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Each issue includes a game on the same subject as one of the articles. The game accurately portrays the situation and the salient factors confronting the forces involved. The players are able to consider how and why the historical outcome occurred as well as the potential for other outcomes. Players can test different tactics and strategies and see the effect of their decisions on the process and outcomes. Diversity is a major strength in the continuing series of S&T games. With battles and campaigns ranging from ancient to modern period, from very low complexity games that can be played in less than one hour to high complexity games taking hours to play, from maps representing everything from tiny areas to virtually the entire world with hexes, squares, areas, box-to-box, from counters representing everything from individuals to armies, recent experiments with larger counters (and the ½ x 1 inch counters in the past), S&T provides something different every issue. Games are selected through an annual Mega-Feedback process in which customers select the games that will go into production for future issues. Strategy & Tactics games are known for portraying unique and unusual situations rarely covered in boxed games.
A Quick History
Strategy & Tactics was originally founded in 1967 by Jim Dunnigan. In its original format, it did not include a game in each issue but focused on existing wargames, design material for games, and hobby news and information. At issue #19, Dunnigan formed Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) and began putting games in the magazine. The decade of the 1970's was dominated by SPI games and Strategy & Tactics magazine became the hobby flagship. Unfortunately, the transition from a direct mail order to a distribution model, rapidly rising component costs, and increasing competition combined to sink SPI. SPI declared bankruptcy shortly after issue #89 was published, and TSR, the company made famous by Dungeons and Dragons, took over as the largest creditor. TSR was not known for their wargames, and though they tried to develop a wargame line and continued publishing Strategy & Tactics from #90-#110, they eventually choose to sell off their SPI assets. Strategy & Tactics was purchased by World Wide Wargames (3W) and, later, most of the SPI box game titles were purchased by Decision Games. 3W published Strategy & Tactics from #111 to #139 and then sold it to Decision Games. Decision Games has been publishing Strategy & Tactics since #140 with Joseph Miranda as editor. Beginning with issue #176, Strategy & Tactics magazine was distributed to newsstands, and by issue #216, more copies of the magazine edition were being produced than the game edition. Strategy & Tactics is the longest running wargame magazine.
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