Magazines

In the pre-electronic age, magazines were a commonly used method of creating bonds throughout the wargaming community, across nations and around the world. The timeline mentions some of the more significant titles, but in addition to the industry's leading magazines, fanzines also contributed to the sense of community, particularly for individual games. In the electronic age, paper magazines have still continued to play a leading role in shaping the wargaming community, alongside newer media such as internet site, forums, and blogs.


 

Guide to Significant English Language Miniatures Periodicals
Title First Printed Publisher Coverage Final Issue Notes
War Game Digest 1957 Jack Scruby Miniatures 1963 Started by Jack Scruby.
Table Top Talk 1962 Jack Scruby Miniatures 1967 Started by Jack Scruby.
The Courier    1968 Courier Publishing Company Miniatures 2005 Originally the newsletter of the New England Wargaming Association. Content was folded into Historical Miniature Gamer Magazine in 2005.
Wargamer's Digest/
Military Digest
1973 McCoy Publishing Enterprises Miniatures 2000 Published monthly. Volume 11 No. 11 (Sep 1984) saw the magazine renamed  Military Digest and marketed to "military professionals" rather than hobbyists.
Little Wars 1976 TSR, Inc. Miniatures 1978 Published 12 issues.
Miniature Wargames 1983 A.E. Morgan Publications Ltd./
Atlantic Publishers
Universal n/a Published continuously since 1983, this monthly magazine presents articles on all eras of military miniature wargaming,
Wargames Illustrated 1987 Stratagem Publications Ltd.
/Battlefront Miniatures
Universal/Battlefront Miniatures n/a

Originally a general interest magazine that began publishing in September 1987, the magazine was acquired by Battlefront Miniatures in 2009 and used to support that company's products, such as the popular Flames of War games.

Command Post / Command Post  Quarterly 1990 Game Designer's Workshop GDW's Command Decision 1998 Exclusive coverage for Command Decision line of games; an evolution of the earlier Command Post newsletter into a quarterly magazine.
Battlegames 2006 Atlantic Publishing Miniatures n/a Universal coverage. Published in the UK beginning in March 2006.
Guide to Significant English Language Board Wargaming Periodicals
Title First Printed Publisher Coverage Final Issue Notes
The General 1964 The Avalon Hill Game Company House organ for Avalon Hill 1998

The first dedicated wargaming magazine; carried no outside advertising and was restricted to game and specialty shops.

Strategy & Tactics 1967 Project Analysis (iss 1-16)
SPI (iss 17-91)
TSR (iss 91-111)
3W (iss112-139)
Decision Games (140-)
Universal n/a

Originally created by Sergeant Chris Wagner, purchased by Jim Dunnigan and Simulations Publications, Inc. in 1969. First magazine to produce a game in each issue.

Panzerfaust
Campaign
1967 Don Lowry Universal 1982

Created by Don Greenwood, later editor of The General; like S&T, Panzerfaust included games; it became Campaign in January 1976.

Conflict 1972 SDC Universal 1974

A 32 page magazine covering unit studies, military history and new games, similar to early issues of S&T; intended as a revival of Tactics and Variants.

Moves
(initial run)
1972 SPI Universal 1981 Created by Jim Dunnigan.
Jagdpanther 1973 Jagdpanther Publications Universal 1976 Founded by Stephen V. Cole.
Fire & Movement 1976 Diverse Talents, Inc.
3W
Decision Games
Universal 2009 Created by Rodger B. MacGowan.
Phoenix 1976 SimPubs Ltd. Universal 1982

British subsidiary of SPI printed and distributed in the UK which lasted 35 issues. Focus on SPI games, considered a British version of Moves. The magazine covered wargames, especially those by SPI.

The Wargamer Vol 1 1977 3W Universal 1986 Included a game in each issue.
The Grenadier 1978 GDW (iss 1-12)
J. Tibbetts and Son (iss 13-35)
Universal 1990

Originally a house organ for GDW but soon evolved to include discussion of other company's games as well.

Breakout 1981 Conflict Simulations of Australia Universal 1991 Quarterly magazine produced in Australia; produced 45 issues and two specials.
Battleplan 1987 Diverse Talents, Inc. (iss 1-6)
3W (iss 7-9)
Universal 1989 Merged with The Wargamer Vol 2 to reintroduce Moves.
The Wargamer Vol 2 1987 Decision Games Universal 1990

Focus was directed at covering S&T games, but provided coverage of the hobby as a whole. Deleted in favour of reintroducing Moves magazine.

CounterAttack 1987 J. Tibbetts/Pacific Rim Publishing History focused 1988

Pacific Rim was formed to purchase S&T; when that didn't happen, CounterAttack was created. It ran for four issues, each with a game included, none at the tactical level.

Command 1989 XTR History focused 2001

Focused on history and its own games, published with a game in each issue (with non-game versions also sold on newsstands). Total run of 54 issues, none of the games covered modern tactical subjects.

Line of Departure 1991 James Werbaneth Universal n/a

Self-published by Jim Werbaneth, continuously published quarterly since October 1991 with articles on board, miniatures and computer gaming, including tactical scenarios. The stated mandate in the original issue was "to help the reader get more out of his wargaming" via reviews, scenarios, variants and expansions, with coverage not limited to a single genre or era, but including ancient through to modern, microtactical to grand strategic, and even science fiction and alternate history. The magazine has evolved to  a focus on reviews, with a recurring feature reviewing other self-published magazines.

Moves
(second run)
1991 Decision Games Universal 2002

A second run of Moves was started in 1991 when Decision Games ceased publication of The Wargamer. Changed focus away from wargames after issue 101 and ceased publication with issue 108.

Operations 1991 The Gamers
Multi-Man Publishing
House organ for The Gamers
House organ for MMP
2011

A magazine devoted to The Gamers' line, later changed to MMP when the latter bought out the former.

Paper Wars 1991 Omega Games Universal n/a Originally Wargame Collector's Journal, renamed after issue 8.
c3i 1992 GMT House organ for GMT n/a

Dubbed the "magazine of Command, Control and Intelligence", intended as a house organ for GMT with the stated purpose of being "inclusive and not insulated from the hobby and industry." Created by Rodger B. MacGowan.

GameFix
Competitive Edge
1994 Game Publications Group
One Small Step
Universal 1998

Originally published by Game Publications Group. Beginning after Issue #10, it became Competitive Edge, as One Small Step purchased GameFix.

Zone of Control 1995 John Kisner Universal 1996 Dubbed the "Voice of American Wargaming", the run lasted eight issues.
The Boardgamer 1996 Bruce A. Monnin Covered games by Avalon Hill
and Victory Games.
2004

Published by Bruce A. Monnin and "intended to be a compilation of quality articles on the strategy, tactics, and variants for a variety of board, sports and card games."

Against the Odds 2002   Universal n/a

Against the Odds magazine describes itself as a periodical that "investigates military history from a broad perspective. The economic, political, religious and social aspects of warfare are examined in concert with events on the battlefield." Published bimonthly.

Command & Strategy 2005 Udo Grebe Gamedesign Universal 2012 Published in English in Germany, an initial run of six issues (each featuring a game in the magazine) was followed by a seventh issue, in which a partnership with long-running French magazine Vae Victis saw English versions of VV games included as an insert.
Panzerschreck 2006 Minden Games Universal n/a Published by Gary Graber twice annually, includes games in each issue.
Panzer Digest 2007 Minden Games Universal n/a

Published by Gary Graber, includes micro-games in each issue, focusing on solitaire play, as well as analysis, strategy, tactics and variants. As the name implies, published in "digest" size.

World at War 2008 Strategy & Tactics Press
(Decision Games)
Second World War n/a

Published in the same format as Strategy & Tactics with a focus on World War II, and space devoted to feature articles on the Western, Mediterranean, Eastern Fronts and the Pacific Theatre as well as other campaigns, with a game in each issue.

Line of Fire   Lock 'N Load Publishing House organ for Lock 'N Load n/a

Published quarterly online to support Lock 'N Lock Publishing, with articles and variants devoted to their games. Some issues feature full fledged print and play games.

Battles 2009 battlesmagazine.com Universal 2020 An independent title with a "game in the magazine" format.
Tactical Wargamer's Journal 2009 tacticalwargamer.com Universal n/a Published by the webmaster, see the FAQ and Publications pages.
Special Ops 2011 Multi-Man Publishing House organ for MMP n/a

Apparently replaced Operations, inspired by the success of the special editions of that magazine.

War Diary 2014 wardiarymagazine.com Universal n/a

An independent title produced quarterly, with a self-billed "old school approach." Edited by Roy Matheson and shipped from Strasburg, CO.

Yaah! 2015 Flying Pig Games Universal n/a Described as an "independent journal of all types of war and strategy games."

© tacticalwargamer.com 2008-present    email: The Tactical Wargamer