Monday, December 30, 2013

Slingshot 289 is out.

Good news at the end of the old year!  Slingshot 289 - the 2013 Chalons Battle Day edition - is now out.



Contents include:

Rome's Last War, by Justin Swanton

The Roman Army in the 5th Century AD, by Simon MacDowall

Arming the Late Roman Soldier, by Perry Gray

An Introduction to Battle Day 2014, by Richard Lockwood

There are also ten Battle Day Reports on Chalons with:

- Piquet Archon 2, by Adam Hayes
- DBA/DBMM, by Martyn Simpson
- Warmaster Ancients, by Jeremy Giles
- Comitatus, by Simon MacDowall
- De Bellis Antiquitatus, by Sue Laflin-Barker & Paul Glover
- DBMM, by Toby Partridge
- Epic Armati, by Mark Fry
- King of Kings, by Keir Maxwell
- Impetus, by Mike Brian
- Field of Glory, by Richard Case

Slingshot is issued 6 times a year to members of the Society of Ancients.

Subscription currently costs £24 for six issues. You can subscribe or re-subscribe through the store at the Society's website.

The editor (Perry Gray) is always interested in ideas for articles, so if you are a member or plan to become one and have a battle report or historical article, a review, rules ruminations, scenario or campaign ideas, or anything else you would like to contribute to Slingshot, feel free to contact him.

Just as a reminder, the Society also has the 'Operation Balearic' sale on at present.

Operation Balearic offers back issues of Slingshot at the bargain price of six for £5 (£4 for SoA members) plus shipping. That is a year's worth of Slingshots for the price of one magazine.

The bundles on offer are for the years 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1987, and for each year from 1996 through to 2010.  Some years are close to sold out already, and as this offer is only available until the end of June (and while stocks last), you need to get in quickly.

To order, go to the Balearic Bundles page in the store section of the Society of Ancients website.

See the Society News blog for a summary of the articles in each bundle.

Friday, December 6, 2013

Operation Balearic


Back issues of Slingshot, the journal of the Society of Ancients, are now available at the bargain price of six for £5 (£4 for Society of Ancients members) plus shipping. That's a year's worth of Slingshots for the price of one magazine.

This offer is only available until the end of June and while stocks last, so get in quickly.

The bundles on offer are for the years 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1987, and for each year from 1996 through to 2010.

To place your order, go to the Balearic Bundles page in the store section of the Society of Ancients website.

See below for a summary of each year's highlights.


Highlights of the Year 1982

Series on: the Vandals, the Arab conquest of Egypt, the Republican Roman army 218-168 BC, the ancient Ligurians, later Roman forts, Courtrai. 

Notable articles on: Nicopolis, early Ottoman armies, armies of the Jarls of Orkney, Brunanburh, campaign economics. 

Start of award-winning series on Charles the Bold’s armies.

Plus battle reports, wargaming discussions, reviews and many more historical articles.

 

Highlights of the Year 1983

Series on: strategy and tactics of the Hundred Years War, the Attacotti, Ilipa 206 BC, al-Babayn 1167 AD, running a wargames campaign, Egyptian chariots.

Notable articles on: Saladin’s siege of Bourzey castle, the Hittite army at Qadesh, Crusader Turcopoles, Communal Italian city badges.

Conclusion of award-winning series on Charles the Bold’s armies.

Plus battle reports, wargaming discussions, reviews and many more historical articles.

 

Highlights of the Year 1984

Series on: Magnesia, evolution of the Roman legion, chariot warfare, English longbows

Notable articles on: the Mitanni, Roman siege engineering, 4th century BC Greek tactical developments, Agincourt, Mongol armies, Byzantine iconoclasm.

Plus battle reports, wargaming discussions, reviews and many more historical articles.

 

 Highlights of the Year 1987

Series on: the Axumites of Ethiopia, Society Conference reports, Anglo-Norman warfare, the Church Militant.

Notable articles on: Tamberlaine, Culturism, refighting Pelagonia 1259.

Plus battle reports, wargaming discussions and many more historical articles.

 

Highlights of the Year 1996

Series on: Arrian’s campaign against the Alans, Sassanian Persia, Roman strategic though and practice, Mursilis (the Hittite king), the battle of Frigidus, 394 AD, warfare in Feudal Scotland.

Notable articles on: Late Roman infantry, Numidians in Carthaginian armies, Castillon 1453, Gaugamela.

Plus battle reports, wargaming discussions, reviews and many more historical articles.

 

Highlights of the Year 1997

Series on: warfare in Feudal Scotland (continued), Sassanian Persia (continued), Mursilis (continued).

Notable articles on: Numidians in DBM, the Sogdian Rock, the Amarna Letters, solo campaigning, the Catalan Company, the Jewish revolt, Caledonians.

Plus battle reports, wargaming discussions, reviews and many more historical articles.

 

Highlights of the Year 1998

Series on: Mursilis (continued), Sassanian Persia (continued).

Notable articles on: the Bayeux Tapestry finale, Braveheart, Assyrian infantry, Bruttians, Bosworth, Ancient British wargame armies (“Woad Rage”), Sui Chinese armies, medieval Srivijaya, al-Qadasiyah 637 AD.

Plus battle reports, wargaming discussions, reviews and many more historical articles.

 

Highlights of the Year 1999

Series on: painting techniques, Julian’s campaign in Persia

Notable articles on: Flemish communal armies, Macedonian military costume, Hasmonean Judea, Stiklestad 1030 AD, Vegetius, Troy, Hawaiian armies, Worringen 1288 AD, Sir Robert Knolles, Bithynian armies.

Plus battle reports, wargaming discussions, reviews and many more historical articles.

 

Highlights of the Year 2000

Series on: Hittites, Thracians, Wars of the Roses.

Notable articles on: Arthur’s battles, morphing Dark Age armies, Scipio Africanus, solo campaigning, Bosworth, Vedic Indian armies, Kingdom of Lan Xang.

Plus battle reports, wargaming discussions, reviews and many more historical articles.

 

Highlights of the Year 2001

Series on: Wars of the Diadochi, Vegetius, the Songhai Empire

Notable articles on: medieval Malaya, Hittites, Samurai, Mayan warfare, Harlaw 1411 AD, Versinikia 813 AD, Japanese castles, medieval Irish armies.

Plus battle reports, wargaming discussions, reviews and many more historical articles.

 

Highlights of the Year 2002

Series on: The Songhai Empire (continued), the evolution of Hellenistic infantry, the New Chronology, the Roman legion.

Notable articles on: Wargaming with Gauls, Hellenistic military dress, Boudicca’s revolt, Mapuche armies, Picts, wargaming in India, the kingdom of Benin, Sasanian armies.

Plus battle reports, wargaming discussions, reviews and many more historical articles.

 

Highlights of the Year 2003

Series on: The Roman legion (continued), Alexander’s cavalry, the New Chronology (continued), Lydian armies.

Notable articles on: Vikings in Scotland, Chanca/Inca wars, Picts, King Fulk of Jerusalem, late Carolingian France, Ghulams, Maccabean armies, medieval Thai armies, Callinicum 531 AD, Nanzhao armies, Sasanian armies, Cynoscephalae refights.

Plus battle reports, wargaming discussions, reviews and many more historical articles.

 

Highlights of the Year 2004

Series on: Lydian armies (continued), Sasanian armies (continued), Ancient Korea.

Notable articles on: The Notitia Dignitatum, naval rules, Paraetacene 317 BC, Gabiene 316 BC, Barnet refights, early Parthian armies, Tarantine cavalry, Battle Day reports (Gaugamela).

Plus battle reports, wargaming discussions, reviews and many more historical articles.

 

 Highlights of the Year 2005

Series on: Angevin armies (start), elephants, Hydaspes, medieval south-east Asia, Janos Hunyadi (start).

Notable articles on: Byzantines v Slavs, Tigranocerta 69 BC, Hapsburg-Burgundian armies, Edington refights, Bannockburn, Zama, medieval Frisian armies, Battle Day reports (the Sambre), ancient Elam, medieval cogs.

Plus battle reports, wargaming discussions, reviews and many more historical articles.

 

Highlights of the Year 2006

Series on: Angevin armies (continued), Janos Hunyadi (continued), medieval south-east Asia.

Notable articles on: medieval Ghana, ancient sea power, Picts, Hellenistic battle-standards, Constantine the Great, Rajputs, medieval Kongo, Battle Day reports (Dorylaeum).

Plus battle reports, wargaming discussions, reviews and many more historical articles.

 

Highlights of the Year 2007

Series on: Pre-Samurai Japanese.

Notable articles on: early medieval Ireland, Cnidinium (Sparta v Persia), ancient logistics, Crusader warfare, 13th century Song Chinese armies, the Zanj revolt, Dyrham 577 AD, the Bahmani (India) Sultanate, Battle Day reports (Dorylaeum and Cynoscephalae).

Plus battle reports, wargaming discussions, reviews and many more historical articles.

 

Highlights of the Year 2008

Series on: Bronze Age Mesopotamia, Macedonian military culture, Sasanian armies.

Notable articles on: longbows, trireme reconstruction, Battle Day reports (Cynoscephalae and Poitiers), Spartan expeditionary forces, the ancient Macedonians.

Plus battle reports, wargaming discussions, reviews and many more historical articles.

 

Highlights of the Year 2009

Series on: Bronze Age Mesopotamia (continued), medieval Irish warfare, Constantius II, Sasanian armies (continued),

Notable articles on: Zama, ancient logistics, the Granicus, the Lombards, Battle Day reports (Callinicum), Magnesia, Cannae, Pydna, Teutoberger Wald, Heraclea, ancient Chinese expansion.

Plus battle reports, wargaming discussions, reviews and many more historical articles.

 

Highlights of the Year 2010

Series on: Bronze Age Mesopotamia (continued).

Notable articles on: Ming China, the Etruscan League, Hannibal’s veterans, Marcus Aurelius, Issus, Sassanid/Roman wars, Battle Day reports (Zama), Byzantines in 12th century Italy, Alfred Duggan, Chalons 451 AD,.

Plus battle reports, wargaming discussions, reviews and many more historical articles.



Sunday, November 17, 2013

ABC Battles competition

The Society is running an ABC battles competition.


To enter the draw to win a 2011 back issue of the Society's journal, Slingshot, send the names of the battles missing from the picture above to publicity@soa.org.uk

Title your email 'ABC Battles' and be sure to include your name in the body of the email.

The winner will be announced Monday, November 25th, 2013.

For an extra entry to the draw, subscribe to the Society's facebook page and follow the instructions there.

Good luck!

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Slingshot Back Issue 2006-2010 "Upgrade CD" Available

The Society of Ancients is pleased to announce the availability of a new back issue CD from its web store and show stands. The CD contains all Slingshot issues from 2006-2010, and can act as either

  • an upgrade for those who previously bought the 40-year Slingshot CD/DVD (from the first beginnings to the end of 2005) and who want the next five years without spending £35 for the newer 45-year DVD,
  • or as a set for those who just want the more recent issues.
The CD itself contains all issues from 2006 to 2010, issues 244 to 273 inclusive. Choose your issue using a new and eye-catching sliding graphic display of issue covers, and right-click on the cover of your chosen issue to view the contents in a down-scrolling PDF.

This CD is also the only way - apart from ordering the 45-year DVD - to obtain 2006 and 2009 Slingshot back issues, which are now out of stock at the store.

The CD's list price is £18. Members can use their normal 20% membership discount at the web store or at show stands.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Slingshot 287

ss287 cover
The current issue of Slingshot (number 287, March/April 2013 - yes it is running very late*), the bi-monthly publication of the Society of Ancients, is now available for individual purchases from the Society web store. Individual copies are in very short supply, due to the reduced print runs we are now running - less than 50 copies are available at this point to those who haven't taken out subscriptions. Get them fast as we won't be printing any more!

Slingshot 286 includes 52 full colour internal pages. The contents of Slingshot 287 are as follows:
  • Editorial: Slings & Arrows
  • Guardroom
  • In Search of the Iphikratean Peltast/Hoplite, by Jim Webster
  • A Short History of the Iberian Peninsula from 400 to 1100AD, Part 3: Enter the Moors, by Robert Heiligers
  • Transjordanian Tales, Part 4: Three Great Kings and a Pharaoh, by Alastair McBeath
  • The Western Mediterranean Way of Warfare Debates, Part 2.1: Way of Warfare, by Roy Boss & Mark Grindlay
  • War, Games and Wargames: Part 2, by Richard Taylor
  • Galatians on the March! … at the Victorian 2012 Field of Glory Competition by Steven Neate
  • The Sussex Cup 2013: A DBA Tournament Report, by Richard Pulley
  • Reviews, by Steven Neate & Gordon Lawrence
For more information on the Society of Ancients, please visit www.soa.org.uk.

You can join the Society at www.soa.org.uk/store. There's also, alternatively, a special offer for a combination Membership + discounted "Conquest of Gaul" gaming set available via our friends at Warlord Games.

* … and as a result of this tardiness, a new editor will be in charge as of Slingshot 288, with a brief to get the release schedule back in line.

Monday, April 15, 2013

Slingshot 286

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The current issue of Slingshot (number 286, January/February 2013), the bi-monthly publication of the Society of Ancients, is now available for individual purchases from the Society web store. Individual copies are in very short supply, due to the reduced print runs we are now running - less than 50 copies are available at this point to those who haven't taken out subscriptions. Get them fast as we won't be printing any more!

Slingshot 286 includes 52 full colour internal pages. The contents of Slingshot 286 are as follows:
  • Editorial: Slings & Arrows
  • Bill Thurlow in Memoriam
  • Championship 2012 report
  • A Short History of the Iberian Peninsula from 400 to 1100AD, Part 3: Visigothic Society, by Robert Heiligers
  • Transjordanian Tales, Part 3: In Dread of Judges, by Alastair McBeath
  • The Western Mediterranean Way of Warfare Debates, Part 1.2: The Western Mediterranean, continued, by Roy Boss & Mark Grindlay
  • Et Tu Brutii, by Nick Harbud
  • War, Games and Wargames: Part 1, by Richard Taylor
  • Turkish Travels at Westbury Wars 2012, by Gavin Pearson
  • The English DBA Open, 2012, by Martin Smith
  • Reviews, by Dave Gee, Duncan Head & Anthony Clipsom
For more information on the Society of Ancients, please visit www.soa.org.uk.

You can join the Society at www.soa.org.uk/store. There's also, alternatively, a special offer for a combination Membership + discounted "Conquest of Gaul" gaming set available via our friends at Warlord Games.

Monday, February 18, 2013

Restock at Society of Ancients Store

We recently had a stocktake as part of a handover of responsibilities around the SoA web store.

As a result, some items have been taken off the store, but it has also meant the return of some publications previously thought lost to the depths of time...

In particular, Professor Phil Sabin's classic Legion (predecessor of Strategos and Lost Battles) is now back on sale (we have around 40 copies). Phil's well-received Empire board game is also back on sale (although we have very few copies of that - less than 10 at this point).

We've also been pleased to find stock of the classic Wargaming the Baltic Crusades, where we previously thought we'd run out of copies.

Items in low stock (less than 20 copies):

  • Empire - A grand strategic simulation game of the Macedonian and Punic Wars from 350 to 150 BC, by Philip Sabin
  • He Who Would be King - A game of Macedonian power politics by Andrew Parrock and Ian Dyer.
  • Slim Mumford's medieval warfare rules
We have less than 30 copies of Slingshot 284, and as a result the same applies to the 2012 Slingshot back issue pack. We're printing shorter runs of Slingshot these days, so back issues are increasingly in short supply. 

If you're interested in these or in any other SoA publications, you can obtain them directly at http://soa.org.uk/store. 

Monday, February 4, 2013

Slingshot 285

ss285 cover
The current issue of Slingshot (number 285, November 2012), the bi-monthly publication of the Society of Ancients, is now available for individual purchases from the Society web store. Also now available (but in very limited supply - around 30 maximum!) are back issue packs for 2012.

Slingshot 285 includes 52 full colour internal pages. The contents of Slingshot 285 are as follows:
  • Editorial: Slings & Arrows
  • Guardroom
  • The Huns at Châlons: A debate between Roy Boss and Simon MacDowall
  • Horses, Spears and Trenches: The Battle of Loudoun Hill, 10 May 1307, by Anthony Clipsom
  • Transjordanian Tales Part 2: Moses in the Land of the Giants, by Alastair McBeath
  • The Western Mediterranean Way of Warfare Debates, Part One: The Western Mediterranean, by Roy Boss & Mark Grindlay
  • Coming to Dublin with Hostility, by Mick Hession
  • Götterdämmerung – DBM Battle Report, by Justin Swanton
  • Teutonic Indigestion, by Mark Fry
  • Fulford Gate 1066 – Hardrada’s last victory, by Jonathan Jones
  • Battle Line Morale in “Day of Battle – the Middle Ages”, by Chris Parker
  • Game & Figure Reviews, by Richard Lockwood, David Edwards & Mark Watson
  • Quick Armies, by Douglas Gold
For more information on the Society of Ancients, please visit www.soa.org.uk.

You can join the Society at www.soa.org.uk/store. There's also, alternatively, a special offer for a combination Membership + discounted "Conquest of Gaul" gaming set available via our friends at Warlord Games.

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Warlord Games Special Offer

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Our friends at Warlord Games are offering a discounted membership package: membership of the Society, plus their 28mm miniatures starter set for the Early Imperial Roman period – Hail Caesar: The conquest of Gaul – at a discounted price of 10% off!

This is a fantastic way of starting yourself, or your nearest and dearest, in the Ancients war gaming hobby, and we're really pleased to be able to make it available.
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If you want to take advantage of this offer, please go to the Warlord games web store. The Society receives all the subscription fee component, and you get all the usual privileges of membership.

If you want to renew your membership using this offer, that's fine. Just put your existing membership number as a comment on your payment form to Warlord.

For more information on the Society of Ancients, please visit www.soa.org.uk.