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30 Apr 2016

New Vehicles Released by Pithead Miniatures

Pithead Miniatures, releases a number of new models.

G33 Flak 37

G33 Flak 37

The 3.7 cm Flak 37 was an anti-aircraft gun produced by Germany that saw widespread service in the Second World War. The 3.7 cm Flak 37 was fully automatic and effective against aircraft flying at altitudes up to 4,200 m. The 3.7 cm Flak 37 was produced in both towed and self-propelled versions.

G34 Flak 42

G34 Flak 42

Gv102 German MC Combinations

Gv102 German MC Combinations

Bv12 M4A4 Sherman Firefly

Bv12 M4A4 Sherman Firefly

The Sherman Firefly was a armored combat vehicle used by Great Britain and some Commonwealth and Allied armoured formations in the World War II. It was based on the U.S.A. M4 Sherman but fitted with the powerful 76.2 mm calibre British 17-pounder anti-tank gun as its main weapon. Originally planned as a stopgap until future British tank designs came into service, the Sherman Firefly became the most common vehicle mounting the 17-pounder in the war.

Pithead Miniatures

Two Dark Age Huts Available From Epsilon

Two Dark Age Huts are now available From Epsilon web store,  The price for the two dark age huts is €13.00, and the product is painted and ready-to-play.

Two Dark Age Huts picture 1

Two Dark Age Huts picture 2

Two Dark Age Huts picture 3

Escenografia Epsilon

29 Apr 2016

Wargames Illustrated 343, May 2016

Wargames Illustrated 343, May 2016



THEME: SOLDIERS OF THE EMPRESS
So, you want to field a force to support Matilda in her quest for the throne back in the 12th Century? Then this is the perfect article for you!

UP THE BEACHES
Chris Townley from Battlefront Miniatures shows us how to paint Marine Amtanks for use in your Flames of War: Pacific Campaign games.

THEME: THE LAST CRUSADE
In 14th Century Lithuania, the young Queen Jagwida found herself caught up in a bloody war as the Teutonic Knights brought fire and sword in the name of Christ.

DESIGNERS NOTES: THE MEN WHO WOULD BE KING
Dan Mersey provides an inside look at this upcoming game from Osprey and discusses his fundamental design philosophy, whilst lamenting the hard to pronounce acronym!

THEME: CHASING THE DRAGON
The Second Opium War, not an opportunity to wipe out drug abuse but a 19th Century war to ensure its usage in China – Pete Brown provides the details.

RULES SHOWCASE: SHARP PRACTICE
An impressionistic take on a re-vamped set of rules played under the guidance of Mr. Richard Clarke, gamesmaster extraordinaire.

THEME: CHASTISEMENT OF THE UTMAN KHELS
In 1852, the British Empire in India could no longer tolerate the actions of one of the Afghan tribes – something had to be done, so Victoria’s warriors marched to war!

BUILDING OLD WORLDS
Dave Taylor discusses the creation of his Salute 2016 boards for Infamy Miniatures.

THEME: VICTORIA’S SOLDIERS
Over the course of her 63 year reign, Queen Victoria’s army had to change and adapt its uniforms and equipment to the demands of a sprawling global Empire.We take a look at how those changes are reflected in miniature.

SO YOU WANT TO BE A SUCCESSFUL CRUSADER?
Suggestions on how to play (and maybe win!) at Soldiers of God.

TACTICA 2016
This visual spectacle of a show in Hamburg, Germany should be at the top of everyone’s list to visit – see why in this photograph heavy feature.

RULES SHOWCASE: LIVING ON THE FRONTLINE
We take an in-depth look at these new skirmish rules themed around the Winter of ’79 setting, but suitable for any modern era game.

THE ESSEX GAMESTERS’ VIETNAM TABLE
The Essex Gamesters, three times award winners, provide us with exclusive access to their Salute 2016 game.

A TOUR OF THE NEW BATTLEFRONT FACTORY
Having relocated to much larger premises, the Battlefront Malaysia team provides an insight into their new facilities.

CLUB FOCUS: THE WB3D GAMERS
Neil Smith takes us on a journey around his local club in Whitley Bay, England.

WACHT AM RHEIN
Warwick Kinrade, author of this latest supplement to the Battlegroup WW2 rules, discusses what players can find within this Battle of the Bulge supplement.

Wargames Illustrated

28 Apr 2016

Unfortunately from May Timecast will no longer stock Good Ground LLC

Unfortunately from May Timecast will no longer stock Good Ground LLC

(Sad news) Unfortunately the 10mm Cracker Line and Plank Road ACW miniatures will no longer be available from TimeCast after 1st May 2016.

Good Ground Miniatures

They will of course still be available from Good Ground Miniatures in the USA.

On a personal note I'm absolutely gutted about Timecast no longer going to be stocking good ground miniatures.

Timecast

27 Apr 2016

Good Ground: "More & More Variety!"

Good Ground is proud to announce the arrival of hundreds of new figures. Now available on the site are the following great new packs and new variations of existing poses.

Grant and Staff

Grant and Staff

Lee, Longstreet, Jackson

Lee, Longstreet, Jackson

US Generals

US Generals

CS Generals

CS Generals

Lee, Longstreet and Grant are available both mounted and in dismounted famous vignettes.

Yanks in camp

Yanks in camp

I can't wait to get my brush out and get these boys painted. They were due to arrive in February, but the were delayed until now. Considering the figures, it almost seems appropriate.


Running Away

Running Away

Casualties

Casualties

The casualty pack contains a mix of eight CS and U.S. casualty figures.


20th ME

CS Charging

CS Charging

Finally, all of our Yanks in Sack Coats can be had in Forage Caps as well as Slouch Hats.

Franklin

Franklin

I will be bringing all these great new figures to HMGS South Recon and HMGS MidSouth Nashcon. We will also be running our Franklin game at both shows.

We Hope to See You There!

All the figures are available on the site today.

Good Ground LLC

Osprey: Available Now

Osprey Publishing books available now April 2016.

The Battle of the Somme         

The Battle of the Somme

Published to coincide with the centenary commemoration of the battle of the Somme, this new study comprises 12 separate articles written by some of the foremost military historians, each of whom looks at a specific aspect of the battle. Focusing on key aspects of the British, French and German forces, overall strategic and tactical impacts of the battle and with an introduction by renowned World War I scholar Professor Sir Hew Strachan, The Battle of the Somme is a timely collection of the latest research and analysis of the battle.

The terrors of the Somme have largely come to embody trench warfare on the Western Front in the modern imagination, but this new book looks beyond the horrendous conditions and staggering casualty rates to provide new, insightful research on one of the most pivotal battles of the war.

Contents

Foreword by Professor Sir Hew Strachan
The Context of the Somme
Attrition or Annihilation?
French Strategy in 1916 and the Battle of the Somme
Air War over the Somme
The British Army's Operations on the Somme
Trial and Error: the Dominion forces
French Generalship on the Somme
The Road to Modern Combined Arms Warfare
British Tactical Practice During the Somme Campaign
The German Army at War
The Evolution of French Tactics 1914-16
The Long Shadows of the Somme

J2M Raiden and N1K1/2 Shiden/Shiden-Kai Aces


J2M Raiden and N1K1/2 Shiden/Shiden-Kai Aces

Although seen as a replacement for the A6M Zero-sen carrier-based fighter, the Mitsubishi J2M Raiden was actually designed as a land-based naval interceptor optimised for speed rather than manoeuvrability. Engine cooling problems for its Mitsubishi Kasai 23 engine, airflow and flight control issues plagued the Raiden's development, but despite these production delays, aces Sadaaki Akamatsu Yoshihiro Aoki, Susumu Ito and Susumu Ishihara all claimed significant scores in the Raiden. Kawanishi's N1K family of fighters were privately developed by the manufacturer from the N1K Kyofu floatplane fighter. Again plagued by structural and engine maladies, the N1K1-J Shiden eventually entered frontline service in time to see considerable action in the doomed defence of the Philippines in October 1944. Despite suffering heavy losses, the units equipped with new fighter proved that the N1K could more than hold its own against P-38s and F6Fs. The improved N1K2-J Shiden-KAI started to reach the frontline by late 1944 - in time for defence of the Home Islands. Here, it proved to be the best IJN fighter of the war.

Contents

Need for a New Fighter
Raiden Development
The Front
From China to Kyushu
Tokyo Express
Fights Against Fighters
Fight till the End
Appendices

Camden 1780                       


Camden 1780

As the American Revolution continued, the British refocused their fight on the southern colonies in the hopes of triggering an outbreak of loyalism that would sweep the rebels aside. Under Sir Henry Clinton they captured Savannah at the end of 1778, and Charleston in May 1780, with Lord Cornwallis being left in command with just 8,500 men under him. Too thinly spread to guard the 15,000 square miles he was responsible for, Cornwallis went on the offensive, invading North Carolina and using Camden as a launch pad. This new history reveals how Cornwallis was able to use his aggressive strategy to great effect and how the overconfidence of the re-formed American forces under Horatio Gates was to result in a shocking defeat on the night of 15 August 1780 - a defeat that would allow Cornwallis to push deep into North Carolina the following year, where he would only be stopped by the American victory at Yorktown.

Contents

Introduction
Chronology
Opposing commanders
Opposing armies
Opposing plans
The campaign
Aftermath
The battlefield today
Further reading
Index

F-15C Eagle versus MiG-23/25


F-15C Eagle versus MiG-23/25

Designed following the relatively poor performance of America's multi-role fighters during the Vietnam War, the F-15 Eagle was conceived as a dedicated air superiority fighter. But, having trained for 15 years in the Eagle it wasn't Eastern Bloc operated MiGs that the F-15 eventually came up against, but pilots of Saddam Hussein's Iraqi airforce.

This book analyses the combat between the American and Soviet 'Cold War fighters' in a balanced manner, examining how the technical abilities of the aircraft combined with the different levels of training available to opposing pilots and groundcrews allowed the F-15s to destroy the Iraqi offensive abilities within weeks of the First Gulf War starting. Packed with artwork, illustrations and photographs, this book places the reader in the cockpit during one of the last major dogfighting air wars in modern history.

Contents

Introduction
Chronology
Design and Development
Technical Specifications
The Strategic Situation
The Combatants
Combat
Statistics and Analysis
Aftermath
Further Reading
Index

Imperial Chinese Armies 1840–1911

Imperial Chinese Armies 1840–1911

An in-depth analysis of the Chinese Armies that fought a series of increasingly fractious wars over nearly a century. Beginning with a run through of the Chinese forces that combated the British and French during the two Opium Wars, this history goes on to trace the forces who were drawn into internal wars and rebellions in the 1850s and 60s, the open warfare in North Vietnam, the string of defeats suffered during the First Sino-Japanese war and the Boxer Rebellion. Providing an unparalleled insight into the dizzying array of troop types and unique uniforms, this is a history of the sometimes-painful modernization of China's military forces during one of her most turbulent periods of history.

Contents

Introduction
Chronology
The Chinese Imperial Army of the Qing Dynasty from c.1840 - the First Opium War against Britain (1839-42), and Second Opium War
Arrow War (1856-60) against Britain and France
Muslim and provincial rebellions and clan wars, 1840-1911
The Franco-Chinese War in Vietnam and Formosa (1884-86) - the Black Flag army
The First Sino-Japanese War (1894-95)
The modernized Imperial Army, 1895-1911 - the Boxer Rebellion and international interventions (1900)
The armies of the 1911 Revolution
Weaponry
Uniforms
Plate Commentaries

Valentine Infantry Tank 1938–45

Valentine Infantry Tank 1938–45

The Valentine was the most produced and most widely used British tank of the Second World War. The Valentine first saw combat during Operation Compass in November 1941 and remained one of the main medium tanks in British service into 1943. As the Churchill became more prevalent the Valentine was relegated to specialist and tank-destroyer variants, which would remain in service in the Far East to the end of the war.

This book describes the evolution of the Valentine design and weighs up its impact on the battlefield. Although widely regarded today as one of the weaker tanks to be fielded during the war, it was exceptionally numerous, with more Valentines produced than any other British tank.

Contents

Introduction
Development
Production
Operational History
Bibliography
Index

US Army Green Beret in Afghanistan 2001–02

US Army Green Beret in Afghanistan 2001–02

In October 2001 the most militarily advanced nation on earth came into conflict with one of the least developed nations as American forces poured into Afghanistan. The tip of the spear was drawn from the US Special Forces community, and largely from the units of the United States Army Special Forces - the famous Green Berets. Together with the Special Activities Division of the CIA and the Afghan Northern Alliance, they overthrew the Taliban in a lightning campaign that redefined modern warfare.

This new study reveals the grueling Green Beret training and preparation, the specialized equipment they used in the field and traces their deployment throughout the campaign, from the first insertion of forces through to the fall of Kabul and Kandahar, the Taliban uprising at the notorious Fort of War in Mazar-e-Sharif, and the clearance of Tora Bora and Operation Anaconda in the Shahikot Valley.

Contents

Introduction; the Green Berets Becoming a Modern Green Beret; SFQC and Robin Sage Operation Enduring Freedom- Afghanistan Infiltration; October 2001 First Blood; November 2001 Turning the Tide; December 2001 Tora Bora and Anaconda A Squandered Opportunity? Bibliography Index

Nazi Moonbase                  

Nazi Moonbase

In the dying days of World War II, Nazi Germany spent increasingly large amounts of its dwindling manufacturing capability on the construction of a small fleet of flying saucers capable of travel beyond the atmosphere. While these saucers were too few in number to affect the eventual outcome of the war, they did allow for a small, but fanatical Nazi group to escape Germany, first to Antarctica, and then on to the moon!

For the first time, the history of the Nazi space program has been revealed - with a focus on the design, construction, and layout of the moonbase. Using detailed maps, the entire moonbase is reconstructed, noting the locations of various important features, such as weapon emplacements, the Vril generator, the air recyclers and water extractors. The book also covers the various attempt by the allies to overcome this last Nazi stronghold through both subterfuge and outright battle.

Contents

Introduction
The Nazi Space Program
The Base
Projects
The Hunt for the Moonbase
Bibliography

Horizon Wars                   


Horizon Wars

Beyond today's horizons lie uncountable wars still to be fought by mankind - on battlefields, against foes, and with weapons that can only be imagined. With Horizon Wars, wargamers can bring these future conflicts to the tabletop, no matter their exact vision of the future of warfare. Combining the feel of real-world combat and tactics with versatile and quick-to-learn rules, Horizon Wars is a 2-10mm company-level game that incorporates ground forces, aircraft and the titans of the battlefield - mechs. Whether you want to pit a handful of mechs against each other in quick clash of patrols, or line up combined-arms forces for a huge battle, the game remains fast-moving and enjoyable. Also included are full rules for building units from the ground up, allowing players to tailor their forces to suit the mission objectives or their figure collections.

Osprey Publishing Ltd

26 Apr 2016

19th Century Austrian Band! from Pendraken Miniatures

These are sitting at number 3 in our Top 10 requests, so the sculptor managed to squeeze them in before he heads off onto some ECW and WWI additions for us.  We've got 5 chaps with instruments and the drum major on the left hand side.  To the right we've got our drummer and the small pieces will be a dog-drawn bass drum, which will come complete with a dog of course!  We'll be getting these all moulded up and released quite quickly.

 19th Century Austrian Band! from Pendraken Miniatures

Pendraken Miniatures

Pendraken Miniatures 200k = £100 - Forum Giveaway

Pendraken Miniatures 200k = £100 - Forum Giveaway

We had a similar competition when we hit 100,000 posts on the Forum, so as we approach our 200,000th post it's time for another giveaway!  The rules are simple, whoever can guess the day and hour of our 200,000th post will win a massive £100 worth of Pendraken goodies!  Simply state the day and hour you think we will hit this milestone, for example 7th May 19:00 and we'll see who can get the closest!  In addition, we'll give a smaller £10 prize to the two people either side of the winner.

The Forum has continued to grow every year thanks to you lot so it's nice to give something back.  

So, the rules are:

- You must be a Forum member to take part - Easy enough...

- You must have AT LEAST 25 posts to your name - If you're new to the forum, just join in some of the discussions, or post up some WIP pictures and batreps.

- Guesses should be to THE NEAREST HOUR please - For example, 7th May, 19:00.  If the 200,000th post is made at any point between 18:31pm and 19:29pm, then you're the winner, and so on.  All times are assumed to be GMT.

- The competition will close to entries when we reach 199,500 posts - So no waiting until the last minute to enter your guess!

- No cheating to bump the post count closer to your entry! - Make sure all your posts are contributing to a thread/discussion/Totty.  Anyone making one word posts purely designed to bump the count will have their posts deleted.  Remember that this is a bit of fun, so let's keep it that way.

Let us know if there are any questions on that lot.

And to help you along with your guesses, the post count curently stands at 197191.  Over the past 3 months we've had:

Jan - 3353 posts.
Feb - 3654 posts.
Mar - 3672 posts.

.. and then 2567 currently in April.

So, get your calculators out, stick a pin in the calendar and post up your guesses!

Best of luck to everyone.

24 Apr 2016

Ancient History magazine 4, 24 April 2016

Ancient History magazine 4, 24 April 2016

Egypt before the pyramids

The museum piece: Dirk Drijver, "A message from the third century AD - Postumus Victorious"

The importance of coins and the messages they proclaim must not be underestimated. In a time when there was no mass communication, Roman emperors used the images on their money to relay political messages to their people. Usurpers and rebels did the same.

Theme: Sidney E. Dean, "The emergence of Egypt"

Few ancient realms are as unique and – dare we say it – mysterious as Egypt. Dynastic Egypt, which emerged circa 3000 BC, was the result of a three thousand year process beginning with the first sedentary agricultural communities along the Nile.

Theme: Jona Lendering, "Writing royal names with hieroglyphs - Of serekhs and cartouches"

Cartouches, serekhs, Horus names… like all scholars, Egyptologists have a vocabulary of their own, which is not always accessible to outsiders. A very brief explanation is worthwhile.

Beautifully decorated with animal figures, this is an example of Middle Naqadan pottery, now in the Neues Museum in Berlin.Theme: Marc G. DeSantis, "The Naqadan culture 3900-3000 BC - The first pan-Egyptian culture"

The first archaeological culture that can be called pan-Egyptian is the Naqada culture, which can be dated to the fourth millennium BC. Naqadan objects can be found in many places in the Nile Valley and document the unification of the region.

Theme: Martin Uildriks, "Watercraft in Egypt's state formation - Sinking the boats"

Many scholars assume that boats played an important role in the unification of Egypt. It looks, indeed, as if boats are shown on pottery and a very famous wall painting from Hierakonpolis. However, when we take a closer look, things turn out to be more complicated.

Theme: Sigrid van Roode, "The birth of Hieroglyphs - Learning to write"

The hieroglyphic writing system of the ancient Egyptians is famous: rows and columns of neatly arranged miniature depictions of humans, animals, nature, and objects are found on many an object and adorn temples and tombs. This aesthetically pleasing script comprises an intricate and complex writing system. When, how and why did the Egyptians first start to write?

Reaching a height of ten meters, the funerary enclosure of Khasekhemwy is the oldest standing mud-brick structure in Egypt.Theme: Rebecca Batley, "The reign of King Khasekhemwy - Uniting the two kingdoms"

Khasekhemwy was the last king of Egypt’s Second Dynasty. Much about him is uncertain, but what we do know suggests that he inherited a divided kingdom beset by a conflict between the followers of Horus and Seth, and that by the time he died, Egypt had entered a period of peace and stability. Was this forgotten king Egypt’s unifier?

Theme: Jetty Boots-Kaat, "Monumental mortuary architecture - From pits to pyramids"

Monumental funerary structures, eventually culminating in the building of Djoser’s famous Step Pyramid in Saqqara, can be traced as far back in time as ca. 3400 BC. In the first part of this article, we will discuss the royal tombs of the Protodynastic period; after that, we will try to solve several problems; and in the end, we will discuss the Step Pyramid.

Theme: Janko Duinker, "Writing the pyramid texts - How a king became an Akh"

Although they were written at a comparatively late date in the Old Kingdom, the Pyramid Texts are evidence for Prehistoric rituals. They document the sakh, a transformation of a person that took place after his death.

Mirco Paganessi’s illustration shows a thunderstorm at sea, with three manifestations of St. Elmo’s fire visible. The odd number was considered a very bad omen and the merchants are doing everything they can to survive, including throwing overboard some excess cargo.Special: Maura Andreoni, "What the ancients saw in St. Elmo's fire - Lights on the sea"

St. Elmo’s fire is a weather phenomenon that is sometimes seen at sea during a thunderstorm, when there is high voltage in the air between the clouds and the ground. It appears in particular circumstances and is like a tall street lamp, glowing with blue flames but not actually burning. Through the centuries, this phenomenon has caused fear, curiosity, and wonder. The ancients tried to explain it with the cultural instruments and knowledge they had at their disposal.

Special: Michael J. Taylor, "Many myths, few realities - The druids"

Traditional priesthoods flourished in the Roman Empire, and the Romans largely respected the religious diversity of their subjects. From Jewish rabbis to the eunuch priests of the Syrian goddess Atargatis, old forms persisted, often lightly Romanized but still distinctive, representing forms that pre-dated Roman conquest. Yet one priesthood notably disappeared in the aftermath of Roman conquest: the Druids, who had been a major force in Gaul and Britain during the Late Pre-Roman Iron Age.

Special: Rob van Gent, "Using astronomy for dating - Eclipses in antiquity"

Around the time you receive this issue of Ancient History Magazine, it will be close to the 2600th anniversary of a famous battle between the Lydians and the Medes on the banks of the Halys River in what is now Central Turkey. We know the date because the fight happened on the same day as a rare astronomical event. Astronomy, it turns out, can be a great help for historians who want to date events in the distant past.

Philosophy: Kees Alders, "Epicurus' moderate hedonism - Nothing to fear"

The conquests of Alexander the Great profoundly changed the Greek world. The old dichotomy between the independent Greek city-states and the eastern world empires ceased to be relevant. People were citizens of a common world. The world view changed, and hence philosophy, as we see in our series on Hellenistic philosophy. In this issue: the moderate Hedonism of the Epicureans.

How do they know?: Jona Lendering, "How do they know how to - Explain the past"

History is more than just establishing and describing what once happened. Historians try to explain events and processes too. In other words: they try to connect facts to other facts. But how?

Ancient History Magazine

20 Apr 2016

ACW Gamer: The Ezine Issue 11, April 2016

ACW Gamer: The Ezine Issue 11, April 2016

ACW Gamer: The Ezine Issue 11:

An electronic magazine for fighting the American Civil War on your table top! Miniatures, Scenarios, Reviews and more!

A Review of Warlord Games' new Black Powder supplement, Glory Hallelujah
Building and Painting River Boats
A Wargamer's Guide to Touring the Franklin Battlefield
Thoughts on Supply Wagons

ACW Gamer

18 Apr 2016

Miniature Wargames 397, May 2016

Miniature Wargames 397, May 2016

Latest issue of Miniature Wargames with Battlegames to launch at Salute

With Salute only a few days away, this issue is scheduled to be launched at the show, so pay attention:

•    Andrew Rolph begins a series of challenging scenarios aimed at the keen WWII Ostfront player, focusing on the early years between 1941 and 1943. In the first instalment of The red empire strikes back – fighting the Great Patriotic War one battle at a time, he also makes suggestions about how the scenarios can be translated to other periods and theatres of war. (There will be a download for this article available at the weekend.)

•    Jim Webster is with us again, delivering Colonial wars by proxy: historical assymetric warfare at arm’s length. That’s quite a mouthful, but the article describes a fun campaign on an island of your own devising, capable of being set in any period you like. So, get creative and be prepared to deal with unruly hordes on the Isle of Wight. (Other destinations are available.)

•    The Featherstone Tribute – a weekend of fun and fierce fighting is where David Brown recounts the recent event commemorating the man considered to be the father of modern wargaming, Donald Featherstone, in whose name a group of enthusiastic players, plus special guests, gathered at the Wargames Holiday Centre.

•    In A funny little civil war – wargaming the Sonderbund War of 1847, Arthur Harman has stumbled upon a central European conflict about which almost nobody knows anything – what a find! With a new book from Helion hitting the shelves right now, this exciting discovery could lead to some excellent games for the 19th century enthusiast.

•    Mick Sayce provides advice for the increasing number of wargamers moving into the micro-scales, where the prospect of creating the vast sweep of battle is enticing, but many are fearful of the challenge of tackling tiny castings with a paintbrush. Fear not – and read on in Painting tiny chaps – Mastering brushwork on 6mm miniatures.

•    Huzzah, huzzah for Texas! The Battle of Salado Creek 1842 comes from Chris Swan who describes a scenario recreating a significant encounter in the tortuous nineteenth century history of Mexican-Texian relations. It also happens to be a perfect size for a very manageable tabletop game!

•    And finally we have a trio of show reports from Hammerhead 2016 by Neil Shuck, Beachhead 2016 by Iain Dickie (yes, him!) and Cavalier 2016 by Mick Sayce (we like to keep ‘em busy!).

Of course, we have our regular spots too:

•    In his Briefing The Editor has been thinking about his health and the toll our hobby takes – and perhaps you should too.; in his World Wide Wargaming, he continues his research into English Civil War gaming with an overview of some of the rulesets on offer, and of course has two more Blogs of the Month.

•    Neil Shuck ponders the subject of new editions of rulesets, examines some new products and does a bit of DIY terrain building, inspired by Diane Sutherland’s coffee stirrers last month.

•    Diane Sutherland herself, meanwhile, has always had a lot of bottle, and now she makes a brush with destiny – destined to become a tree, which makes her a jolly good feller, as she cuts her losses, smothers them in sticky stuff and tries not to see the wood for the trees. Or something.

•    In Fantasy Facts, John Treadaway enthuses about the biggest participation game show in the land, some TV-influenced miniatures, a ‘historo-fantasy’ range, funky sci-fi armour and buildings that look like... well... footballs!

•    Boardgame specialist Brad Harmer-Barnes is excited by the prospect of boardgame/ computer game crossover – and wonders why more hasn’t been done already.

•    It’s not just the Editor getting fit! In his Send three and fourpence column, Conrad Kinch creates a campaign aiming to be beneficial to the health of the players as well as being an enjoyable sequence of games.

•    Of course we have our Battlegames Combat Stress Appeal; our regular review slot Recce; and finally, our competition this month features the chance to win one of three copies of Helion’s fabulous new illustrated ECW ruleset with cardboard cutout soldiers: “BATTLE FOR BRITAIN – WARGAME THE ENGLISH CIVIL WARS 1642-1651” by Peter Dennis and Andy Callan.

The front cover photo, taken by the Editor, is of Saxon heavy cavalry charging into the Russian reserve artillery during the refight of  Leipzig held for the Donald Featherstone Tribute Weekend at the Wargames Holiday Centre. See Dave Brown’s report on page 32.

Remember also to check out the new “Downloads” section on the new website.

Roll ‘em high!

Miniature Wargames

15 Apr 2016

Landsknecht Halberdier Kickstarter started by Warmonger Miniatures

Warmonger Miniatures have just launched there fourth Kickstarter: 10mm German Landsknecht Hellebardiere (Halberdiers) sculpted by the talented Bob Naismith

Landsknecht Halberdier Kickstarter

Hes looking for $500.00 USD to cover the molding and casting of these guys. The funding period will end on Sunday, May 1, 2016 at 11:59PM.

Warmonger Miniatures

14 Apr 2016

Warning Order 42, April 2016

Warning Order, a free wargaming e-magazine, now has issue #42 available to download.


This issue features battle reports on TSATF in the Northwest Frontier, Saga, Ronin, WMA, and BKC2 Eastern Front. There are boardgame reviews of Talon, Next War India-Pakistan, and the MMP monster game The Greatest Day Vol. 1. Also, we have two new scenarios in our Engagements series, a how-to article on making buildings, plus our regular features. The direct download is here.

Back issues and more information can be found here.

Warning Order

11 Apr 2016

Centurion ARV Now Available from Pendraken Miniatures

And our final release before we hit Salute is a special one just for fsn (and the rest of you I suppose!), with the Centurion ARV now on the website and ready to drag your broken armour to safety!

Modern Vehicles

MDV30    Centurion ARV     £5.00

MDV30 Centurion ARV

And for those who like their Cent's a little bigger and bridge-ier, we'll have the bridgelayer version ready sometime towards the end of the month hopefully.

And that's it, over 100 new releases this week should keep everyone happy for a little while at least!  We'll have more new goodies after Salute, with the Romans/Gauls and new Nap Prussians next on the list.

Pendraken Miniatures

WWI British Service Wagons Released by Pendraken Miniatures

We've had these with us for a while but it's taken a little time to get them into production.  We've got these with both early and late war crews, plus an ambulance version.

WWI British

BP65   General service wagon, early war crew (2)   £4.95

BP65   General service wagon, early war crew (2)

BP66   General service wagon, late war crew (2)   £4.95

BP66   General service wagon, late war crew (2)

BP67   General service wagon, ambulance version (2)   £4.95

BP67   General service wagon, ambulance version (2)

Pendraken Miniatures

New WWII Vehicles and Some Revamps by Pendraken Miniatures

As many will know we've been working on revamping some of the older vehicles in our WWII ranges.  With some of them being over 20 years old now, it's time to bring them upto standard with our more recent releases.  In this batch we've got the first of these remodelled codes, plus some new releases as well!

WWII British

Revamps first.

BR61   Humber Mk II/III, A/C    £2.80

BR61   Humber Mk II/III, A/C

BR85   M3 Grant, M2 short 75mm gun   £3.00

BR85   M3 Grant, M2 short 75mm gun

BR102   M3 Lee, M2 short 75mm gun   £3.00

BR102   M3 Lee, M2 short 75mm gun

And the new releases.

BR176   M3 Grant, M2 short 75mm gun    £3.00

BR176   M3 Grant, M2 short 75mm gun

BR177   M3 Lee, M2 short 75mm gun   £3.00

BR177   M3 Lee, M2 short 75mm gun

BR178   Humber Mk IV, A/C    £2.80

BR178   Humber Mk IV, A/C

BR179   Humber Light Recon (LRC)    £2.80

BR179   Humber Light Recon (LRC)

As with the other recent releases, we'll have these with us next weekend at Salute!

Pendraken Miniatures

New League of Augsburg Flags and Army Packs from Pendraken Miniatures

With the new League of Augsburg cavalry released earlier this year, it's time to add some handy army packs to the range!  These new packs provide a nice mix of codes to get you started in the period, allowing you to pick up a chunk of your army at a discounted price, before adding to it from the other codes.

League of Augsburg

Allied army pack
1 x LOA1 Pikemen standing
1 x LOA7 Flintlock standing
1 x LOA13 Matchlock firing
1 x LOA9 Command standing
1 x LOA26 Cavalry in hats, swords, crossbelts
1 x LOA34 Allied Dragoons
3 x guns with crew (3pdr/6pdr mix)

French army pack
1 x LOA4 Pikemen marching
1 x LOA6 Matchlock marching
1 x LOA12 Flintlock firing
1 x LOA10 Command marching
1 x LOA29 Cavalry in hats, swords, waistbelts
1 x LOA33 French Dragoons
3 x guns with crew (3pdr/6pdr mix)

Both priced at £31.00.

And now, we've got a massive 17 new sets of flags!  Designed by our own Sandinista, these cover all of William, James and Louis armies, along with some extra Dutch sheets as well.

PNFL201   William III, Foot Regiments

PNFL201   William III, Foot Regiments

PNFL202   William III, Horse Regiments
PNFL203   William III, Irish Regiments
PNFL204   William III, Scottish Regiments
PNFL205   William III, Danish and Huguenot Regiments
PNFL206   James II, Foot Regiments 1

PNFL206   James II, Foot Regiments 1

PNFL207   James II, Foot Regiments 2
PNFL208   James II, Horse Regiments

PNFL208   James II, Horse Regiments

PNFL209   Louis XIV, Foot Regiments 1

PNFL209   Louis XIV, Foot Regiments 1

PNFL210   Louis XIV, Foot Regiments 2
PNFL211   Louis XIV, Foot Regiments 3
PNFL212   Louis XIV, Foot Regiments 4
PNFL213   Louis XIV, Horse Regiments 1
PNFL214   Louis XIV, Horse Regiments 2
PNFL215   Dutch, Foot Regiments 1

PNFL215   Dutch, Foot Regiments 1

PNFL216   Dutch, Foot Regiments 2
PNFL217   Dutch, Horse Regiments

We will of course have all of these with us at Salute next weekend!

Pendraken Miniatures