Slingshot 265

The latest issue of Slingshot is 265, publishing date July 2009. The next issue will be the September 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 265 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
• Cogadh Gaedhil: Medieval Irish warfare 600AD-1500AD, Part 3, by Mick Hession
• Mallets and Mules, by Duncan Head
• “When he crossed the seventh mountain range, his intuition led him to the cedars”: Mesopotamian Warfare Notes VIII, by Alastair McBeath
• Battle Day 2009 – Callinicum 531AD, by Richard Lockwood
• Callinicum Piquet’d, by Adam Hayes
• Callinicum 531 AD – Peter Pig’s Conquerors and Kings & Warmaster Ancients, by Martyn Simpson
• Callinicum, AD 531 – Armati II report , by Matthew Bennett
• Callinicum Using Big Battle DBA, by Sue Laflin, Paul Glover, Ian Tanner, and David Latham
• Callinicum in the FoG, by David Edwards
• Callinicum 531 CE – Tactica II in Scotland, by Paul Innes
• [ WAB] Thinking About Romans – Part Three, by Adrian Goldsworthy
• [ Armati ] Magnesia, by Mark Grindlay
• Crusader Army lists for the Peloponnesian War, by Craig Woodfield
• [ Tony Bath Rules ] Back to the Jurassic, by David Barnsdale
• Thracian Enhancements for Field of Glory , by Christopher Webber
• The Battle of the Lyginus River, 335 BC: A Field of Glory Scenario, by Christopher Webber
• Book Reviews, by Jim Webster, Anthony Clipsom & Mark Watson
• Figure Reviews, by David Edwards, Richard Lockwood & Mark Watson

Slingshot 264

The latest issue of Slingshot (number 264, May 2009), the bi-monthly publication of the Society of Ancients, just went to the printers. Apologies for the lateness of this 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 264 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
• China & Nanhai, by John Walsh
• Cogadh Gaedhil: Medieval Irish warfare 600AD-1500AD, Part Two, by Mick Hession
• Xenophon’s Chariot, by Jim Webster
• “He traversed five mountains, six mountains, seven mountains” – Mesopotamian Warfare Notes VII, by Alastair McBeath
• Constantius II, Ammianus, and the Big Parade, Part One, by Jim Sye
• Putting it all together (The Sasanians re-examined), Part Three, by Doug Melville
• Parthian infantry spearmen, by Nigel Tallis
• New Works on Early Byzantine History from  Bulletin of British Byzantine Studies, (35), 2009, by Jim Sye
• Report on The English DBA Open 2008, by Martin Smith and Richard Pulley
• [AMW] The Trebia in Sixty Minutes – Promoting the Society During Summer 2008, by Graham Evans
• DBMM at Britcon 2008, by Chris Jolley
• FOG or Mist: The Battle for Middle Earth, by Steven Neate
• [WAB] Thinking About Romans - Part Two, by Adrian Goldsworthy
• Ruspina, 46BC – Reconstructing a Battle the ‘Lost Battles’ way (part 1), by Gavin Pearson
• Book Review: Britannia The Failed State, reviewed by Stephen Brennan
• Figure Reviews: Baccus 6mm Sasanians, reviewed by Doug Melville
• Figure Preview: Perry 28mm War of the Roses Plastics
• More Book Reviews, by Mark Watson

As usual, I'm looking for more material in general and some game specific articles in particular, right now of the more popular systems Armati, FoG and Warmaster material would be good.

Slingshot 263

The latest issue of Slingshot (number 263, March 2009), the bi-monthly publication of the Society of Ancients, went to the printers last Monday. Apologies for the lateness of this issue. My understanding is that the issue has been delayed a further couple of days to accommodate the printing of membership cards, which are enclosed with the magazine, so it may be another week before it arrives with you. The incentive game is not included with this mailing and will be sent separately.

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 263 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.

• Cogadh Gaedhil: Medieval Irish warfare 600AD-1500AD, Part I, by Mick Hession
• The Battle of the Granicus, by Patrick Waterson
• Recent Reconstructions of the Battle of the Granicus, by Philip Sabin
• “Oh merchant, how you use up silver!” (Mesopotamian Notes VI), by Alastair McBeath
• Ambush at Callinicum 531 AD (The Case For Reliable Arabs), by Stewart Hey
• The Longbeards, by Robert Heiligers
• [DBA] Campaigns for Wargamers 7 – The Normans in Italy, by Paul Burton
• [WAB] Thinking About Romans, by Adrian Goldsworthy
• [AMW] Ancient and Medieval Wargaming, by Neil Thomas
• Of Brushes and Bowstrings, by David Edwards
• Honouring the Dead, by Edward Harvey
• Plastic Alchemy Update 2008, by Andrew Lawrence
• Book Reviews, by Marc Adda, Phil Barker & Will Whyler
• Figure Reviews: 28mm Celts and Romans, Tibetans & Macedonian Successors, by Mark Watson
• The Great Commanders at Milton Keynes Campaign: 9 -10 May 2009, by Graham Evans

Slingshot 262

The latest issue of Slingshot (number 262, January 2009), the bi-monthly publication of the Society of Ancients, has gone to the printers. My expectation is that it will be mailed out to society members around 12 February. The issue also includes results forms for the Society championship.

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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 262 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.

• “He moored the ships of Meluḫḫa, Magan, and Tilmun at the quay of Agade”, by Alastair McBeath
• The Army of Massalia, by Jim Webster
• Amazed am I ere I made Zama, by Patrick Waterson
• Food, land and fertility and the troops you can support, by Jim Webster
• In the Field with Belisarius, by Paul Burton
• Elephants and Things, by David Edwards
• Callinicum 531 AD, Battle Pack 2009, by Richard Lockwood, Phil Halewood & Jim Sye
• Zenobia on the Field of Glory, by John Hogan
• Refighting Cannae in DBMM, by Michael Campbell
• “Is Eight the Magic Number?” – Army sizes in AMW, by Graham Evans
• The Greeks invade Rome…and a plan doesn’t come together…in WAB, by David Carruthers
• Rules Design Forum: Lost Battles, with Philip Sabin
• Wheeling Units in AMW: an Analysis by Graham Evans
• Comparative Religion 102: Field of Glory and DBMM Rules Compared on the Wargames Table, by Ray Briggs
• Figure Reviews: 15mm Eastern Islamic, 28mm Caesarian Romans, Normans, Medieval Spanish, Imperial Romans and Celts, by Richard Lockwood and Mark Watson

Site Move

A brief note for anyone subscribing to this blog on RSS. Firstly, I didn't update it in a while (but then you know that). Secondly, it's now moving to the SoA website proper, where it will be available at http://www.soa.org.uk/blog/slingshot_blog/.

As for Sllingshot, January's edition went to the printers earlier this week, and should ship in the middle of next week. I'll post more detail (here!/ closer to that time.

Slingshot 260

Sorry for not posting in what seems like the longest time. I'll type in my excuses later. Anyhow, just to prove I haven't been completely idle, Slingshot 260 has now gone to the printers. According to those same printers, this issue should be mailed to members next Friday (26 Sept).

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 260 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 (reader letters and errata for previous issues)
• Macedonian Military Culture and World Impact: Perspectives & Impressions, Part 3, by David Karunanithy
• Putting it all together – New light on an old friend, Part 1 [Sasanians ], by Doug Melville
• [ DBMM ] Spartan Expeditionary Forces 415-302BC, by Jim Webster
• [ DBMM ] It’s the Bishop – The army of Synesius, bishop of the Pentapolis, 400AD-412AD, by Jim Webster
• [ DBA ] Campaigns for Wargamers 5 – The Barons’ War, 1264, by Paul Burton
• The Case Against Points, by Gareth Griffiths
• My First Try at Running a Warmaster Ancients Tournament Campaign, by Marc Adda
• Naked Guys with Pointy Sticks: the Armies of El Dorado for DBMM, by Dave Turner
• Demonstrating Field of Glory at Valhalla 2008, by Richard Jeffrey-Cook
• Poitiers Using Warmaster, An SoA Battle Day Report, by Grant Thomas
• The New DBMM Army List Books, by Phil Barker
• Comparative Religion 102: A comparison of FoG and WAB, by Craig Woodfield
• Subordinate Commanders on the Wargames Table, by John Hastings
• Rules Design Forum: Ancient & Medieval Wargaming, by Neil Thomas
• Rules Design Forum: The Arcane Warfare Project, by Jerboa
• WAB at Historicon, by David Daly
• “Hannibal’s Army”, by Ian Stephenson, Reviewed by Richard Naylor
• “Syracuse 415 -13 B.C.”, by Nic Fields, Reviewed by Phil Steele
• “Special Operations in the Age of Chivalry, 1100-1550”, by Yuval Noah Harari, Reviewed by Phil Steele
• The Wars of Alexander’s Successors 323-281. Volume 1: Commanders and Campaigns, by Bob Bennet and Mike Roberts, Reviewed by Jeff Champion
• Hadrian: Empire and Conflict … at the British Museum. Exhibition Reviewed by Mark Watson
• Figure Reviews:28mm Sumerians; Romans and Celts, Reviewed by Alastair McBeath & Mark Watson

I'm looking for articles for the November issue, and would appreciate any submissions by the end of October.

Slingshot 259

The latest issue of Slingshot (number 259, July 2008), the bi-monthly publication of the Society of Ancients, has gone to the printers and first copies should arrive with members this week.

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 259 are as follows. For games articles, I've indicated the relevant rule set where it's not immediately obvious from the title.

• What Have the Mongols Done for Us?, by John Walsh
• Macedonian Military Culture and World Impact: Perspectives & Impressions, Part 2, by David Karunanithy
• A Wise Man Never Sleeps, by Alan Colquhoun
• [ Armati ] Cats May Look at Kings, by Mark Grindlay
• The 5th Annual Society of Ancients Battle Day – Poitiers 1356 AD, by Richard Lockwood
• Battle Day – Poitiers under Days of Knights, by David Edwards
• Battle Day – Poitiers using Arcane Warfare/Arcane Battle Composer, by John Hills
• Battle Day – Poitiers with DBM and AMW, by John Graham-Leigh
• Battle Report: Stirling Bridge – 11 September 1297, using Day of Battle III , by Chris Parker
• [ Warmaster ] The Samurai – The Battle of Chungju 1592 AD, by Rick Priestley & Rob Broom
• The Akkadians at Challenge – DBMM Tournament 2008 Report, by Steve Rathgay
• [ WAB ] Coffers of the Suffetes, by Dave Pauwels
• A Field of Glory at Caesar’s Challenge, by Steve Neate
• Legion DBA 2008, by Jo Russell
• Warmaster Ancients Campaign Report, by Dane Stephens
• FoG in Birmingham – UK Games Expo 2008, by Nik Gaukroger
• Comparative Religion 101: A Comparison of DBMM and FoG, by Ray Briggs
• AMW – A Reply to “Zesty Ancient Warfare” and Some Additional Classical Army Lists, by Neil Thomas
• “Immortal Fire”, A Supplement for Field of Glory, Reviewed by Tim Thompson & Rob Van Der Laan
• “Legions Triumphant”, A Supplement for Field of Glory, Reviewed by Tim Thompson
• Figure Reviews – 28mm Celts, Romans and Early Saxons, Reviewed by Mark Watson
• Guardroom

There have been a few delays with this issue, for which apologies. Hopefully they'll have been addressed with the next issue. Issue 260 is now in layout and will I hope go out in early September. I'd encourage any contributions for that issue to be in to me by mid-August, and any letters for Guardroom to arrive by end August.

Thanks

Mark

Society of Ancients Web Store up and running

Today's big marketing push - the SoA web store is live on the new site. Well done to our webmaster, Peter Barham. Use the navigation bar on the left to move between mass purchases of games and mass purchases of publications. My top buy - the DVD, which contains all the issues of Slingshot from just before the ice age up to and including 2005 (but it's only available to society members, so make sure you join up at the same time). By the way, I'm not sure people realise that the subscriptions are by calendar year - whenever you subscribe in the current year, you get all the issues for that year so far, and then get the issues sent through for the rest of the year, as they come out.

Couple of other announcements as well - if you re-upped your subscription in time (I think before the end of February) you also get an incentive, which has been for quite a while a game - this year's game is called "Roma Invicta?", is written by Garrett Mills and Phil Sabin, and provides a strategic perspective of Hannibal's campaign in Italy, 218 to 216BC. Now, we've had a number of production delays with this, and ultimately it ended up with the same new printers who published the latest Slingshot. It's just arrived with members in the UK, and you should also be seeing it further afield in the next few days.

And ... there is a new mailing list for society members. If the committee has your email address, you should have received an invitation. We've started it to try and provide a closer means of communication between the society's committee and the membership. I plan to start running polls on it as regards various thoughts we have for Slingshot. So if you haven't responded to your invitation, please do so!

Slingshot 258

This just went to the printers. We expect this issue to be posted by the printers to society members on 30 May. This issue is 60 pages long, and is published in a new format,  with colour covers, perfect binding and improved paper stock. The contents of Slingshot 258 are as follows. For games articles, I've indicated the relevant rule set where it's not immediately obvious from the title.

• Macedonian Military Culture and World Impact: Perspective and Impressions, Part I, by David Kurananithy
• Spartan Spartans, by Jim Webster
• Charles I of Anjou A Medieval Prince, by Gavin Pearson
• The Red Snake, by Steve Neate
• African Revolts: Firmas, Gildo and Mascizel 372 to 398AD,, by Jim Webster

• WAB Tournament Report I: Havoc XXIV - April 2008, by David Daly
• WAB Tournament Report 2: Havoc XXIV - April 2008, by Tucker Saglio
• The Gods of Ancient Wargaming, by John Gibson [DBM]
• Lost Battles: Reconstructing the Great Clashes of the Ancient World - Review by Gavin Pearson
• Command & Colors Ancients Club Competition, by Andrew Lawrence
• Rules Design Round Table, with Phil Barker, Richard Bodley Scott, Jervis Johnson, Rick Priestley and Lorenzo Sartori*
• Ancient and Medieval Wargaming - a Reply to Graham Evans, by Neil Thomas
• Zesty Ancient Warfare, by Steve Neate [Neil Thomas rules]
• DBA Northern Cup 2008, by Martin Smith
• More Campaigns for DBA, by Gareth Griffiths
• A Dinosaur Returns to Jurassic Park, by Phil Barker
• Campaigns for Wargamers 4 - Attila the Hun, by Paul Burton [DBA]
• The 2008 Welsh DBA Open, by Martin Smith
• Field of Glory - Review by Nik Gaukroger
• Dogs of War: Canine Use in Warfare from Ancient Egypt to the 19th Century - Review by Duncan Head
• Warlord 28mm Early Imperial Romans - Review by Mark Watson

* - note, for the purposes of full disclosure, this is actually a series of interviews combined together. At no point did they sit round the same table. Or if they did, it wasn't mentioned to me.

Also note:

• The annual incentive game, "Roma Invicta" has also gone to print. The same new printers are being used for both Slingshot 258 and the incentive game, we hope Roma Invicta will arrive with society members in the next couple of weeks.
• The society website now contains pages which include errata and additional material for each issue. Right now there's neither but in the event material is posted it should appear at 
  http://soa.org.uk/content258.asp