Andy Watkins has one page set of rules for games involving Roman gladiators. You can use the fine Wargames Foundry 28mm Gladiators to fill your arena.
rules
Sham Battle
Along with H.G. Wells’ Little Wars, Sham Battle stands as one of the earliest examples of published miniatures gaming rules. You can see a copy online here.
Dark Age Infantry Slog
The Dark Ages Infantry slog, by Andy Callan, originally appeared in Miniature Wargames #7, back in 1983. Now they’re available here.
It’s an interesting system. Callan writes:
As for the battle itself, I decided that the armies weren’t going to be capable of much tactical manouvre, so this meant that I would have to find some other focus for the wargamers attention (since tactical manoeuvre is at the heart of most conventional games). I therefore decided that, in keeping with the spirit of the period, it would be LEADERSHIP rather than GENERALSHIP that would be the central factor. The player would have to LEAD his army to victory, rather than just issue orders. Accordingly he would need to be involved in forming up the army, and ‘psyching up’ the warriors for the fight, as well as getting stuck in and setting a good example for his men when it came to the crunch. All this was allowed for by giving each leader a number of ‘Leadership Points’ (LP’s) which he can use, each turn, in various ways.
Each group of warriors carries three separate ratings:
1) AGGRESSION: a measure of their enthusiasm for the fight and blood lust! Ranging from 1 (craven) to 8 (psychopathic).
2) FORMATION: a measure of orderliness and density of the ranks. Ranging from 1 (chaotic mob) to 8 (shield wall).
These first two are capable of adjustment by use of Leadership Points, which is not true of:
3) STRENGTH: an amalgam of numerical strength, physical freshness (yes, I know Vikings didn’t use underarm deodorants!) and military efficiency. The rating established at the start of the game can only decline as the battle progresses.
But the best way to describe these rules is actually to print them in full, together with some explanatory notes. The game mechanisms, which include elements of whist, poker and playground games, are unconventional, but the intention was not to be obscure for obscurity’s sake. Its just that these simple mechanisms seemed to me the best way to create a game which (to quote Ian Greenwood, whose passion for Anglo-Saxon warfare is second to none) ‘wouldn’t offend the sensibilities of Viking or Anglo-Saxon devotees who like their games to look and feel like the real thing … (and in which) … the player himself, in the role of leader, could win or lose battles according to his ability to bluff, counter-bluff or pre-empt his opponent’.
High Crusade Rules
Wessex Games has released a freeware version of their simple 15mm science fiction miniature wargames rules, High Crusade. Wessex writes:
Wessex Games originally released High Crusade back in 1994 in response to a young gamer querying what set of rules he should use to play with some 15mm SF figures he had bought at Weymouth’s Fisticuffs show. At that time there wasn’t really a cheap introductory level set of rules on the market, so we sat down and came up with High Crusade retailing at just �1.95!
It proved very popular with novice and experienced gamers alike and soon went into a second edition that included additional rules and appendices covering new backgrounds and expanding the original one.
When the second edition sold out Wessex Games took the decision not to reprint the game, instead deciding to concentrate on newer products supporting its own background worlds.
However rather than let the game die (and because Alex Stewart keeps on mentioning it!) we have decided to re-release the second edition as a freeware web-based edition with a few minor changes which we hope will improve game play and balance.
Fantasy Warriors rules
I own a copy of the original Grenadier Fantasy Warriors boxed set. In fact, all the dwarf and orc miniatures that came with it are still unpainted and on their sprues. (I already had hordes of Games Workshop orc and dwarves and simply played with those).
The game had a lot to recommend it: the figures were great, they were a good bargain, and the rules were a marked departure from Games Workshop. What we liked most about the rules was the emphasis on command, rather than on individual super figures. Sadly, however, it’s been out of print for many years.
Now you can get the original rules as a download here. As for the figures, I understand that there is an italian company that produces them, but I’ve had no success in finding them.