The Wargamer (magazine)
Encyclopedia
The Wargamer was a magazine devoted to the hobby of board wargaming
. It was founded by Keith Poulter and published six times a year by World Wide Wargames (3W), Although initially it was only published four times a year.
Poulter founded the magazine in 1977. In the May/June 1988 issue, it was announced that 3W acquired Diverse Talents Inc., who published Fire & Movement
, Battleplan
and Space Gamer/Fantasy Gamer
. A planned merger of the two operations would see 3W publish all three of these magazines, as well as Strategy & Tactics
. Volume 1 of The Wargamer was rolled into Strategy & Tactics and ceased to exist.
Poulter, however, wanted a magazine to continue to support S&T, by providing wargame reviews and general hobby news and information. Christopher Cummins, knowing that 3W had also acquired Moves
, expressed his interest in returning that magazine to print. Poulter made Cummins assistant editor, co-ordinating various strategy and analysis articles. Cummins felt that the previous audience of The Wargamer was better served by a revival of that title, and in 1988 beginning with Issue 6 began offering "timely reviews on time" under the banner of Volume 2 of The Wargamer. By the end of the year, Poulter had offered Fire & Movement
to Cummins, which at that time was the main competition for readership. Cummins agreed, and brought F&M back to a regular publishing schedule in 1989.
Volume 2 of The Wargamer printed issues on games by a variety of publishers, and printed a series of anthologies in of various categories of wargames, giving a historical look at the development of the wargaming
hobby through the lens of its collective published works.
By 1990, Cummins and his staff felt that The Wargamer, Volume Two was "suffering from a split personality" in that it had reviews like F&M had, and strategy and scenario articles like the older Moves title had. The decision was finally made in June 1990 to reintroduce Moves magazine. The Wargamer ceased publication with Issue 25 of Volume 2 in the winter of 1990.
Board wargame
A board wargame is a wargame with a set playing surface or board, as opposed to being played on a computer, or in a more free-form playing area as in miniatures games. The hobby around this type of game got its start in 1954 with the publication of Tactics, and saw its greatest popularity in the...
. It was founded by Keith Poulter and published six times a year by World Wide Wargames (3W), Although initially it was only published four times a year.
Poulter founded the magazine in 1977. In the May/June 1988 issue, it was announced that 3W acquired Diverse Talents Inc., who published Fire & Movement
Fire & Movement
Fire & Movement: The Forum of Conflict Simulation was founded by Rodger MacGowan in 1975, and began publication the following year. The magazine is devoted to covering games from a variety of manufacturers, specializing in wargames, both traditional board wargames and also computer wargames Fire &...
, Battleplan
Battleplan (magazine)
Battleplan was a magazine devoted to providing variants, scenarios, and articles on game strategy for wargaming products by a variety of publishers. The first issue appeared in March/April 1987, with the last issue, Number 9, appearing in 1989. The first six issues had been published by Diverse...
and Space Gamer/Fantasy Gamer
The Space Gamer
The Space Gamer was a magazine dedicated to the subject of science fiction and fantasy board games and role-playing games. It quickly grew in importance and was an important and influential magazine in its subject matter from the late 70s through the mid-80s...
. A planned merger of the two operations would see 3W publish all three of these magazines, as well as Strategy & Tactics
Strategy & Tactics
Strategy & Tactics is a wargaming magazine now published by Decision Games, notable for publishing a complete new wargame in each issue...
. Volume 1 of The Wargamer was rolled into Strategy & Tactics and ceased to exist.
Poulter, however, wanted a magazine to continue to support S&T, by providing wargame reviews and general hobby news and information. Christopher Cummins, knowing that 3W had also acquired Moves
Moves (magazine)
Moves was a wargaming magazine originally published by SPI , who also published manual wargames. Their flagship magazine Strategy & Tactics , was a military history magazine featuring a new wargame in each issue. While S&T was devoted to historical articles, Moves focused on the play of the games...
, expressed his interest in returning that magazine to print. Poulter made Cummins assistant editor, co-ordinating various strategy and analysis articles. Cummins felt that the previous audience of The Wargamer was better served by a revival of that title, and in 1988 beginning with Issue 6 began offering "timely reviews on time" under the banner of Volume 2 of The Wargamer. By the end of the year, Poulter had offered Fire & Movement
Fire & Movement
Fire & Movement: The Forum of Conflict Simulation was founded by Rodger MacGowan in 1975, and began publication the following year. The magazine is devoted to covering games from a variety of manufacturers, specializing in wargames, both traditional board wargames and also computer wargames Fire &...
to Cummins, which at that time was the main competition for readership. Cummins agreed, and brought F&M back to a regular publishing schedule in 1989.
Volume 2 of The Wargamer printed issues on games by a variety of publishers, and printed a series of anthologies in of various categories of wargames, giving a historical look at the development of the wargaming
Wargaming
A wargame is a strategy game that deals with military operations of various types, real or fictional. Wargaming is the hobby dedicated to the play of such games, which can also be called conflict simulations, or consims for short. When used professionally to study warfare, it is generally known as...
hobby through the lens of its collective published works.
By 1990, Cummins and his staff felt that The Wargamer, Volume Two was "suffering from a split personality" in that it had reviews like F&M had, and strategy and scenario articles like the older Moves title had. The decision was finally made in June 1990 to reintroduce Moves magazine. The Wargamer ceased publication with Issue 25 of Volume 2 in the winter of 1990.