The Miniature Wargaming Editor

Simple Colonial Wargaming Rules

Robert Cordery offers “Simple Colonial Wargaming Rules.” He writes

SCWaRes � pronounced “squares” � began life as a simple set of �fast play� rules for use with teenagers who had never played a traditional figure wargame before. The design parameters were: To have a turn sequence that kept the players involved throughout each turn; To have simple morale systems that dealt with unit and formation morale; To reduce the measuring of movement and weapon ranges to zero; To have simple systems for resolving fire combat and close combat; To include an element of uncertainty into the outcome of each game To produce a game that could be played to a conclusion in about an hour.

Grognards and Grenadiers Fastplay Card Driven Napoleonic Rules

Rudi Geudens offers a new game in his Command and Colors series of free wargames rules: Grognards and Grenadiers. These Napoleonic rules are designed for fast play using a card mechanism.

Geudens writes:

This is another set of my card driven wargame rules “COMMAND BY COLOUR”, and although still loosely inspired by the Battle Cry & Memoir ’44 games by Richard Borg, this game no longer has a battlefield divided in 3 sections, because I took a different approach. The left-centre-right wing Battle Cry/Memoir ’44 principle has here been replaced by colour-coding the units red, green and blue (activated by cards of the same colour) thus enabling the players to concentrate their units anywhere on the battlefield if they wish so.

Castle Cracker Medieval and Ancient Warfare Rules

Castle Cracker is a set of free wargames rules for backyard games in the ancient and medieval eras.

Legends of Old Mars LotR LotOW Variant

Legends of Old Mars is a Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Barsoom variant of Games Workshop’s Lord of the Rings / Legends of the Old West game. I think that system is perfect for playing games involving John Carter, Tars Tarkas and the other denizens of Burrough’s Barsoom.

A History of Warfare By John Keegan

It’s an ambitious title, but military historian John Keegan is up to the task. In A History of Warfare, Keegan analyzes the role of warfare in society, and the progression of war through four “ages” which he characterizes as “stone, flesh, iron and fire.” Most interesting is that Keegan refutes von Clausewitz’s contention in “On War” that war is simply an extension of national policy. While this is not a book about any particular war or battle, the thoughtful wargamer will find this interesting for the ideas and questions it poses.

A History of Warfare