I’ve sold many games over the years, and generally don’t regret those decisions. But there is one set I wish I still had: the Standard Games Outremer, Cry Havoc and Dark Blades games. They were beautifully illustrated hex and counter board games of man-to-man combat. You can learn more on a fan site here. The site has the rules for downloading. With single 15mm or 28mm figures and the now-available hex sheets, you could easily do some very nice games. You also can play the Cyberboard Version.
A Meeting of Hosts is a set of rules for simple ancient wargames with toy soldiers by Ross Macfarlane, inspired by Joe Morschauser and Don Featherstone.
Legio Wargames offers Civitates Simplex, a set of free wargames rules that are:
the condensed version of an upcoming rule set called Civitates Bellatorum, which will cover the entire era of ‘classical’ antiquity (500 BC-AD 200). I am currently developing and testing thes rules in collaboration with another author/gamer, Caoimhín Boru.
Although these rules are designed around the same principles as Legio VI and Comitatus, they also have unique features which turn them into a separate project. Civitates Simplex is suitable for ‘epic’ classical battles using any figure scale or base sizes.
Legio Wargames offers Comitatus, a set of free wargames rules:
designed to simulate warfare in Europe and the Mediterranean from about AD 200 to 1100. They have been primarily designed with Barbarian Migrations period in mind but the scope of the rules covers Dark Age warfare through to the period of the First Crusade.
Comitatus is a fast moving game that is relatively easy to master. Full-scale battles representing tens of thousands of troops on each side can easily be fought to a conclusion in 3-4 hours while still retaining the special characteristics of dark age warfare.
Legio Wargames offers Legio VI Julia Augusta, a set of free wargames rules for battles of the late Roman Republic and Empire (100BC to AD250). They’re designed for 6mm, where one 20mm x 20mm stand equals a cohort.
Fleet of Battle is a set of free wargames rules for playing out battles between fleets of ancient galleys. Think Ben Hur. There also are several pages of free print-and-play galleys for use in lieu of lead miniatures. The rules require a knowledge of the commercial Field of Battle wargames rules.
Howard Whitehouse offers a set of free wargames rules for caveman combat. They’re a great read, at least, using stones instead of dice and fingers instead of rulers. Unfortunately, you have to join YAYG (Yet Another Yahoo Group) to get them.
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.
