It's that time of year again where I ask the readership for suggestions for themes of next year. This method seems to work well even though, as I said last year, some make me "go bald with worry about appropriate photography..."

Summer Of The Greeks -- Theatre Edition

"Then the shield-bearers wheeled round and enclosed the light-armed troops within their ranks, dropped down to one knee, and held their shields out as a defensive barrier. The men behind them held their shields over the heads of the first rank, while the third rank did the same for the second rank. The resulting shape, which is a remarkable sight, looks very like a roof, and is the surest protection against arrows, which just glance off it."

If you're a regular listener to 'a certain general gaming podcast' The D6 Generation, you'll have noticed that though they discuss mostly non-historical games, they are not averse to history. Craig Gallant especially has expressed his love for Romans on more than one occasion.

Siege Warfare Part I.

Ross Cowan added some of his own thoughts on Murray Dahm's article in issue IV.2. Read Ross's blog here.

By David L.Reinke

"A victory? What have we won? We've won a rock in the middle of a wasteland, on the shores of a poisoned sea."

– Flavius Silva in the 1981 mini-series Masada

I vaguely remember watching at least part of Masada when it was first broadcast in 1981.  A direct result of the record-breaking success enjoyed by Roots, Masada was part of that Golden Age of the Television Mini-Series when the viewing public had an insatiable appetite for long form epic dramas of historic events.  So long as it was “Based Upon A True Story” the audience would seemingly buy anything, and lots of it.

What can video games teach us, if anything at all?  Decades after the introduction of the ATARI 2600, truly the world’s first successful home video game system, the debate rages on.  Initially, there were the usual criticisms, speaking about “the destruction of our youth” through desensitization or other nefarious means.  Truly these were kneejerk reactions, but not completely without merit.  Later, various studies came to light linking hand-eye coordination, critical thinking, and other skills with the amount of hours spent playing video games.  Today, video games are ubiquitous; Playstation3 alone has sold nearly 34 million units worldwide; and an entire generation of people has grown up playing video games.  Much of the controversy has died down, though some issues remain.

Welcome to the first installment of the Ancients Wargamer blog.  First, I’m very honoured and excited to have this forum to discuss the miniatures wargaming hobby.  Ancient Warfare has become one of the ancient wargamer’s best sources for information.  From essays on tactics to discussions of specific pieces of equipment, Ancient Warfare is now providing the wargamer and hobbyist with a regular installment of well-written and well-researched articles and reviews.