Oculus offersWerod, a set of free wargames rules for skirmish games in Dark Ages Britain. Here's what they say about the game:
WEROD was designed to enable players to recreate the feel of a dark
age battle. The rules use individually based 25/28mm figures to represent the small but
individual warbands of the period. This enables the few distinctive formations of the period to
be recreated. Optional rules are included to enable players to include as much or as little
of the "magic"* of the period.
The rules include both foot and cavalry combat and cover the period from
the end of Roman period in Britain to the Norman Conquest.
Caliburn's Wrath is a set of free wargames rules from Matt Cappetta for the Arthurian period. The rules are "intended to represent intense clashes between small bands of foot soldiers."
From The Perfect Captain, Ironbow is one of their series of beautifully illustrated wargames where the graphics are not just eyecandy, but integrated into the rules and play of the game. Truly innovative stuff. Ironbow covers the crusades era from 1096 to 1192.
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Brian Cameron's Warfare in Western Europe is a set of free wargames rules for medieval warfare. The scale is 1:50 and the set leans more toward the "beer and pretzels" style of game, as its just three pages long. But that's a good thing!
Swords and Blades is a set of free wargames rules by Jackson Gamer Eric Wood. It is designed as a "squad level" game, with each casting representing 10 to 15 men.
Into the Dark is a set of free wargames rules by Dan Abbott for mass combat in the Medieval period. Designed for 25mm to 30mm figures, the rules seem designed to allow players to easily manage large numbers of figures. In combat, 1d6 is thrown for every four figures in combat. Modifiers are kept to a minimum.
More from Dan:
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Lord Merlin has a set of free wargames rules for large (70mm or 1:20) scale figures. There are three levels to this skirmish rules set: "simple", "better" and "more realistic." There also are some cute pictures of a "knights of the dinner table" game.
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.
