... and should already be winging its way to your mailbox! (Or possibly even dropping into it as I'm running rather late with this. Sorry.) Here is the cover picture, together with a list of the contents and a short summary of each article.
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| "Do you think that this muscled cuirass makes me look just a bit like Gerard Butler in '300'?" |
Society of Ancients Convention 2023 update by Richard Lockwood
The 2023 Society of Ancients Convention (formerly known as the Conference) will take place once again at Madingley Hall, Cambridge, over the weekend 20th-22nd October 2023 and we are delighted that we have been able to hold the prices at the 2022 level. Visit the Conference page at the SoA website for more details.
Editorial and Wargaming News
The view from the Editor's chair plus extras!
Guardroom
Justin and Andreas swap opinions. (Like Pompey and Caesar at Pharsalus.)
Interview with Simon McDowall by Gordon Garrad
Simon is the author of numerous rules for the Ancient Period including Comitatus, covering the European Dark Ages, and Legio, covering the period of Republican and early Imperial Rome. Simon's emphasis is on the psychological aspects of battle on the behaviour of armies.
If you go down to the woods today by Nick Harbud
Ancient and medieval wargames often start with a flat table upon which players places various small pieces of terrain. For many battles this may be a realistic interpretation of the terrain upon which they were fought. But not always.
This article is all about the difficulty in wargaming battles where the predomi-
nant battlefield terrain is woods. History is written not so much by the victors as by the literate. Yet even when the literate side won, there is little beyond the general location and what a great victory it was for the commander. The impact of all the greenery is scarcely mentioned. Nick aims to put that right.
Raining Arrows - the debate about the medieval arrowstorm by Anthony Clipsom
Longbow tactics are one of those wonderful subjects that keep on giving for the medieval military historian. Always an audience. Never any certainty.
One such topic – the arrowstorm - has recently been the subject of an intense debate on the Society forum. This article results from that discussion.
A Dying Light in Britannia - Part 2 by Dave Hollin
This second part of Dave's article on Roman Britain and its transition to Anglo-Saxon Britain
15mm Figure Comparisons and Wargaming the Dark Ages Part 2 by Dave Hollin
A direct quote from Dave. "I looked at a total of 21 figure manufacturers .. and assessed 22 examples from them .." Now this is my kind of figure review.
2023 SOA Membership Survey by John Graham Leigh
Survey .. of wargames rules. Twenty years on from the previous published survey, what's changed? Well, there are a lot of rulesets about, for starters. Read on to discover more.
SOA Battle-Day Round Up
So the Society’s Battleday was held on the 1st April to great fanfare, or at least a cup of tea and a few hobnobs. This section is devoted to a few of the sights and experiences of the day, incuding ..
Mantinea with Alala Ruleset by Simon MacDowall
Simon plays an interesting twist on an old but classic set of wargame rules, Dark Age Infantry Slog*, to put on a game of 2nd Mantinea at the Society Battle Day.
*Old, because they written back in the '80s by Andy Callan. Classic because they incorporate mechanisms that have influenced rules writers such as Daniel Mersey and Simon MacDowall ever since. A great choice for an interesting take on hoplite warfare and all embellished with some fabulous photos of beautifully painted, 1/72nd ancient Greeks from the collection of Pete O’Toole.
Mantinea with Spartans and Successors by Nick Harbud
A scenario for 2nd Mantinea at the Battle Day using Spartans & Successors, a set of wargames rules specifically for battles from Marathon through to Raphia, by Graham Evans.
Harry Hudrow Does Battle-Day by Harry Hudrow
Three games of 2nd Mantinea played on a 2' x 4' table on the patio in Long Beach, California by a former lock, tight head prop & drop kicker. Is this society eclectic and international or what?
Hoplites in Messene by Duncan Head
Detailed, thoughtful and erudite. Thanks Duncan.
Naval Gazing - a Comparison of Naval Rulesets by Mark Wilson
Mark says he has "struggled to find a set of naval rules that are suitable to use and be integrated into a campaign game". Yep, me too. Go on then, I'm all ears to hear how you get out of this one.
15mm Figure Review - Peter Pig Midianite Camels by Steven Neate
Specific topic, I've got to say.
Ruleset Review - Hail Caesar 2nd Edition by Jeremy Giles
Jeremy's claim - "an accessible and relatively fast play set of rules, covering a wide time period and for playing amongst friends". Read the article to get the full supporting arguments and judge for yourself.
Slingshot Book, Game & Figure Reviews
Including reviews of:
Hail Caesar 2nd Edition ruleset review by Jeremy Giles
A Military Life of Constantine the Great book review by Jim Webster
The Legiones Cannenses book review by Duncan Head
Last Great War of Antiquity book review by John Graham-Leigh
Why does it matter?
A plea from the Committee. Yes, your society needs you to keep the barbarians from the gates and save the Republic from the evils of tyranny. Read on for the full, rousing recruiting speech!
