Legion sold out; another print run coming

Our recent reprint of Phil Sabin's game Legion has sold out in extra quick time: less than a month! Thank you very much to all those who placed orders, and our apologies to those who are still looking to pick up a copy. We have another print run on order and will let people know here, on Facebook, and elsewhere around the traps when it is back in stock.

Thank you for your patience!

Strategos II reprint now available

Hot on the heels of the Legion update and reissue, we are very pleased to announce the 2015 reprint of Strategos II, Phil Sabin's third-generation rules for fighting ancient battles.

Front cover of Strategos II.

Building on the ideas of Phalanx and Legion before it, Strategos II further refines Professor Phil Sabin's vision of ancient warfare. Using unique and easy-to-grasp mechanisms, it is a simple but realistic system for simulating the land battles of classical antiquity at the grand tactical level. It comes with full scenarios for 36 different engagements from the last five centuries BC, and is based on extensive study of ancient and modern sources.

This reprint is no different from the previous edition. It offers clear presentation, a comprehensive example of play, and a scenario section containing unit descriptions, historical deployment options, and a simple map for each battle. The example of play helps players to see the system in operation, while extensive design notes explain the rationale behind the mechanisms used.

Can be played with miniatures, counters, or on a computer screen.

Players have the option of jumping straight to the historical deployments or of deploying using the standard movement and command rules. The system is designed to provide a robust game framework so that players may tweak terrain or order-of-battle inputs based on their own readings of the historical evidence. The built-in handicap system allows even inferior armies a real chance of game victory and also makes the system adaptable to any scenario changes that players wish to make.

Battles may be re-fought on a computer screen using dedicated Strategos II software, Cyberboard or VASSAL (join the Lost Battles yahoo group for more information), on a paper map with counters, or on a tabletop using miniature figures. Miniatures players may use any number or scale of model figures, based in any way, on a normal ungridded tabletop. The game divides the battlefields into 20 zones, but they are so few and regular that just 12 unobtrusive dots, rocks or strategically placed trees will suffice to indicate all the internal corners.

- Once the rules are learned, scenarios can be completed in around 90 minutes.
- Provides a tried-and-tested framework that players may use to experiment with their own scenario ideas.
- Is supported by the author and experienced players on the Lost Battles yahoo group.
- Is very suitable for solitaire play.
- Is the basis for Phil Sabin's later book and game Lost Battles: Reconstructing the Great Battles of the Ancient World.

At only £6 (£4.80 for Society members) we are proud to make available again another high quality, low cost gaming product. To order a copy, go to the Society of Ancients website.

'Legion' reissued.

EDIT: Legion has proven so popular that it has already sold out! We have ordered another print run and will let people know as soon as it is available for purchase. Hopefully it will not be too far away.

The Society of Ancients is proud to present our 2015 reissue of Legion, the second in Phil Sabin's classic trilogy of grand-tactical explorations of ancient battle. Reprinted with new board and counter art, Legion revisits 36 pivotal battlefields of the ancient world, from the desperate fighting between Athens and Persia at Marathon in 490 BC through to Caesar's final victory at Munda four hundred and fifty years later.

Rule book.

- The rules and scenarios are unchanged from the first edition, but where the original game was designed primarily for use with figures, Justin Swanton's new board and counter art is designed to be played as printed.

- The rules and scenarios are based wherever possible on primary sources and are designed for simulation as well as play value. A handicap system gives both sides a chance at game victory.

- In addition to the full historical scenarios, Legion includes a fast-play introductory game and rules for tournament-style play.

- Although more detailed than both Phil Sabin's earlier game Phalanx and his more recent Strategos/Lost Battles system, Legion can still be played to completion in two or three hours and is suitable for both across the table and solitaire play.

- The game emphasizes troop quality over troop quantity, the importance of leadership, includes rules for weather and terrain, and scales to accurately represent different battles.            
                     

Game board

It is available now on the Society website for £15 (£12 for Society members) plus shipping.

Full contents (as seen below) include: rules booklet, game board, counter sheets, terrain sheets, quick reference sheet. Note that some assembly is required.

Sample counters

Sample counters

Contents of Slingshot 301

Slingshot 301 is now with the printers.

The contents are as follows:

·         An Amazing 50 Years

·         Battle Day Reports – Hydaspes 326 BC

o   with Armati

o   with DBMM

o   with Field of Glory

o   with Sword & Spear

o   with Scutarii

o   with Command & Colors Ancients

o   with Lost Battles

·         Another Battle of Thermopylae

·         Slingshot Book & Figure Reviews

·         A Digital Slingshot

Slingshot is issued six times a year to members of the Society of Ancients.  Membership currently costs £24 for six issues and includes access to Society  games,  publications,  member discounts and the Society forum. You can subscribe or re-subscribe through the store at the Society's website, http://soa.org.uk

The editor is always looking for more articles, photographs and art, so feel free to contact him through editor@soa.org.uk if you have an idea.

Also, all remaining pre-2011 Slingshots are now available at £5 per year's set. If you are interested in picking up cheap hard copies of older Slingshot bundles, more information can be found here.

For more information about joining the Society of Ancients see our homepage at http://www.soa.org.uk

Slingshot 300 Contents

Slingshot 300 for May, June 2015 is now with the printers. 

Contents include the second part of John Hastings' solo Agricola campaign, part two of Justin Swanton's article on the Late Roman Army, and an authors' forum featuring Dan Mersey (Lion Rampant), Simon Miller (To the Strongest!), William Butler (Scutarii) and Mark Lewis (Sword and Spear).

The full list of articles is as follows:

·         The Empire is Dead, Long Live the Army (2), by Justin Swanton

·         Visiting Warwick Castle, by Peter Barham

·         Agricola Against the Ordovices (2): Agricola’s Campaign, by John Hastings

·         Glasgow Armati, by Mark Grindley, John Bradley & Vincent Auger

·         Mesopotamian Warfare Notelet (8): Warriors of Ebla, by Alastair McBeath

·         ‘Alf a League Onwards, by David Kay

·         Authors’ Forum, by Aaron Bell

·         Three Against One: Modelling Metaurus, by Chris Hahn

·         Impetus in Buenos Aires, by Jorge Chehede

·         Living Memory, by John Hastings

·         Stories from the Jungle, by Mark Fry

Slingshot is issued six times a year to members of the Society of Ancients.  Membership currently costs £24 for six issues and includes access to Society  games,  publications,  member discounts and the Society forum. You can subscribe or re-subscribe through the store at the Society's website, http://soa.org.uk

The editor is always looking for more articles, photographs and art, so feel free to contact him through editor@soa.org.uk if you have an idea.

Also, all remaining pre-2011 Slingshots are now available at £5 per year's set. If you are interested in picking up cheap hard copies of older Slingshot bundles, more information can be found here.

For more information about joining the Society of Ancients see our homepage at http://www.soa.org.uk

Note to members: for some of us, membership will expire after issue 300.  If you are not sure when your renewal is due, check the envelope containing your Slingshot. If your membership number starts with the number 299, you need to renew now.  Please try to renew in plenty of time so that you have no problems getting your copy of 301. 

Slingshot 299 is at the printers

We are happy to report that Slingshot 299 is on schedule and should not be too far away. It's with the printers now, but in the meantime, here's a look at what's coming up in this edition.

·         The Thessalian Cavalry, by Robert Heiligers

·         Killing Elephants and Frightening Horse, by Phil Barker

·         Mesopotamian Warfare Notelet (7): Warriors of Kish, by Alastair McBeath

·         Agricola Against the Ordovices (1): Setting Up the Campaign, by John Hastings

·         Destrier Rides Again!, by Matthew Bennett

·         Expedition to Srivijaya, by Nicholas Spratt

·         Visiting Berkeley Castle, by Peter Barham

·         Tarrington Tourney DBA 2014, by Martin Smith

·         Of Horse Archers and Their Bases, by David Kay

·         The Empire is Dead, Long Live the Army (1), by Justin Swanton

Slingshot is issued six times a year to members of the Society of Ancients.  Membership currently costs £24 for six issues and includes access to Society  games,  publications,  member discounts and the Society forum. You can subscribe or re-subscribe through the store at the Society's website, http://soa.org.uk

The editor is always looking for more articles, photographs and art, so feel free to contact him through editor@soa.org.uk if you have an idea.

Also, all remaining pre-2011 Slingshots are now available at £5 per year's set. If you are interested in picking up cheap hard copies of older Slingshot bundles, more information can be found here.

For more information about joining the Society of Ancients see our homepage at http://www.soa.org.uk

Note to members: for some of us, membership will expire after issue 299.  If you are not sure when your renewal is due, check the envelope containing your Slingshot. If your membership number starts with the number 298, you need to renew now.  Please try to renew in plenty of time so that you have no problems getting your copy of 300.

Slingshot 298 preview

Update: Slingshot 298, for January and February 2015,  will soon be on its way to subscribers.

Articles in this edition include:

• Hydaspes Battle Pack, by Richard Lockwood
• The Society of Ancients Championship, by John Graham-Leigh & Martin Smith
• Command & Colors on the Tabletop (3), by Steven Neate
• Mesopotamian Warfare Notelet (6): Three Mysteries of the East, by Alastair McBeath
• New Works on Early Byzantine History, by Jim Sye
• Virtual Triremes, by Richard Taylor
• Visiting Skipton & Corfe Castles, by Peter Barham
• Behind the Curve – Archery in Wargames, by Nick Harbud
• The Battle of Dunnichen 685 using Dux Bellorum, by Steven Neate
• Light Infantry in the Ranks of Cavalry, by John Hogan
• Follow That Leader, by David Kay
• The China Game, by Mike Haran

Slingshot is issued six times a year to members of the Society of Ancients.  Membership currently costs £24 for six issues and includes access to Society  games,  publications,  member discounts and the Society forum. You can subscribe or re-subscribe through the store at the Society's website, http://soa.org.uk

The editor is always looking for more articles, photographs and art, so feel free to contact him through editor@soa.org.uk if you have an idea.

Also, all remaining pre-2011 Slingshots are now available at £5 per year's set. If you are interested in picking up cheap hard copies of older Slingshot bundles, more information can be found here.

For more information about joining the Society of Ancients see our homepage at http://www.soa.org.uk

Note to members: for some of us, membership will expire after issue 298.  If you are not sure when your renewal is due, check the envelope containing your Slingshot. If your membership number starts with the number 298, you need to renew now.  Please try to renew in plenty of time so that you have no problems getting your copy of 299.