From Bob Pavlik

The first booklet was great, the second sounds even better. One of my favorite periods is the Norman, Saxon and Viking era. I have a 1:50 scenario in 25mm of the Hastings battle which we play on the anniversary of the battle.

Hope you continue with the booklets, I think they are a great idea. What's next?

(ED. I'm glad you enjoyed the Gaul Campaign, Bob. After 1066, I have one due out before this summer on the 1st Crusade which will be followed by the later Crusades this fall.)

From Brent Oman

Enclosed please find a check for $25.00 for a 1 year renewal and a copy of the 1st Pallas Armata booklet. Sorry I let my renewal go so long. After your second postcard reminding me that my subscription had expired I figured that anybody that persistent should be rewarded with a subscription renewal!

Seriously, though, I had to give extensive thought to renewing. I do enjoy SAGA -- very well done. However the cost does take a bite out of my budget for new lead. More importantly, I am not really an "ancients" gamer. I primarily play and collect from the horse and musket period (ACW, Napoleonics, SYW, Franco-Prussian, Mex-Amer., Amer. Rev.).

I have a copy of WRG 7th and find myself wanting to like the rules however every time I try to understand the stilted sentence structures and paragraphs it immediatly kills my interest. I have played DBA and it may solve my problem with "ancients" -- small number of figures in a period that is not my primary interest, plus it appears they may be usable for solo games.

From Jon Laughlin

I liked your walk through WRG article very much and found it useful and interesting. For the past few months I've been remounting my armies on strip magnets. I also found some mini-magnets that are only 10mm diameter in size. I found that by mounting miniatures on magnets it gives them greater versatility. Now when I want to convert a cavalry unit into a wedge, all I have to do is turn the stand sideways and place the lead stand in a wedge formation. It is surprising how similar some of the army lists are to each other. Where troops can be used as either LC/MC or LI/IMI/MI, I can use the same figures to represent either. I don't flock the metal bases, though there is nothing wrong with flocking the figure base or the magnet itself, but anything between the magnet and the base will weaken its grip.

From Perry Gray

Dear Terry:

Thank for the copy of CFG 451, I enjoyed reading it and think that these books will be a good method of introducing specific periods to gamers. As to the extra money, please extend my SAGA subscription. I have been selected for a tour in Europe and I want to maintain my contacts while overseas starting this summer.

I do not know what events can be attended at this time as I have now been selected for a course in England next month. This curtails attendance at Cold Wars and SIMCON unless the course is cancelled. As this happened to me in December, there in always a chance that it will happen again.

I do like your idea of a massive game as I enjoyed Jaime's ad hoc arrangement (it grow from a simple one-on-one to that monster) and of course the megagames at SIMCON. One of the facets of large games in that you suddenly have to rely on others to support your own actions. It makes one realize that battles are not fought in isolation as we usually treat them. The Ottawa club played a number of big games (4500 points per side) in the early 80's on a table 19' x 6'. Flanking actions were very dominant and led to victory on a regular basis. The only weakness was the lack of integrated armies as each player controlled a very distinct army. This usually meant that coordination was hard to achieve so that if one army fled, then the other side could insert a decisive force.

Even if unable to participate, I hope that such a game can be arranged. At least it will be different from the normal gaming.

I did enjoy your comments on Ferrill/Lindner and I have read both. I am enclosing my own thoughts on the subject for submission to SAGA (as you see fit). I have been doing some work with Jaime on developing a Middle Eastern range to compliment his Crusader figures. So far we have envisioned a combination of nomadic Turks/Mongols with the more sedentary Arab/Persian armies. The aim is to create enough figures to cover the whole spectrum of dark Ages/Middle Ages time in this area. As the dominant soldier was the nomadic horse archer, I have studied a lot of sources to research troop types and weapons/armaments. Ihave not found'too many that indicate that the nomad gave up his horse despite long contact with sedentary populations. In fact, an you are probably aware, the area of Asia Minor was a popular area for nomads because they could render the cultivated land' back to grazing land quite well.

I do not concur with a lot of the writers and theories because not enough effort goes into considering the practical applications. How many historians field test their ideas before expounding in written form? If Lindner had actually visited Hungary and studied nomadic life, then maybe his ideas would be valid. Validation is the weak link in historical research as far as I am concerned. Your point about the Pony Express proven my point as it is not a good comparison to use.

It is like the theory that the stirrup revolutionized mounted warfare. I think that if this invention was so spectacular that someone would have produced it earlier in Greco-Roman times. A people who could appreciate atomic structure and astronomy would not have overlooked a benefit like the stirrup. It in more likely that it was not missed therefore was not invented /needed. All weapons less gunpowder types were used before and after the introduction of stirrups. Thus it seems apparent that the stirrup did not add any new abilities except for the style of weapons use. Having ridden horses with and without stirrups, I did not find a significant change in balance, control or agility. I may not be an expert in equestrian activities but at least I took the time to try practical applications before putting pen to paper.

Anyway that is my vent for this letter. I hope you are well and prospering.

From Mark Serafin

Dear Mr. Gore:

First, I wish to thank you for the kind note regarding my comments in MWAN 48 about ancients rules.

Second, I wish to apologize for taking so long to acknowledge your note. I am notoriously inconsistent about returning correspondence. Ask my grandmother.

Third, you may have noticed that I've sent you some money. This is to cover the cost of an introductory copy of SAGA ($3.00) and a copy of A Wargamer's Guide to the Campaign for Gaul. 451 A.D. ($5.00). I have a friend here who seems obsessed with re-fighting Chalons-sur-Marne (the Romans always seen to win). Your book may help him in his quest to see Attila become over-lord of the Western world.

I enjoyed your memoirs of the 1990 Historicon in MWAN 49. Sounds like you had a blast (despite some rotten sounding luck in the WRG tourney). one of these years I'm going to make it to one of these conventions. Still, it's good to know there are other gamers who simulate the "fog of war" like I do from a 12 oz can.

From Hal Thinglum

(1) SAGA looked positively great this issue! Congratulations on whatever you did to achieve this level. 100% improvement.

(2) I ran your ad in #50 and just got it back from the printer Saturday night. Will be working on stuffing envelopes/etc this week. Congratulations on the publication. No charge for the ad in #50 - my compliments.

(3) Thanks for the WRG article; sorry it has taken me so long to get back and acknowledge receipt of it. Have been working two jobs -- some 75 hours per week -- and don't have time for anything except getting MWAN done. Haven't done any painting/hobby activities at all.

(4) Read Phil Barker's letter, especially his last paragraph, with interest. I am amazed that people get hung up on one-rules over another. The same thing in happening with David Bonk's column re Napoleonic Battles vs Eaglebearer. I feel most uncomfortable being the vehicle for this and must admit to feeling uncomfortable about the WRG-Tactica issue as well. Haven't been able to figure out a way to stay away from this sort of thing in MWAN but I have to. The more I think about it, the more I think perhaps the problem in that I an not overly concerned re historical accuracy and if historical acccuracy interfere with playability and fun, I throw historical accuracy right out the window. This is what I have attempted to portray within MWAN and have usually been successful.

I an afraid it leaves a very bad taste in my mouth and having published it, I am a part of it.

(5) Thanks for your remarks re MWAN; an always, they are appreciated, Terry.

(6) Am currently ordering SYW 25mm Figures from Front Rank Miniatures. Am anxious to see then on the gaming table but as I stated previously, there has not been muck painting going on as of late. Perhaps in six months or so, I can get back to my favorite activity.

Have to run; again, I must say-that I was most impressed with the latest SAGA and wish to pass on my most sincere congratulations to you for your efforts. I hope this finds you and the family doing well. We are fine here except for colds/flu bugs.

About MigsCon

Dear Mr. Gore:

Please include the following in your upcoming issue of SAGA newsletter:

MIGSCON XII will be held on Sunday, May 26,1991 from 10:00am to 6:00pm. The venue will be Pavilion 3, 2289 Barton St. E. (at Nub Rd.), HaMillm, Ontario, CUM& Eveats include historical miniatures gaming, boardgaming and a painting contest. There will also be an extensive dealers area. For more information contact Don Hlohinec. 65 First St. N., Stoney Creek, Ontario. Canada, L8G IY2 (phone: 416-662-4521).

Pleasr include this in every issue from now until May.

From George Kua:

A recent friend of mine, Terry Briggs, has sent me a copy of your fine publication, SAGA. It is a high quality newsletter. Your work is most admirable. I wish I could boast of a similar publication here in southern Florida.

I have been a miniature wargamer since the publication of Chaimmail rules quite a few years past. I have since played innumerable rules sets, mostly deserveably forgotten. Phil Barker's WRG 7th has become my all time favorite. I have found it quite playable and enjoy using it. It walks a happy medium between playability and historical accuracy/realism.

I do have a criticism of the army lists, WRG official. I am of Chinese/Mongolian descent, and have built many armies of my ancestral Far East, China in particular. The WFG lists of this region are poor at best. The armies should be much larger, the figure maximum placed considerably higher. Also peasant/levy troops in very large quantity should be made compulsory in nearly all these Eastern armies, with the Japanese list being the sole exception to these revisions. However a Japanese warrior monk list should be created as they fought separately as well as in conjunction with samurai for nearly 800 years of recorded history.

I believe that this is not due to intentional discrimination, but is due to a lack of quality research done in the original texts and native languages whenever possible and not purely relying on western translations.

I would encourage all your readers to reexamine the lists and do their own research. Self education is a very rewarding experience, and new research is vital if our hobby is to survive.

(ED. I can't agree more. Perhaps George will do up a list which I can put in SAGA.)