Swords & Dice
A book of historical information and battle
rules by Robert Julian Choi.
This text contains the historical background and rules for simulating
ancient warfare in the ‘Classical Period’, i.e:
The Greek and Persian Wars;
The Campaigns of Alexander the Great; and
The Second Punic War.
For those not familiar with miniature wargaming, such rules as ‘Swords & Dice’ are not childrens’ games; rather they are an accurate means of simulating historic battles.
Players take the role of ancient generals and gather armies of miniature figures, often made from metal alloys, or sometimes plastic. These
figures can be various scales, usually ranging from five millimeters to 25 to 28 millimeters in height.
The figures are stood close by each other (on an attractive playing table with terrain representing hills, roads, rivers and villages), arrayed in units representing tens or hundreds of thousands of men. This is possible by allowing each figure to represent 200 men (in the case of infantry and cavalry).
The general (each player) takes turns in moving, firing and positioning each unit in close proximity to the
enemy to engage in melee. There are sophisticated rules to resolve missile and melee and the morale disintegration that combat causes. Eventually one
army will get the upper hand, with the enemy units being destroyed, fleeing or withdrawing from the battlefield.
The
tactical possibilities are exciting, and the importance attached to the rules of command and command effects giving the player a real insight into the tactical problems facing many an ancient general.
We played a test game with an Ancient Indian army defending a territorial boundary from the depredations of Alexander the Great. This was facilitated by adapting the army lists in the rules book.
The battle was great fun and exhilarating. Alexander’s phalanxes crashed against javelinmen, but were in turn crushed by a horde of 4 horse chariots. This was a particularly bloody encounter, as the chariots’ headlong rush resulted in there own destruction.
cavalry swirled on the flanks, Indian elephants trudged forward with early success, only to be stopped by archers. Eventually Alexander’s army was held, but was able to extricate itself to fight another day.
This is an excellent book, superior to many competitor’s, of interest to gamers, history students and lovers of mathematical permutations.
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