Nic Birt I found the latest LW very stimulating. The ‘campaign rules without maps’ article was the result. The article has no new ideas but they are the way I have interpreted other member’s ideas and adapted them to my use. Forum was interesting. I hope more members are encouraged to share the ways they play solo wargames because we all look at the hobby from a unique viewpoint. Sharing our approaches to solo wargaming enables us all to broaden our appreciation of the hobby so continuing the cycle of idea growth. Without such stimulation our games soon run the risk of becoming repetitive and boring. I always enjoy reading articles from the viewpoint of a ‘new author’. Thanks to you and the committee for the time and work put into the SWA. [Nic, Thanks for the article. I really enjoy reading of how other members’ solo and especially new members, because there may be an idea or two I can ‘borrow’. Kenn]. David Heading If you run across anything renaissance related that needs reviewing, I'd be very happy to do so. I'm fairly much a one track gamer as opposed to a butterfly - I game pretty much anything from 1500 - 1700, with a bit extra at the ends. I think this is largely because within that period, you get everything from stone age natives against 'high' technology, while the technology isn't so high as to mow the natives down in droves, to the linear tactics of Marlborough and his friends and enemies. As I game in 6 mm, solo, I can actually afford to put many of the armies on the table. If I'm feeling really flush, I buy double the amount and double base - now that looks like an army to me. I originally got into the period via an old Battle magazine article on the ECW, and an advert for Peter Laing 15 mm ECW figures, back in the days when 15 mm was considered suspiciously small. Time for my nap. [David, Will bear you in mind, but I must warn you I have recently been sent a copy of Warhammer ECW Rules and needless to say have found the need to urgently ‘recruit’ more 15mm figures to the colours. Had a couple of games with them, so far and have been moved from deepest despair to the highest reaches in my role as Montrose. I believe if you are going to have an ego trip then think Big! More on these rules later. Kenn] Dave Woollcombe-Gosson Please find attached a submission for Lone Warrior [Scouting]. I confess I was spurred into action by the letter enclosed with the last issue. I have been intending to submit something for some time, but would no doubt have fiddled with it for several more months had it not been for your timely kick up the backside. One of main problems in generating something for LW has always been that whilst I have quite a comprehensive set of personalised campaign rules (and the bare bones of a tactical system), almost all of it is adaptations of others' ideas. If I strip out all the copyrighted bits I'm left with something that makes no sense as a stand-alone article. Even the attached article is not entirely "clean", but hopefully I've kept just the right side of legal by acknowledging my sources. Please feel free to edit it, however, if you feel my plagiarism has been too blatant. A previous version of this article has been published in The Gauntlet magazine and, via that, is available at Magweb.com. If you feel that that means a significant proportion of members have seen this before and that hence it is not worth publishing this updated version I will understand. BTW if any members with access to the internet are not members of Magweb.com I cannot recommend it highly enough. On the subject of your letter, whilst in my case it clearly achieved its aim, I do hope that the time will never come when non- or rare contributors to LW are made to feel unwelcome within the SWA. As a serving member of HM forces with a young family to catch up with when I am at home, the number of times I have actually placed figures on baize over the past 2-3 years can be counted on the fingers of one hand. As such my wargaming is most often restricted to grandiose day-dreams and vicarious enjoyment of others' endeavours through the pages of LW and suchlike. I get a great deal from being a member of the SWA and hope I will continue to be welcome to do so, even if I am not always in a position to give much back. Best wishes for the season and may your plans always survive first contact with the enemy in 2002. [Dave, Thanks for the support. I know exactly how the way military life and family have a habit of getting in the way of gaming. Worry not about the ‘copyrighted’ bits, because it is very seldom any member request this from us. Most are more than willing to share their ideas, rules etc. for the good and benefit of all, but that said I do respect any member who wishes to retain copyright. From a personal point of view, ‘If I wrote it and you can use it, then please do so!’ Kenn.] Back to Table of Contents -- Lone Warrior #139 Back to Lone Warrior List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 2002 by Solo Wargamers Association. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com