Slingshot 333 is with the printers ...

 ... and should be posted out to you all in the next few days!  Here is the cover picture, together with a list of the contents and a short summary of each article.

Editorial

The view from the editor's chair but also, again (I suspect, though he hasn't actually said it), a plea for more articles!  Maybe it'll be OK.  Maybe lots of members are scribbling, typing, sketching, researching and so on, but I doubt we've refilled the bucket yet. Gosh, I mean, the editor has even asked me so he must be desperate.  I fobbed him off with an excuse but the guilt is getting to me.  Ah me, where's my quill and parchment?

Guardroom

Not this issue!  The Guardroom antipasti is held over to issue 334 to make room for all the 'carne' (or should that be carnage) to be found in the main articles, which are ...

Over the Top - by Nick Harbud

Nick Harbud analyses the last battle of the Hundred Years War, at the very end of the Society’s historical period, and discusses how to game it with some popular rulesets.

Does Armour Matter? - by Mark Wilson

Armour is important, obviously, but just how useful were the different pieces of armour as fighting men with more means were better encased? Do rulesets accurately represent this? And do they accurately represent anything about warfare at all? And should they? And...

Once More into the Breach! - by Ray Briggs

Wargamers, naturally, cannot help themselves when it comes to not liking everything about their favourite ruleset. And fixing it. And turning it into a new ruleset.

Seleucid Elephants in 150BC - by Jim Webster

The Seleucids are commonly believed to have had no elephants between 162BC and 145BC. Jim Webster brings forward evidence that this was not the case and suggests tweaks to DBMM army lists for the Seleucid Empire that could be adapted to other rulesets.

Absent Generals - by David Kay

Creating an authentic fog of war joined to an equally authentic command structure has always been a big problem for wargamers. David Kay comes up with a creative solution, producing a trial scenario that got a thumbs up from his playtesters.

Characene - by Jim Webster

Characene, as a distinct and sometimes independent political entity, existed for three and a half centuries and was an important regional power. Jim Webster suggests some amendments to army lists that better reflect its capabilities, especially its naval strength.

How to Use Elephants in Tactica 2 - by Simon Watson

Before Xanthippus used them as a steamroller at Bagradas, elephants were usually deployed by Indians and later by the Successor States as an infantry screen. Simon Watson looks at why this was so, using Tactica 2 to demonstrate the efficacity of the elephant screen.

And just like the Guardroom antipasti, the Formaggi e Frutta and the Dolce of...

Slingshot Figure Reviews

along with the Caffe e Digestivo of ...

Slingshot Book & Game Reviews 

... are also held over to issue 334, probably to make room but maybe just to remove these temptations to wargaming extravagance and take the pressure off your finances following Christmas!

 

 

 

Slingshot 332 is with the printers ...

 ... and should be posted out to you all in the next few days!  Here is the cover picture, together with a list of the contents and a short summary of each article.

Editorial

The view from the editor's chair but also a plea for articles.  It seems we're running short.  Time to put quill to parchment, pen to paper, fingers to keys, whatever method floats the boat.  Hmmmm, that probably means me, too.  Dang.

Guardroom

Featuring further, gripping developments in the continuing debate about those little cubes of fate that dog our every gaming move.  The cold, cold hand of fate, the cruel talons of the dice demons or simply random fluctuations in the quantum field?  However you see it, Lawrence Greaves adds his take to the lively discussion about probabilities in wargames that was kicked off by Nick Harbud's article 'Chances Are' from Slingshot 328.

Every Man’s Hand - by Matthew Bennett and Roy Boss

Mediaeval jousts originally did not consist of lists and two knights charging each other with couched lances, but of open fields in which groups of knights, supported by infantry, fought mini-battles. Here is a ruleset that recreates this older and more military form of jousting.

Garamantes - by Jim Webster

The Garamantes were a nation of oasis-dwellers who lived south of the Roman frontier in Libya. Though not capable of fielding a heavyweight army, they did put interesting troop-types on the battlefield. Jim Webster uses their history to fine-tune the DBMM army list.

Going Back to Gaugamela - by Chris Hahn

Playing Gaugamela with l'Art de la Guerre produces an interesting game in which Alexander's Companions perform much like their historical counterparts whilst Parmenio's left flank does much more than just hold the line. Is that enough to defeat the Persian host? Read to find out...

The Sound of Battle - by Anthony Clipsom

How effective was a general's ability to control his troops through sound signals like musical instruments and shouting on a Mediaeval battlefield? Anthony Clipsom does the research and comes up with some interesting answers.

An Armati List for Cyrus the Great - by Rodger Williams

The Persian armies between 550-530 BC are rather under-represented in Armati army lists. Using DBM as a starting point Rodger Williams makes up for that defect.

Counting the Enemy - by John Hastings

How big was the Caledonian army at Mons Graupius? In answering the question John Hastings tackles the problem how how much trust can be placed in the primary sources when they give the size of friendly and hostile armies, and shows that the sources can actually make good sense.

Telamon in Anaheim - by Andrew Gledhill

DBA is alive and well in Southern California, where a refight of Telamon produced an interesting and pretty game that was clean and exciting, in the best tradition of DBA. A second Telamon was fought after lunch. Another battle report is hopefully in the works?

T’angoed! - by Nicholas Harbud

The T'ang dynasty marked the territorial apogee of ancient China. Naturally, conquering so much real estate required the services of a very effective army. Nicholas Harbud breaks down the composition of the T'ang miliary machine and his recreation of it in 15mm.

Warfare in Antiquity Conference - Rodger Williams

Rodger Williams outlines the topics discussed at the King's College conference that cover fields of particular interest to pre-gunpowder wargamers.

Slingshot Figure Reviews

Peter Studd reviews the new range of plastic 15mm ancient figures produced by the Plastic Soldier Company in connection with Simon Hall’s Mortem et Gloriam wargames system.  (I really, really mustn't read this.  I shan't.  I ... . Aiieeee! Somebody, anybody, hide my wallet!)

Slingshot Book & Game Reviews 

Including reviews of:

Mortem et Gloriam, Battles of the Great Commanders, 1. Age of Attila by Richard Jeffrey-Cook (hmmm, that name, it sounds familiar);

Mari: capital of Northern Mesopotamia in the Third Millennium (The archaeology of Tell Hariri on the Euphrates) by Jean-Claude Margueron;

Jean de Bueil: Le Jouvencel by Craig Taylor & Jane H.M. Taylor;

The Armies of Ancient Persia by Marek Adam Wozniak;

Infamy, Infamy! by Too Fat Lardies (A review of the rules by Nick Harbud?  Or maybe a cunning and unexpected flank move, by which means Nick brings reinforcements to the battle of 'Chances Are'?  You can make your own mind up when you read it.)

 

 

 

Slingshot 331 on the way

Slingshot 331 will hit the postboxes shortly. Here is a summary of the contents:

Guardroom

Notices

Honour and Loss - by Prof Phil Sabin
Phil Sabin recounts his long and stimulating acquaintaince with Patrick Waterson that spanned 15 years and was the occasion of many fruitful discussions and debates.

Sumerian Military Camel Riders - by Simon Watson
Simon Watson takes a closer look at the standard assumption that camels were used in armies only from about 1000 BC and produces arguments for their being used by the Sumerians domestically and hence probably in a military context a millennium and a half earlier.

In the Lab with the Legions - by Chris Hahn
How does one model the triplex acies legion on the gaming table? Chris Hahn sifts through Tactica II, Armati, Hail Caesar, Impetus and l'Art de la Guerre to ascertain which ruleset best replicates the iconic formation that created the Roman Empire.

Making 15mm Siena Military Companies - by Richard Lockwood
Siennese Contrade make for an interesting army list, comprising militia spearmen, pavesari, crossbowmen, javelinmen, archers and knights—and not forgetting the carroccio. Richard describes how he created an army that is as pretty as it is authentic.

Army Strengths in 13th Century Prussia - by Paul Stein
Just how large where the Prussian tribes that opposed the Teutonic Knights? Paul Stein uses smart research and reasoning to supply a surprising answer.

Refighting Cannae - by Dan Hazelwood
As every wargamer knows, Cannae is one of the toughest battles to recreate on the wargaming table in a way that even remotely replicates history. Using l'Art de la Guerre, Dan Hazelwood sets up a game scenario that promises not only historicity but also balanced gameplay.

What a Wheelie - by Simon Watson
Chariots anyone? Here is an overview of a skirmish-level game that covers every aspect of the troop type that dominated warfare in the Fertile Crescent for millennia. And the rulest itself is downloadable for free!

Aquae Sextiae with DBA - by Andy Offen
Using Big Battle DBA, Andy Offen manages to recreate an historical outcome between Marius's legions and their historical enemies, the Teutones and Ambrones, though the question of whether Marian Romans were better than Polybian Romans is still to be answered.

Slingshot Book & Game Reviews

• The Western Way of War: Infantry Battle in Classical Greece
• Hoplites: the classical Greek Battle Experience
• Greek Warfare: Myths and Realities
• A Storm of Spears: Understanding the Greek Hoplite at War
• Reinstating the Hoplite: Arms, Armour and Phalanx Fighting in Archaic and Classical Greece
• Men of Bronze: Hoplite Warfare in Ancient Greece
• Hoplites at War: a Comprehensive Analysis of Heavy Infantry Combat in the Greek World, 750-100 BCE
• Armies of the Hellenistic States 323BC – AD30, History, Organisation and Equipment.
• The Ancient War Game
• Carthage’s Other Wars: Carthaginian warfare outside the ‘Punic Wars’ with Rome
• The Life and Legend of the Sultan Saladin

Slingshot 330 is on its way...

...with an Irish stew of articles.

Guardroom
The debate continues over the credibility (and availability) of primary sources.

Zhizhi's Last Stand

by Nicholas Spratt

Gan Yanshou’s victory in 36BCE is famous, not just because it was the only time a Chinese army would kill a Chanyu of the Xiongnu Empire, or because the Han army would have to travel 3400km from the capital to get there, but because a hapax legomenon in the Hanshu’s description has been interpreted as suggesting that China faced Roman Legionaries on the battlefield that day.

An Alternative Rant

by David Kay

David Kay follows Simon Watson’s lead and has a look at the more problematic elements of current wargaming play mechanisms, troop classifications and other bones of contention.

Have at Thee, Varlet!

by Anthony Clipsom

For most of us, ‘varlet’ is just a quaint, old expression for an example of degenerate scum. Anthony digs up the fascinating Mediaeval origins behind the word.

The Red Dragon and the White Boar

by Chris Hahn

In the absence of a Battle Day with subsequent battle reports, here are several home games of Bosworth using Armati, l’Art de la Guerre and To The Strongest! Chris Hahn makes it clear that if Richard doesn’t throw away the battle with his charge, Henry is in real trouble.

Tactica II: A Ruleset Analysis

by Paul Innes

A former editor makes a good case for why Tactica II is one of the most historically accurate and playable large battle rulesets out there, among other things creating nuanced troop types using troop category and quality, and catering for details like Roman line relief.

Slingshot Book & Game Reviews

Battles and Battlefields of Ancient Greece: A Guide to their History, Topography and Archaeology

Cities of the Classical World

The Wars of Alexander’s Successors 323-281 BC. Volume II: Battles & Tactics

Slingshot 329 is about to land...

Here are the goodies inside:

Editorial - In Memoriam Patrick Waterson

Guardroom

Bosworth Field 1485 Battle Pack - by Richard Lockwood 
Bosworth Field is one of the most significant battles in English history, yet some details of the engagement are frustratingly unclear, even to the location of the battlefield—until recently. Richard Lockwood gives the findings of contemporary research.

The French at Bosworth - by Duncan head 
The French contingent at Bosworth was an important part of Henry’s army, but how large was it and how was it equipped? Duncan trawls through the sources to give a nuanced picture of mixed-arms infantry that were the beginnings of a French standing army.

Tactica II - A Personal Perspective - by Simon Watson 
For Simon Watson, Tactica II strikes the ideal balance between ease of play, historical feel, the player’s decision-making, aesthetics, and the richness of troop diversity.

Providing Your Warhorses - by Jim Webster 
Heavy cavalry has always been expensive, but Jim Webster shows just how expensive it was for the Frankish kingdom to raise good quality warhorses.

Numbers in Some Roman Battles - by Julian Lorriman 
The standard wisdom is that Gallic armies consisted of vast numbers of warriors. But reading between the lines in the sources, Julian Lorriman comes up with a different picture.

Trouble in Paradise - by David Beatty 
A good bout of bloody warfare in the peaceful islands of Hawaii where visitors in the 15th century were more likely to be met with spears than wreaths.

In One Side, Out the Other - by Chris Hahn 
Interpenetration—one unit passing through another—in most wargaming rules is limited to psiloi and sometimes light horse. But in the past other troop types possessed this ability. Chris Hahn examines the evidence to see which ruleset best replicates the historical record.

Slingshot Book & Game Reviews 

To give participants in the Society Battle Day time to prepare, the Bosworth Battle Pack can be downloaded ahead of time here.

Society news & other items of (possible) interest to members as of: Janu.., oops, let's make that February (sorry) 2020

Over at Dales's Blog there's a developing thread on the topic of 'Playing One-Hour Wargames Virtually'  (the link is to the second post in a series which happens to focus on playing a medieval game, so I felt justified in including it).  This post and those prior all have some interesting and potentially very useful information for gamers who might be thinking along these lines.

While at Ancients on the Move, Phil Steele gives a pretty thorough review of the UK DBA League - the 2020 Welsh Open, held at this year's Crusade Show, run in Penarth, South Glamorgan ('oh for a glass of Brains Dark, the true, the richest Hippocrene, with creamy head and ... ah me, the memories),  by the aptly named Penarth & District Wargames Society.  Of course. the surprise discovery in this oyster full of pearls is that Phil, ex-SoA President and avid DBA player, had hitherto never been to the show.

And for those who may have missed it, at the same blog, a 'Review of the 2019 Year' for the Society's Shows North team.

A quick reminder that there's lot's going on for Ancient and Medieval Wargamers under the auspices of the British Historical Games Society.

Check this link to get news of The BHGS Challenge 2020, to be be held at the NEC in Birmingham, alongside UK Games Expo, over the weekend of 30th & 31st May and including events focussed on games with FoG:AM, DBMM and L'Art de la Guerre, in a variety of scales.

And also Britcon (7-9th August, Manchester), The London GT BHGS Historical Teams at the end of June, and of course the almost-sold-out Roll Call coming up this April.

Over at The Wargames Website Ancients forum, news of more 15mm plastic Romans (Imperial, by the look of the pictures) but this time from Grenzer Games.  Where will it all end?  With a lighter wallet, most likely.

Meanwhile, the Devon Wargames Group have been bathing in blood, figuratively speaking, with a goodly sized skirmish, using Daniel Mersey's 'Lion Rampant' rules, between  plucky Romans and pesky Huns.  Or vice versa.  Hmmm, what's the correct name for the fear of seeming Hun-phobic?

And to close, some nicely depicted medieval eye-candy, complete with rock garden.

Slingshot 328 is with the printers ...

... and should be posted out to you all in the next few days!  Here is the cover picture, together with a list of the contents and a short summary of each article.

On the cover, the original 8 hoof drive, all terrain Roman crusher with optional rotary drier!

Committee Report - by Roy Boss

A Wargaming Rant - by Simon Watson

Simon Watson writes a Grumpy Guide to Wargaming. Like many other historical wargamers, he has issues with some rulesets in that the marriage between historicity and playability seems ever to be an unhappy one. And all those dice throws. Rules writers, take note!

From the Ground Up - by Chris Hahn

Following on the ‘When the Going Gets Tough’ article in Slingshot 327, Chris Hahn gives an overview of terrain from the perspective of the importance wargamers attach to it, how it is treated in the major rulesets, and what the ancient writers actually had to say about it.

The Field of Cynoscephalae: Battlefield Archaeology using Google Maps - by Richard Taylor

Thanks to Google Maps and Google Earth, it is becoming easier for wargamers to form a fairly accurate idea of what the terrain actually looked like at battlefield sites. Richard Taylor runs through the use these tools with Cynoscephalae as an example.

Chances Are - by Nick Harbud

In this article, based upon a presentation given at the Society of Ancients Conference in November 2019, Nick Harbud outlines the science behind the Cosmic Cube of wargaming.

Early Mediaeval Picts - by Hugh Coleman

Many wargaming army lists have Picts suddenly change into Caledonians with substantial alterations to their clothing and weaponry. Huge Coleman makes the case that in military terms Picts and  Caledonians were pretty much the same.

Wargaming My Way - by Gordon Lawrence

Like many wargamers Gordon Lawrence plays solo, but unlike many (the Editor for example), he has a fully equipped wargaming HQ shed and over 20,000 figures. Read and envy...

Slingshot Book & Game Reviews

Covering: 'Battles and Battlefields of Ancient Greece', 'Armies of Celtic Europe, 700 BC-AD 106', 'The Pope’s Army. The Papacy in Diplomacy and War', 'The reign of Emperor Gallienus. The Apogee of Roman Cavalry', 'Lost Legion Rediscovered. The mystery of the Theban Legion', 'The Battle of Edgcote 1469'.