I'd like to encourage all MWANers to consider submitting an article or letter via email with an attachment. This makes it very easy for me to handle your submissions and reduces the amount of time and effort it takes to put an issue together. Technology is amazing, isn't it! Your Sutler's ads, address changes, and any other correspondence can be handled in this manner as well. MWANer Bill Widrick from Arizona is flying up for the Little Wars Convention in early April and staying with us. I'm really looking forward to it and hoping to put a game together for Bill and I on the Friday before the convention. I'm trying to decide whether I should do Mollowitz (SYW) in 25mm, which I had set up on the table for several weeks, based on Charles Grant's battle in his classic book - The Wargame or if I should try my new 20mm FPW figures out with the rules set "They Died For Glory" by MWANers Dave Waxtel and Bob Burke. Whatever it will be, I'm sure it will be a good time; it's been a long time since I had a wargame at my house! Perhaps, since Bill is a "guest" at our house, he will "lay down" and allow me to win - wouldn't that be the "right" thing to do? I would hate to have to remind him of his role. Col Bill Gray notes that the response to his L'Armee Francaise Vol II: The Age of Eagles Fire & Fury Napoleonic variant (recently published in MWAN) has been pretty close to overwhelming. The current and what seems certain to be the final product, Version 1.5, is still available free as an MS Word File from the author by Emailing him at hmgs@mail.hmgs.org or from the friendly folks at Table Top Tactics via www.tabletoptactics.com. Emailing Bill direct, however, will put you on his Napoleonic Fire & Fury Address group and insure you get immediate notification of any new modifications or corrections. Comments or questions are always welcome, and a Fire & Fury variant on either the era of Marlborough/Frederick or the Franco-Prussian War is up next in the till. The Address Group seems to be leaning towards Frederick, Maria Theresa and the gang. We are seeing, I believe, more and more interest in "brigade" type rules sets such Paul Koch's "On To Richmond" originated many years ago and which Rich Hasenhauer popularized with his "Fury & Fury" rules. Within MWAN, over the years, we've seen a number of variations of both rules sets. I suppose the main appeal is that they allow us to recreate the very large battles and also, for the most part, require fewer figures. Another strong point, I think, is the fact that they are "simple" rules systems. I find myself holding off on my 15mm SYW and FPW projects until a "Fire & Fury" variant comes out covering those two periods. I've mentioned a number of times re Walthers Terminal Hobby Shop, PO Box 3039, Milwaukee, WI 53201-3039, a model railroading company, has lots of items appropriate for us wargamers. In addition, they have a very quick response time to orders. I get my static grass from them. FAA, in the UK, is now carried by Fat Cat Miniatures LLC, 2819 Colombine PI., Nashville, TN 37204 (615-298-4010). FAA has an excellent selection of 20mm WWII and 28mm Spanish Civil War. They have started producing 20mm WWII vehicles and I've heard they are very good. If any producers of wargame products would like a mention of their products, just send me a catalog or e-mail as to new product releases and I'll put it in the next editorial. The Miniature Service Center, 1386 Portofino Dr., Yuba City, CA 95993 (phone/fax: 530-673-5169) is now carrying a new range 25mm Napoleonic Prussian line musketeers - Calpe Miniatures ($1.60/foot figure) and the number of poses is amazing! They also carry the Redoubt Enterprises line (they have released a line of Queen Victoria's Secret Weapons - steam tanks! As well a 28mm boxcar for the ACW, and the Trojan Horse at $99.95), ICON Miniatures (28mm WWII, Zulu Wars, and Ancients), and a new company, Global Games Europe which offers 25mm terrain for WWII Stalingrad. J&T Miniatures (gregorys@uslink.net - check out their ad in this issue) just released a number of 25mm buildings including a trappers and fur traders fort ($115), Outpost Fort ($270), Settlement Fort ($400), Western Buildings (7 different), Ea rly Russian buildings including a Farmstead ($75), Cherta Defense Network ($90), and individual pieces are available - looks like a very interesting line! Three new 15mm Merrimack ACW ships have been released: 90 Day Union Gunboat ($35), CSA General Bragg($35), and Confederate Gunboat ($30). In addition, they've added more 25mm Connoisseur items: Sioux War Party ($12), Petersburg Rail Gun ($30), and pack of rails (5/$25). If you are into 25mm Napoleonics/Sudan/ACW/etc., check out the Connoisseur range as they are very good figures and the prices are extremely reasonable. They match up well with the 28mm lines currently available. Perrin Miniatures are now available (formerly carried by True North Productions) from Don Perrin (www.perrinminis.com); they offer a line of 10mm WWII, FPW, Zulu War, and ACW. Everytime I look at listings of the Perrin 10mm line, I get visions of Isandhlwana on a 10mm scale on the tabletop! Wouldn't that be something to see? When I did it in 25mm with over 4,000 figures, I was very highly motivated to get the project completed. To get it all on the table, I had to add a foot or two on the long end of the table to provide a place for the Zulus to enter the table from the plateau. In 10mm, you wouldn't have to worry about things like that; a sixfoot wide table would be more than adequate. I would love to do this in 10mm, but I know I wouldn't have the motivation to do all that painting (again!). I see so much more mentioned of the "smaller" wargaming scales (defined as "less than 15mm" in my mind) and there is no doubt they offer us much: less expensive, takes up less space, easier to paint, visually a knock-out with large armies, allows for true flanks to be open, and more. There are more and more manufacturers of figures as well as terrain and I would expect the smaller scales (2mm/5-6mm/10mm) to grow in popularity as time goes by. For about six months, I've been planning on doing a new MWAN column "On The Smaller Side" covering figures less than 15mm in scale, but haven't gotten around to it. It's a fascinating area and has caught my interest! I still haven't done anything with my 6mm H&R painted SYW figures as I am terrified of basing them and then realizing that I am not happy with the basing approach. I'm just going to have to decide on what I want to do with them. I am sorely tempted to go with the brigade being the smallest unit (base); however, I am a little bothered by the imposed limitation of displaying it in only one formation - line - although there are methods of visually showing it in column by adding additional "visual" bases behind it populated by a few marching figures and wagons. I don't like breaking up a battalion re basing as the individual bases are too "light" and difficult to handle physically in my mind. Many Volley & Bayonet players have greatly reduced Frank Chadwick's original stand sizes to suit their own needs and this is always a possibility. A pack of H&R 6mm foot usually has two standard bearers and about 56 total figures rendering enough figures to represent two separate "units" but there is something about having all 56 represent a unit that greatly appeals to me. Fidelis Models (fidelismodells@home.com) has added military decals from TL Decals of Germany in 1/87th scale for the Wehrmacht, US Army, Bundeswehr and KFOR/FOR model kits. Len Brewer offered the following web site for palm trees, regular trees and barbed wire accessories (www.saboldesigns. net). Long-time MWANer George Johnson of GAJO, 930 Mellish Drive, Lapeer, MI 48446 (810-664-5655) offers an excellent line of painted 15mm and 25mm figures as well as purchasing and selling wargames armies. Anyone who has contact with George vouches for his honesty and fairness! Heiser's Models, POBox 6187, Lakewood, CA 90714-6187 (phone/fax: 562-860-1362; e-mail: helsermodels@earthIink. net) has a number of new kits from Trident (Panther F, Jagdpanther, Panther AAA, AAVP-7A1 Recovery USMC), Ukrainian manufacturered kits, Heiser (Somua, Panzer 35S) and they also carry the ROCCO Minitanks line. Combined Arms, 5132 E. Princess Anne Rd., Norfolk, VA 23502 (757-857- 7698; e-mail: combined arms@yahoo.com) carries the excellent 20mm UK Britannia line and his prices are very reasonable! You can get on his e-mail distribution list by contacting him to learn of new releases and the new 2001-2002 catalog is available and is very good! Congratulations, Joe! I like to see individuals such as Joe Kelly represent UK companies as he seems to be making every effort to keep prices at a reasonable level. If you are into 25mm NWF gaming, check out their Highlanders and Pathan figures as they are truly wonderful looking figures. I've added the Pathans to my 25mm collection of Old Glory and Wargames Foundry and they match perfectly. They would look great in a skirmish game with individual basing as they have a lot of character and animation! Michael Hicking of AB Figures in the UK (michaell@ab-figures.demon.com ) wants us to know the 20mm Lloyd carrier crew and radio/telephone ops is now out (www.abfiiqures.dennon.co.uk), as you know, they offer the excellent 15mm AB Figures for the Napoleonic and ACW periods. MWANer Mark Brown informs us of the following website: lacewars@yahoogroups.conn and states they also have Napoleonics, ACW, and other sites although they mainly deal with the Seven Years War. The Gallia 15mm line can be viewed at 222.warrioronline.demon.co.uk/gallia) and Warrior Miniatures can be seen at www.warriorminiatures.com. Helion & Company (duncan@helion.co.uk) reports of a new book: In A Raging Inferno: Combat Units of the Hitler Youth 1944-45 by H. Holztrager (www.helion.co.uk). Helion also produces a small 25mm figure line for the 1866 period and they are available from Brookhurst Hobbies. I recently heard from Tim Hallam of Two Dragons Productions, 18 Lipscomb St., Milnsbridge, Huddersfield, W. Yorks, HD3 4PF, UK (phone/fax: 01484-643374) who sent his catalog of 15mm figures (available from Brookhurst Hobbies in the USA - see their ad in this issue). I don't remember how I first became of Tim, but I remember he was an officer in the UK Territorial Army where he has since made Captain. If you haven't seen the Two Dragons products, check them out. I like the 15mm Sudan Dervish which are "true" 15mm's but match up well with my Essex as long as they are in separate units. I'd like to see his Dawn Of India line to determine if any would be appropriate for the Sikh War as I suspect they would be. I'd like to thank John Butler who has made the MWAN labels you've seen on your envelopes for almost 19 years. I am taking over this responsibility, though I remain very appreciative of his efforts. Thanks very much, John! Your efforts saved me a lot of time over the years! Back to MWAN #111 Table of Contents Back to MWAN List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 2001 Hal Thinglum 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