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About four weeks ago the latest edition of the Classic Wargamer’s Journal arrived, promptly and quickly after dispatch as usual. There are articles, feedback, and AARs (After Action Reports) covering the WSS, F&IW, SYW, Franco-Prussian War, Colonial Darkest Africa, and World War II. Daryl Haselton continues his series on wargaming the Indian Mutiny in 45mm, and Peter Verduyn concludes his on a Tony Bath “Hyboria” style imagi-nation campaign. Other contributions cover the Wild West in 54mm, and a get together (care of CWJ) of a couple of OSWs (Old School Wargamers) in London.

Also included is more excellent discussion on the character of commanders, and of Charlie Wesencraft – an often overlooked contemporary of Charles Grant, Donald Featherstone, et al – as well as playing ‘floor wars’ (ala H.G. Wells & Robert Louis-Stevenson) with 42mm figures; and an interview with UK wargaming stalwart John Ray. And the issue concludes of course with the Tales of the Golden Head (a Colonial Skirmish ‘comic book’ style serial) and Conrad Kinch’s take on wargaming. As with Issue 3 there’s a pull out sheet with diagrams and instructions, this time for making a “Cardboard Flatpack Bomber” for those impromptu beer ‘n’ pretzels WW2 air wargames (and Issue 4 includes an AAR report of one such game using them)!

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Once again it arrived promptly and quickly, and the Classic Wargamer’s Journal is a refreshing read, bringing back a simplicity and fun element of a bygone era. This issue includes a reprint of a Tony Bath Mini-Ancient Campaign & Battle (the forerunner of his famous Hyboria), from the WGD, Book II, Volume 1 dated March 1958. There are several succinct AARs (After Action Reports) of games utilising scenarios from the 3 previous CWJ issues; several discussions of of old-school style gaming and/or imagi-nation projects (The Great Northern War in 40mm Prinz August’s, Indian Mutiny with 45mm Deutsche Homage’s, 1890′s Germany & Russia in the Baltic with 28mm Hinterland’s); and a particularly unusual and relatively extensive (for the CWJ) AAR of a Napoleonic game. Ray Caddy concludes his very interesting 2-part series on the Catalan War of 1713-1714; and there is an especially excellent F&IW (French & Indian War) piece with Scenario & AAR and inspired by Charles Wesencraft’s “Practical Wargaming” (a contemporary of, and under-appreciated author equal to, Grant, Featherstone, Young, Bath, Wise, and co…).

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It arrived here in the Antipodes just 4 days after posting in the UK, and once again the Classic Wargamer’s Journal is a refreshing read, bringing back memories of those glorious days in the 60’s & 70’s when names like Don Featherstone, Charles Grant, Brig. Peter Young, Terry Wise, Paddy Griffiths, and others inspired the masses of Baby Boomer & Generation X budding wargamers! I find I particularly enjoy CWJ simply for its style and format, which brings back many memories of my wargaming childhood, and also many of the articles which relate or allude to those classic publications by the personages above during that time.

Issue 2 of Volume 1 includes a brief letter from Don Featherstone, still getting along at 93, albeit sans all his wargaming armies that have long since gone to new homes. He’s certainly been an inspirational chap and as I commented on Phil Olley’s Blog, must surely just about be the last of those assorted venerable gentlemen I alluded to above that is still with us…

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Following on from the Pilot Issue (The Classic Wargamer’s Journal: First Impressions) the first regular issue of CWJ is here – and continues on in the vein of the pilot issue. A poignant point by the editor, Phil Olley, is the modern ‘habit’ of talking about playing ‘rules’ (e.g. we say we are off to play Flames of War, not World War II, or do you want to play FoG instead of Ancients), and this embeds a subconscious mindset of playing ‘rules’ rather than ‘periods’ – perhaps a sign of the commercialisation of the hobby?

This issue’s Game Reports & Scenarios include Battles in the Blast Valley: The action at Spurlash Down; Part 2 of the Fireraisers Scenario & Report (from the pilot issue); and Advanced Guard – A Refight of a Charles S. Grant Table-Top Teaser from “Battle for Wargamers” Magazine (from June & July 1978).

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Well I placed my order on 21 July (UK time) and the hard copy edition was here in the antipodes on the 27 July (NZ time) – so that’s about a 5 day turn around – well done Phil and the Royal & NZ Posts! The CWJ Pilot is a stapled, 34 page (+covers) A4 format publication including a centre leaf with 6 glossy full colour photos, and large easy to read type. The tone is light hearted but very much in the tradition of those great wargaming publications of old, such as Charles Grant’s “The War Game” – in fact Phil Olley’s reference to the significance of this publication for him had me feeling very nostalgic – as it has always been ‘the’ Classic Wargaming Book for me (alas War Games Digest that CWJ is styled on is just a bit too early a publication for this not so young lad)!

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