Thursday, March 25, 2010

Armati-by-the-Sea IV Results


Armati-by-the-Sea (2010)


Peter Barham has sent me the full results of the fourth annual Armati-by-the-Sea event staged in Bournemouth over the weekend of 6-7th March 2010.



Pos. Player ave score (max 32)

1. Phil Steele (25.4)
2. Bill Wilson (25.0)
3. Malcolm King (21.2)
4. Roy Boss (20.6)
5. Vincent Auger (20.4)
6. John Bradley (18.4)
7. Matthew Bennett (17.2)
8. Bruce Rollett (16.8)
9. Rodger Williams (16.4)
10. Craig Tannock (15.4)
11. Ian Kerr (15.2)
12. Tim Cull (14.6)
13. Michel Acloque (14.4)
14. Carl Luxford (14.2)
15. Peter Barham (13.6)
16. Mark Fry (13.2)
17. Stuart Campbell (12.2)
18. Kate Lake (10.8)
19. Paul Collins (8.2)
20. Mick Owen (6.8)

The event was managed by Peter Barham and (occasionally) umpired by Mark Fry. Peter and Phil Steele presented prizes on behalf of the Society. The 22 matched pairs of armies were assembled and provided by Mark Fry and Roy Boss. The Society of Ancients thanks everyone for a magnificent job.

There are pictures and comment from the event on the Society's Ancients on the Move blog (here ...)

Next Year? Peter has provisionally announced March 12/13th 2011 for the Fifth Annual Armati By the Sea event.

Phil Steele

The next Society of Ancients sponsored event will be the DBA Northern Cup to be held at Triples, 17th April at the English Institute of Sport, Sheffield

Friday, March 12, 2010

2010 reshuffle

Apologies to anyone who found contacting us difficult around the end of February. For reasons beyond our control, the website and associated mailboxes were out of action for an annoyingly protracted period - how long it takes the host to allow payment details to be updated!

The Society of Ancients Website is back and fully functioning.


The online subscriptions and payments services are available, and email contacts are live.

Behind the shop-front, there have been some changes. Mark Watson retires as editor with issue 268 that has just gone out. Many thanks are due to Mark for the fantastic job he has done; for masterminding the journal's makeover as well as two years of great content ... and then staying until we could find a new editor!

Richard Taylor takes over with 269 (and inevitably, thanks are also due to Richard who, in turn, is taking over earlier than originally planned) - please extend him all your support.

Daivid Barnsdale steps up from the Championship's leading advocate (and most prolific player) to Wargames Championship Organizer. Thanks go to Bill Thurlow for steering the Championship through its trial year in 2009. Contact Daivid at Championship@soa.org.uk and please start registering games via the website submissions form.

As well as kudos and crockery, the 2010 Championship boasts an attractive extra prize of £100 worth of 25mm figures donated by Hinchliffe. More sponsorship will be announced during the course of the year. The Championship is open to any current Society of Ancients members, and runs throughout the membership year. Computer games are allowed as well as traditional formats, and online games possible with the agreement of both players (check the website for more detailed rules).

A 2010 subscription to the Society of Ancients costs £20 and brings the full range of member benefits and discounts as well as 6 issues of the Society's celebrated journal, Slingshot. You can become a member by applying online (here ...), contacting the Membership Secretary, or meeting us at a show or event.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Slingshot 268

The latest issue of Slingshot is 268, publishing date January 2010. This issue is running somewhat late in order to try and pick up the most complete version of the resubscription database and avoid subsequent one-off postings.
The next issue will be the March issue. The delay to January's issue will probably have a knock on effect on March. Also, from March Slingshot will have a new editor.

This issue is 56 pages long, not including the cover pages. It's published in the same format introduced with issue 258.

The contents of Slingshot 268 are as follows. For games articles, I've indicated the relevant rule set where it's not immediately obvious from the title; with historical articles I've tried to indicate period if a similar issue applies.

  • Zama 202BC, the 2010 SoA Battle Day Battlepack, by Richard Lockwood
  • The Manichaeans in the army of Alexius , by Jim Webster
  • “Let the magilum boats of Meluhha transport gold and silver”: Mesopotamian Warfare Notes X, by Alastair McBeath
  • Yongle’s Campaigns in the South: The Ascent of Yongle, by John Walsh
  • [ DBA ] III/46. Early Medieval Goídil (ca. 795-1297 C.E.), by Brian Girard
  • [ Armati ] Adapting Balaclava to Roman Britain, by Chris Hahn
  • Beating Shock Troops with Light Foot in FoG, by Christopher Webber
  • Naval Campaign Rules Using Naumachiae, by Christopher Webber
  • Mesopotamian & Chronological Notes from AMW, by Alastair McBeath
  • [ DBM ] The Wolf on the Fold, by John Graham Leigh
  • Impetus – a Very Brief Overview, by Mike Brian
  • New Year Review Feast!, by Various Voices
  • China: The Middle Kingdom, reviewed by John Graham-Leigh
  • Richard III – The Wars of the Roses, reviewed by John Graham-Leigh
  • Figure Reviews, by David Edwards & Mark Watson