Slingshot 305

Slingshot 305 is currently with the printers and should appear by the end of April. Table of Contents below.

Holes in the Checkerboard, by Justin Swanton
It's a Long Way to Tibareni (2), by Alastair McBeath
A Note on Herod the Great's Army, by Dave Beatty
Saga for Dummies, by Gordon Lawrence
Late Roman Army & the Notitia Dignitatum (2), by Luke Ueda-Sarson
A Violent Day on the Via Egnatia, by Chris Hahn
Slingshot Reviews, by Alastair McBeath, Duncan Head, Claudio Berni, Anthony Clipsom and Jim Webster

The editor is always looking for more articles, photographs and art, so feel free to contact him if you have an idea you would like to pursue.

Slingshot

New 16th C. Polish Flags! By Pendraken Miniatures

More releases for the vexillophiles this week, with some excellent Polish banners/pennants now available to add some colour to your Hussar units.

We've got 3 different sheets, each containing 4 of the larger Royal regimental banners, then 30 mixed pennons (3 different designs, 10 of each).  

As with our other recent flag releases, all of these were researched and designed by Forum member Mig, so thanks again to him!

16th C. Polish Flags 

PNFL201 - 16th C. Polish banners/pennons, type 1      £2.50

PNFL202 - 16th C. Polish banners/pennons, type 2      £2.50

PNFL203 - 16th C. Polish banners/pennons, type 3      £2.50

Pendraken Miniatures

Statistics Achieve Planetfall

With the release of Firestorm: Planetfall around 18 months ago, the game has grown steadily to become a massive and engrossing strategic battle game. From the humble beginnings of a single Core Helix and an Allied Helix for each Faction at time of release, the game has now added Heavy Armour Helixes, Recon Helixes, 2 different types of Aerial Helix, Leviathan Helixes, Field Command Helixes and of course our latest exciting release – the Assault Helix (which is packed with loads of devastating robot goodness!).

The Order of Battles (ORBATS) for every model in the game are currently in the Downloads Section, with everything consolidated into a single document. These documents mark many months of testing, and we are looking forward to players around the world using them.

You can find the PDFs on the Spartan Games Downloads Page

In the coming weeks we will be releasing a new Background Document for each Race that highlights each model/element within the Planetfall game, along with operational and strategic background on the formation and battle tactics of each within the game. In addition, each of these Background Documents will have a narrative scenario that is bespoke to their Faction to give players a launch point for thematic games.

And as if that were not enough, we are just about to release a Tournament Pack for Planetfall to open up the game to the competitive gaming sphere, with the scenarios having been tested by the Planetfall Beta Team. If any of you have seen the Halo: Fleet Battles Tournament Pack, expect much the same… yes… it will be awesome!

Of course, this rapacious release schedule has only been possible with the intensive testing and feedback of our Beta Team, who have given of their time and expertise to help develop and build the game into the unqualified success it is today. So to our Beta Crew we say a hearty THANK YOU!

To be a Beta Tester, you gotta be a Fan!… and be willing to play loads of games!… write down feedback… take pictures… report back to the rest of the team… then start the process all over again when the model stats change. It’s not as glamorous as it sounds: it’s actually a lot of hard work, and those folks who are part of the Beta Test deserve great credit for their diligence (and fanaticism!).

If you think you have what it takes to join their ranks, come find me on the Spartan Games Forum and you never know… you may just be crazy enough to join the ranks!

THE FUTURE
With all 6 surrounding Helixes now in-play for the game, what next for the game of Planetfall?

Firstly, the Alliance Factions will be getting their own Core Helixes, which is a most exciting step forward. We will roll these out in pairs, one from each Alliance, and we’ll be showing you some new Alliance models not long after the Salute 2016 wargames show. We have created a linked campaign in the works that will bring all aspects of the Firestorm Galaxy together for narrative games, leading to a climax that will actually have an impact on the background of the entire Firestorm Galaxy.

There are two new Factions for the game incoming to the Galaxy (we’ll be lifting the lid on these for Firestorm Armada, Taskforce and Planetfall players shortly) and the Beta Team and I are pulling together the updated version of the rules – Planetfall 2.0. We’re hugely excited by Version 2.0, and we look forward to talking to you more about the book as it develops.

The future is looking very rosy indeed for Planetfall, with loads of exciting releases, fantastic background, engrossing scenarios and…. did I mention the 2.0 rules?…. yes… I thought I did!

Looking forward to you all joining us as we rage ground war across the Firestorm Galaxy!

Cheers for now,

Spartan Derek

Spartan Games

Preview, Glory Hallelujah

“UP MEN! UP AND TO YOUR POSTS! LET NO MAN FORGET TODAY THAT YOU ARE FROM OLD VIRGINIA!”

There’s not long to wait now, and those immortal words from Pickett ring around the Warlord offices as the staff are divided in their allegiances, and we prepare to wage war – with the much-anticipating coming of ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ – the American Civil War 1861 – 1865  supplement for Black Powder

In 1860 Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the fledgling United States of America. Years of seething hostility between the North and South boiled over as the Southern States saw Lincoln’s election as a direct threat to their rights, and the nation fell apart as a new Confederacy was formed in the South. The Confederacy, striving to assert its independence, opened fire on the Northern troops occupying Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbour on April 12th 1861. Determined to preserve the Union, Northern troops headed south and on to Richmond! Over the next four terrible long years American armies tramped across American fields and burnt American farms as Americans killed Americans in a war the likes of which the nation had never seen before. The epic battles fought during the American Civil War proved beyond all doubt that war can be ‘all hell’.

This supplement for Black Powder describes the history, armies, key leaders, doctrine and tactics of the American Civil War, and includes a comprehensive set of army lists and optional rules for recreating the battles of that war in miniature.

Warlord Games

Copplestone Castings Join North Star Military Figures

I'm very pleased to announce a new partnership between North Star Military Figures and Copplestone Castings.

I've been friends both personally and professionally with Mark Copplestone for the past decade, and so I'm delighted that we're working closer with this new arrangement.

From now, all production, sales and orders will be handled by North Star in Nottingham. This'll free Mark to concentrate on new packs for Copplestone Castings, and start work on some new projects he's been wanting to do.

This is the new website: copplestonecastings.co.uk.

To celebrate this new deal, I've discounted all the Copplestone Castings packs for the next week.

Mark has contributed to this launch with a new special-edition figure, available free to customers who spend over £25 GBP on Copplestone Castings. The figure is of a Post-Apocalypse Road Warrior (28mm-sized metal figure). The Road Warrior will be available through March and April. Limited to one per customer.

The next releases from Copplestone Castings will be additions to the 15mm Barbarica fantasy range.

To keep up-to-date with Copplestone Castings new releases, sign up to our joint newsletter. Mark himself will be contributing to the newsletters, so if you're a fan of his, he'll still be in touch.

You can read our last newsletter here.

If you use social media, we keep our Facebook sites up-to-date with news as it happens.

Ancient Warfare X.1, Apr-May 2016

The Archidamian War

Theme: Seán Hußmann, "Thucydides and the Archidamian War - Historical introduction"

“Thucydides from Athens wrote the history of the war between the Peloponnesians and the Athenians, beginning at the moment that it broke out, and believing that it would be a great war and more worthy of relation than any that had preceded it. […] Indeed this was the greatest movement yet known in history, not only of the Hellenes, but of a large part of the barbarian world – I had almost said of mankind” (Thuc. 1.1).

Theme: Gareth Williams, "The strategy of Pericles - Pacifist or pragmatist?"

Was the Periclean strategy adopted by Athens at the outbreak of the war advocating a pacific or fundamentally defensive reaction to the Peloponnesian invasions of Attica? Could we consider Pericles to be naïve in concluding that the war could be won by such a scheme? Or, was Pericles far more astute in his approach?

Theme: Friedrich Wilhelm Miesen, "A new type of hoplite, for a new type of war - Fighting for Athens"

The origin of the Peloponnesian War is largely rooted in Athens ambition to gain control over the Hellenic world. An ambition that the city’s arch rival, Sparta, could not tolerate. Like no other war before, the Peloponnesian war was fought with determined relentlessness. But armies in this conflict did not solely rely on well-armoured hoplite phalanxes.

Theme: Konstantin Nossov, "Innovations in ancient Greek siege warfare - Siege of Plataea"

The siege of Plataea was one of the main events at the beginning of the Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC). Thucydides’ account of the siege became the first detailed description of a siege in the ancient world left by a historian. His interest in this very siege can probably be explained by the innovatory siege methods introduced by the Spartans.

Theme: Murray Dahm, "Talking the talk and walking the walk - Socrates at war"

Philosophers are not usually associated with military prowess. In ancient Greece, however, even philosophers had to take their place in the phalanx with their citizen-hoplite brethren. Socrates, arguably the most famous philosopher of all, went beyond just doing his duty and had a justly deserved military reputation. What is more, his military conduct is actually highly informative for Socrates the philosopher.

Theme: Owen Rees, "Brasidas and his northern campaign - The heart of Achilles"

At a time when Sparta was crumbling under the weight of its own fear, and Athens was able to haul the strongest military power over the coals – while still in recovery from the devastating plague that had decimated its own population – it was only Brasidas who stepped forward and offered a solution. In so doing, he embarked on the greatest solitary campaign to grace the Peloponnesian Wars.

Theme: Josho Brouwers, "The temple of Athena Nike - Victory set in stone"

The Athenian Acropolis served as the religious heart of the city during the Classical period. Its main temple, the Parthenon, is justifiably famous. However, there is also a smaller temple, located just outside of the main monumental entrance to the Acropolis that is just as interesting. It is the temple of Athena Nike.

Theme: Roel Konijnendijk, "The battle for supremacy on the Peloponnese, 420–418 BC - Clash of the Titans"

All the way through its war with Athens, Sparta kept a wary eye on a much older rival: Argos. For over a century, Sparta and Argos had periodically fought over land and influence on the Peloponnese. Since Argos’ crushing defeat at Sepeia in 494 BC, Sparta was firmly on top – but Sparta’s reputation and power had suffered in the Archidamian War, and an old truce between the two states was coming to an end. As Athens and Sparta discussed peace, Argos prepared for war.

Special: Konrad and Livia Stauner, "Roman soldiers in Egypt’s Eastern Desert - Letters from Didymoi"

The praesidium of Didymoi, one of several stations along the road from Koptos to Berenike, was founded by the prefect of Egypt, L. Iulius Ursus, who in the ninth year of the reign of Vespasian, while on the return leg of a journey to Berenike, gave instructions for a well to be sought in that place and, after it had been found, ordered a fort and cisterns to be constructed under the direction of M. Trebonius Valens, praefectus montis Berenicidis (I. Did. 1).

The debate: Joseph Hall, "Psychological trauma and the soldiers of Rome - A Roman PTSD?"

Much of the recent debate regarding whether ancient combatants suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder has focused on the Greek hoplite, but what of the Roman legionary? Does evidence of PTSD exist in the Roman world too? And if so, how should this evidence be interpreted?

Hollywood Romans: David L. Reinke, "Queen Boudicca, we hardly knew you - The Viking Queen (1967)"

Director Don Chaffey enjoyed a long career in Hollywood, particularly on television where he directed multiple episodes for series such as The Prisoner, The Avengers, and Mission Impossible. He had a feel for television, a talent sadly not on display in his feature films. Besides Jason And The Argonauts, Chaffey’s two other well-known films are One Million Years BC and The Viking Queen.

Ancient Warfare

New Command Personalities from Good Ground Miniatures.

New Command Personalities from Good Ground Miniatures. Coming by the end of March, along with dozens of other new 10mm figures sculpted by the talented Robi Baker.

New CS Command personalities for the Confederates Eastern Theatre

New US  Command personalities for the Union Eastern Theatre

Good Ground LLC

Miniature Wargames 396, April 2016

With the Salute show guide free this month, giving us a monster issue with 96 pages, we’ve got a packed magazine overflowing with wargaming goodies:

David Burden and James Fisher report on the efforts of Napoleonic gamers around the world who were spurred on by the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo in June last year – or, as we discover, even earlier.

Chris Russell concludes his two-parter with his complete ruleset for early WWI air war gaming, featuring the eponymous German monoplane.

Of course, we have our regular spots too:

The Editor celebrates ten years of editing wargame magazines in his Briefing; in his World Wide Wargaming, he begins a guide for using the internet to help with new projects and presents another pair of ‘Blogs of the Month’.

In Forward Observer, Neil Shuck takes a long, hard look at the pros and cons of the Kickstarter phenomenon, asking whether too many companies – and consumers – are ill-advised to get sucked into the pressures of this funding method.

Diane Sutherland, our resident wargames widow, is feeling a bit spiky this month, after husband Jon decided to get all defensive, so please avoid making any barbed comments because its a minefield out there, and if you want to avoid getting drilled with Diane’s Dremel, don’t try to feed the Frisian horse. You’ll see!

In Fantasy Facts, John Treadaway casts his experienced eye over the latest offerings in the genre miniatures world, this month featuring a host of sci-fi and some, err… creatures!

In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only board… Brad Harmer takes a walk on the dark side as he explores 40K spin-offs with no need for miniatures.

In his Send three and fourpence column, Conrad Kinch presents a special this month – “King of the Chamla Constabulary”, a scenario for The Sword and the Flame.

Of course we have our Battlegames Combat Stress Appeal; our regular review slot Recce; and finally, our competition this month features a whopping £75 prize of a War of the Spanish Succession starter box from Baccus.

And the monster Salute 2016 show guide is packed with enthusiastic articles:

After a welcome from the South London Warlords’ Club President and Membership Secretary Mac, there’s a piece by West Wind Productions about how they produced this year’s show miniature, the ‘Steampunk Mam’selle’.

This is followed by an article by master brushman Kevin Dallimore showing precisely how he painted two versions of this stunning figure.

Then we have a clutch of articles based on the theme of this year’s show – Steampunk. The first, by Sarwat Chadda, introduces the concepts and describes the joy of Steampunk for the newcomer, including its many manifestations in literature and fashion. Then Alan Patrick offers an overview of the variety of Steampunk/Victorian Sci-Fi land battle rules currently available to gamers. In the third article on the theme, John Treadaway explains what first drew him into the intriguing worlds of Steampunk, a path which led him to create some award-winning games based on his favourite ruleset. And finally, we hear cries of “Help! Help! It’s the Hooded Claw!” A four-player game of In Her Majesty’s Service (IHMS), is being organised by Philip Andrews, in which he will be controlling the Cult of the Hooded Claw as umpire. He apologises in advance for the outrageous accents!

We also hear from Phil Portway, who has vivid memories of the famous Gun Run at The Royal Tournament, and his team has collaborated to come up with a game to recreate its challenge and excitement.

Next, Ivan Congreve describes the epic planning and building of the stunning set for the Star Trek game, “Savage Dove, Star Date 5894.44”.

Joel, Paul, Lawrence, Alan and Neil of the South London Warlords have created an extraordinary sci-fi game to demonstrate the appeal of Warhammer 30K. (Yes, thirty thousand!)

And finally, John Treadaway of the South London Warlords – and this very magazine – outlines the history of the biggest one-day wargames show in the world.

Of course, the show guide also has essential information:

A full list of all the games to be found at the show, including the names of who’s running them and where they are

A useful double-page spread map of the hall in the ExCel centre to help you find everything on the day

A list of all the traders and their stand numbers

All rounded out with a glorious selection of stunning photos of last year’s painting competition winners

Wow! See you there on April 16th!

The front cover shows Lady Felicity and Lord Edward Ronan Carr confronting Akhenaten and a mummified priest – an In Her Majesty’s Name scene in a ruined chapel. 28mm North Star miniatures, beautifully painted and photographed by Kevin Dallimore.

Publication date is Thursday 24th March.

Roll ‘em high!

Miniature Wargames

New 10mm Cold War Vehicles Available From Miniature Figurines

Our ever-expanding range of 10mm vehicles and infantry now includes these latest additions:

American M59 APC – £3.75 GBP

An Amphibious APC in service with the U.S. from 1954 to the mid Sixties, the M59 also saw service with a number of allied nations, and is ideal for early Cold War era conflicts or for use with smaller nations. It also gave rise to the M84 Mortar Carrier.

American M75 APC – £3.75 GBP

Designed to replace the M3 Halftrack after WWII, the M75 was one of the first fully enclosed, fully tracked APCs. This revolutionary vehicle saw service in the Korean War and was passed on to the U.S.' allies after its first life ended.

American M114 APC – £3.75 GBP

Smaller than the contemporary M113, the M114 didn't stand up to the rigors of the war in Vietnam, and so its service life was short. But it was useful as a reconnaissance vehicle and its low profile design helped it in this role. Deploy them to Vietnam or reactivate them from reserves to fight the Soviets in Europe!

German M48A2G2 Tank – £4.50 GBP

The Germans took a large number of M48 tanks to supplement their indigenous Leopards. To aid commonality, theirs were equipped with the British L7 105mm gun and internally, with standardized equipment, and they served with both the regular and territorial armies. Now your 10mm West Germans can field the superb M48A2G2 as well.

German Jagdpanzer Kanone – £3.75 GBP

During the early part of the Cold War, the doctrine of Tank Destroyers operating independently to blunt enemy tank formations was still considered valid; as a result, the West German forces developed the Jagdpanzer series from the highly successful Panzer IV-based Tank Destroyers of World War Two. It may not have lasted when rockets and missiles took over from guns in the anti-tank role, but if the Soviets had invaded during the early years of the Cold War, the Jagdpanzer would have gone toe-to-toe with T-54s and T-62s.

Soviet SA-13 Gopher – £4.50 GBP

Lastly, we have the MT-LB based SA-13 Gopher Surface-to-Air missile system. The Soviet plan was to motorize everything; so their SAMs could be right in the thick of the battle alongside the tanks and IFVs. Still in service with a large number of Soviet allies worldwide, the SA-13 system is sure to prove a nasty surprise for the Americans.

Miniature Figurines

Buildings & Accessories Japan / China from Najewitz Modellbau

Buildings & Accessories Japan / China from Najewitz Modellbau

Buildings & Accessories Japan / China

printer settings

To make it fast, you can certainly print the models with a layer thickness of 0.3mm. However, the lower the layers, the higher the quality. Also think of sufficient infill. Because here is sure that the top layer of printing is opaque and smooth.

We achieved our best results with the following settings:

Layer 0,2mm, Infill 20%, 50-80mm sec

But everyone knows his own printer s.besten and by trying to get the desired result. Ultimately, it depends on which printer you take. This can be a cheap geetech or an expensive ultimaker. They should all work.

Scaling   The models are designed to work for the 20/22 mm scale. The following scaling I recommend to

• Get 15mm - 73% • Get 28mm - 127% • Get 1: 144 - 50%

§§ Legal   Unfortunately, it is not without a reference to legal. By purchasing the STL file, you have the right to use them to express your building models. You determine the number of required models yourself. The copyright on these models remains with us. Specifically, this means: • The file must not be distributed under any circumstances. • The printed models may not be sold, or impressions or casts made of them. • a modification of the STL files and the transfer of modified file contents is also prohibited.

Najewitz Modellbau

Landsknecht Hellebardiere Sculpts by Warmonger Miniatures

These are the sculpts I've commissioned from Bob Naismith so far. I'll likely do a Kickstarter in April for them to commission the last eight sculpts and get them cast.

Warmonger Miniatures

Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy, 82, Mar 2016

WWII in the desert

Column: Rick Priestley, "This gaming life - The turning of the year"

It’s a sorry sight to see the pale gold leaves of autumn once more carpeting the lawn in remembrance of another summer gone, not least because I have to sweep it all away! It’s a task fraught with such concealed hazards as rotting windfalls, backache, and the spoor of assorted fur and feather.

Bitesize battle: Arvid Kappe, "A Frostgrave three-part mini campaign - A howl in the darkness"

Beyond the vast ruins of Frostgrave is an expanse of empty tundra, empty apart from the occasional patch of pine forest or forgotten mountain peak. This sweeping wilderness is now criss-crossed with newly-etched paths in the landscape, all leading to the once pr oud city.

Feature: Pat Lowinger, "A Bronze Age supplement for Lion Rampant - Chariots Rampant"

For many wargamers, the Late Bronze Age holds a wealth of wargaming opportunities, as well as a tangible connection to the ancient world. This was a time of heroic combat characterized by the clashes of mighty armies led by elite cadres of chariotmounted warriors. This was a time of pharaohs, kings, and warlords. Whether your interests lie with the fast-striking armies of Ancient Egypt or the nigh-unstoppable might of the Assyrian Empire, the rich history of the chariot era awaits you.

The Swedish invasion of Estonia

Feature: Michael Leck, "Swedish steel in the conquest of the Baltic - The Swedish Crusades"

According to the Eric Chronicles, King Eric rallied knights, farmers, and servants from the entire Swedish realm in what was known as the Ledung fleet, to combat the heathens. The King appointed Birger as the leader of the crusade. The chronicles tell us that the men were well-armed with weapons, helmets, and armour, and the women cried as the men embarked to sail acr oss the Baltic Sea.

Feature: Gary Mitchell, "A 25mm-ish Zombie skirmish scenario - Pride prejudice and zombies"

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.” Wise words, indeed. In 2008, Quirk Books editor Jason Rekulak developed the idea for Pride And Prejudice And Zombies, after comparing a list of popular fanboy characters like ninjas, pirates, zombies, and the usual suspects with a list of public domain book titles, such as War and Peace, Crime and Punishment, and Wuthering Heights. Out of copyright equals fair game.

Theme: Guy Bowers, "The Italian war in the desert - Mancò la fortuna, non il valore"

The war in the desert, from 1940 to 1943, was quite unique in many ways. It was fought over vast expanses of open terrain, with some actions resembling sea battles. On the whole, troops had to be carried in vehicles and supply was vitally important; petrol and water were paramount. It also involved few civilians and generally lacked the atrocities that haunted other theatres of war. There was a mutual respect for their opponent from each side; even chivalry at times.

A pair of M11/39 tanks

Theme: Warwick Kinrade, "Representing the Regio Esercito on the tabletop - Making Mussolini’s men"

During my research and reading around the subject of the war in North Africa (something I’ve done quite a lot of over the past year or so, in preparation for writing the Battlegroup supplement that will cover the desert battles … well, at least the fighting in 1940-41), I have taken a special interest in the Italian Army.

Theme: Mark Backhouse, "Black Ops mini campaig n in WW II North Africa - “Crystal palace would look small fry...”"

David Stirling’s attempt to create an elite raiding force to attack the Axis troops behind enemy lines in North Africa had an inauspicious start. The initial parachute raid in November 1941 was a total catastrophe. Of the 55 men who took part in it, 33 were captured or killed. A second raid a month later was considerably more successful, destroying fourteen enemy planes and damaging ten. But the jury was still out as to whether such raids were a worthwhile investment in time and resources.

Theme: Arnold Blumberg, "The Batt le of Bir el Gubi - The Ram defeats the Lion"

General Sir Claude J.E. Auchinleck, British Commander-in-Chief Middle East, launched Operation Crusader on 18 November 1941. The aim was to relieve Tobruk and to throw the Italian-German foe out of Libya. The Eighth Army’s immediate objective was the destruction of the enemy’s armoured forces in Cyrenaica. To accomplish this, the main body of armoured strength (4th, 7th, and 22nd Armoured Brigades, 7th Armoured Division) would move north-west from the Egyptian frontier, with the mission of destroying the hostile armour near Tobruk, before lifting the siege.

Free French engage Vichy troops

Theme: Eoghan Kelly, "The Battle for Kissoué, 15 June 1941 - A mixed show"

In May 1941, Allied commanders were increasingly concerned that Germany would attempt to use Vichy French territories in the Levant (the collective name for the French holdings in Syria and Lebanon) to launch attacks into either Egypt or Iraq. These concerns led to the launching of Operation Exporter, the code name for the invasion of Syria and Lebanon. As Axis aircraft were spotted using Vichy bases to send arms and equipment to anti-British forces in Iraq, skirmishes occurred along the border, as well as Allied attacks on Vichy airbases. These escalating tensions led Allied commanders to decide on a ruthless solution to the Vichy ‘problem’.

Theme: Guy Bowers, "Building Mussolini's army in Africa - The Regio Esercito"

The Regio Esercito (Royal Italian Army) was reformed in 1861 as part of the Risorgimento. It lasted until 1946, when the monarchy was abolished and the modern Italian republic was established. The Italians were major players in the Western Desert campaigns and contributed to Germany’s campaigns in Yugoslavia and Russia.

On the cover: Andres Amian and Philip Cocking, "High tide for the Axis in Egypt - Duel in the Desert"

The Battles of El Alamein marked the height of the North African campaign in World War II. The combined German-Italian army of the Deutsches Afrika Korps and Regio Esercito had pushed the British Desert Rats far back into Egypt, seemed poised to push on to Alexandria and Cairo. British officials burnt important documents in what was known as ‘Ash Wednesday’.

Column: Jamie Gordon, "The Irregular - Computer dat... err, gaming"

“It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive, but those who can best manage change.” This statement attributed to Charles Darwin sums up the theme of my article this month, as I will be exploring ways of exploiting developments in technology to enhance and progress our hobby. It’s safe to say that the world today is somewhat different from the way it was 25 years ago when I first started pushing lead around my parents’ dining room table, and this is particularly true in the field of technology.

Hobby: Ruben Torregrosa, "Painting Deutsches Afrika Korps - A closer look at the DAK"

North Africa is one of the most exciting theatres of war in the Second World War. The dust, the heat, the difficulties of the terrain, the supplies … Rommel and the Deutsches Afrika Korps (DAK) did not have it easy. Nonetheless, they obtained victory after victory, until the Allies’ superiority in men, supply, and machinery finally won the war in Africa. Due to the supply difficulties, the German soldiers had to draw on anything available in the field, including uniforms from their Italian allies or captured from the British forces.

Hobby: Stephen Tunmore, "Modelling realistic water on the tabletop - Water, water everywhere"

Trying to represent water in wargaming scenery on the tabletop can leave the average wargamer feeling a bit cold! Nothing seems to come close to realistically representing this medium. The default setting of blue/green strips of cloth, blue lino tile, or MDF painted blue with a coat of gloss varnish is purely representative. But with nothing else to turn to, the wargamer is left with little option.

Let's play: Rick Hudson, "Hard Sci-Fi from Warlord Games - Let's play Beyond the Gates of Antares"

I love Warhammer 40,000, both as a system and a game milieu. So, when I learned that Rick Priestley – the man behind 40K and many other great games – had designed a new SF game, you would imagine that I’d be delighted. But to be truthful, I was somewhat ambivalent. Would Beyond the Gates of Antares match the unquestionably excellent standard of Rick’s previous output? Would I just be saying “it’s a bit like 40K, but ….”?

Reviews: Paul Burkin, Rossco Watkins and Guy Bowers, "Game Reviews"

In this installment of our regular game review section, we take a look at Dragon Rampant, Skirmish Outbreak, Honours of War, and Tailfeathers.

Column: Richard Clarke, "Up front - Leadership"

I’m always loathe to quote Sun Tzu in the presence of our esteemed editor, as I know that he gets overexcited and is liable to leap on the table and start singing The Big Sun’s greatest hits to the tunes of various rock classics. (True! Ed.) Clearly, an Auntie bought him the Sun Tzu Bumper Album from Woolies when he was a nipper and it scarred him for life.

Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy

New Schleswig-Holstein Flags from Pendraken Miniatures

We're ploughing ahead with more flag sheets for our various ranges, and this time it's the turn of the 1st Schleswig-Holstein War!

The Danish sheet contains two flags for each of the 5 battalions, plus 11 general Danish flags, for a total of 21 flags.  The German set contains 3 copies of 7 different designs, again for a total of 21 flags.

Again, all of these were researched and designed by new Forum member Mig, so thanks once more to him for his work.

SCW Flags

PNFL701 - 1st Sch-Hol Danish      £2.50

PNFL702 - 1st Sch-Hol German/Prussian      £2.50

There are some more designs to come soon, so keep an eye out for those!

Pendraken Miniatures

Warband Lizardmen Now Available from Pendraken Miniatures

Slightly later than planned due to the Painting Competition, we've got the next new Warband range, with the Lizardmen all ready and released!  A few lucky folks got their hands on these at last weekends Hammerhead show and we'll also have them with us at both WMMS and Triples later this month.

Our new Warband packs all contain maximum variety, so 25 different sculpts in the foot packs and 12 in the cavalry.  Techno has done some excellent work on these and really made each one unique.  The new command and shamans are excellent as well and will look great painted up for Warband.

Lizardmen
FAN-LIZ1 - 25 x Lizardmen Warriors
FAN-LIZ2 - 25 x Lizardmen Hunters
FAN-LIZ3 - 12 x Raptor Riders
FAN-LIZ4 - 5-man Command Group
FAN-LIZ5 - 4 x Shamans with runestone
FAN-LIZ6 - 25 x Newtmen Warriors
FAN-LIZ7 - 25 x Newtmen Hunters
(packs are £4.50 each, command/mages are £1.50)

Army Pack: Contains 2 packs of Lizardmen Warriors, and 1 pack each of Lizardmen Hunters, Raptor Riders, Command, Shamans, Newtmen Warriors and Newtmen Hunters, plus 8 x MDF bases.  Priced at £30.00

FAN-LIZ1 - 25 x Lizardmen Warriors

FAN-LIZ2 - 25 x Lizardmen Hunters

FAN-LIZ3 - 12 x Raptor Riders

FAN-LIZ4 - 5-man Command Group

FAN-LIZ5 - 4 x Shamans with runestone

FAN-LIZ6 - 25 x Newtmen Warriors

FAN-LIZ7 - 25 x Newtmen Hunters

Next up should hopefully be the Dragonmen, which will be completely new sculpts!

Pendraken Miniatures

Pendraken's Painting Competition Winners Are!

First off, thanks to everyone who entered the 2016 Pendraken Painting Competition, once again we saw such a high standard of entries which pushed the envelope in what can be achieved in this scale.  I hope you all enjoyed entering, certainly more than the Judges enjoyed trying to pick the winners!

So just for info, each judge had 6 points in total to award.  3 points went to their 1st place choice, 2 points to their 2nd place, and 1 point to their 3rd choice.  The points from all 5 judges were added together to give us our winners and runners-up.

And now, the Winners of the 2016 Pendraken Painting Competition are...

Foot - Pre-20th C. (24 entries)

This category always brings in some colourful entries and this year was no different.  The judges gave honourable mentions to many of the entries on show, but in the end there was a clear winner, picking up maximum points from all of the judges.  Second place was a bit of a scrap, with one just edging out the other.

1st place: "Lombardia", by bradpitre - wins £20 Pendraken credit, and a £20 voucher from Leven Miniatures!

"A nice mix of using black lining and shading..."  "Just great, fallen man in front rank a nice touch."  "Superbly done, beautifully executed."

2nd place: James II Foot Guards, by redstef - wins £10 Pendraken credit!

"Overall a nice paint job, always love to see hand painted flags, well done."  "Really nicely done, superb flags."

Foot - 20th C. (11 entries)

We often see a smaller number of high quality entries in this category and this year was no different.  Five of the eleven picked up points but we had two clear winners in the end, with first place picking up a maximum 15 points.  

1st place: SCW Regular Army, by MIG - wins £20 Pendraken credit, and a £20 voucher from Ironclad Miniatures!

Really nice eye for detail, well painted, cleanly based and a great photo."  "Clean and well-presented; nice palette."

2nd place: WWI Engineers, by Tiny Tin Troops - wins £10 Pendraken credit!

"Well thought out and put together.  A nice paint job and great table dressing."  "Nicely presented, lots of interest to the eye; simple, limited palette draws everything together."

Mounted (18 entries)

A couple of the categories each year have multiple entries from the same member, which can sometimes split the judges and result in that member missing out on a prize.  Always something to be a careful of!  This year it was a tight run race between three entries, with one chap just missing out on a place.

1st place: 7th French Hussars, by MIG - wins £20 Pendraken credit, and a copy of the new 'Paints' magazine from Wargames Illustrated!

"Super paint job aided by a really clear and well lit photo."  "Very crisp and clean. Shading almost too subtle for this scale."  "Simple and understated, really subtle."

2nd place: James II Life Guard, by Redstef - wins £10 Pendraken credit!

"Lovely crisp painting with nice shading."  "Beautifully executed."

Vehicle (19 entries)

We had a lower number of entries in the category this year, with one clear winner picking up maximum points, and then several entries vying for that second place. 

1st place: Sherman, by BH62 - wins £20 Pendraken credit, and a copy of the new Blitzkrieg Commander ruleset!

"Crisp, clean painting, great highlighting."  "Cracking job here, lovely use of shading and highlighting edges."  "Very crisp, really good edge highlighting. Very clear winner."  "Really nice, simple but effective use of highlighting to make this one 'pop'.

2nd place: AVBCW Char St Chamond, by Vanvlak - wins £10 Pendraken credit!

"Nice job here, I like the whole display idea."  "Subtle and clean job."

Fantasy & Sci-Fi (14 entries)

This category was an interesting one, with four different entries placing 1st amongst the judges, showing both the high standard of painting and how difficult it is to separate them at times!  Finally, two entries pulled ahead that little bit and grabbed the prizes.

1st place: Squogglers and Night Goblins, by Hetairoi - wins £20 Pendraken credit, and a copy of 'Warband'!

"The faces on the squigs are great."  "Good painting and appropriately dark photography."  "Very nicely done, great looking unit, love the flame-effect hoods."

2nd place: Skeletons, by Mostyn - wins £10 Pendraken credit!

"Nice tidy painting, great shading."  "White's not an easy colour to pull off especially at this scale, well done."  "Nice crisp style and shading."

Warband (5 entries)

This was the debut year for the Warband entries and we only picked up a few entries.  Hopefully we'll see more next year!  There were two clear favourites in this one, with only a single point separating them in the end!

1st place: Goblin Riders, by Andy T - wins £20 Pendraken credit, and a Warband Army Pack!

"Really nice job, made me smile."  "Fun unit, execution of painting ok."  "Innovative and nicely done."

2nd place: Dwarf Gyrocopters, by fred. - wins £10 Pendraken credit!

"Nice detail and highlighting."  "Light, clean.  "Decent painting, lovely basing."  "Basing is nice, lifts the unit (no pun intended!)"

Open - Single Base (26 entries)

This category always sees some outstanding pieces of both imagination and painting ability and it's one we always look forward to.  This year the judges had one clear winner picking up a maximum 15 points and then a couple of others scrapping for second place.

1st place: 30YW Artillery, by bradpitre - wins £20 Pendraken credit, and a Scourge Army from Hawk Wargames!

"Excellent attention to detail, a great artwork."  "Really enjoyed these figures, great paint job, basing and photos.  I love to see well painted figures with great basing, the full package."  "Just gorgeous."  "Superbly done, beautiful vignette."

2nd place: Russian Winter, by Tonton Flingueur - wins £10 Pendraken credit!

"Love the whole winter feel to this piece, again an entry that ticks all the boxes."  "Nice storytelling, gets points despite uncertain photography."  "I always love a well done winter base - and this is nicely done, simple but highly effective."

Open - Army! (27 entries)

The Army category always brings in some fantastic entries and this year certainly didn't disappoint.  There were so many that picked up points and this was easily the closest category to be judged, with over half the entries getting an honourable mention from our judges.  In the end, it was the 'complete' armies that got it, the ones that came together into one impressive piece of work.  We did have a tie for second place, again showing how close this one was.

1st place: 30YW French, by bradpitre - wins £20 Pendraken credit, and a copy of the new 'Paints' magazine from Wargames Illustrated!

"A simple paint job that works well close up and on the table, cracking basing.  These are more like individual vignettes, well done."  "Superbly done - simple but really effective."

Joint 2nd place: James II in Ireland, by Redstef - wins £10 Pendraken credit!

"A lovely looking army in the group shots, could have scored higher if the close ups of units had been clear."

"Love the painting, and the size of the units; those really are battalions."  "Superb - effective and eye-catching."

Joint 2nd place: ECW, by DHautpol - wins £10 Pendraken credit!

"Top-notch, really coherent force."  "Very clean, tidy painting, these really stood out."  "Very tidy, again a coherent force."  

Congratulations to all of our winners!  We'll be contacting you in the next few days to get your prizes sorted out.  We'll also get your Winner's medals added to your profiles!  

Also, a huge thank you to everyone who entered from all of us here at Pendraken HQ.  We always look forward to the Competition each year, watching every day as these wonderful entries come in.  The time and effort that goes into achieving such a high standard is appreciated by all of us here and we hope you've enjoyed it as much as we have.

We'd like to thank our Judges as well, for accepting the difficult task of going through all of the entries to pick our winners.

Coming up next will be the People's Choice Award, where all the entries who achieved at least a point (plus a few of my own favourites!) will go into a public poll to decide a winner.  The thread for this can be found here:  and voting will run for a little over one week, closing at 6pm on Tuesday 15th March.  The winner of this category will receive a £25 voucher for loads of Minibits goodies, so please make sure to place your votes once the thread is up.

And finally, as a special bonus for everyone who entered, we've got one more prize to give out!  This participation prize will be given out to one randomly selected person who has entered this years competition.  The Winners and Runners-Up will be taken out of the pot first, and then we'll draw a name from the hat to find our winner!  The lucky person will receive £10 worth of Pendraken goodies.  We'll announce this at the same time as the People's Choice winner, so stay tuned!

Pendraken Painting Competition

People's Choice Award 

Pendraken Miniatures