Slingshot 267

The latest issue of Slingshot is 267, publishing date November 2009. It still seems to wending its very slow way through the snow from printers to mailing house and thence to subscribers.

The next issue will be the January issue (which I actually hope to get to the printers in January).

This issue is 60 pages long, not including the cover pages. It's published in the same format introduced with issue 258.

The contents of Slingshot 267 are as follows. For games articles, I've indicated the relevant rule set where it's not immediately obvious from the title; with historical articles I've tried to indicate period if a similar issue applies.

• Mercenary Genitors in the 1470s, by Duncan Head
• Constantius II, Ammianus, and the Big Parade, Part 3, by Jim Sye
• The Gladius vs. the Sarissa – The Battle of Heraclea 280BC, by Jeff Champion
• The Battle of Pydna, by Richard Taylor
• Battle of the Year: the Decisive Victory over Varus, by Robert Heiligers
• AMW’s Lost Battles I – Marathon, 490BC, by Graham Evans
• Combining ‘Empire’ and ‘Lost Battles’, by Philip Sabin
• Army Choice in DBA – The English DBA Open 2009, by Martin Smith
• Results of Legion 2009 DBA Tournament, by Martin Smith
• Welsh DBA Open Championship, January 31st 2009, by Martin Smith
• [ Armati ] AD 9 – “Give Me Back My Legions”, by Mark Fry
• Clash of Iron, Flash of Bronze: FoG Ancients Campaign rules, by Christopher Webber
• Games Reviews, by Christopher Webber
• Book Reviews, by Robert Heiligers & Mark Watson
• Guardroom

Monarch Books and Iceni Games join SoA Discount Programme

I am delighted to announce that Monarch Books and Iceni Games are now offering a 10% discount to members on orders over £15 in value on purchases made either through the website or at shows. This includes both books and minatures.

The websites can be found at:
www.monarchmilitarybooks.com
www.icenigames.co.uk

The Monarch side will concentrate on the Publications area of their business eg Rules and Books etc, and Iceni will be the place to go for Xyston and other miniatures, boardgames etc.

As usual, email them in advance of making your order, telling them your membership number and your intnetion to order. They will help you through the process to obtain the discount.

Slingshot Editor's Prizes

As sent out to the Society Yahoo! Group:

"Time once again for the announcement of the year's editor's prizes (i.e. the subset of SoA prizes which are within the grant of the editor), and following on from our esteemed president's announcement of the new Phil Barker prize. This year, I should mention, the list of potential prizewinners was significantly longer than the list of actual winners. To avoid various cats getting a good kicking, I won't list the articles and authors that just missed out. But it's a good thing to have such a large reservoir of quality material (and the amount currently "in the hopper" is actually more than at any other time when I've been editor), and it reflects the amount of new, high quality material that has come in over the past 12 months.

The prizes are awarded for articles published in the 6 issues running from November 2008 to September 2009 (reflecting the fact that they would have previously been announced at the AGM). Some "series" articles do cross the "consideration year" boundary, and those that do so this year will be eligible for consideration in the 2010 prizes.

• The Editor's Prize: Doug Melville, for "Putting it All Together: the Sasanians Re-Examined", S/s 260, 261, 264
• The Charles Grant Prize (for a historical article in the period pre 500 BC): Alastair McBeath, once again, for his Mesopotamian Warfare series, S/s 261-266 and ongoing
• The (inaugural) Phil Barker Prize (500-1 BC): Patrick Waterson, for "Amazed Was I Ere I Saw Zama", S/s 262
• The Ian Greenwood Prize (1-1000 AD): Stewart Hey, for "Ambush at Callinicum 531AD", S/s 263
• The Alan Nickels Prize: (post 1000 AD): Mick Hession, for "Cogadh Gaedhil, Medieval Irish Warfare 600-1500AD", S/s 263-265
• The award for Best Wargaming Article, kindly sponsored by Gripping Beast: Adrian Goldsworthy, for "Thinking About Romans", S/s 263-266 and ongoing

Congratulations to the winners. David Edwards will be contacting them individually to establish the how they'd like to receive their prize."

Championship Standings Now Online

The championship standings are now online - they are updated live by Bill Thurlow, as he processes and validates the results. I'll try and find a way of subbing to the results page via email, and update the blog when it's there. Till then, keep an eye on that page.

Phil Barker Prize

New Slingshot Prize.

To reflect the number and quality of material submitted for publication in the BC periods, The Society of Ancients has added a new prize to the honours it awards for contributions to Slingshot. The Charles Grant Prize will now cover contributions from the earliest periods of warfare up to 500BC. The new prize will cover the period 500 BC to 1 AD.

In 1971 WRG published Armies of the Macedonian and Punic War by Phil Barker - the first in a ground breaking series of books aimed at wargamers, and attempting to translate the latest research into clear and reliable reconstructions of the soldiers of the ancient world. Barker’s next in the series, Armies and Enemies of Imperial Rome, went through 4 editions over 10 years and is widely recognised as a definitive guide to the appearance of the Roman Army. For many enthusiasts, the modern approach to historical wargaming in these periods began with Phil Barker’s unique contributions.


(Phil Barker, left, presents awards at the English DBA Open)

In recognition of his immense contribution, through stand alone publications, WRG rules and Slingshot articles, The Society of Ancients has named its new award for outstanding contributions to Slingshot in the period 500 BC to 1 AD The Phil Barker Prize.

For a brief appraisal of Phil Barker’s contribution to wargaming, there is a Wikipedia entry at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Barker

Phil Steele
President

Gorgon Studios offers SoA members 10% discount on its figures

I am delighted to let you know that Gorgon Studios, the US-based company, has very generously agreed to offer Society members a 10% discount on their figures

Please note that this is ONLY for purchases made through the webcart at their website http://www.gorgon-studios.com/. Members should have their membership number handy to enter during the purchase process for verification.

Gorgon Miniatures has Steve Saleh’s 28mm range of early Spartans which represents the Spartan army of the Persian Wars, including the battles of Thermopylae (480 BC) and Plataea (479 BC).
Gorgon Miniatures also recently announced its first original historical line of wargames figures, the Etruscan army of Lars Porsenna, again sculpted by Steve Saleh in 28mm. This range represents the Etruscan army of roughly 600 BC to 474 BC – when at the Battle of Cumae the Etruscans suffered a defeat that would see their influence in Italy diminish.

Slingshot 266

The latest issue of Slingshot is 266, publishing date September 2009.

The next issue will be the November issue.

This issue is 60 pages long, not including the cover pages. It's published in the same format introduced with issue 258.

The contents of Slingshot 266 are as follows. For games articles, I've indicated the relevant rule set where it's not immediately obvious from the title; with historical articles I've tried to indicate period if a similar issue applies.

• Guardroom
• Hannibal’s Masterpiece: The Battle of Cannae, by Patrick Waterson
• Crusader System Lists for Peloponnesian War, by Craig Woodfield
• Constantius II, Ammianus, and the Big Parade Part 2, by Jim Sye
• “Then Adab was defeated and the kingship was taken to Mari”: Mesopotamian Warfare Notes IX, by Alastair McBeath
• Callinicum 531AD with Commands & Colors: Ancients, by Andrew Lawrence
• Thinking About Romans – Part Four, by Adrian Goldsworthy
• (FoG) Society of Ancients Championship Battle Report: Alexandrian Macedonian v Classical Indian, by Richard Lockwood
• (2mm figures) Watch Your Armies of Thousands Conquer the Known World!, by Craig Dobson
• They’re Coming! A Warmaster Ancients Tournament Report, by Marc Adda
• Book Reviews, by Steve Brennan & Chris Webber
• Figure Reviews, by Richard Lockwood, Theo Roske, David Edwards & Mark Watson