I found these four advertisements, along with a fifth ad for Galaxy-Andromeda Games, in an issue of Analog magazine circa 1978. My reaction now, 23 years after the fact, was: “Fascinating!”

But I can’t help wondering what I would have thought if I had seen these ads back then. Or why it would have been any different than seeing those same ads in a blatantly obvious wargaming magazine The Metagaming games, Cosmic Encounters (Eon) and Star Force (SPI) all make sense in an obvious kind of way. But Raid?

It’s interesting to note that a number of game companies, and not just SPI, had an advertising budget in 1978. Given the variety of ads in Analog (and there weren’t many ads for anything else in that issue), one wonders whether Analog was trying to lure wargame company ads with like F&M, Moves, Campaign or S&T. cheaper rates.