 Issue #1 cover | |
| Frequency | Bimonthly |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Simpubs Ltd. |
| First issue | June/July 1976 |
| Final issue Number | March/April 1982 36 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Phoenix was a magazine primarily focussed on board wargames. It was published in the UK in the 1970s and 1980s by Simpubs Ltd., the British subsidiary of American game company Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI). [1]
In 1974, SPI started to ship some of their wargames to J.D. Bardsley in the UK, who acted as a sales representative using the name SP/UK. Bardsley sold the games either via mail order or face to face at games conventions. [2] Sales increased rapidly, and by March 1976, SP/UK had sold 25,000 units. To handle the increased sales, SPI formed a formal British subsidiary, Simpubs Ltd. in June 1976. In much the same way that SPI published their own house magazine Moves , Simpubs immediately created the bi-monthly periodical Phoenix with J.D. Bardsley as managing editor. [2]
In the first issue (June/July 1976), Bardsley editorialized that "Phoenix is not envisaged as a 'house magazine'", and foresaw a publication of "game reviews, play strategy, game reports with historical comparisons of events, rule modifications, additional scenarios and historical articles." [3] As well as reviews and variants for SPI products, the first issue also included reviews of wargames by rival game companies Games Designers Workshop and Avalon Hill.
The magazine was one of a number of hobby magazines in its field popular during that era. [4]
The magazine started as a slim 12-page magazine, then expanded to 16 pages in Issue 4, to 20 pages in Issue 5, and to 24 pages in Issue 10 (November/December 1977). [5] By 1980, The Best of Board Wargaming called it a "flourishing" publication. [6] : 189 Notable reviews included Bob Campbell's "authoritative study" of The Campaign for North Africa in Issue 24. [6] : 81
In Issue 30 (March/April 1981), Phoenix reached its maximum size of 36 pages. A year later, parent company SPI ran into financial difficulty and was unexpectedly taken over by TSR. [7] Although TSR continued to publish US-based SPI publications Strategy & Tactics , Ares and Moves, TSR cut off support to UK-based Simpub. In Issue 36 of Phoenix (March/April 1982), the first issue after the TSR takeover, editor John Spence promised that Phoenix would continue as Simpub transitioned into a new independent company. [8]
However, no new company was ever formed, and Issue 36 proved to be the last. [9]
Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) was an American publisher of board wargames and related magazines, particularly its flagship Strategy & Tactics, in the 1970s and early 1980s. It produced an enormous number of games and introduced innovative practices, changing the course of the wargaming hobby in its bid to take control of the hobby away from then-dominant Avalon Hill. SPI ran out of cash in early 1982 when TSR called in a loan secured by SPI's assets. TSR began selling SPI's inventory in 1982, but later acquired the company's trademarks and copyrights in 1983 and continued a form of the operation until 1987.
Moves was a wargaming magazine originally published by SPI, which also published manual wargames. Their flagship magazine Strategy & Tactics (S&T), 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. Each issue carried articles dealing with strategies for different wargames, tactical tips, and many variants and scenarios for existing games. As time passed, reviews of new games also became an important feature. While the majority of the articles dealt with SPI games, the magazine was open to and published many articles on games by other companies.
Ares was an American science fiction wargame magazine published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI), and then TSR, Inc., between 1980 and 1984. In addition to the articles, each issue contained a small science-fiction-themed board wargame.
The Wargamer was a magazine devoted to the hobby of board wargaming. Originally published as a British bimonthly magazine by UK Wargamers in 1977, it was subsequently published by World Wide Wargames, which then moved to the United States. The magazine ceased publication in 1990.
Richard Harvey Berg was a prolific American wargame designer. He was inducted into the Charles Roberts Awards Hall of Fame in 1987.
Terrible Swift Sword: Battle of Gettysburg Game is a grand tactical regimental level board wargame published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1976 that simulates the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. A second edition was published by TSR in 1986.
The Creature That Ate Sheboygan is a science fiction board game released in 1979 by Simulations Publications (SPI). The game received good reviews and won an industry award.
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 modern, commercial wargaming hobby developed in 1954 following the publication and commercial success of Tactics. The board wargaming hobby continues to enjoy a sizeable following, with a number of game publishers and gaming conventions dedicated to the hobby both in the English-speaking world and further afield.
Dreadnought, subtitled "Surface Combat in the Battleship Era, 1906-45", is a naval board wargame published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1975.
Napoleon's Last Battles is a board wargame published by Simulations Publications in 1976 that simulates the last four battles fought by Napoleon. It was one of SPI's most popular games, and also received many positive reviews.
Sorcerer, subtitled "The Game of Magical Conflict", is a fantasy board wargame for 1–5 players published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1975 that simulates magical combat.
Sauron, subtitled "The Battle for the Ring, S.A. 3434", is a licensed board wargame published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1977 that simulates the battle between Sauron and the Last Alliance of Elves and Men mentioned in the fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Titan Strike!, subtitled "Battle for the Moon of Saturn," is a science fiction board wargame published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1979 that is set on Titan, one of Saturn's moons.
Wellington's Victory: Battle of Waterloo – 18 June 1815 is a board wargame simulation of the Battle of Waterloo, originally published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1976.
Blue & Gray: Four American Civil War Battles is a board wargame originally published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1975 that simulates four battles from the American Civil War.
Battles for the Ardennes is a "quadrigame" — a board wargame that contains four different battles using one set of rules — originally published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1978 that simulates Second World War battles in the Ardennes Forest region in 1940 and again in 1944.
Firefight: Modern U.S. and Soviet Small Unit Tactics is a tactical wargame originally published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1976 that hypothesizes combat between small units of American and Soviet forces in West Germany in the 1970s.
Napoleon at War, subtitled "Four Battles", is a collection of four board wargames published by Simulations Publications Inc. (SPI) in 1975 that simulates various battles fought by Napoleon.
Four Battles in North Africa is a collection of four board wargames published in 1976 by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) that simulate various battles during the North African Campaign of World War II.
Hurtgen Forest, subtitled "Approach to the Roer, November 1944 ", is a board wargame published by Simulations Publications Inc. (SPI) in 1976 that simulates the Battle of Hürtgen Forest during the final year of World War II. The game was originally published by SPI as part of a four-game collection titled Westwall: Four Battles to Germany, but it was also released as an individual "folio game." While the quadrigame Westwall received good reviews from critics, the static nature of Hurtgen Forest was less well received.
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