspect that a number of wargamers interested in this period would find it of interest.

Seven Years War Association Newsletter (William Protz, 5690 West Glenbrook Rd., Brown Deer, WI 53224; 4/5 issues for $10.00): Five years ago, SYWA Newsletter Editor Bill Protz and I met at his house in Wisconsin and discussed our'dreams' of each of us starting our own 'wargaming' publications on an amateur basis. I don't think Bill or I had any idea, at that time, that we would be looking at publishing the quality of publication that Bill is currently producing. Devoted, of course, to the SYW period, this 48 page professionally printed publication (Volume 3, #2, Dec-86) features articles on "Prussian Tactics of the Later Part of the SYW"; "Notes on Prussian Cavalry in the Mid-18th C"; "The Growth and Development of Iroquois Terror -Thoughts on Running a Convention Game", which I think would be good reading for all game hosts; "Watercraft of the French and Indian War - Their Application to Wargaming"; "North American Indian Clothing"; and "An OB for the French in the New World During the SYW". In addition, Bill writes a "news" section devoted to figure and wargame products for the SYW that is most expansive.

Zouave (605 Sadie Ave., Metairie, LA 70003; $12-00/4 or 6 issues): "The Zouave" is billed as "The Magazine of The American Civil Wargaming Society", and the first issue is a 24-page, 81/2"01" professionally printed product which seems to hold good promise as a publication. Edited by Brian Scherzer, who also penned several of the articles in the initial issue, the Zouave offers "Recreating the Fog of War", which provides valuable information pertaining to random factors for leaders, morale, artillery, etc.; "John T. Wilder's Lightning Brigade"; and "Confederate Ordnance of the Armies of Northern Virginia and Tennessee". I continue to be pleasantly surprised at the number of wargaming publications coming onto the market in recent months. This should only serve to promote the hobby more and more.

SAGA (890 Janes Rd., Rochester, NY 14612; $10.00/6 issues): SAGA is billed as "A Newsletter for Ancients Wargamers" and is an amateur publication consisting of 44 pages in the same format used by THE "old" COURIER, the SYWA Newsletter, and the Midwest Wargamer's Association Newsletter. Volume 11, #6 features "The Anglo-Saxon Conquest of Britain 400-650"; "The Groans of the Britons", a full set of rules for warfare in the age of Arthur by Gary Comardo; "An Attack on a Norman Keep", a battle report; part I of "The Twelve Victories of Arthur"; "The Normans", Part I & 11; and "Barbarian Warfare During the Times of Rome". There is something that I personally really enjoy about amateur publications pertaining to wargaming, perhaps the informality and personal touch, and SAGA is heading towards the top of my list.

Empire, Eagles & Lions (RAFM Co., 19 Concession St., Cambridge, Ontario, Canada N1R 2G6; 6 issues/$18.00): Issue 96 contains several thought-provoking articles pertaining to artillery fire during the Napoleonic period; a continuation of the series on "Sea Power" of this era; uniform details; "The Battle of Ebelsberg", and much more. For myself, I seem to always be able to find some helpful information for rules writing in this publication, even though it is slanted toward the historical end. It does, however, contain a number of wargaming columns.

The Heliograph (Milton Soong, 6580 Prague Court, San Jose, CA 95110; $5.00/10 issues): Tony Adams, editor of THE HELIOGRAPH for the past39 issues, announced in issue #39 that he has found an editor to take over (see article in this section for further information). Number 38 contains "TheTulwar and the Flame", a rules addenda for the troops of the Indian Armyl878-1900; and "The Desert Patrol", a Sword and the Flame scenario forthe French Foreign Legion, while #39 has an articlethat everyonewho plays The Sword and the Flame would want, "What do Zulus and the French Foreign Legion Have in Common" by Tony Adams in which he provides TSATF charts for "British vs. Zulus" & "French in North Africa", something I do not believe you can find elsewhere.

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