Here it is, another year passed by and time to plan ahead for the next six issues of SAGA. First the bad news. Due to the increases in postal rates, as well as added printing costs, I will have to raise the price of a year's subscription to $25.00 starting with issue 49. I have been able to avoid doing this for the last few years, but no longer. I hope that this does not provide a hardship to most of you, but if there is a problem, please get in touch with me and we might be able to work something out. Also, I am in dire need of articles from the readership. This issue is a prime example of the problem with reprints from SLINGSHOT and a long article 0 n (actually a chapter, less footnotes, which I decided not to include in NEGLECTED HEROES taking up the vast majority of the newsletter.

What with the popularity of DBM and the rising interest in ARMATI, I had hoped to garner more articles than have arrived so far. As for all you WRG 7th fans ... let's get something in the mail so that for the next issue, there will be a larger and more diverse variety of subject matter.

With spring coming, there will be more gaming going on, I hope, as this winter I have managed to play a total of three miniature games. With the weather warming up, it's easier to plan to have someone over and, with HISTORICON looming on the distant horizon, the Early Crusaders had better get some battle experience!

This is a fascinating period, with a wide variety of troop types allowing for the all important combined-arms tactics promulgated and utilized so. successfully by Robert Guiscard and his son, Bohemond, arguably the best general of the First Crusade. The use of 'D' class Irregular pilgrims is something of a problem, but I think I've come up with a way to effectively use them ... only a few practice games will tell.

Lately, I've been working on my next major project (as I eagerly await the copy edited version of N.H.), which started out to be a military history of 1066, but has since been expanded into a study of Dark Age/Medieval battlefield tactics. It's fascinating to read dozens of contemporary chronicles and then study the numerous interpretations of them by hundreds of 'experts' and military historians from the last 100 years. Though there are many valuable insights and discoveries which have been written of, it is still most valuable to go back to the sources, read them and interpret them for yourself.

This issue ends the eighth year of SAGA's publication. I still enjoy doing this, though the time restraints are hectic at times, but as long as I can get enough material (a second pitch, you see) , I'll keep the newsletter going. Most of you will be up for resubscription at this time, so please get your check or money order (made out to T. Gore) to me as soon as possible. Thanks and send me articles!