Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy

Wargaming is a big hobby with many diverse factions and perspectives: striking a balance that pleases everyone can be truly challenging! We like to think what sets Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy apart from other historical wargaming magazines is its focus on having fun, no matter what kind of wargamer you are or what your background is. WS&S is a light-hearted publication, that pays particular attention to games themselves and how to play them: it doesn’t get bogged down in lengthy historical expositions or recycle content you can read yourself in any history book. While popular periods like WWII, the Napoleonic era, and the ancient world get frequent coverage, we also try to feature the unexpected, with articles on spies, monsters and gangsters to name but a few.

WARGAMES SOLDIERS & STRATEGY MAGAZINE

Editorial

MINIATURE REVIEWS • A look at some of the newest miniatures, terrain pieces, and more from across the wargaming world.

THIS GAMING LIFE RICHARD HALLIWELL, 1959-2021 • It was a friend, neighbour, and fellow nascent wargamer who discovered we were not entirely alone. Simon – for that was his name – Simon and I had been pushing Airfix figures around in a boyish fashion for a while. Success in the 11+ exam ensured we were both dispatched to the local grammar school – first-form bugs, though in different classes. This mysterious wargaming classmate of Simon’s turned out to be Richard Halliwell. Richard had also been wargaming with a friend, but their respective progress to secondary education had parted them, the friend elevated to the posh grammar at the top of the hill, Richard banished to the one only recently built on the former landfill site next to the huge council estate.

THE GREATEST DECISIVE BATTLE YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF THE BATTLE OF IPSUS, 301 BC • The Wars of the Diadochi – the seemingly forever civil war of succession for Alexander the Great’s empire – had raged since his death in 323 BC. The decisive battle at Ipsus in 301 BC would see both the beginning of an end and the octogenarian Antigonus Monopthalmus take to the field against his old foes one final time …

THE FRANCO-CASTILIAN RAID ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT IN 1377 VIOLENCE ON VECTIS • Naval raids were a frequent feature of the 100 Years’ War. On 21 August 1377, a Franco-Castilian fleet was forced to shelter from a storm on the north coast of the Isle of Wight, before plundering the island and raiding the nearby ports around the Solent. The island itself was largely captured, except for Carisbrooke Castle, which managed to hold out.

US DESTROYERS VERSUS JAPANESE CRUISERS THE BATTLE OFF SAMAR • The Second Battle of the Philippine Sea is a complex series of separate engagements that occurred between 23 and 25 October 1944 as a result of the US landings on the central Philippines island of Leyte. This was the promised return of General Douglas MacArthur to liberate the Philippines from Japan.

THE JOY OF ASYMMETRIC GAMES – MAKING FUN SCENARIOS TURNING THE TABLES • Wargamers often aim to match equally strong forces in neutral terrain with the objective of creating a balanced situation for the purposes of gameplay. This rarely reflects what happened historically. Often one force had a distinct advantage, be it numbers, equipment, or position.

INNOVATION & DEVELOPMENT IN THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR WAR IS CRUELTY • When the American Civil War broke out in 1861, both sides were still firmly entrenched in the military thinking of Napoleon, with massed infantry seen as the way to win the day. As the war progressed, both the Union and Confederacy found this was a costly mistake.

THE BATTLE FOR ISLAND NUMBER TEN, FEBRUARY – APRIL 1862 RUNNING THE MISSISSIPPI GAUNTLET • The Confederacy started a series of defensive positions and fortifications to protect the ‘softer approaches’ to its heartland by...