Steve Winter has this article on a new approach to reaction and morale. Inspired by Zulu War games, he tries to move away from the "in command or routing" conditions of other miniature rules sets.
There's a new Yahoo group for Larry Brom's The Sword In Gaul rules. This set is based on Brom's "The Sword and the Flame." I was introduced to Larry Brom by Bob Beattie last summer and quickly came to the conclusion that he is one of the nicest guys in the miniature wargaming business.
Instructions for making a 15mm Aztec Pyramid from David Kuijt. I especially like his solution for making the murals along the sides of the buildings. These are impressive pieces of wargames terrain.
Since the publication of the seminal "The Sword and The Flame" miniatures rules, wargames set in the Sudan have been a gamers' staple. Steve Winter has written a set of campaign rules for the Sudan: Fire and Sword in the Sudan
Miniature Wargaming is part of the "adventure games" hobby, which includes r ole p laying and board games. Wargamers recreate battles on the tabletop with toy soldiers, like a more complicated game of chess. Models range in height from 6mm to 28mm tall, with 15mm and 25mm being the most popular. There also is a growing interest in toy soldiers and military models, such as the 1/32 and 1/35 scale plastic soldiers from Conte, and Marx.
The most popular miniature wargames are fantasy and science fiction based, such as Warhammer, Warhammer 40K, Warmachine and The Lord of the Rings. World War II games such as Flames of War and Axis and Allies are new favorites. Other favorite historical periods include Napoleonics, the American Civil War, and ancients, such as Romans or Greeks. Other gamers enjoy miniature naval wargames, recreating battles like Trafalgar, Jutland and the Coral Sea.
Hobbyists research historical periods and paint their tiny soldiers in accurate uniforms. Others develop "historically realistic" rules sets or build scale battlefield terrain using model railroad techniques.
For pictures, visit the gallery.
Some of the bigger hobby companies are Games Workshop, which produces Warhammer, Wargames Foundry and Old Glory Miniatures. Wizards of the Coast produces several lines of pre-painted miniatures games, such as the Star Wars and Dungeons and Dragons miniatures games, and a historical game with pre-painted miniatures: The new Axis and Allies game. Wizkids produces a fantasy collectable miniatures game, such as the Mage Knight and Heroclick fantasy games, the science fiction games MechWarrior and Rocketmen, as well as the quasi-historical Pirates of the Spanish Main.