Two worthy recipients are on my Honours list for 1996 here at the Foppingtonhaus Firstly, for demonstrating that historical research and atmosphere are not (as Richard Berg seems to think, were we to believe the little tinker's pronouncements) enemies of exciting gaming Steven Kosakowski (designer of Krieg!) is created Marshal-Duke of Treviso. World War Two has often been simulated, usually with a firm 1945 hindsight set, sometimes as an exciting game but seldom as an accurate one. Krieg! takes one into the situation that applied at the beginning of the war, and then unravels the voyage of discovery. It is a remarkable game and you all should buy a copy NOW! Secondly, for persistence in quality, for unmitigated enthusiasm, and for making my hobby a much more exciting and enjoyable place the staff of Vae Victis. On behalf of whom Theophile Monnier is to be created Knight Grand Commander of the Order of St Michael and St Gareth (the patron saints of game designing) and wear the sash and cross of the Order (the "St Foppington" as it is known). Vae Victis is bright, exciting and enthusiastic. Its high graphical standard has resulted in magazines like Command lifting their already impressive game. But Vae Victis has eschewed the chest-beating style of US magazines to neatly synthesise boardgaming, figure gaming and computer gaming in a way that better simulates the interests of real gamers (I find) that the exclusive productions. In some strange way it is a better magazine even when covering more areas than the specialist magazines on their own turf. For its irrepressible brio if nothing else this magazine deserves the accolade. Krieg! is published by Decision Games and available from good games shops, it is ably served on the Web and new versions are planned. Vae Victis is available from Histoire & Collections, 5 avenue de la Republique, 75541 Paris Cedex 11, and its fax number is 01.47.00.51.11. It accepts credit cards and one year's subscription costs 235 F - it is a bargain beyond belief. It is of course in French, but then you should have listened in class, shouldn't you! And for those of you who did not listen Web Grognards often holds Vae Victis translations which will get you started. The fact that these are done by gamers is a fair indication of the esteem in which they hold these games and this magazine. Back to Perfidious Albion #95 Table of Contents Back to Perfidious Albion List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1997 by Charles and Teresa Vasey. 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