|
|
 |
Return to TSR Gems
-
Next TSR Gem
Return to Original D&D
-
Next D&D item
|
|
1st printing
Picture courtesy of Paul Stormberg, USA
|
CHAINMAIL |
|
Item code:
|
na
|
|
Type:
|
Stand-alone wargame rules
|
|
Release:
|
1971
|
|
Authors:
|
Gary Gygax
Jeff Perren
|
|
Interior Art:
|
Don Lowry
|
|
Format:
|
Soft cover, digest sized, 48 pages
|
|
Rarity:
|
Very Rare (1st / 2nd)
Uncommon (3rd and later)
|
|
Value @NrMint:
|
Pending
|
|
|
ISBN:
|
na
|
|
Cover Price:
|
na ($5.00)
|
|
Print Runs:
|
→ 1st (March 1971)
2nd (August 1972)
3rd (November 1972)
4th (February 1973)
5th (April 1975)
6th (July 1975)
7th (June 1976)
8th (March 1977)
9th (January 1978)
10th (August 1978)
11th (April 1979)
12th (November 1979)
|
|
Weight:
|
74 grams
|
|
Dimensions:
|
width: 14.0 cm
height: 22.0 cm
depth: 0.5 cm
|
|
|
Collectors arcana: Chainmail is a stand-alone set of medieval miniature wargaming rules developed by E. Gary Gygax and his
gaming group in the late 60's early 70's. The first edition was primarily concerned with typical combat rules in open field combat. The second edition (and subsequent issues) were released
with an additional rules called the Fantasy Supplement. The Fantasy supplement included a lot of interesting elements that certainly carried over into Dungeons and Dragons rules some 2 years later.
Included in this would be Dragons, wizards and orcs amongst many other examples. As Gary Gygax was once quoted in a writeup for a wargame magazine at the time of the second edition release regarding
medieval wargaming with Dragons and Wizards.."Why not?".
We would be hard pressed to disagree. The first two printings were done by Guidon Games which was a small publishing company of Donald Lowry. Guidon Games was at first located in Evansville, IN but later moved to Maine.
Donald Lowry was one of the more influential personalities in the wargaming community from which Dungeons and Dragons was born. If the history of the game interests you, you should stop over in ToT's Convention department
and look through some of our information and dissertations concerning the early wargaming groups which Gygax was closely associated with.
The various Third editions were printed and distributed by TSR Hobbies. This printings all have a Silver cover with black plastic binding. There is one printing that came stapled instead of spiral bound, these are quite rare as well.
Shrinkwrapped items add 100% to their base value.
Paul Stormberg reports: "The game Chainmail, while copyrighted, was never trademarked.
Jeff Perren still had the rights and 50% royalties until 2006.
Realizing the thing was not Trademarked he would have difficulty claiming infringement on his game title "Chainmail".
So Jeff, in need of money, settled with Hasbro for $500."
Many printing information courtesy of Paul Stormberg.
|
Printing information
1st Printing: March 1971. The first and second printing were done by Guideon Games and feature a brownish cover. The second printing can be distinguished by the words "2nd Edition" on the cover.
The 1st printing is very rare and commands a premium on eBay ($500).
(see picture on top of the page)
|
2nd Printing: August 1972. The first and second printing were done by Guideon Games and feature a brownish cover. The second printing can be distinguished by the words "2nd Edition" on the cover (see picture above).
Picture courtesy of Paul Stormberg, USA
|
3rd Printing: November 1972. The third printing is identical to the 2nd printing, but with a goldenrod cover.
Picture courtesy of Paul Stormberg, USA
|
4th Printing: February 1973. The fourth printing is identical to the 2nd printing, but with a flimsy yellow cover.
Picture courtesy of Paul Stormberg, USA
|
5th / 6th Printing: April / July 1975. The 5th / 6th printings are released by TSR. These printings feature the Gygay/Kaye logo and bear the words "3rd Edition" on the cover.
The 5th printing has saddle-stitched binding, the 6th printing has spiral binding.
Image courtesy of Kynan Connor, USA.
|
7th to 10th Printing: 7th to 10th printing features the TSR lizard logo, the copryight page shows the entry "3rd printing", "4th" to "6th" respectively (not counting the two released by Guideon Games).
Copyright dates: June 1976 (7th), March 1977 (8th), January 1978 (9th), August 1978 (10th).
|
11th and later printings: The 11th printing (7th on copyright, April 1979) and possible later printings features the TSR wizard logo.
There is a 12th printing, (still states 7th on copyright, April 1979) without price tag.
This has been confirmed by Paul Stormberg.
"This last printing was printed in runs of 500 from 1980 until about 1999. Brian Blume had so ordered it due to the Random House distribution deal where TSR got a shelving kickback for every product they had on inventory. Even though the Chainmail copies were never distributed, TSR still got credit. There were pallets of these things sitting in TSR's warehouse. They were mostly sold out of the Dungeon Mail Order Hobby Shop. (I ordered one from them in shrinkwrap in 1994!)"
Thanks to Paul Stormberg for sharing this information.
Found a later printing?
|
|
|
Return to Original D&D
-
Next D&D item
-
Next TSR Gem
Return to TSR Gems
-
Next TSR Gem
|
|
|
|
