I've had a peek at the future which, by the time you read this, will be the present. A couple weeks before Origins I participated in a game-collation weekend (a first for me), and I only wish I could get that much speed and efficiency out of more that threee people at a time at work. There I had a look at the summer blockbusters, Sicily and This Terrible Sound. I've played several Chickamauga games over the years, and I'm sure I'll enjoy Dave Powell's mega-game on the topic, both because of the historical situation and the RSS's smoothness and ease of play.

Stopping at the Chickamauga battlefield park, walking the route of Longstreet's assault through Wood's fateful gap, and standing on Snodgrass Hill helped put me in the mood for this game. I must admit, to your marginal surprise, that I've never played a game on the Sicily campaign, though I have games on the topic from SPI (S&T 1982), DG (S&T 1991), and GMT (from last year) lying around. Guess which one is set up as I work on this issue here in Atlanta at "the home of Operations."

But the most minute-for-minute gaming fun I've had lately was a six-man contest of Circus Minimus, Dean's new chariot-racing game. Within the first lap, I whipped another driver, who knocked me off my chariot, then I ran down the median, leapt back onto the track, tossed a net at the guy who'd "unhorsed" me, and got killed in a fistfight with him while his unpiloted chariot sped away and other driver got trampled. Dang, how much more fun can you have? Except for very small children (like my daughter, then four, who hid under the table when we took shots in AH's Mustangs), the game's great fun. Try it. Veteran wargamers will enjoy it, and so will all your friends who think you're nuts to spend hours setting up, let alone playing, historical games. (Circus Minimus is about as "historical" as the movie Ben Hur.) If you are a series subscriber but are not signed up for the "one of everything" option, you'll have to order Circus Minimus specifically if you want a copy. And I'm confident: you'll want a copy. If you want to test drive your chariot first, you should get the chance at HomerCon.

Important: Somehow the counter sheets for This Terrible Sound ended up without any Rout markers. On 14 July Sara reported the problem, writing, "We will be taking care of this as soon as possible but at this point I can't give you a date or quite tell you how we'll do it." We already know who ordered the game and therefore needs these markers. If you don't have any suitable markers and need some right away, contact Sara (not Dean). In a pinch, you might also use the backside of the Out of Ammo markers.

Let me clarify my role at The Gamers. I edit the magazine and do miscellaneous game development/editorial chores, and I don't work at The Gamers' main office in Homer. So if you have letters to the editor or articles to submit for consideration, send them to me. If you want to sign up for or renew an Operations subscription or check on late/missing issues, you should contact one of the Three S's at The Gamers: Shirley, Sara, or Sandi. I'm happy to forward such requests as appropriate, but you'll enjoy an even quicker response if you go straight to the source. Overseas customers: Your best move is to contact The Gamers Service Bureau in your region.

Let's say that pretending to be Monty, Ben Hur, and the Rock of Chickamauga this fall still doesn't satisfy your gaming appetite. Visit The Gamers on-line store (www.tgamers.com) to find pretty much anything you want. You can take advantage of "pak" and Ops subscriber pricing on The Gamers-brand games, the Ops discount on games from our consortium members, and deep discounts on wargames and family games from numerous publishers. In addition, we offer model paints, zip-closing bags, books, gaming supplies, box art, and more Pokemon cards than your kids will ever need.

We're happy to point out, too, that Clash of Arms, with its wide variety of meaty games, is now a Gamers Consortium member.

Late Breaking News

Burma won a Charlie Award for Best Pre-WWII Game.