One Hour Skirmish Wargames

Many wargamers enjoy the challenge of skirmish games where, instead of the strategy of vast armies portrayed by traditional wargames, the focus is on the tactics of a small unit. However, skirmish rules are often so complex that it can take hours of rolling dice, consulting tables and recording data to recreate what would in reality be a fast and furious firefight lasting just minutes. Now these new rules make it possible to recapture the speed and intensity of these actions where every man, and every second, counts. The basic rules are supported by sections which give special rules and scenarios to capture the flavor of a range of different periods, from Napoleonic to Modern Warfare and beyond with Sci-Fi. From the 95th Rifles scouting for Wellington, Western gunfights and WWI trench raids, through WW2 parachute assaults or Special Forces strikes in Afghanistan, or even Space Marines storming a space station, Squad Firefights elegantly simple system allows you to focus on proper tactical decisions rather than rolling buckets of dice or calculating masses of modifiers.

A fun and practical new approach to wargaming that lets you complete a game in about an hour—includes rule sets and scenarios for most popular periods. One of the biggest problems facing wargamers is finding the time to actually play. Most commercially available games require several hours to set up and see to a conclusion; some can even take a whole day or weekend to complete. Apart from time, lack of space can also keep wargamers from enjoying their favorite pastime. In One-hour Wargames, veteran gamer and rule-writer Neil Thomas has addressed both problems. Now it is practical to play a satisfying game in around an hour on a normal dining table or living room floor. The book contains 8 all-new sets of very simple rules for various periods—from Ancient to WW2—and thirty stimulating scenarios which can be played using any of them. All the rules and scenarios are intended to be played on a 3ft x 3ft battlefield. The rules only require a small number of miniatures, so this really is an ideal way for new gamers, or veterans trying a new period, to get started with minimal investment of time and money. Also ideal for a quick game in the evening with a friend. Also included are sections on campaigns and solo games.

Set in an age of feuding samurai, wandering swordsmen and fearless warrior monks, Ronin is a skirmish wargame that captures the flavour and excitement of such Akira Kurosawa films as Seven Samurai and Yojimbo. Whether they prefer the loyal samurai retainers of a feudal lord or a horde of desperate bandits, players choose from one of several factions and build forces to battle for dominance and survival in 16th-century Japan. They may also recruit swords-for-hire to supplement their forces – masterless ronin, martial arts masters and secretive ninja will lend their skills to any commander who can afford them. A full points system, incorporating a wide range of equipment and skills, allows for detailed customisation of characters, while scenarios and a campaign system permit them to gain experience and develop over time. The fast-paced rules simulate the cut and thrust of hand-to-hand combat and require the player to make tactical decisions in the middle of a fight, immersing them in an era of war.

The Portable Wargame has been developed over the past ten years to meet the needs of wargamers who want a fast, easy to learn, simple to use set of wargames rules that don't require the player to purchase and paint a large collection of figures and that can be staged on a small dinner table, a large coffee table, or something even smaller. The rules are designed to be used with a gridded tabletop made up of squares or hexes.

These classic rules launched skirmish wargaming in the UK and the North America. They were played in most wargaming clubs on a regular basis. From stage coach robberies to recreations of gunfights from the pages of history, these rules introduced wargaming with individual figures. This edition includes many previously unpublished chapters. These rules have all that is required to recreate the American Wild West on the table top. Bank robberies, saloon brawls, US cavalry actions and the showdown on the main street are made possible. The basic rules are straightforward, but there are many optional chapters that can be used as required. Optional rules include all the glorious detail of the Wild West: Saloon Brawls, Special rules for Indians, The 'Iron Horse' and Frontier towns and for playing solo games In addition to the full set of original rules, this edition includes extra chapters on various scenarios and campaigns The History of Wargaming Project aims to document the development of wargaming.

En Garde! is a small-scale skirmish game based on the successful Ronin rules, in which small groups of warriors fight each other for honour or riches. Rather than just rolling a few dice, the rules allow players to make tactical decisions about how the models that they control will fight – offensively, defensively, or by applying special skills and abilities. En Garde! covers the conflicts of the 16th, 17th and early 18th centuries, when black-powder weapons started to become common in battle but martial prowess still determined the outcome. Play as Border Reivers, Conquistadors, Landsknechts, Aztecs, French Musketeers, Caribbean Pirates and many more, in scenarios that evoke classic engagements of the genre. Simple campaign rules allow multiple scenarios to be played in sequence and permit warbands to develop over time. An appendix is also included to provide brief rules for supernatural creatures of the period – monsters, demons, revenants and witches – and new abilities and equipment to fight them, making En Garde! the perfect ruleset for gamers who want something a bit different from the norm.

It is 1895 and the world is in turmoil. The Great Powers compete for resources and the latest technology, and an undeclared and secret war rages between them all. This is battleground of the Adventuring Companies. These clandestine agents of the Great Powers operate in the shadows, matching skills and wits in pursuit of the newest scientific formulae or powerful occult artifacts. In Her Majesty's Name sets these adventuring companies against each other in one-off encounters and in longer narrative campaigns. Companies are usually comprised of just 4–15 figures and two players could easily play three games in an evening, making an on-going campaign a highly viable option. In Her Majesty's Name has been designed to allow maximum versatility for the player – if you can imagine it, the system will help you build it. There is, however, a wealth of material provided in the book, covering weird science, mystical powers, and a range of pre-generated adventuring companies, including the British Explorers' Club, the Prussian Society of Thule, the US Marine Corps, the Légion Étrangère, the revolutionaries of the Brick Lane Commune, ancient Egyptian cults, and the mysterious Black Dragon Tong.