SPENCER SMITHS
John Patriquin
Reading your comments on Spencer Smith; when I became interested in wargaming again, I started buying old wargaming books on the internet. What quickly became an obsession for me was to find a copy of CHARGE! I had a worn copy of Peter Youngs' THE WARGAME from my childhood (I bought it in Boston, my first view of what could be done with toy soldiers). I eventually found a reprint of it at the online bookstore ON MILITARY MATTERS (they still have copies listed for those who would like to try to get a copy). Like many others who have a copy of this book, I too wanted some regiments of Spencer Smiths SYW figures. How I knew they were Spencer Smith's is too long (and boring) a story to tell. Shortly after I found in the back of a new Miniature Wargames magazine the address for the new manufacturer of Spencer Smith. After some correspondence, I had several packages of Spencer Smith SYW figures. Details are lacking on these figures, to be sure, but I'm not much for painting, and it is easier, for me at least, to paint details I might want on figures. Also if they are too detailed, somehow it just doesn't seem right using SYW Austrians as French troops, a problem I'm having with my Revell 20mm SYW Austrians. At the time I was trying to decide what scale I wanted to wargame in, so I was purchasing everything from 6mm figures to 54mm toy soldier molds. I wanted to place a maga-order to Spencer Smiths, but there would be time to do that later.
I believe it was around last Thanksgiving that I decided I wanted to place a large order of Spencer Smiths. The next couple of days were enjoyable, deciding what I was going to order. I soon had the order form ready, and decided to wait until after Christmas to send it. It was, after all, the largest amount to date the I was going to spend on the hobby, and that money would buy a lot of gifts for my family. My gift could wait until after Christmas, or so I thought. For a couple of days later, a letter came from Spencer Smith. I opened the letter excitedly, was it a new price list or maybe a sale on the figures? It was neither; it was a letter stating that they were discontinuing producing plastic figures, citing the molds were old and that they were too worn. However, they were still producing the figures in metal.
I have since decided that most of my purchases were going to be plastics. I have very limited resources and when I can get 48 plastic infantrymen for what I would pay for a dozen 6mm infantry one might understand where I'm coming from. One of the great things about the Spencer Smith plastics were that even a couple of years ago, a package of 30 infantry was still under $3.00! I don't know how much they are charging for their metal copies, but if I go to go that route, I will just use my 40mm Prince August molds which have the same poses. Which, by the way, leaves me to wonder if the same person designed both lines. I still hope that maybe Spencer start making plastics again. For now I will continue to check Ebay and Bartertown occasionally and maybe find a good cheap lot of them .
CONGRATULATIONS
Neil Brennan
I finally got through my new issue of MWAN and I have to say that it was all Mike said it would be and then some. I'm very impressed and have to say you guys have leaped to the head of the pack of hobby mags. I'll be showing my further appreciation shortly with a subscription and a tip of the hat.
CONGRATULATIONS! Tto you, along with your staff and contributors.
POLISHED GEM
David Allen
I just received the latest issue of MWAN and I am very impressed. MWAN during the "Hal regime" was a diamond-in-therough, but you have turned it into a polished gem!
Thanks so much for bringing such a quality product to this hobby. Please keep me informed about when my sub is about to run out ...I will keep it going indefinitely!
P.S. Have you considered expanding into other products? For example, I think One Small Step had a great idea in their monthly magazines (GameFix, Competitive Edge) that included small-scale games.
THE "NEW" MWAN
Samuel Scott
I saw the first issue of the "new" MWAN at Cold Wars and it looked great. I thought the cleaned up formatting and pictures really made the articles look their best. The content was pure "old" MWAN, which was great to see. I hope the copies given out at the show generate many new satisfied subscribers. I have always thought that the magazine, with its free rules, ideas and discussions, represents the best of our hobby- a group of dedicated and generous amateurs sharing the fruits of their experience.
CONGRATS & A CORRECTION
Bob Cordery
Congratulations on the new-look MWAN. Something good just got better!
Hal has done a great job over the years with MWAN, and I have always enjoyed reading it when it dropped through my letterbox. I must admit that I wondered if it would be the same when he handed over to someone new, but any fears that I might have entertained were groundless.
I particularly like the 'house style' that you have adopted, and making it accessible to contributors is an excellent idea. It both saves you time in setting up the magazine and gives the whole thing a visual coherence.
I was pleased to see that Hal has been passing on the NUGGETS I have been sending him to John Stafford, and that John actually mentioned them in his column. I would, however, like to correct one or two of the things he stated. Firstly, for information about Wargame Developments people are best advised to visit our website at www.wargamedeveIopments.org PRESS RELEASE THOROUGHBRED FIGURES
Thoroughbred announces new product addition: SOJERS - new range of historical figures. Portsmouth, VA April 2004:
The first releases - WW2 20mm US GIs and Germans (1943-45)
A COMPARISON Due to the vagaries and quirks of the postal systems involved, my copies of 127 [Hal's last] and 128 [Don's first] arrived in the same week! So, I compared. I loved the old MWAN - it had a wonderful organic handcrafted in a lean-too look about it. I love the new MWAN - it has a crispness and style which zings. I'll miss Hal's warm and gentle touch ,pre than I can say -- but I am now very much looking forward to the new era on the basis of this first outing.
BIG COMBAT BOOTS To FILL & A SUGGESTION
Well, I never thought Hal would actually do it, but if he had to retire from MWAN, I'm glad he didn't fold the magazine, and that he left it in appreciative hands. You've got big combat boots to fill. Good luck. I've got a few articles in draft, and if I can ever get the hang of the new submission standards, I'll try to get them sent off. (My son tells me they don't look too hard-but he's a computer programmer.)
A suggestion: Might be time to do as the English glossies do, and make use of your backlist. I do not mean to take the place of a regular issue, but I would love to see someday a collection of short rules from the pages of MWAN, reprinted in a standard format, without ads and ideally laminated in a ring binder. I don't mean amendments or adaptations, nor the advance copies of published sets. Over the last 20+ years MWAN has published short one or two-page rules sets for almost every period-the work of Aelred Glidden, Mitru Costea, Brent Oman and many others. I can't think of a better tool for trying new periods, nor for introducing new people to the hobby. I'd be happy to volunteer for transcribing or editing if it would help.
Another possible pamphlet would be a collection of scenarios for ON TO RICHMOND. There's never been a collection for those rules, but many scenarios have been written and published in MWAN and the Courier. Perhaps a collaborative effort would be rewarding. Meantime I enjoyed your first issue. Keep up the good work.
SILENCED THE DEVIL!
WHERE SHOULD THE LETTERS GO?
( My Dad!--DP)
Congratulations on a very impressive magazine! Our copy arrived a few weeks ago. I have just finished perusing it and I must say it's great. One question... Most publications put the "Letters to the Editor" either at the front or the back of the publication. In my experience, all seem to be at the front. I notice that you have placed them at Page 87. I am sure you have a reason for that. Could you enlighten me?
Hi Dad! I ran out of time to move it, but normally, you'll find it right after the editorials. Good catch! Ed.
PRESS RELEASE RAPID FIRE SUPPLEMENT AVAILABLE FROM RLBPS
Richard Marsh's new `Scenarios for NW Europe 1944-45' is now on sale.
This 72 page book offers the Rapid Fire! player no less than 17 carefully researched historical scenarios in 5 sections:
Between them, the scenarios cover every month of the NW Europe Campaign and the whole range of troops, equipment and tactical situations, including beach landings, river crossings, airborne assaults and daring raids.
Inside, you'll find a game-friendly layout, with new-look maps and special rules combined on the same page, backed up by historical background, game objectives and full orders of battle.
Each scenario also has its own `Game Notes' page, with info and hints
terrain, game design and tactics, plus all the key fighting vehicle and gun data you need to play.
The book also boasts 8 colour pages with 29 action shots of the models and figures used to game-test the scenarios: all of them close-up enough to double as painting and modeling guides.
Finally, the book includes black and white photographs, maps, tactical diagrams and hints on painting and modeling. It's the complete package for the W.W.II gamer and for other miniatures players who want to try something new!
RECRUITS IN MO WELL WORTH THE DRIVE!
As the owners of R.L.B.P.S., Ann and I receive a lot of requests each year from convention organizers to attend their shows. We look them over and determine whether or not we can or should attend. It's my preference to keep the convention schedule at one a month.
Last fall, one of our mail-order customers asked us to attend a one-day convention that he and his wife were putting on at a local high school in Lee's Summit, Missouri. My first reaction was "No - why would I drive 10 hours to a one-day show, set up the booth for only 8 hours, then tear it down again and drive home?" Besides, we had already committed to a convention that month.
In February, Duane and Laura Fleck contacted us again inviting R.L.B.P S. to put up a booth at Recruits the end of March. They caught us in the midst of winter doldrums and cabin fever - we agreed to try it. We even planned a mini-vacation after the show to make the long drive worthwhile.
Saturday morning, we arrived to find several young men ready to help us unload the truck-always a welcome beginning for us at any convention. It just got better from there on. Dealers were placed around the gaming area and we were treated to a sight you don't see often. There were adults and kids playing all manner of games; at least half if not more looked to be historical.
The Flecks, who both teach at Lee's Summit High School, are doing A FINE JOB of bringing the gamers in that area together to recruit new and younger gamers to our hobby. It is truly an example of how to keep a hobby bringing in new players and teaching a little history at the same time.
I highly recommend that if you are looking for some gaming in September, you attend the fall Recruits. There are great museums and tourist attractions in the Kansas City Area (including a Stetson factory with an outlet store, and a fine Pony Express Museum). Here is a con to take your family to: the gamers are friendly, there's a choice of gaming, the concession stand was low priced and food was delicious, and we hear the one-day event may be extended to Friday evening as well.
Now those are good reasons for a miniatures dealer or gamer to why I'll drive 10 hours. Way to go, Duane and Laura, thank you for the hard work and enthusiasm for a hobby we share and enjoy.
Botch
Robert Piepenbrink
Sam Perrin (LCol, Ret'd, RCEME,
Bob Bowling
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© Copyright 2004 Hal Thinglum
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