Friday 30 July 2010

CWJ Subscription

Well, thanks to all who supported the Pilot Issue (which will continue to be available for those who want to sample the journal before subscribing).
Within the first 4 days we reached more than a hundred, and the steady pace has continued this week. So, along with the great many personal messages by email and letter which I received, as well as the positive comments posted here, this gives me every confidence that we can produce a regular quarterly journal.

Here’s how it will work:

Future issues of Classic Wargamer’s Journal will be available by annual subscription only.

Subscriptions are for one Volume of four issues, each issue being produced quarterly.
Your subscription entitles you to the current four issues, at whatever stage you subscribe during that 12 month period. So, for example, if you subscribe just as issue 3 is published, you will receive issues 1 and 2 immediately, as well as the current issue 3, and subsequently issue 4, before your subscription is then due for renewal for the next Volume.

Subscription for Volume I includes:
• Issue 1 - Autumn 2010 (October 2010)
• Issue 2 - New Year 2011 (January 2011)
• Issue 3 - Spring 2011 (April 2011)
• Issue 4 - Summer 2011 (July 2011)

and is £18 for UK subscribers, £24 for overseas subscribers; including postage.
The electronic (pdf ) version is also available online at £12 for the 4 issues.

Subscribing online - you may subscribe to both hard-copy and electronic versions using the paypal button

Subscribing by post and paying by cheque (available only to UK subscribers I’m afraid):
Please send your full name and address details (include postcode), plus a contact phone number or email address with your cheque for £18 payable to “Phil Olley” to:
Phil Olley, Classic Wargamer’s Journal, Phoenix House, 12 Houston Avenue, Glenrothes, Fife, KY7 6FL

It’s great to have you onboard. With your support, I know we can make this something really special, something to “put the joy back into my hobby of wargaming”, as one of the first subscribers wrote in a letter last week.
Thank you to those who do support the journal, and click on the button...

Button Removed 30 July 2011. No longer taking Volume I subscriptions

Tuesday 20 July 2010

CWJ - Pilot Issue is here!

The Classic Wargamer's Journal - Pilot Issue now available.


includes: 4 tyabletop scenarios (Spurlash Down and vanguards Collide, by me; Fire Raisers by Stephen Caddy; and a battle report from the very first issue of WGD back in 1957); plus articles on Tabletop generals' characterisation by Jeff Hudelson, and a guide to painting big units by Stokes Schwartz; an ACW riverboat project by Alasdair Jamison, and Bill Protz gets marooned!

Hardcopy and PDF versions are available via the paypal button below. Pricing includes postage.

For the PDF version, you will receive this as an attachment to an email from me within 48 hours of your order. Please ensure your spam filter is set to receive ok from phil "dot" olley "at" blueyonder.co.uk

For those who wish to purchase by cheque (UK only I'm afraid), send £4.50 payable to "Phil Olley" to:
Phil Olley, Phoenix House, 12 Houston Avenue, Glenrothes, Fife. KY7 6FL.

I am massively indebted to everyone who has helped put this pilot issue together, and has been good enough to offer encouragement, sage words of advice, as well as a fine batch of articles. Let me just say a public "thank you" to all of them.

And finally, thanks in advance to those who support this little venture, click the button and buy the Pilot Issue...

BUTTON REMOVED 30 JULY 2011. No further orders being taken for Pilot Issue

Monday 19 July 2010

Not long now!

Thanks for your patience. I know many are eager to get hold of the Pilot Issue of CWJ.
I'll be putting the paypal button up tomorrow, and also details of how to acquire a copy by post.
Phil

Sunday 18 July 2010

CWj- answering some queries

As I suggested last time, things have been progressing at some considerable pace, and we’re on track to have the pilot issue of The Classic Wargamer’s Journal (CWJ) available in the next few days.

It’s been encouraging to see the comments, and I hope in this post I’ll be able to answer some of the queries raised.

The aim is to recapture some of the “raw” nature of the hobby, before the glossy veneer took over. There will be scenarios and battle reports a plenty and some “how to” articles… eg scratch building etc. Simple stuff that anyone can do, plus game/ campaign mechanics articles.

Each article being no longer than about 4 pages, and some just a single page, all in, it should run to around 30 pages per issue. That will be pure content. Nothing fancy, but good old “war-gamers’ brain food”.

Periods covered:
efore I forget to mention it, this is not just for Horse & Musket folk. In fact, the Tony Bath ancients flats (as used in the Hyborea Campaign) which sit in my cabinets, are warming up for future issues, and there are a number of different periods catered for in the pilot issue. Many of the scenarios are generic, not period specific.

PDFs:
well, I thought long and hard about this… and for no reason other than gut-feeling and the overall ethos of the thing, I originally decided to simply take the hard-copy route.
However, in the biggest U-turn since Bonnie Prince Charlie reached Derby, I have now decided to offer a pdf issue aswell. So you’ll have the choice. Well, it would be silly not to use the technology we have in the interests of allowing as many people as possible to access CWJ. For that reason, I think the early pioneers of War Gamer’s Digest (Scruby, Featherstone and Bath) would approve.
For those dyed in the wool hard-copy only types, just ignore the pdf option!

Subscribing:
by paypal online. Yes. I’ll be sticking a button on here so you can buy it directly, from anywhere in the world.
I’ll also have the facility to take cheques by post from UK subscribers.

The Pilot issue will be a one-off single payment – a chance for you to “suck it and see,” before committing to 4 issues, and we won’t be getting into subscriptions until the next issue.

To cover the cost of production (it would be a very short print run - in fact I’ll be doing it in-house myself) and the cost of postage, I anticipate each issue will be approx £4.50 for the hard copy UK version, £6 for overseas (including postage). PDF will be less expensive of course.

More news in the next few days…

…Get ready for the launch!
Or should that be the “Blast off” or even “Blasthof”!!!

Wednesday 14 July 2010

Introducing the Classic Wargamer's Journal

Having recently been fortunate to have the loan of Charles Grant’s collection of War Game Digest journals, starting from issue 1, March 1957, I’ve been absolutely enthralled by them. The whole tenor and style of articles has me captivated. They contain a real sense of wargaming community. Of course, that was way back then, when the pioneering spirit amongst the 40 or so initial subscribers was just that – pioneering.

But… now…

Well all of this got me thinking…

So, if a very amateurish publication was produced (no gloss, no adverts), just a sort of “club newsletter” style magazine or journal, perhaps on a quarterly basis, in the Classic Wargaming style, focusing purely on game reports, scenarios, the odd “how-to” piece, with contributions from many people, would others be interested? It would be something to look forward to clunking through the mailbox once a quarter!

And let me also say at this point, I view this very much as an “amateur” in-house publication, like one of the many wargames society newsletters/ journals. And even less “polished” than many of them - I’m talking staple-bound plain paper here guys!!

So
The big question is how do I find out if it would be worth doing?

The Classic Wargamer's Journal (CWJ)- Pilot Issue
Well, I have decided to put together a “pilot” issue.

And with a number of collaborators (some of whose names you will instantly recognise!) we’re working on getting it out at the end of July.

More news in the next day or so…

Monday 12 July 2010

General chit-chat

Well it looks as if the overwhelming vote on the mascot name went to "Blatter", so "Blatter" it is. Thanks for your input!

Meanwhile, I had meant to post replies to questions made in the comments earlier, but decided to post the answers here:
The base boards are painted with a Dulux emulsion paint (Soft Moss 2). It's actually a little more subtle than it appears in the pictures.
As for the crimson coat colour on the saxe Coburg regt; just plain Games Workshop Foundation Paint - mechrite red. It's more a claret colour really.

Finally, a table is booked at the Claymore show (Edinburgh, 7 August) for a small Classic Wargaming demo game. This is along with a couple of pals, under the banner of convenience of "The Forth Coalition" (us being based around the River Forth). So far, I've got the scenario drawn up, and all the figures are ready. Just some finishing touches and a handout to do. More news as the preparations continue over the next couple of weeks.

Thursday 8 July 2010

Promised Pics

As promised a couple more pics of the Saxe Coburg regiment.
Here in line formation, standing before the buildings that made up Eisenberg Village for the refight of Sittangbad we did at Partizan way back (2006... really, that long ago?).

These buildings (4 in total) are now for sale, and if you would like to make an offer, drop me an email: phil.olley at blueonder.co.uk



And here the Saxe Coburg Regiment join fellows of The Erbprinz Regiment and the Pils Holstein Grenadier company, "advancing on a broad front".





Links
Meanwhile, the other evening I spent a merry couple of hours surfing (something I very rarely get chance to do) and as a result I've been catching up with "blog husbandry" by adding links that I had neglected to include. If your blog or website doesn't appear, it may be an oversight on my part, so please do give me a nudge (in fact, why not just put the word "nudge" in a comment), particularly for those who have been kind enough to link to this blog. I do like to reciprocate where possible, and feel it's only right. So belated apologies to anyone who I hadn't previously linked to... hope that's now rectified.

Right, just a few hours to go in the big vote for the Saxe Coburg mascot name... Blatter is in pole position, just now. Is there time for a big turnaround?

Tuesday 6 July 2010

The Hyndford Plaque

Thought this photo would be of interest to readers. This is a photo in the collection of Charles S Grant reproduced here with Charles’ kind permission.

The photo was taken by David Chandler, who later owned Peter Young’s house “Hyndford Yately” and had the plaque put up:



On the reverse of the photograph David Chandler has written
“Put up at Hyndford on 13 October last: the 10th death of PY and the 30th (not at all death) of the SK.”
Which would make it 1998.

Of course, the name Hyndford appears in Charge… remember? Lord Hyndford, the gallant British officer who was charged with the Imperial rearguard defence as Lentulus made good his escape at Sittangbad. And a quick google search will reveal something of the historical figure, Lord Hyndford, which I’ll leave to you…

Friday 2 July 2010

Saxe Coburg Regt completed

Saxe Coburg Regiment is complete as you can see.

It is evident that the football theme got to me from the outset (I designed the uniform based on the Aston Villa kit of course!). And with an earlier comment/pun (thank you Donogh) about them forming up in 3 lines, I had to include the 3 Lions Passant on the flag.

There's also the mascot. Every regiment should have one! And in the case of The Saxe Colburg regiment I decided to use one of the Vendel mastiffs.

Now, as to his name... well, I'll leave that to you, dear readers, as the latest poll shows a number of options...
Place your vote!


click on picture to enlarge.

And thanks all for following progress.