This month for various reasons I do not have time to do a full review of the latest Miniature Wargames magazine (partly due to having to create an advert for the next issue but more on that next week!) but it is a great magazine so I want to look at a few bits of it and give my thoughts….. In fact since I typed that first sentence three days have passed and it turns out I had less time than I thought I first had so this will have to be an even shorter look!

Here is an outline of the official contents of the magazine with my own comments inserted into a few key areas of my own special interest.

Cover Story – Scarlet Thunder at Salute. Can Colonel White escort the World President to London Airport before the Mysterons wreak their deadly havoc? John Treadaway presents an homage to Supermarionation in this preview of one of the South London Warlords’ games at Salute 2012.

This is a great article that really shows the potential of a group of wargamers who have talent and time to do something original.  From the scratch built vehicles and terrain to the converted miniatures and the mission idea itself it is pure quality and was a joy to read.  John Treadaway hits gold again…now where is my copy of Full Thrust?

Ancients – Peter Hall continues his series on wargaming the battle of Mons Graupius using Hail Caesar rules.

Napoleonic – John Walsh contributes the concluding part of his series on wargaming Salamanca in the year of the battle’s 200th anniversary.

I had been looking forward to the conclusion of this series of articles and Mr Walsh did not disappoint me.  Now I have the full set I might well give them the Flintloque treatment when time allows! 

ACW – Trevor Halsall looks at wargaming the Hornet’s Nest action at Shiloh, 1862, in a preview of Newbury & Reading Wargames Club’s game at Salute 2012.

I have to be honest again.  ACW leaves me cold as a wargamer but this article had some really nice pictures and the Newbury & Reading guys did a lovely job.

19th Century – Jim Webster concludes his series on wargaming the French intervention in the Mexico of the 1860s with a look at the role of the Egyptian battalion.

The High Ground – Steve Eardley questions our assumptions, reviews the latest products and looks at infantry square tactics on the tabletop.

Insightful and one of the most rewarding pile of pages in every issue of MW.  Form Square and give Mr Eardley a medal!

WWII – Gary Richards presents scenarios for wargaming the Japanese invasion of Burma, 70 years ago this spring.

Modern – Andrew Hubback presents a wargamer’s guide to playing SWAT team actions in a modern urban environment including tactics, terrain, rules and figure options.

Boy have I waited for this one, its been a couple of months but it was well worth the wait.  Andrew Hubback delves into ultra modern hostage rescue and all that entails.  From the background to hostage takers and retrievers to a wargamers guide and miniatures advice but also terrain and tactics advice.  He also tells how to convert standard military vehicles for use by the local PD or SWAT teams (good advice this!) and then on to rules that suit the job.  He openly states that mis-match is the name of the game when playing out scenarios involving hostages and gives good account of what is out there.  He also outlines segmenting play to represent the shock for trained men in entering rooms where hostages are held.  Andrew finishes with a short scenario called ‘Factory Hold Up’ that flows from everything already talked about which I found played out really well in 15mm scale.  I have to say that all this fires me up to do a USE ME title on the subject but for now ‘USE ME Riot’ will have to remain a dream as other things demand life!

Darker Horizons – Gary Mitchell rounds up the latest gossip, news and reviews in his regular Darker Horizons column.

Gary gives his usual zany excellence and it was great to meet him at Salute.  But shucks a whole page on little old me and mine…how kind!  An excellent look at Alternative Armies and 15mm.co.uk, USE ME and Flintloque and more. So impressed by this.   Here is a picture from the free copy Mr Hubback gave me on the day!

Darker Horizons page in MW349

I cannot really talk about this as several interviews and a video post too are enough for my ego in the last two weeks.  As Bob Minadeo said to me today ‘Soon you will need a man to follow you in the style of the ancient Romans and whisper in your ear ” remember you are only a man” ‘.  Perhaps I will…

GBS