From Brent Oman:

I'm putting on a Franco-Prussian War game at "Westwars" - a mini game day at our local hobby shop (Attactix) next Saturday. We'll see if the players believe me when I tell them not to play the game tactically as if it were a Napoleonic game. There must be something about pretty uniforms - players seem to love to deploy in close, dense formations (NOT a good choice in the Franco-Prussian War!).

I put on a similar game earlier this year at Ghengis Con. The French player deployed in columns of attack and columns of route, in the open, within short to medium range of 4 Prussian artillery batteries. He then proceeded to deploy in square when a single Prussian dragoon regiment threatened two units.

Needless to say, it was a bloodbath, and one of the most lopsided Piquet games I have ever witnessed. I later heard him saving how "unhistorical" and bad the rules were because he lost so badly. I guess you can never give too much advice to players to prevent them from playing stupidly! (Maybe he really WAS French?).

Anyway, keep up the good work with the Heliograph!

Thanks Brent, always appreciate a kind word.

From Christopher B. Willett:

I recently purchased The Anatomy of the Zulu Army, from Shaka to Cetshwayo 1818-1879 from the Military Book Club and on the back cover was a list of books on the Zulu War. Along with an American Publisher (Distributor) the books are available through Stackpole Books, 5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055.

Thanks for this information, Chris. These are books published by Greenhill in England.

From Edward W. Mikus:

I am not an active wargamer, however, I belong to HMGS-East and do attend wargame conventions to buy, watch the games, and absorb some ideas about armies, navies and the battlefield layouts.

As a collector, my preference has always been 25mm and 20mm figures. Most of my collection are 25mm which I like to display in their entirety, therefore, I have never put together large armies. Rather I prefer small scenes complete with structures and scenery.

My primary areas of interest are the Sudan, India (mostly NW Frontier) and any part of the colonial world during the Victorian era. Most of my collection are British types because figures and books on colonial history are so readily available in English, but I would like more on the colonial expansion of the French, Germans, Italians, Portugeuse and Belgians in Africa.

I suppose wargamers have only a marginal interest in non-military figures, although more seem to be in production than in the past. My collection has a large proportion of colonial administrators, clergymen, physicians, explorors, traders, correspondents and general civilian types. Often that has required some conversion and even mold making.

I am enclosing some photographs to explain how a non-wargamer can participate in the hobby. Photo captions:

1. shows a German gunboat built to accomodate 25mm figures. It is not scale due to space limitations, but it could be used for wargaming. It is scratchbuilt, as are the steam launch and boat. Of particular interest is the hull which is a sardine tin with a built-on bow.
2. shows a garden party at the residence of a colonial administrator, again scratchbuilt. The military unit in the foreground is one of my battalions on a 50 to 1 scale. It has two companies of one officer and eight other ranks each. The 'staff' would include a mounted L/COL, RSM, RQMS, bugler and pack mule with handler. To the left you can see some tourists around the sphinx. To the right is an Indian village.
3. shows a British central battery battleship, not to scale, but able to accomodate 25mm figures.
4. is that of an explorer in Africa. He can be seen consulting a map. In the rear is a Burmese scene with Richard Houston figures.
5. portrays a somalian village. The huts are made of tubes from wrapping paper topped with containers from "LEGGS" ladies stockings. The fencing is from back yard twigs.
6. shows a French gunboat accosting a Chinese junk, all scratchbuilt for 25mm figures.

As you can see, my wargame figures take me all over the Victorian colonial world.

I wish you could see these photos, sorry but color is tooooo expensive and does not copy well. The steam powered gunboats are beauties. I would like to see an article from you detailing your construction techniques on the steam launch, the Burmese temple?, the Buddha and the palm trees. I have more than a marginal interest in civilian figures, I prefer to have a goal for my solo gaming and rescuing someone in distress is usually on top of the list. I have a fifteen man set of porters with various loads, an archaeological team plus a variety of villains and do gooders for the wilds of the African and NW frontier.

There are a number of subscribers who attend Cold Wars. It would be interesting to meet you all Friday nite, at the Lancaster Host's bar around 5:30pm, maybe we could go out to dinner together at 6.

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