Historical Rules

[colhodg]

In a similar style to the Historical Figures list would people care to contribute to this thread for rules? - see quite a few posts asking for them, would be nice to have a comprehensive list. To start:

Various Resources and free downloads - Other games listed with a * are also free to download.

http://boardgamegeek.com Useful for reviews
http://www.freewargamesrules.co.uk/ Not all links work but all games are free to download
http://www.jimwallman.org.uk/wargame/
http://perfectcaptain.50megs.com/captain.html free system for variety of eras with varient rules available
http://www.warhammer-historical.com/ Obvious first stop for those coming from GW games, lots of eras and scales catered for, Rules are generally well regarded and produced

Note on Scales - unless specified Most historical rules allow you to chose which scale to play in although some may specify a base size for the miniatures to be placed on. Generally the larger the scope of the game the smaller the most suitable scale is (unless you have a very big table!)


Ancient and Medieval Periods

* Brytenwalda Free Download but nicely done rules for Medieval skirmish games http://www.mediafire.com/?p333pchoce1h9pp

Crusader http://www.crusaderpublishing.com/

Days of Knights (medieval) - http://www.sabersedge.com/chipco/

DBMM Popular well established ruleset for variety of ancient periods usually played in 15mm scale, needs good understanding of rules to play http://dbmm.org.uk/
DBA fast play version of above only needs a few figures (12 elements) and small table http://www.fanaticus.org/DBA/index.html

Field of Glory Osprey Publishing ruleset for ancients and Medieval with various supplements, increasingly popular at Games clubs suitable for 10/15mm scale http://www.fieldofglory.com/

* Impetus Well regarded, wide ranging rules up to Renaisance era - basic Rulest Free to download http://www.dadiepiombo.com/basic2.html

Maximillian Games Early Renaissance, specifically geared towards the Italian Wars.
Maximilian Games

Warhammer Ancients (WAB) 28mm scale rules based on warhammer (so useful entrypoint to historicals for some), various supplements for different eras from biblical through to medieval era V2.0 now available direct only http://www.warhammer-historical.com/
www.wabforum.co.uk

Warmaster Ancients Epic Scale (2/6/10/15mm) based on GW Warmaster system with supplements for ancient and medieval lists
http://www.warhammer-historical.com/..._Ancients.html


Musket Era
Age of Gunpowder - (Early Renaissance) -
Age of Gunpowder

1644 English Civil War rules by Rick Preistly http://www.amazon.co.uk/1644-Rules-B.../dp/1901543145

Blackpowder Fastplay rules suitable for large games in variety of scales and periods, lists for ACW, Napoleonics etc. Quite generic and flexible http://www.warlordgames.co.uk/?page_id=3177

* Elan Deluxe Complete and Free Napoleonics rules for variety of scales http://www.deepfriedhappymice.com/html/gw_elan.html

Field of Glory also make Renassaince-era rules geared for 15mm but also suitable for 28mm. Supplements available for specific conflicts/regions.Field of Glory

Fire and Fury Usually mentioned as best ruleset specifically for AWI http://www.fireandfury.com/

General de Brigade Well regarded popular Napoleonic Rules, 1 figure = 20 men commonly played in 15mm, V2 recently released http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardga...ral-de-brigade

LaSalle Division level Napoleonics, Grand Armee by same author for Army level actions
discussion here: http://www.thewarevent.com/forums/showthread.php?t=221

* March of Eagles Free rules for Napoleonic Infantry and artillery produced by Victrix for their figures - other rules available soon http://www.victrixlimited.com/download.php

The Sword and the Flame Colonial Rules http://www.sergeants3.com/

They Died For Glory Franco Prussian War http://www.miniatures.de/wargame-the...for-glory.html (review)

Warfare in the Age of Reason (still in print?) http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardga...-age-of-reason

Washington's Wars Am. War of Independence - (can't find web page - still in print?)


20th Century (up to WW2)

Battlefield Evolution Mongoose publishing skirmish ruleset with versions for WW2 and Modern warfare, based on Starship Troopers rules http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/ho...hp?qsSeries=47

* Canvas Eagles WWI aerial, Free Pdf download http://www.eaglesmax.com/

Check your Six! WW2 Aerial combat with modern era variant available for jet age, review:
http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/30958/check-your-6

Command Decision Well established rules for WW2 in variety of scales, quite detailed //http://testofbattle.com/drupal-4.7.4/node/28

Disposable Heroes Small Action WW2 Skirmish game from Iron Ivan Games, modern era varients available http://store.ironivangames.com/dispo...-brothers.html

Flames Of War Popular 15mm based system for company level WW2 games http://www.flamesofwar.com/

I Aint Been Shot Mum Well regarded WW2 Skirmish game http://toofatlardies.co.uk/index.php...products_id=30

Operation Squad Warlord's squad level WW2 skirmish game
http://www.warlordgames.co.uk/?p=9514

Rapid Fire Fastplay comprehensive rules for WW2 gaming http://www.rapid-fire.uk.com/rules.htm

Rules of Engagement WW2 skirmish ruleset with various supplements http://www.greatescapegames.co.uk/index.php

Victory At Sea Fastplay, fun WW1 / WW2 Naval rules by Mongoose Publishing http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/ho...hp?qsSeries=41

Warhammer Panzer Battles 40k conversion for ww2 http://wpbww2.tripod.com/


Modern Era (post WW2)

Ambush Alley Modern warfare rules for counter insurgency http://www.ambushalleygames.com/

Cold war Commander Variant of Blitzkreig Commander above with large variety of 20th Century lists best suiited to 6/10/15mm scale

[ZeroTwentythree]

Ancients Era

De Bellis Antiquitatis (DBA) - http://www.fanaticus.org/DBA/index.html

De Bellis Magistrorum Militum (DBMM) - http://www.dbmm.org.uk/

Field of Glory (FoG) - http://www.fieldofglory.com/

De Billis Multitudinus (DBM) - http://www.byzant.demon.co.uk/dbm.htm
(I believe DBM has been more or less replaced by its "successors" FoG & DBMM, but some people may still play.)

Crusader - http://www.crusaderpublishing.com/

Days of Knights (medieval) - http://www.sabersedge.com/chipco/




Musket Era

Fire & Fury (Am. Civil War)- http://www.fireandfury.com/

The Sword and the Flame (Colonial) - http://www.sergeants3.com/

They Died For Glory (Franco Prussian War) - http://www.miniatures.de/wargame-the...for-glory.html (review)

Warfare in the Age of Reason (still in print?) - http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardga...-age-of-reason

Washington's Wars (Am. War of Independence - (can't find web page - still in print?)



20th Century


*Canvas Eagles (WWI aerial) - http://www.eaglesmax.com/ (download PDF rules!)






Scale note: I didn't include scale because most of them can be played at whatever scale you prefer. Some, like They Died for Glory and Fire & Fury are more suited to smaller scale figures (15/10/6mm.)

[warriorpoet1]

Musket Age

1644 by Rick Priestly. From Wargames Foundry I think.

[Olja]

I know a few games I really like.

Napoleonics:

Grand Armee by Sam Mustafa (Maybe out of print).

Napoleons Battles (maybe out of print)

American Civil War

Brother against Brother Small scale skirmish (Out of Print, but still a good set of rules).

WWI: Naval

General Quarters Fast and simple.

[yabbadabba]

Warhammer Panzer Battles - http://wpbww2.tripod.com/
I'll post some more when I next get up in my loft!

edit: Shako for Napoleonics - its been an absolutely age since I last played those

[colhodg]

I'll edit them into the original post if i have space - obviously there are tons of rules out there so i have only listed one's i'd actually recommend trying! Thanks for replies so far.

[freddythebig]

WWII

Rules of Engagement - http://www.greatescapegames.co.uk/pack.php?pack=148

Good set of rules for platoon level action.

[Grimm Toof]

Ambush Alley/ Force on Force for small scale modern insurgency and large scale modern/cold war/ww2 games, respectively. Probably one of the most enjoyable rulesets I have ever seen.

[DeadInTheHead]

I humbly suggest an asterisk next to the entry to denote whether it is a free download.

[ZeroTwentythree]

I humbly suggest an asterisk next to the entry to denote whether it is a free download.

Good call. I put one at the front of the entry for the one set of free rules in my reply above.

[colhodg]

Threasurection, i'll leave it to Codsticker to decide if this is worth a sticky - have made a start and will edit in the stuff from the Historical Rulesets thread and anything else people want to contribute here.

Do we need more detail in the descriptions?

[Codsticker]

I have added a Musket Era entry for Field of Glory: Renassaince.

[ZeroTwentythree]

This falls between the ancient and musket categories:

Maximilian! - (Early Renaissance) Similar to the DBx games, but built specifically for the Italian Wars period - http://www.blackhat.co.uk/online_sho...521d41346af81c




More, I guess musket era:

Age of Gunpowder - (Early Renaissance) - http://www.sabersedge.com/chipco/aog.htm



Warhammer English Civil War - http://www.warhammer-historical.com/...Civil_War.html

[ZeroTwentythree]

May as well add the rest of the Warhammer Historical catalog...


Warmaster Ancients - http://www.warhammer-historical.com/..._Ancients.html


Trafalgar - (naval) - http://www.warhammer-historical.com/...Trafalgar.html

Legends of the High Seas - http://www.warhammer-historical.com/...High_Seas.html


Legends of the Old West - http://www.warhammer-historical.com/..._Old_West.html


The Great War - http://www.warhammer-historical.com/...Great_War.html

[Justice And Rule]

Not a huge fan, but they deserve mention for being a workable set (and the creators make really nice campaign books):

WW2 & Post-WW2
Arc of Fire: http://mysite.verizon.net/fisherts/s...campaigns/aof/

[Codsticker]

Hmmm... am considering re-oprganising the list so that it is more in line with the Historical Figures list in that we don't end up with multiple entries for the same manufacturer (ie, Warhammer Historicals).

[colhodg]

sure Codsticker edit away, whatever seems the best format. Most of the questions that pop up on here seem to be from ppl competely new to historicals with a period in mind but unusure of what's available, hence sticking em together in broad categories.

[ZeroTwentythree]

Hmmm... am considering re-oprganising the list so that it is more in line with the Historical Figures list in that we don't end up with multiple entries for the same manufacturer (ie, Warhammer Historicals).

Well, the problem is that Warhammer Historicals (and other companies) do make rules for different periods. I don't think duplication of manufacturers is a problem.

If I go to a list and I am looking for Pirate rules, I wouldn't think to look in the Ancients category because some company makes rules for both periods. How would you file WH? Under Ancients for WAB? Or Muskets for Legends of the High Seas?

Furthermore, some companies may make different games of different qualities or scales as well.

We're talking about rulesets, not manufacturers.

[Codsticker]

If I go to a list and I am looking for Pirate rules, I wouldn't think to look in the Ancients category because some company makes rules for both periods. How would you file WH? Under Ancients for WAB? Or Muskets for Legends of the High Seas?

I would use a similar format as for the Historical Figures thread. Warhammer Historicals is a unique creature in that it has a wide range of publications covering many periods and different locales. Most publshers publish rules for a period or two and many do not have supplemental books. For example:

Warlord Games publish a set of rules for the Horse and musket period (1700-1900) for 25mm called Black Powder.
Black Powder

Osprey Publishing produce rules and supplements for Ancient, Medieval and Renaissance tabletop warfare that can be used with 15mm and 25mm models.
Field of Glory

GHQ sell their own rule books for the models they manufacture- 1/285 "micro-armour". They have separate rule sets for WW2 and the Vietnam War/modern era.
GHQ Rules
etc,

[Max Jet]

I cannot believe nobody posted my favourite historical game...

It is quite a shock to me. Operation World War 2 :

http://www.alzozero.it/eng/html/download.html