a utility for playing board games over long distances. It is built primarily with PBEM (play-by-email) games in mind, but can be used to facilitate games played in the same room or by mailing the .SMS data file back and forth snailmail.
I think it would also be useful for managing those campaigns that all miniature wargamers love to start but never seem to be able to keep track of and finish.
Draconis Rex is a set of free wargames rules for fighting battles between those kings of the ancient world: Dragons. The rules allow you to desgin your own dragon and then duke it out with tooth, claw and fire. I think it would be a great way to use those very cool Megablocks dragons that are in all the toy stores.
Adam Stone’s Days of Empire is a set of free wargames rules for playing the Crimean War. The author writes:
These rules have evolved from the WRG rules 1685-1845 (1978) by Phillip Barker and the Élan Napoleonic rules (2002) by Phillip Jones. I would like to acknowledge both, while stating it was from those experiences I wanted to design something original specifically for the Crimean War period. As with all rules there is a balance between attempting to achieve historical accuracy and developing a simple but fun game. Days of Empire may not meet the historical accuracy required by some people nor the simplicity of play for some gamers, but I do hope you enjoy using these rules for what they are rather than what they aren’t.
Wizards of the Coast releases its Axis and Allies game today. The rules are available for free. You can get the quickstart guide or the advanced rules.
I never got into Inquisitor. Frankly, the very large figures and their very large price tag were too much for me. But for those of you who are keeping the flame alive, Games Workshop offers the Inquisitor rules book as a free download from their Specialist games site.
The Mordheim rule book is a free downloadable wargames rules set that "amalgamates the Mordheim Rulebook and the latest errata and rules review into one handy document." Free rules! From Games Workshop! I think Hell just froze over.
Ed Walker has written a set of free wargames rules called Tabletop Titans. He writes:
BAM - POW - KAZOWEE. These are the sounds of super heros in action. Who could forget the wild brawls we all envisioned while reading our favorite super hero comics? Tabletop Titans is a game of miniature combat where players create super heros to do battle. Designed to be played on any tabletop or with one of the many types of terrain systems on the market Tabletop Heros provides all the rules necessary to create a unique super hero and pit it in combat against other superpowered beings. Tabletop Titans uses the ACTION combat system.
Miniature Wargaming is part of the "adventure games" hobby, which includes r ole p laying and board games. Wargamers recreate battles on the tabletop with toy soldiers, like a more complicated game of chess. Models range in height from 6mm to 28mm tall, with 15mm and 25mm being the most popular. There also is a growing interest in toy soldiers and military models, such as the 1/32 and 1/35 scale plastic soldiers from Conte, and Marx.
The most popular miniature wargames are fantasy and science fiction based, such as Warhammer, Warhammer 40K, Warmachine and The Lord of the Rings. World War II games such as Flames of War and Axis and Allies are new favorites. Other favorite historical periods include Napoleonics, the American Civil War, and ancients, such as Romans or Greeks. Other gamers enjoy miniature naval wargames, recreating battles like Trafalgar, Jutland and the Coral Sea.
Hobbyists research historical periods and paint their tiny soldiers in accurate uniforms. Others develop "historically realistic" rules sets or build scale battlefield terrain using model railroad techniques.
For pictures, visit the gallery.
Some of the bigger hobby companies are Games Workshop, which produces Warhammer, Wargames Foundry and Old Glory Miniatures. Wizards of the Coast produces several lines of pre-painted miniatures games, such as the Star Wars and Dungeons and Dragons miniatures games, and a historical game with pre-painted miniatures: The new Axis and Allies game. Wizkids produces a fantasy collectable miniatures game, such as the Mage Knight and Heroclick fantasy games, the science fiction games MechWarrior and Rocketmen, as well as the quasi-historical Pirates of the Spanish Main.
