Copyright 2003 T. Sheil & A. Sheil All Rights Reserved
If ever an era made wargaming wild, it has to be the Middle Ages. Many an afternoon was spent playing Castle Cracker, our convoluted ruleset for Medieval warfare and sieges. Indeed, the Ancient and Medieval eras have a special appeal. The brightly-colored armies make for fine miniature games, and the archaic weapons and armor lend themselves well to games of strategy. If you enjoy history and a flair for the bold and the brave, Medieval and Ancient games will work for you.
The era covered by these games is vast and varied. You can play battles from the earliest pre-Sumerian culture all the way to the early days of gunpowder. Ancient and Medieval Rules span some 3,000 years of human history.
Ancient games tend toward greater organization of units, while the Medieval rules are often more focused on tactical advantages. Ancient Warfare involved large National armies like the Egyptians and Assyrians, organized under a single government. The Middle Ages was a matter of more localized leadership. These make a big difference!
Miniature wargames tend to outnumber others. The colorful, bright armies of the Ancient and Medieval eras have a lot to do with it..
Games for these eras require charts for troop movement, armor, combat resolution and archer fire. Troops tend to be organized by type, and are valued as to their armor, unit cohesion and training. It is a fascinating approach, yet realistic. A trained Roman soldier in armor would certainly have a different effect on the battlefield than a half-trained Nomadic tribesman. Likewise would a mob of Medieval peasants work differently than a team of experienced knights. Medieval and Ancient rules reflect these differences.
Here lies the crux of the games. Ancient and Medieval games vary when it comes to complexity. It's a matter of temperament.. Some people want a game that moves along briskly, and others want to slow, detailed replication of all possible factors in combat. Complexity is the product of detail. I doubt any other games, except perhaps some role-playing systems, are as varied in their complexity.
I have compiled a brief list of games that are readily available for you to try. These games offer various approaches to Ancient and Medieval warfare, and are well-suited to beginners.
Siege of Bodenburg - Medieval miniature game originally designed for Elastolin figures, this little wargame is plenty of fun. It is a siege game that requires a 6' by 6' area - not much room - yet allows for all kinds of action. Unlike moist sieges, the game doesn't start at the moat. Rules are adaptable to almost any type Medieval figure. Works best with figures from 25mm to 54mm
Knightly Fightly - A medieval game for toy knights, based o nthe 1929 classic "Shambattle". Levels of play make it enjoyabel for all ages. A great way to introduce kids to wargaming.
Medieval Fast Play Rules - free rule set for playing Medieval-era games v- free set of rules for nice Medieval games with miniatures. It is a simplified version of Saga Publishing's regular, full-size Medieval warfare rule set. This Fast Rules set has won awards, and is worth looking into.
Ancient Warfare Fast Play Rules - free rule set for playing Ancient -era games, up to the downfall of the Roman Empire. nice set, in .DOC format. A nice ruleset which actually won awards at a Wargaming convention for best new game Companion to the Medieval Fast-play rules
Bill Banks' Ancients - board game for pre-Gunpowder Era rules. It is a very complete set, with the rulebook, boards, counters, etc.
Medieval Rules (adapted from "Rules by Ral") Nice little set of basic rules, for small-scale skirmishes and such. Variant of rules that sued to be handed out free by a former miniature making company
Gods' Acre - downloadable rules for Medieval wargaming, based partly on other rulesets. Nice, easy-to-use rules
.A Game for Ancients & Medievals: I bought a copy of this game for $4.00 in the 70s. It has no publisher information or printing information, nor any copyright info. Usually with something like that ,the rules are junk. Not this time! This is a nice set of rules for larger battles. It is very well designed, playable and has the flavor of realism. You can play anything from Ancient to the early Middle Ages, and perhaps beyond.
Jim Wallman's Free rules - He has some Medieval rules among various others, including rules for Fantasy and other genre.
Metalsmashing - simple, quick rules for Ancient and Medieval games. A great way to introduce people to wargaming. Available through our Milihistriot website
History of the Wargames Research Group One of the leading sources for wargames rules for decades. Site also has copies of the older versions of the WRG rules.
(If you know of a Medieval or Ancient rule set which belongs on this list, please let us know!)
Day of Battle - http://www.dayofbattle.com/ A fascinating game of Medieval warfare that incldues elements of role-playing. If you are interested in medieval minaiture games, "Day of Battle" deserves a serious look.
The Medieval War Game - a website about the games, with pics of the figures and more. The entire website has loads of rescoruces for wargamers and miniaturists
Joe Bethancourt's " Toy Soldier - A Tour Through my Personal Collection" - amazing website with photo galleries of miniatures, plus great articles on making scenery, wargaming and more. A real treasure trove!
The Knights of Avalon - http://www.theknightsofavalon.com - Robert Hill has gathered an enormous collection of toy knights based on Arthurian legends and movies. The Arthurian resources are comprehensive, and the collection itself is stunning.
George R. R. Martin - http://www.georgerrmartin.com/ is an author of science fiction and medieval fantasy who also collects miniature knights. Visit his site and click the shield that says "knights" to see the miniatures.
The Miniatures Page - http://theminiaturespage.com/ - everything for the miniature wargamer: message boards, forums, news, links, etc. This is a big site loaded with good things for the hobby.
Phil Barker's Website. http://www.phil-barker.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/ Phil is a noted wargames writer who wrote the DBA and DBM medieval anbdancient rules.. He is the head of the Wargamns Research Group: