I hope Operations 25 hit your mailboxes about the same time my copy did, that is, just in time to get you fired up for Origins. Alas, I didn't make it to the big con this year because of business travel. The last issue went out a bit later than usual because the magnum opus, DAK, got first dibs on press time (that is, the actual time it takes to offset print the pages). If you have flipped through the game-specific books for DAK, you'll appreciate that printing the game was no trivial undertaking.

One printing job that never happened was the CSR ballot I told you to look for on your mailing cover. The ballot would have reached you too late, so there was no point including it. Dean and everyone here appreciate your votes. Some of the Charlies awarded this year are: Best Professional Wargame Magazine: Command from XTR, Best Pre-WW2 Board Game: Fields of Glory from MiH, Best WW2 Board Game: Wave of Terror from XTR, Best Graphics: GD'41 from The Gamers, Dunnigan Award: Ty Bomba. Congratulations to all the winners. I hope you have been looking at that award-winning GD'41 artwork while preparing your award-winning solutions to Lee Forester's tactical problem from Ops 25.

The success of DAK was (almost) too much of a good thing. Dean had to make a round trip to Homer to restock the game at the Origins booth. (Imagine one of those 1T truck points spending all 45 MP.) Meanwhile, though Shirley, Sandi, and Sara worked full-time on order fulfillment, lots of people got agitated wondering when that extra-deep box from The Gamers would arrive.

Patience, Patience!

The job takes enough time even without having to respond to order queries. Game release time is always extra-busy at the shop, especially when everybody wants the game. With the release of DAK and Crusader, I felt like posting one of those highway worker signs over Shirley's desk: "Slow down. Let 'em work. Let 'em live!" Regarding DAK, my own status is "green and locked" until I get this magazine out the door. After that I'll be in training, hoping to be in fighting trim by the end of September.

Yes, HomerCon is practically on top of us. If you want to find out how many tables will be taken up with DAK, you'll have to come to Homer. I'll probably be playing it there, if you want to come clobber me. On the other hand, luck had it last year that I didn't end up in an OCS furball, so I got a lot of fun and variety out of Afrika and Champion Hill against different opponents.

Don't forget to send in your letters to the editor. There are plenty of guys cranking out ideas, opinions, and arguments on The Gamers' e-mail list: hey, send me something. What about the rest of you? How many of you out there are getting information about The Gamers and wargaming in general on-line? Do you receive the Dean-O-Gram e-mail newsletter? Did you happen to see The Gamers at Origins preview material on our web site? I extracted it from the magazine and, thanks to Steve Graham's talented help, had the info available on the Web.

Of course, you have some information available right now: this issue. If like me you missed Origins, get a vivid impression here, in stereo, from our pair of roving reporters. They shared a game of World Killer and a point of view at the con. A pair of TCS games are coming soon. Read the Semper Fi preview and, to help pass the time till it and A Raging Storm appear, try the pair of micro-scenarios for GD'40 and Black Wednesday. Those of you who like tactical problems should take a look at the CWB tactics quiz. And if you still want more historical commentary to enhance your DAK experience, check out the article on supplying the Axis in North Africa (Rommel's bete noire). Had enough of the desert? Look for Dave Friedrichs at HomerCon and see if you can get a seat at the table to play Burma. Catch jungle fever (and maybe get your name in the playtest credits).