wargame magazines – The Wargaming Erratic

I don’t normally dwell on editorials when reading a wargames monthly – its all about the content itself for me.

Today I chanced upon a WI when looking for some other non wargaming publication in a rare trip to a supermarket magazine aisle. I guess it was the ship sampler on the cover the caught my attention.

Anyway having been hooked I was reeled in by the prospect of an article on the Perrys Franco Prussian War figures. I am not sure what all those painted Prussians have been doing for the past year waiting for the enemy?

Having bought the magazine – not one I regularly buy – I scanned the pages and found some promising material on Flags. I am always interested to read about cowboy games even though I don’t play them – don’t ask! And there was an interesting article on homespun fantasy figure creation resulting in a product launch – “imaginations gaming” in any genre normally piques my interest.

The Hammerhead painting competition results show that there are also plenty of artists at work producing tremendous pieces to inspire. On that last point it is questionable whether it really sells a print magazine though.

Actually the speedpaints article also shows the challenge for print magazines. I happened upon a blog post recently complete with video which compared all the recent companies who have piled into the “contrast” market. Having said that the article (which I read first) was well put together and had some useful ideas and perspective. I liked the mix of “newbie” and “professional” painters trialling the product.

Barry Hiltons Naval rules article has compelling models on display – Langtons – but I can resist despite the enjoyment they give. How about that sampler that caught my eye in the first place. Its just one ship so no risk of hobby drift – and it occurred to me I might just knock it up and pass it off as Danish ship. The thing about the Schlieswig Wars is the proximity of the sea and the Danish ability to use the sea as another front even if only for logistics. You never know when you might need a ship or two.

And what of Dan Faulconbridge and his editorial? It turns out my usual source of wargame magazines is charging Dan far too much and as he says markets are markets. So in this case it worked – I found WI where I did not expect it and bought it into the bargain. Also Dan is looking to broaden his customer base – I am not really sure the magazine aisle is being randomly browsed. If anything supermarkets are heading to be a glorified logistics warehouse where customers are spending the least amount of time they can, to get what they need.

Of course any leverage over WHSmith who still dominate over the counter print sales will help Dan’s cause.

That ship sprue just might land a few interested souls yet.

Will I switch from WHSmith to the Supermarket? Well no actually, I like still finding a shop on a high street thats open and sells something useful.

A bit jittery

This month I picked up Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy magazine mainly because it contained an article on the Battle of Dorking. This late 19th century event has passed many a historian by. Of course it happened in someones imagination and they wrote about it.

At the the time people were concerned about the neglect of the army. Nothing new but despite the Crimean War the British probably still marched to war on the back of their Waterloo success. Perhaps they preferred sailing to the echoes of Trafalgar though.

It was a nervous time and if anything British politicians made the wrong calls.

Lord Palmerston is famed for framing the Schlieswig Holstein Question – the issue he should have dealt with in hindsight. British interests elsewhere meant they simply ignored the inexorable rise of their Waterloo allies, the Prussians.

Instead Palmerston oversaw millions of pounds of military budget squandered on his follies. The biggest coastal defence spending made to ensure we could see off the real enemy – France.

It was the 1860’s

Plymouth was of strategic importance to British Defence and its Global Naval reach.

Today you can still visit these Palmerston follies although only Maker Heights itself can really be inspected. There is an excellent cafe at the top of the heights.

Wargame Scenario Possibilities?

Possible scenarios could be the original 18th century concerns prior to any effective defences being in place – with a landing force fighting its way up the valley while defenders are rushed in piecemeal.

19th century options might be harder to conceive for a game: Although quite how the Prussians sidestepped the whole British Navy to reach Dorking is intriguing. One option then is that the cost of the defences and end of the French threat caused the defences to be semi abandoned by 1875 – making it easier for a Prussian assault this far west to be gamed with some more balanced possibilities.

One other possible scenario is around a WW2 imaginations/Sealion scenario of the “guns of navarone” style sabotage as a prelude to a naval landing? Parachute troops even – securing Maker heights as a prelude to taking Plymouth?