Guidon Games

Guidon Games was an American game publisher and mail-order hobby business active from 1970 until 1973. Founded by Don Lowry after the early success of his Lowry Hobbies operation, the company served the growing miniature-wargaming market with historical rules, military board games, game supplements, and related hobby material. Its products were aimed primarily at players who used tabletop miniatures to recreate battles from different historical periods, although the catalogue also included board games and experimental designs. The company emerged during a period when miniature wargaming was becoming more organized and commercially viable. Historical gamers increasingly wanted dedicated rulesets for particular periods and forms of combat, rather than relying only on general-purpose rules. Lowry initially operated Lowry Hobbies in Belleville, Illinois, selling military miniatures and wargaming supplies by mail. A successful relationship with the designers of Fast Rules, a set of Second World War tank-combat rules, encouraged him to establish Guidon Games and develop a broader publishing program. Lowry recruited authors through the International Federation of Wargamers, an organization connected to the expanding American wargaming community. Among the people he met was Gary Gygax, who was then living in nearby Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Lowry hired Gygax in 1970 to help develop the Wargaming with Miniatures series. Gygax co-authored Chainmail with Jeff Perren, and Guidon's publication of the rules became the company's most important commercial and historical achievement. Chainmail provided rules for medieval miniature combat and included fantasy-oriented material that later became influential in the development of role-playing games. Guidon's catalogue also included Tractics, associated with Mike Reese and Leon Tucker and notable for its early use of twenty-sided dice, and Don't Give Up the Ship!, the first collaboration between Gygax and Dave Arneson. Gygax and Arneson later became the co-creators of Dungeons & Dragons. Other contributors included Lou Zocchi and Tom Wham. The company additionally published Gygax's board games Alexander the Great and Dunkirk: The Battle of France, along with other rules and supplements. In November 1972, Don and Julie Lowry moved their family and the business from Illinois to Belfast, Maine. The relocation placed Guidon farther from the Midwestern gaming network in which many of its contributors and customers were based, and the company became disorganized during the transition. Gygax remained in Lake Geneva and, after hearing about his proposed fantasy game Dungeons & Dragons, approached Lowry about publication. Guidon was not in a practical position to take on the project. Gygax subsequently established TSR with Don Kaye, creating the company that would publish Dungeons & Dragons. Lowry discontinued Guidon Games in 1973 to concentrate on Panzerfaust, a magazine he had acquired before the move to Maine. After Guidon closed, Avalon Hill obtained the rights to Alexander the Great, while TSR acquired remaining Guidon stock and offered the leftover games and rules for sale. The company therefore had a brief operating life, but its publications connected historical miniature gaming with the emerging fantasy role-playing movement. Its significance rests less on scale or longevity than on the importance of Chainmail, the participation of Gygax and Arneson, and its place immediately before the commercial emergence of Dungeons & Dragons.

Guidon Games developed from Lowry Hobbies, a mail-order military-miniatures business opened by Don and Julie Lowry in Belleville, Illinois, in 1970. The hobby market was expanding as players sought rules devoted to specific historical periods and military subjects. After Lowry successfully sold Fast Rules, a Second World War tank-combat ruleset associated with Leon Tucker, Mike Reese, and Gary Gygax, he created Guidon Games as a dedicated publishing venture. Lowry conceived the Wargaming with Miniatures series and recruited authors through the International Federation of Wargamers. Gary Gygax joined the company as a designer in 1970. Gygax and Jeff Perren produced Chainmail, which became Guidon's leading title. The rules focused on medieval miniature battles and contained fantasy elements that later proved important to the development of fantasy role-playing. Guidon expanded its list with works by Lou Zocchi, Tom Wham, and Dave Arneson. Tractics was an early rules publication to use twenty-sided dice, while Don't Give Up the Ship! marked the first collaboration between Gygax and Arneson. Gygax also designed Alexander the Great and Dunkirk: The Battle of France for Lowry in 1971. Before the company relocated, Lowry acquired Panzerfaust magazine. In November 1972, Don and Julie Lowry moved their family and Guidon Games to Belfast, Maine. Gygax stayed in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. The company struggled with organization after the move; one Belfast publication, Grosstaktik, was issued without the Guidon Games logo on its front cover. Gygax later presented Lowry with the concept for Dungeons & Dragons, but Guidon was not in a suitable position to publish it. Gygax instead founded TSR with Don Kaye. Lowry closed Guidon Games in 1973 to focus on Panzerfaust. Avalon Hill acquired the rights to Alexander the Great and published a revised second edition prepared by Gygax and Donald Greenwood in 1974. TSR acquired Guidon's remaindered inventory and sold the remaining games and rules. Although the company operated for only about three years, its publications and personnel placed it at an important transition point between historical miniature wargaming and fantasy role-playing games.

• 1974

  Avalon Hill publishes a revised Alexander the Great

  [1]Guidon Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  Avalon Hill published a revised second edition of Alexander the Great after acquiring the game's rights.

• 1973

  Guidon Games ceases operations

  [1]Guidon Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  Lowry closed the company to concentrate on Panzerfaust magazine.

• 1972

  Business relocates to Belfast

  [1]Guidon Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  Don and Julie Lowry moved Guidon Games from Illinois to Belfast, Maine.

• 1971

  Chainmail becomes Guidon's leading title

  [1]Guidon Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  Guidon published Chainmail, co-authored by Gygax and Jeff Perren, which became the company's best seller.

• 1971

  Gygax board games are published

  [1]Guidon Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  Guidon published Gygax's Alexander the Great and Dunkirk: The Battle of France.

• 1970

  Guidon Games is founded

  [1]Guidon Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  Don Lowry founded Guidon Games after developing Lowry Hobbies into a publishing operation serving miniature wargamers.

• 1970

  Gary Gygax joins the publishing effort

  [1]Guidon Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  Lowry hired Gary Gygax to develop titles for the Wargaming with Miniatures series.

A specialist hobby publisher serving miniature wargamers with period-specific rules, military board games, and related gaming material. Its catalogue occupied a bridge between historical tabletop simulation and the fantasy gaming concepts that soon developed into role-playing games.

• Miniature-wargaming rules · 1971

  Chainmail

  Chainmail was a medieval miniature-wargaming ruleset co-authored by Gary Gygax and Jeff Perren. It became Guidon Games' best-selling publication and included fantasy material alongside rules for historical combat. Its treatment of fantasy battles later influenced the design environment from which Dungeons & Dragons emerged.

• Modern military miniature-wargaming rules

  Tractics

  Tractics was a military miniature-wargaming title associated with Leon Tucker and Mike Reese. It is notable in the history of tabletop games for being among the early published games to use twenty-sided dice.

• Naval miniature-wargaming rules

  Don't Give Up the Ship!

  Don't Give Up the Ship! was a naval-themed wargaming publication and the first collaboration between Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. Their later partnership would produce Dungeons & Dragons, making this title an important precursor in tabletop-game history.

• Board game · 1971

  Alexander the Great

  Alexander the Great was a board game designed by Gary Gygax for Guidon Games in 1971. After Guidon closed, Avalon Hill acquired the rights and issued a revised second edition prepared by Gygax and Donald Greenwood.

• Board game · 1971

  Dunkirk: The Battle of France

  Dunkirk: The Battle of France was a board game designed by Gary Gygax for Guidon Games. It addressed the 1940 Dunkirk campaign and formed part of the company's historical board-game catalogue.

• Second World War tank-combat rules

  Fast Rules

  Fast Rules was a set of Second World War tank-combat rules associated with Leon Tucker, Mike Reese, and Gary Gygax. Its sales through Lowry Hobbies helped encourage Don Lowry to establish Guidon Games as a publishing company.

• Wargaming rules · 1972

  Grosstaktik

  Grosstaktik was the first product published after the company's move to Belfast, Maine. The publication reflected the operational difficulties surrounding the relocation and reportedly appeared without the Guidon Games logo on its front cover.

• 1973

  End Guidon Games and focus on PanzerfaustStrategy

  Background

  Lowry had acquired Panzerfaust magazine before the company's move to Maine.

  Action taken

  Lowry closed Guidon Games and concentrated on the magazine.

  Aftermath

  Avalon Hill acquired rights to Alexander the Great, and TSR acquired Guidon's remaining inventory for resale.

  Source

• 1972

  Relocate the company to Belfast, MaineStrategy

  Background

  Don and Julie Lowry moved their family and business from Belleville, Illinois, to Belfast, Maine.

  Action taken

  Guidon Games transferred its operations to Maine while continuing to publish game material.

  Aftermath

  The business became disorganized after the move, and Gary Gygax judged that its management and location did not offer strong prospects for growth.

  Source

• 1972

  Do not publish Dungeons & DragonsProduct launch

  Background

  Gary Gygax approached Lowry with the concept that would become Dungeons & Dragons.

  Action taken

  Guidon Games did not take on publication of the proposed game because the company was not in a practical position to do so.

  Aftermath

  Gygax founded TSR with Don Kaye, and TSR published Dungeons & Dragons. The decision became one of Guidon Games' most consequential historical associations.

  Source

• 1970

  Launch a dedicated miniature-wargaming publisherStrategy

  Background

  Lowry Hobbies had found demand for specialized military rules, including Fast Rules, while the miniature-wargaming hobby was expanding.

  Action taken

  Don Lowry founded Guidon Games and developed the Wargaming with Miniatures series using authors recruited through the International Federation of Wargamers.

  Aftermath

  The strategy produced a notable catalogue and the company's best seller, Chainmail.

  Source

1. 1Guidon Gamesen.wikipedia.org