Lockdown Treat

IT has been some time since I read Wargames Soldiers & Strategy, but as a treat during Lockdown 3 I bought issue 112, which covers January to February.

The magazine has lots of battle scenarios, which make reasonably interesting articles even though they are illustrated with rather disappointing mini dioramas.

Even more disappointing is that none of the battles is recreated on the tabletop, so they come across as  nothing more than could be gained from Wikipedia and a cursory internet search. 

WS&S ... trick or treat?

All in all it will probably be some time before I buy another copy of the magazine.

Two Mags

I BOUGHT the Mar/Apr edition of Wargames - Soldiers & Strategy and the Feb/Mar edition of Ancient Warfare at about the same time.

Two ancient-themed magazines

The former concentrates on the decline of the (western) Roman Empire, while Ancient Warfare is mainly concerned with Sparta's triumph in the Peloponnesian War.
I want to like WSS, but the absence of battle reports tells against it. This will probably be the last issue I will buy for some time.
Ancient Warfare, on the other hand, continues to impress - I find every issue has so much to savour.

Wargames - Soldiers & Strategy Jan/Feb 2018

ISSUE 94 has a WW2 tank theme, with a suitably relevant cover.

Washed-out cover...but striking in its own way

As is the norm for today's glossy wargaming mags, there is not a single battle report.
Frankly, unless a future theme really grabs my attention, I am very unlikely to remain a customer.

Wargames - Soldiers & Strategy Nov/Dec 2017

ISSUE 93 has an 80 Years War theme, with a nicely understated cover.

84 pages...not enough, apparently, to include an actual wargame

Themed articles include three scenarios, but not one battle report. I know I harp on about this, but I also play tournament chess and it would be inconceivable for British Chess Magazine or Chess to come out without a single game report.

Wargames - Soldiers & Strategy

I PICKED up the September/October issue of WS&S at WH Smith in Torquay.

Britain in the Napoleonic Wars is the theme of WS&S issue 92

The most interesting article, to me, is James Morris's on an Iberian ambush of ancient Romans.
I like WS&S but it I find it stunning that a wargames magazine can be published without even ONE battle report.
It also has the common glossy wargames mag's fault of printing photos that are implied to be of wargames when they are really posed dioramas.