Friday, April 13, 2012

Slingshot 281

ss281cover
The latest issue of Slingshot (number 281, March 2012), the bi-monthly publication of the Society of Ancients, has gone to the printers.

The contents of Slingshot 281 are as follows
  • Editorial: Slings & Arrows
  • Guardroom
  • The Seventh Crusade, by Keith Hawkesford
  • The Role of the Master of Dragons (Part 1), by Jim Sye
  • East Roman Cavalry Warfare and Tactics, c. 410-641, Part 3, by Ilkka ‘Ike’ Syvänne
  • Ruleset Round Table, Version 2.0, edited by Mark Watson
  • The Third, Fourth and Fifth Dynasties of Ur will Emerge Victorious!: the 2011 Victorian Field of Glory Championship, by Steven Neate
  • Figure Reviews, by Aaron Bell & David Edwards
  • Book Reviews, by Mark Watson
For more information on the Society of Ancients, please visit www.soa.org.uk.

You can join the Society at www.soa.org.uk/store.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Warlord Games joins the SoA Discount Scheme

We're pleased to announce that Warlord Games, manufacturers and purveyors of fine wargaming figures, have joined the SoA Discount Scheme.

A discount of 10% is available from the Warlord store at http://store.warlordgames.com/. To obtain the discount, you need to use a discount code on checkout. This code has been distributed to existing members by email, and will also be published in the March issue of Slingshot. The discount covers all goods available from their store - figures, rules, etc., including the newly acquired Immortal Miniatures ranges and in fact not only for the Ancients period. Many thanks to everyone at Warlord for this generous offer.

For more information about the SoA vendor discount scheme, please visit http://soa.org.uk/memberdiscounts/discounts.php.

To join the Society of Ancients, please visit http://soa.org.uk/store/

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Karwansaray Publishers joins the SoA Discount Scheme

aw_v5_cover
We're pleased to announce that Karwansaray Publishers, publishers of Ancient Warfare, Medieval Warfare and Wargames Soldiers and Strategy, have joined the SoA Discount Scheme.

A discount of 10% is available from the Karwansaray store (http://www.karwansaraypublishers.com/shop/). To obtain the discount, you need to use a discount code on checkout. This code has been distributed to existing members by email, and will also be published in the March issue of Slingshot. Many thanks to Jasper and company at Karwansaray for this generous offer.

For more information about the SoA vendor discount scheme, please visit http://soa.org.uk/memberdiscounts/discounts.php.

To join the Society of Ancients, please visit http://soa.org.uk/store/

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Back Issues Prices Reduced

Some Slingshot back issue packages have been reduced in price on the website. Specifically:

2010 & 2008 have been reduced to £15
2007 has been reduced to £10

Back issue packages include print copies of all 6 issues published for the year in question.

Worldwide postage is included in the price. The higher prices for 2010 and 2008 reflect the higher size, weight and (therefore) postage costs for the issues in those years.

This is partly to reflect our policy of making back issue packages cheaper, and partly to ensure that all the various quoted prices (notably between the website and Slingshot) are consistent. There are still some inconsistencies with the prices quoted in the January Slingshot. We'll fix these in the March Slingshot and until then continue to honour prices quoted.

Also note, 2009 back issue packages have been unavailable (sold out) for some time, although some individual 2009 back issues may be available at shows. This is because we've completely run out of stock of two of the issues for the year in question.

Slingshot back issue packages are available from http://soa.org.uk/store/store_slingshot/

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Slingshot 280

The latest issue of Slingshot (number 280, January 2012), the bi-monthly publication of the Society of Ancients, has gone to the printers.

The contents of Slingshot 280 are as follows
  • War Elephant, by Patrick Waterson
  • East Roman Cavalry Warfare and Tactics, c. 410-641 Part 2, by Ilkka ‘Ike’ Syvänne
  • The Golden Age of the Franks (751-843 AD) Part 5, by Robert Heiligers
  • Sound the Trumpets, by David Edwards
  • Naval Battles of the Lamian War 323-322 BC, by Rob Brennan
  • A Moonlit Night at the Ilian Palladium, by Alastair McBeath
  • Do-It-Yourself Transfers, by Lawrence Greaves
  • Problems with DBA, by Richard Gill
  • Where Less is More: Improvements in the Use of Field of Glory, by Steven Neate
  • DBA in New Zealand - Reflections on 2011, by Keith McNelly
  • The English DBA Open, October 2011, by Martin Smith
  • ‘On they went with loud shouts...’, Society of Ancients Battle Day 2012: Plataea 479 BC, by Richard Lockwood and Daivid Barnsdale
  • Rules, Book and Game Reviews
For more information on the Society of Ancients, please visit www.soa.org.uk.

You can join the Society at www.soa.org.uk/store.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Society of Ancients 2012 Committee Changes

The Society of Ancients is pleased to announce the following changes to its governing committee for 2012.

The new president, as of 1 January 2012, will be Roy Boss. Roy takes over from Phil Steele, who has served as president since 2006. Roy is a long time war gamer, who can recall playing at Tony Bath’s house in the 1960’s. He’s also known the author of Montvert’s long out of print, highly sought after volume on Justinian’s wars.

Taking over as editor from Richard Taylor, as of the March 2012 issue, will be Mark Watson. This will be Mark’s second period as editor, in which role he served from 2008-2010, when he oversaw the revamp of Slingshot into a new glossy format.

Finally, also joining the committee will be Rick Priestley, Patrick Waterson and Paul Innes.

Rick Priestley is a long time member of the society and a well known games designer, probably best known for his historical, sci-fi and fantasy rules, which he wrote during a long and successful career at Games Workshop. His current historical rulesets, Black Powder and Hail Caesar, have been published by Warlord Games.

Patrick Waterson has been a prolific contributor to Slingshot over the last few years. He won the inaugural Phil Barker Prize, for his article “Amazed Was I Ere I Saw Zama”, published in Slingshot 262.

Paul Innes will be well known to members as the Society's organiser in Scotland and has been responsible for running the spectacular Scottish Battle Day "embassies" at Claymore over the last few years; Paul has also been part of the Tactica II project. He'll provide welcome representation for the Scottish members of the Society.

The members of the current committee who will remain in place in 2012 are: Richard Jeffrey-Cook (Treasurer), David Edwards (Secretary), Chris Helm (Membership Secretary), Richard Lockwood, Daivid Barnsdale, and Philip Sabin.

The Society would like to thank the outgoing officers for their time and efforts on our behalf. Phil Steele has been a tireless promoter of the Society, and an ever present face at wargaming events up and down the UK. Richard Taylor has spent two years in the post that is the face of the Society to many of us, and has been an outstanding Editor.

The early renewal incentive for 2012 (available to members who renew their membership before the end of February 2012) will be a game called “Call it Quids,” a two player board game of the Battle of Kadesh, designed by former SoA President Ian Russell Lowell, assisted by Graham Evans.

Friday, September 23, 2011

2011 Society of Ancient Doubles Masters - results

DOUBLES MASTERS 2011

The Society of Ancients Doubles Masters was hosted over the weekend of the 3rd and 4th September in Abingdon by the BHGS and the Oxford club.

24 Teams competed in DBMM and Field of Glory for individual awards and for the Doubles Masters Alexander Trophy (which would go to the highest scoring pair over both events).

Field of Glory (Ancient and Medieval)
1. Terry Shaw and Simon Hall
2. Dave Handley and Nik Sharp
3. Keith Martin-Smith and Graham Evans
.... S Munton/G Briggs; D Fairhurst/L Fairhurst; D Pearce/H Pearce; D Bannister/M J Simpson; A Ellis/K Ellis; G Jamieson/R Jeffrey; D Morrisson/ J Patrick; J Akers/P Card; P Steele/C Ager; J Simpson/D Saunders ...

DBMM
1. Mike Bennett and Colin Sharp
2. Greg Mann and Mark Hare
3. Mark Priest and Lawrence Greaves
... T Richardson/K Nathan; J Morgan/T Childs; P Kershaw; J Saunders/P Saunders; S Rathgay/J Smith ...

DOUBLES MASTERS
1. Terry Shaw and Simon Hall (FoG)
2. Dave Handley and Nik Sharp (FoG)
3. Mike Bennett and Colin Sharp (DBMM)

The event also hosted FoG R and AK47 events: Alastair Harley won the FoG R and Peter Parker Harris won the AK47

On behalf of the Society of Ancients and all the players, many thanks to the hosts and organisers and congratulations to the worthy Champions

(2011 Doubles Masters: Terry Shaw and Simon Hall)