Saturday 28 June 2014

Slingshot

I have recently started as editor of Slingshot, the journal of the Society of Ancients.  I started gaming with tanks while I was still at school, because tanks are cool, but I spent more and more time in the hobby when I encountered ancients thanks to an old friend who was leaving school.  He sold me his 25mm Byzantine army, and that got me hooked on ancients/medievals and that figure scale.  I played a lot of 6th edition WRG while I was an undergrad, and I was well aware of the existence of the Society and Slingshot.  I didn't become more involved at that point, though, because I was going off ahistorical match-ups and the interminable debates in the journal about Ghaznavid super troops

Well, that's how it seemed to me at the time.  More recently, though, ancients gaming has massively diversified and there are loads of great rulesets and figures out there.  Plus I've been in a steady club group for years now, and we have enough figures between us to make mostly historically plausible games the norm - hence our ongoing campaign.  I joined the Society properly a few years ago and started to put on large display games at some of the Scottish shows.  I then joined the Society's committee and then, a couple of months ago, took the plunge with Slingshot.  Because of my day job (don't worry, I won't bore you with the details), dealing with large amounts of text doesn't bother me very much.  So why not?

Anyway, I thought I should start to include some of this on t'blog here, since it is now taking up some more of my gaming time, and that's what the blogging thing is for.  So if you're reading this, why not have a look at the Society's website and maybe join?  Slingshot is free to members.  There are six issues a year, and it contains a whole range of ancients and medievals historical and gaming material.  It isn't as glossy as some of the others out there, but then it isn't a commercial enterprise.  Joining the Society gets you the journal, plus access to the discussion forum with some very knowledgeable folks, and DISCOUNTS.  WITH MANUFACTURERS.  Did I mention the DISCOUNTS by the way?

And yes, this is a call for papers!  Getting published doesn't pay, but then you will be in very good company, and many contributors just like to see their musings in print.  So why not go for it?  Oh, and the Society has negotiated discounts with many manufacturers...

6 comments:

  1. Congratulations on your posting to SoA as Editor! Slingshot is an always interesting read and I last week resubscribed.

    Good luck to you!

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  2. Congratulations for the post!
    I've been a suscriber for many years but my wargaming interests have shifted to more modern periods and I left it.
    Having said that, it is a very interesting and quality publication and I'd say a must for any Ancient-period aficionado

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  3. Preach it, brother! I'm sure that future members will look back on the editorship of Caliban as a golden age :)

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  4. Thanks guys. It just so happens that Caliban is my favourite character...

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  5. Best of luck to you from all at Westerhope Wargames

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    1. Thanks, Brian, that's very nice of you...

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