1. magweb.com As I wrote last issue, The Heliograph has joined at least twenty other military hobby magazines (including MWAN, Colonial Conquest, and more as I go to press) and gone on line with Coalition Web (at www.magweb.com). It is an interesting concept, where you can access a number hobby magazines current issues as well as some back issues. Each magazine has a sample article to read and their table of contents. With a subscription to MagWeb you can access all their on line magazines ($9.95 for one month, $24.95 for 3 months, $39.95 for 6 months, and $59.95 for a year). I think we have already picked up a new sub or two from the web site.

I finally accessed magweb, at work, last week and was I surprised! I thought that there would just be text and the mastheads from each magazine. Was I wrong, Russ Lockwood and the rest of the magweb folks have done an outstanding job of allowing the subscriber, or just browser for that matter, into a world of color and other interactive stuff. (catch that technical term - I love stuff it's so specific). Anyway, I don't want to get too mushy here, but magweb is a treat for gamers eyes. While not everything is colonial, duh, there were tips for painting, shading, layering and basing that I found very useful and copied from Renaissance Ink, 335 Torrance Ave., Vestal, NY 13850.

Actually, if you have access to the web try searching Yahoo for military miniatures there are some pretty interesting articles, pictures and other stuff to read and contact people about.

2. Guernsey Foundry figures, available in the US from Pendragon Miniatures. If you are writing them directly they have a new address which means a new production facility and probably better service - Guernsey Foundry, Hubert's Lane, Off Doyle Road, St. Peter Port, Gurnsey, GY1 1RG, Channel Islands, Great Britain. [If I understand the rumor mill correctly (SO TAKE THIS WITH A BIG GRAIN OF SALT UNTIL CONFIRMED) Wargames Foundry also has a new facility coming up soon.] Drop Brian and Neville a line they are always willing to help. I received some sample figures from the latest issue of Seven Years War figures -- Russians and Cossacks. The Cossacks could very easily be used for skirmish action on the Russian-Afghan frontier in the late l9th century, a lot of action took place there and these figures could get you started on a new set of skirmish rules. I know, not totally colonial, but if you like the SYW these figures are the best I have seen. The detail is amazing and the price isn't bad either, very competitive. I also received some more Wild West figures see the review.

3. Every once in a while we get an advertisement for cruises. Generally I throw them out but the last one caught my attention accidentally. Inside was a cruise that included Egypt and had two interesting photos. One was a typical riverside dwelling, Three sides and the top part of the front were white but the bottom front was painted - two foot high white band and door frames then an 18 inch rusty red band then bright yellow to the roof with pastelly green windows and shutters and painted with various scenes - flowers, animals pharonic designs and arabic letters. This was not the first time I have seen this, it might give your Egyptian riverside some color besides white. On a different cruise was the picture of a door of the Royal Palace in Fez, Morocco. While the door is quite beautiful it would not translate to the model. What was great was that the photo was taken straight on and the Arabic arch was easily copied. While I can daw some this arch has elluded me for years, finally I havea master to copy from. So check out those travel brochures before you throw them out.

4 Lone Warrior #117 US edition, Solo Wargamers Assoc. 1707 Ridge Rd., Leavenworth, KS 66048. As usual another good issue, personally though I would like to see more of the English articles concerned with the nuts and bolts of gaming. Anyway this issue contains three interesting articles. "From Mahdist to Martian... or There and back again (part III)" by Paul Grace contains a few rule amendments for the first two parts has got some good idea to use for home rules. "Game Theory" by John Parus ahs some good ideas to use with matrix games and very possibly TSATF rules particularly the section on card draw system for a skirmish game using Riffs and FFL. Finally, "Playing the Options" by Michael Gray. This article contains a logic flow system using percentage dice. Very interesting way to make decisions for your enemy when solo gaming. The system contains reactions to messages, reactions to attacks, reactions after winning and losing a battle, chance encounters and entering friendly settlements. Try this system.

5. Wargames, Box 278 Route 40 East, Tridelphia, WV 26059. Wargames sent a flyer with new releases from Dixon Miniatures. If you are interested in the Indian Mutiny in 15mm this is a new source, the drawings of figures look great. There are 15 British infantry, six British cavalry, nine mutineer infantry, two mutineer cavalry, artillery with crews, camels with riders, elephant transports plus equipment. The figures come in packs of varying sizes depending on infantry/cavalry. If these are up to Dixon's typical figures these are very well done, worth a closer look.

6. Miniature Service Center, 1525 Bridge St., Yuba City CA 95993. Still have their 15 percent discount available on all orders. Nothing specifically new for colonials. They have added to their Renaissance Range for the Turks - two Early Janissary, four light infantry, a heavy Turkish gun and two ten packs of light infantry fanatics. I have several units using these Turkish troops as regular infantry for colonial games. These are quite nice.

7. Barnes and Nobles, 1-800-the-book. The latest catalog contains lots of good military history books. Two for us include Khaki and Red by Featherstone $19.96, The Colonial Wars Source Book by Haythornthwaite $31.96.

8. Scholar's Bookshelf, 110 Melrich Road, Cranbury, NJ 08512. Their latest military history catalog contains too many to name except one 6KN6J Britain's Brigade of Gurkhas by Smith $19.95. If you read military history and fiction you need this catalog, but their prices aren't always the best around.

9. Miniature Wargames #164 and #165. Issue 164 has several good articles but "Gordon at Khartoum" is a zinger. Jim Webster takes DBA rules and applies them to the colonial period. I'm not sure I like it all but it does have some very intereting ideas that I plan on utilizing, in particular Demoralization. "When one third of the bases on one side have been destroyed that side is demoralized and has to save what it can...." Lots of other good ideas and a great color photo.

Issue 165 is good, check out Ivan's Tartar Wars, but has nothing coloniaI.

10. Caliver Books and Partizan Press, 816818 London Road, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex SS9 3NH. A few colonial period books listed including Osprey Men at Arms #301 Boer Wars (1) 1836-1898. If you live in England check them out. Otherwise see them at Cold Wars and Historicon at the On Military Matters area. They have eight different sets of rules for company-battalion actions in the colonial period--I will have to check these out at Cold Wars or send for them.

11. MWAN #85, Hal Thinglum, 22554 Pleasant Drive, Richton Park, IL 60471. Where to start on this great hobby zine. "Stalky & Co. Scenario" by David Barnes is a number one scenario for colonials on the Northwest Frontier. Additionally, Barnes notes that the real Stalky can be read about in Stalky's Reminiscences by MG L.C. Dunsterville. According to Barnes Stalky was at school with Kipling, might be a very good read will let you know soon as I get it from the Library. The Maori Wars are covered in two articles by Stephen Lawrence. One describes the look and feel of the era while the other is a set of rules. Quite interesting. "Let Chaos Reign!" by Gerald Quinn is a one page complete set of skirmish rules for 'Indians, cavalry and cowpokes'. Howard Whitehouse has a set of rules "The Breakfastime of Man - A Prehistorically Inaccurate Wargame" what can one say about the strange ideas of this delightful Englishman except 'lock him up quick.'

12. Clash of Empires is a new newsletter edited by Keith Frye, 33 Ridge Road, Bloomingdale, NJ 07403. Keith has sent a sample article and cover page. CoE, according to the cover, is a miniature wargaming resource covering the European Wars of empire of the 19th century. Articles listed include: Nachod - 1866, Montebello - 1859, Rome - 1849, BNIII rules review and Grand Bataille, Grand Victorie rules review. I have read "The Siege and Storming of Rome - 1849" and while the subject is not my cup of tea (Irish Breakfast is) I was quite taken with Keith's writing style and sent my check ($10) for a four issue (1 year) subscription. I think this newsletter will compliment the Heliograph quite nicely and is well worth the subscription cost.

13. While surfing the net for Historic miniatures stuff on the web I came accross an ad for Old Glory Sons of the Desert 25mm French Foreign Legion range. There are apparently 18 various bags: 4 FFL, 3 dismounted Arabs, 4 mounted Arabs, 1 Arabs on Camels, 1 FFL mule company, 1 mounted Chasseurs d'Afrique, 1 each FFL and Arab dead and wounded, 1 FFL machine gun and 1 Arabs machine gun. They also advertise for Fort Zinderhoof, a complete FFL fort in high density foam for $95.

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