ARES: Miniatures Wargaming System is a complete skirmish-level fantasy game. But it is also much more. The flexibility of the system allows players to use any wargaming miniatures in their collection. Over two dozen sample figures are detailed in this book, but the real strength of ARES is its figure creation system, that encourages players to use their imaginations -- which is the way it should be! Also included is a fully-customizable magic system, providing players with the opportunity to design their own spells for their troops.

Athens & Sparta is a strategic level game of the Peloponnesian War, fought from 431BC to 404BC. This war pitted the wealth and naval power of Athens against the superior army of Sparta. It was a bloody contest, with many heroic triumphs and terrible atrocities. Victory by Sparta ended the Golden Age of Greece.

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Attila features two of the few major battles thearmies of the Hunnic Confederation under King Attila fought against Rome: The Utus against Eastern Rome (The Utus) and the Catalaunian Fields against Western Rome. Gamers have the opportunity to pit the Huns both at their peak at the Utus, and then at somewhat reduced ability at the Catalaunian Fields against the rather different armies of Eastern and Western Rome.

The module includes 140 counters depicting the Huns and other barbarian notables, including the Visigoths, Alans, Burgundians, Franks, Saxons, and Gepids. For the Romans, the Cheiroballistra artillery makes its debut. Attila includes a full size map. Cataphract is required for play.

The Attila module introduces some changes to the Cataphract rules including the elimination of the Size rating and the reassessment of the missile fire effectiveness of the composite bow based on the latest research.In addition, Attila includes special rules to account for the unique style of steppe warfare practiced by the nomadic Huns - the feigned retreat along with rules covering defections and barbarian impetuosity.

Note: To play Attila: Scourge of Rome, you need a copy of Cataphract.

Barons' War covers the two major battles of Simon de Montefort - Lewes and Evesham., providing a new take on a rarely covered period of English history. Interestingly, these battles take place in a unique period of English military history when the long bow had not gained its predominance on the English battlefield and cavalry was still the most lethal weapon in the medieval English arsenal. These two battles are the bookends of Simon's brief period as the power broker of England. Lewes takes place in 1264 and pits Simon with the support from many of the prominent barons against Henry III and his royalist faction. His victory and imprisonment of Henry made him king in all but name The second battle, Evesham, takes place one year later and finds Simon in a weakened condition facing the much more dangerous Prince Edward and the treachery of his own barons. It would be Simon's last battle.

Blood of Noble Men is a historical based board game on the battle of the Alamo. This battle represents the final assault on the Alamo by the Mexican Army following a 13 day siege. The Alamo had approximately 185 defenders. The Mexican assault involved close to 2,000 attackers. The battle started in the pre-dawn morning on the 6th of March, 1836 and was over within 90 minutes with the Alamo compound taken. General Santa Anna ordered that no prisoners were to be taken. "Remember the Alamo" became the rallying cry of the Texas Revolution for the remainder of the campaign.

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Gallia omnia est in partes tres ...

In 58 BC, Gaius Julius Caesar was appointed by the Roman Senate as proconsul for Gaul, for which he was given 4 legions. the ambitious Caesar, a military ingenue, had little idea of how lucky he was going to be -- as he was in usually everything he did -- because, within a short space of a few years, after coming to the rescue of the Gauls against incursions from Germanic tribes to the east, Caesar himself decided to bring the rest of the barbarian tribes under the domain of Republican Rome...and, at the same time, increase his visibility among the Roman people.

From a military point of view it was an immense achievement, one that fueled Roman imperialist feelings like no other war. For the Gauls it meant subjugation. For the gamer, it means six battles of Pure Excitement.

A Great Battles of History Module for Caesar: Conquest of Gaul

Julius Caesar and his Gallic Legions versus the Arverni and other tribes of Gaul, under Vercingetorix. 52 BC.

For those of you who can’t stand someone who wins all the time, here is an opportunity to game one of Julius Caesar’s rare losses. The Battle of Gergovia was Caesar's failed attempt to wipe out the threat of a large Gallic uprising by isolating and defeating a gathering of the Arverni, plus several other Gallic contingents, under their new chieftain, Vercingetorix.

China: The Middle Kingdom covers the full scope of Chinese history, from its beginnings as a collection of warring feudal states, to the current cold war between China and Taiwan. In this epic game based on the classic Avalon Hill Britannia system, four players each control several factions simultaneously, with each faction having their own objectives and situations, such as conquering certain provinces. The winner is the player who scores the most points by the end of the game. This breathtaking game unfolds on an illustrated map of China with 456 counters, covering 50 separate countries and peoples, including all of the major dynasties of Chinese history, the arrival of the European powers, both World Wars and the Japanese invasion, right up to the end of the civil war between the Communists and the Nationalists. The game occurs over 24 turns, starting from 403 BC, during the "Warring States" period as China begins to rise from its feudal age. The game has two shorter campaign scenarios covering the first half and second half of the full campaign game.

Battles between armies can be dramatically affected by the presence of mountains, emperors, heroes, new inventions, and even the Great Wall. Rebellions, barbarian invasions, and uprisings may spring up from anywhere, and signal the end of one dynasty and the birth of a new dynasty. Diplomacy is as important as military strength. Each player continually must defend against multiple enemies on multiple fronts.

Commands & Colors: Ancients allows you to re-fight epic battles of the ancient world. Here the focus is on the two rivals for power in the Western Mediterranean – Carthage and Rome. Will you, as Hannibal, triumph over larger Roman armies; or as Scipio Africanus, will you beat Hannibal with newer tactics of your own?

Units in both armies can only move and fight when ordered. The command playing cards supply those orders, providing an element of luck that creates a fog of war and presents players with both challenges and opportunities. You must maximize your opportunities by playing your command cards judiciously. How well you handle the diverse units, their weapons, and the terrain, will determine victory.

Commands & Colors: Ancients contains the battles of Akragas, Crimissos River, Ticinus River, Lake Trasimenus, Cannae, Dertosa, Castulo, Baecula, Ilipa, and Zama.

The Greeks & Eastern Kingdoms is the first expansion to Commands & Colors: Ancients. The armies of Philip, Alexander and the Successors meet the hosts of Persians, Scythians and Indians to the east. In this expansion, you will find historical scenarios that focus on the hoplites of classical Greece fighting off the invading Persian army at Marathon and Plataea; epic battles from the Peloponnesian War, the rise of Macedon and Alexander's battles of Gaugamela, Issus and Granicus against the Persians; and battles involving Alexander's successors. With your Greeks you will be able to turn west and battle the Carthaginians in Sicily, or as King Pyrrhus at Heraclea and Ausculum, battle the Romans.

In this first expansion, we showcase over 20 scenarios (the package includes over 300 new unit blocks and stickers you need to fight out these battles). Now, that is a lot of history, but we can do this because Commands & Colors: Ancients is, by design, a unique historical game system that will allow players to effectively portray stylized Ancient battles that play to a conclusion in less than an hour.

The battle dice resolve combat quickly and the command cards provide an element of luck that creates a fog of war and presents players with both challenges and opportunities for victory. Yet the tactics you need to execute conform remarkably well to the advantages and limitations inherent to the various Ancient units, their weapons, terrain and the history.

Friends, Romans and countrymen lend me your ears…

Some of you have already discovered that Commands & Colors: Ancients is much more than a game. It is an expandable game system that allows players to fight historical Ancient battles.

Imperial Rome and The Barbarians is the second expansion to Commands & Colors: Ancients. In this second expansion you will find historical battles that focus on Rome and the early Gallic invasion, invasion of the Northmen, the Servile War (Spartacus), Caesar's conquest of Gaul, the Roman Civil Wars and much more.

Showcased in the second expansion, are over 20 scenarios that range from 390 BC (Allia River) to 9 AD (Teutoburger Wald), and all the blocks and labels you need to field the Roman and Barbarian forces to fight out these battles. By now, you know we can do this, because Commands & Colors: Ancients by design is a unique historical game system that allows players to effectively portray stylized Ancient battles that play to a conclusion in less than an hour.

Imperial Rome and The Barbarians will feature at least one new unit type as well as several "specialty" units and leaders (Briton Chariots, Legionaries using the pilum, and Caesar, for example). Each of these operates within the confines of the original system rules, with only slight modifications to reflect their historical abilities and importance. So, rules-wise, if you've played Commands & Colors: Ancients, you'll have no trouble at all learning the few special rules for these new types of units.

The battle dice resolve combat quickly and the Command cards provide an element of luck that creates a fog of war and presents players with both challenges and opportunities for victory. Yet the tactics you need to execute conform remarkably well to the advantages and limitations inherent to the various Ancient units, their weapons, terrain and the history.

ALEA JACTA EST! (The die is cast - a phrase near and dear to wargamers). Julius Caesar spoke this phrase as his legions crossed the Rubicon, sparking the Second Roman Civil War. Leading the most capable combat-hardened veteran legions in the Roman Army, Caesar set out to subdue his numerically superior opponents - and succeeded!

The Roman Civil Wars is the third expansion to Commands & Colors: Ancients. In this expansion you will find historical battles that focus not only on the most famous of the Civil Wars, but also the earlier First Civil War, and the Sertorian War in Spain where Quintus Sertorius, a gifted soldier-in-exile, defeated several larger Roman armies sent against him, until killed in 72 BC by assassins.

Expansion #3: The Roman Civil Wars will provide all the gray and red blocks and stickers needed to field two full opposing Roman armies when combined with the gray Republican Roman army from Commands & Colors: Ancients, and the red Marian Roman army from Expansion #2: Rome and the Barbarians. There will be at least 16 scenarios that range from 82 BC (Aesis River) to the Battle of Munda in 45 BC.

The Roman Civil Wars will feature familiar units with new capabilities. The Roman legions have evolved into the deadly fighting units of legend. In terms of Commands and Colors performance, the medium infantry units (representing less experienced legions) and heavy infantry units (representing the veteran legions) will now be able to move two hexes without engaging in close combat, or still move one hex and have close combat (as well as throwing their pilum - a capability acquired in Expansion #2: Rome and the Barbarians). You will be able to fight battles with medium and heavy infantry as you have never fought them before!

Rules-wise, if you've played Commands & Colors: Ancients, you'll have no trouble at all learning the few special rules for these legionary infantry units, for the basic mechanics remain unchanged. The battle dice resolve combat quickly and the Command cards provide an element of luck that creates a fog of war and presents players with both challenges and opportunities for victory. Yet the tactics you need to execute conform remarkably well to the advantages and limitations inherent to the various Ancient units, their weapons, terrain and the history.

But that's not all... GMT is also going to include another mounted mapboard in Expansion #3, configured to be mated to the mounted board from Expansion #2. In addition the Commands & Colors: Epic Ancients new Command rules for fighting large-scale historical battles will provide those of you interested in fighting truly large-scale, multi-player, ancient battles the perfect and unique opportunity to do so with a number of your friends.

ARRIBA ESPANA!: a simulation game on the Spanish Civil War of 1936-9. The game is for two players, one representing the left-wing coalition government of the Spanish Republic (the Government Player), and the other the alliance of right-wing forces that rose in revolt against it (the Rebel Player). This game is packaged in a protective metal tin and includes a full color map, 280 color die-cut counters, two 6-sided dice, a rulebook and reference cards.

The Marcher Lords is a simulation of the Norman conquest of Wales in the 11th century. Players assume command of Norman earls or their Welsh foes, and then make the decisions that will determine the course of the war. To be successful, the Normans must fortify their conquests by building castles and then hold out against Welsh counterattacks, Viking raiders, and various other threats.

The Legacy of Hastings

In many ways, the famous Battle of Hastings in 1066 was just the beginning of a lengthy series of battles for the Normans, who had many challenges awaiting them in the British Isles. In order to secure the Welsh border, William the Conqueror (newly crowned King of England) established loyal Norman nobles in strongly garrisoned earldoms along the frontier. What followed were decades of warfare and diplomacy as these "Marcher Lords" sought to extend their domains by subjugating the stubbornly independent Welsh.

BYZANTIUM REBORN is a simulation game on the Greek-Türkish War of 1920-22. The game is for two players, one representing the Kingdom of Greece and its allies (the Greek player), and the other the insurgent nationalist forces of Mustapha Kemal who opposed the Greek invasion (the Türkish player).

Whose "great idea" will shape the modern Near East? Now you can make the decision by playing Byzantium Reborn!

In the period immediately following the American Civil War, a group of Irish-Americans known as the Fenians conceived of a bold plan that they hoped would result in freedom for Ireland. A volunteer army, comprised mainly of hardened Civil War veterans, was established for the purpose of an invasion of Canada. The Fenians reasoned that territory seized from British controlled Canada could be bartered for Irish independence. Army of Ireland is a tactical level recreation of the historically significant Battle of Ridgeway, where encroaching Fenians clashed with spirited Canadian militia in what is now Ontario. Colorful counters, a detailed hexmap, and other components provide everything needed to refight this conflict which was to have a profound influence on Canadian history.

Crusader Rex is a game of the 3rd Crusade. One Player plays the Christian Franks, the other, the Muslim Saracens. The objective of the game is to control important Victory Cities such as Jerusalem, Acre, Damascus, and Antioch.

The board depicts the Middle East from Antioch in the north to Egypt in the south.

The Great Battles of History series is back with The Devil's Horsemen, an examination of the military tactics of steppe tribe warfare, as immortalized by the mighty armies of Genghis Khan and the Mongols. The game focuses on cavalry and archery action, featuring mounted archers of exceptional skill. The Devil's Horsemen depicts the four major battles of the era - The Indus, The Kalka, Liegnitz and Ayn Jalut.

The Devil's Horsemen features basic rules for both regular and SimpleGBoH play. The rules bring the system into full flower of mounted archery, with a detailed, augmented set of archery and cavalry mechanics that include various types of Shower Fire (as opposed to plain Volley Fire), Impetuosity and Aggression, Feigned Retreat, Harass and Disperse tactics, and Rally to Standards, with the various armies and units being rated for their ability to use these.

A Great Battles of History Module for Devil's Horsemen

Mansourah (The Army of the Seventh Crusade, under King (Saint) Louis IX, vs. the Abbuyid Sultanate of Egypt, under Emir Fakr-ed-din ... Egypt, February 8, 1250)

(2nd) Homs (The Mongols of the Ilkhan Horde, under Ketbugha, vs. The Mamluks , under Sultan Qutuz … Syria, October 29, 1281

In the year 431BC, the Greek world was dominated by the Athenian Empire, due to their naval supremacy of the Aegean. Only the Spartans dared to challenge their might through the strength of their unsurpassed hoplite troops. The result was a 30-year conflict that ended in the destruction of Greek dominance in the ancient world.

Two to four players use military force and political influence in their struggle to control the city-states of ancient Greece. Playing time ranges from 4-10 hours for short scenarios, to 20+ hours for the full campaign game, as players mobilize forces four times a year, and deploy them three times each season. As the leader of the Athenian Empire, can you save Athens' glory from the Spartan onslaught? As the leader of the Peloponnesian League, can you free Greece from Athenian tyranny without destroying it in the process?

Players have a full range of strategic options, including sieges, constructing and destroying fortifications, razing enemy cities, foraging and raiding. Event Cards provide both random events (such as storms at sea, bad omens, the crippling plague at Athens, etc.) and strategic targets (city betrayals, rebellion of Athenian regions, Persian support, the Sicilian Expedition, among others).

It's 1936. While the rest of Europe is about to be hurled into a devastating era, a longstanding conflict in Spain begins to boil over into a bloody civil war. Unusual alliances form as Anarchists, Fascists, Communists, Monarchists, Arabs, Germans and Italians all take part in the division of the Iberian Peninsula. The events in Spain set the stage for what later played out in World War II, and whether you defeat the brutal fascist Franco or solidify his power, this is your chance to rewrite an important piece of world history…España 1936!

In this game, players deploy troops and other resources, channel wily generals, and use foreign allies to control major regions of Spain. Everything happens while event cards simulate a clock pushing the game toward 1939. Both beginner and expert gamers will enjoy the complexity and pace of the game while learning about this important period in Spanish and world history.

The Spanish Civil War, July 1936 to April 1939

In 1914 the great European powers cherished the grand illusion that the "next war" would be short and relatively bloodless. Given the vast increases in army size and the lethality of machine guns and rapid-fire artillery, realistically, nothing could have prevented the horrific loss of life. But what of a short, decisive victory - was that out of reach?

Grand Illusion is a simulation of the opening campaigns of WWI in the west. The German Schlieffen Plan called for a gigantic scythe through neutral Belgium into Northwest France, to envelop Paris and the French armies from the west, and was designed to end the war in one blow. It failed, and was followed by the Race to the Sea in which the Allied armies and the German forces made repeated attempts to outflank one another, until halted by arrival at the English Channel. As both sides dug in, a last German attempt to break through the British lines at Ypres was narrowly repulsed, and the war settled into a trench stalemate not to be broken for another four years. Can you avoid the bloddy deadlock of 1914 and beyond?

Now that the legendary Great Battles of the American Civil War system has been polished to a fine edge with v.4.3, we've taken the opportunity to both fulfill gamer requests for smaller, quick-playing battles as well as taking the system into an area virtually untouched by the hobby, The Mexican-American War.

Gringo! is easily the most unusual, and colorful, game in the entire quarter century of the system. Those of you used to the woods and creeks of the ACW will marvel at the incredible variety of terrain for the Gringo! battles, from the rough mountains of Cerro Gordo, to the moon-like landscape of Buena Vista, to the remarkably detailed city of Monterey, all producing a departure from old series battles.

Lion of the North fans rejoice! The battles of Breitenfeld and Lützen are back (with company!), this time as part of Ben Hull's award-winning Musket & Pike Battles series. The fourth and newest installment in this popular series is Gustav Adolf the Great: With God and Victorious Arms, a tactical battle game featuring FIVE battles from the career of one of the Great Captains of History, King Gustav II Adolf the Great of Sweden. In his brief career, he catapulted Sweden to the forefront of European power politics. This volume sets its focus on the rise and climax of Gustav Adolf's military system.

In each battle included in Gustav Adolf the Great: With God and Victorious Arms, armies are divided into several wings. Each has a commander and an order that limits the types of actions that units of that wing may perform. Victory goes to the player who can coordinate the actions of his wings in the heat of battle. Units are infantry battalions or brigades, cavalry regiments and artillery batteries. Rules include Cavalry Charges, Cavalry Pistols for skirmishing or for close combat, and artillery grazing fire. Play is highly interactive and most battles can be played through in one sitting.

Hammer of the Scots brings the rebellion of the Braveheart, William Wallace, to life. As the English player, you seek to pacify Scotland by controlling all the important noble lords. The Scottish player also seeks the allegiance of nobles to support a difficult struggle for freedom.

Hammer of the Scots will give you many hours of entertainment and insight into this fascinating period in history.

One of the greatest military commanders and tacticians in history descends on the Roman Empire once again. Do you face him as Rome and try to ward the invasion that comes from the North, or do you climb atop your war elephant and show Rome you will take that which they hold most dear: their territory.

Designed with all new artwork from Kurt Miller this is a reprint of the very popular Avalon-Hill version from 1996. The game uses the popular card system, which first appeared in Avalon Hill's We the People, to recount the Second Punic War from 218 to 203 B.C. Players use strategic-level cards for multiple purposes: moving generals, levying new troops, reinforcing existing armies, gaining political control of the provinces involved in the war, and generating historical events. When two armies meet on the battlefield, a second set of cards, called Battle Cards, are used to determine the winner. Ultimately both players seek victory by dominating both fronts: military and political.

Here I Stand: Wars of the Reformation 1517-1555 is the first game in over 25 years.to cover the political and religious conflicts of early 16th Century Europe. Few realize that the greatest feats of Martin Luther, Jean Calvin, Ignatius Loyola, Henry VIII, Charles V, Francis I, Suleiman the Magnificent, Ferdinand Magellan, Hernando Cortes, and Nicolaus Copernicus all fall within this narrow 40-year period of history. This game covers all the action of the period using a unique card-driven game system that models both the political and religious conflicts of the period on a single point-to-point map.

Here I Stand is an innovative game system, being the first to integrate religion, politics, economics and diplomacy in a card-driven design. Games vary in length from 3-4 hours for a tournament scenario up to full campaign games that run about twice the time. Rules to play games with 3, 4, or 5 players are also included. The 3-player game is just as well balanced as the standard 6-player configuration, taking advantage of the natural alliances of the period.

History of the Roman Empire covers the time-period from the Rise to the Fall of the Roman Empire in seven game turns starting in 60 BC (the first Triumvirate composed of Caesar, Crassus and Pompeus) until the last Emperor (Romulus Augustus) in 476 AD.

The map contains the entire Mediterranean area as well as a part of Asia Minor.

Each of the up to four Players takes the role of one Roman Faction and one group of "Barbarian"-Peoples and by playing certain event cards you can gain control over minor Kingdoms.

The game is best suited for 4 Players but can be played by 3 or 2 Players as well.

August 29, 1756: The Seven Years War erupts in Europe. The Prussian army led by King Frederick II (later "the Great" to his admirers) invades Saxony. "Blitzing" through the neutral Saxon electorate he hopes to open a path to Austria’s rich Elbe River valley in Bohemia. The Saxon army does not directly resist the invaders but withdraws into a fortified encampment on the Elbe River around Pirna, there awaiting rescue by the Austrians. The Prussian invasion grinds to a halt here; Frederick has no choice but to lay siege. Meanwhile in northern Bohemia, the Austrian army under Field Marshal Browne gathers its strength in preparation for the relief of its new ally.

Men of Iron's first volume covers the re-emergence of infantry in the early 14th century, along with a more perceptive understanding of the value of combined-arms warfare especially with good use of defensive terrain. The scenarios highlight the key elements that made these battles so fascinating: the defensive power of the longbow, especially when used in coordination with dismounted, or even mounted, men-at-arms. Given the right deployments and forces, the inability to take advantage of the marvelous abilities of the vaunted knights, the finest mounted force in Europe, became something of a surprise to many "experts."

Men of Iron is designed for quick learning and easy play. Game rules are short, there are no "turns" - play is Continual, with ample opportunities to steal play from your opponent - and combat resolution is a single dieroll. Playing time is about 1 hour per battle. Really!

Onward, Christian Soldiers is Richard Berg's newest strategic level game, this one focused on one of, if not THE, centrifugal events in the Middle Ages - The Crusades. Onward, Christian Soldiers will allow gamers to replay not only the first three Crusades - the only 3 that focused on what we call The Middle East - but with scenarios that range from a 7-player version of the 1st Crusade to a 3rd Crusade scenario that supposes Frederick Barbarossa didn't drown in Turkey and his immense army reached the Kingdom of Jerusalem pretty much intact.

The Spanish Civil was the battlefield where European major powers tested their war machines for WWII. Historically the war ended with a Nationalist decisive victory. More than 500 000 people were killed in the Spanish Civil War. Both sides - especially the Nationalists - committed a lot of war crimes. Franco: "If necessary I will execute half of Spain".

The Republicans formed the slogan ¡No Pasarán!, meaning "no passage" (for the Nationalists).

From the game's point of view the outcome is not decided, therefore its title is "¿Pasarán?". ¿Pasarán? features the Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939, on strategic level using the Blitzkrieg General System. Area based map system, easy die roll procedure without tables, land warfare, Production: build your own units. The option cards are one major difference to other easy-to-play strategic games

PAX ROMANA covers the Europe from 300 BC through the end of the 1st century BC, when control of the Mediterranean was in a state of flux with four empires possible. And it does so with a scale and system that is filled with decision-making tension but also highly accessible and easy to play. The emphasis is on strategic operations, from raising armies to colonizing outlying areas, to fighting barbarian incursions, to maintaining political stability at home.

PAX uses a unique marker-oriented play sequence that provides surprise and opportunity, plus a deck of unusual cards that provide the historical background of events and calamities within which the players must operate.

Québec 1759 lets you replay the French-British struggle for control of Québec City in 1759. This battle was won by the English under General James Wolff and was decisive for the future of North America.

Québec 1759 is an elegant game that sets up in 5 minutes and plays in under an hour. This classic game has been enjoyed by thousands of gamers for over 30 years.

SAMURAI WARFARE IN THE SENGOKU JIDAI

RAN is the 12th volume in the "Great Battles of History" Series, and the second game on the battles of the Samurai (following GMTs Samurai (Vol. V) . RAN covers several of the less famous of the Sengoku Jidai, the Age of Warring States (more or less), in which powerful Daimyo - Japanese feudal lords - strove to both maintain and extend their power bases while seeking to attain the office of Shogun, the power behind the throne of the Emperor.

RAN simulates the highly personal form of warfare developed by the Japanese samurai, wherein formal battles played out almost as backdrops to individual feats of courage, bravery and devotion much of it outstanding, some of it rather foolhardy, all of it very Homeric. Although political and tactical victory was the bottom line, collecting the severed heads of enemy samurai reigned a very close second in importance. In terms of tactics, this was, as in Europe, the Dawn of Modern Warfare, with the introduction of guns - arquebuses - by the Portuguese. Even with the revelatory effect of musketry, Japanese battles were still pretty much a swirling, non-linear affair.

Between 1918 and 1921, violent upheavals wracked the former Russian Empire. Communism, monarchism, nationalism, anarchism and many other -isms vied for control of the Tsar’s domains. When the war finally ended, the “Red” faction emerged victorious, but it was a hollow victory. Economic output had fallen by 96 percent compared to 1913’s figures, agriculture was down by 63 percent, and $35 billion worth of damage had been done. Millions had died; to this day no one is exactly sure how many.

The Konarmiya, or Red Cavalry Army, was one of the most effective formations in the Russian Civil War.

In Red Russia, designer William “Defiant Russia” Sariego takes the popular game system from Soldier Kings to this decisive moment in history. Players represent from two to five factions: the Reds (Communists), Allied Interventionists, Siberian Whites (monarchists), Southern Whites or Northern Whites. The game is played in turns representing a season of the year (three months). It begins with the summer turn of 1918, and ends with the conclusion of the spring 1921 turn. A full game without an Automatic Victory is thus 12 turns long.

Players command infantry and cavalry armies, and for some factions fleets and aircraft. The Allied Interventionists also have a tank unit. Leaders assist these units in movement and combat, ranging in quality from Wrangel of the Whites and Trotsky of the Reds on down to the hapless Sergei Kamenev of the Reds.

In the year 43 AD, Roman legions splashed ashore in Kent, unopposed by the Britons led by Caractus, who had sworn to repel them. The Emperor Claudius had dispatched Aulus Plautius and 45,000 men to conquer the mist-covered island where Julius Caesar had failed almost a century earlier.

Over the next 40 years, Roman would clash with Celt in a series of battles that neither realized would determine the future of Western civilization. The Romans broke the Britons, whose furious courage could not match Roman discipline. The island would pass under Roman rule for the next several centuries, implanting a Latin-oriented culture and shoving Celtic ways to the very fringes of Europe. All that would remain were their legends; not least among them the fiery leadership of Boudicca, warrior-queen of the Iceni and resolute enemy of Rome.

Samurai is the fifth entry in the award-winning Great Battles of History series and is easily the most exotic and visually stunning. Samurai covers all the major battles of the Sengoku Jidai (the Age of Warring Daimyos). Japan was truly a country at war. Because of the nature of 16th century Japanese warfare, it is also the easiest game in the series to play. The revamped command system simulates the clan-oriented levels of leadership, plus simplified shock and fire mechanics. Also included are individual samurai used to challenge opponents and collect the important severed heads. Ignore the challenge and lose face, or even be forced to commit seppuku on the spot.

Battles include the most unusual Okehazama, complete with burning castles, thunderstorms, and a historically victorious army out-numbered six to one; Anegawa; Kawanakajima; Mikata-ga-Hara; Nagashino, with the famous Takeda cavalry corps charging Oda's volley-firing musketeers; and the most famous battle to take place in Japan, Sekigahara. All the great leaders are there: Obu Nobunaga, Takeda Shingen, Uesugi Kenshin, and of course, Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Guadalajara portrays the operations launched in 1937 by the Italian CTV (Corpo Truppe Volontarie - Corps of Volunteer Troops) towards Guadalajara with the ultimate objective of taking Madrid and putting a rapid end to the Spanish Civil War.

The unexpected and dogged resistance of the Republican Army, which was fully involved in a deep reorganization, caused the failure of this offensive.

Guadalajara is the eleventh game in the award wining Standard Combat Series (SCS). Designed to provide players with a low complexity game system that also provides great historical detail and a touch of realism, the SCS is an ideal choice for gamers of all ability levels.

Between 1767 and 1846, war and intrigue dominated the Indian sub-continent. War constantly flared between the Indian kingdoms, both against one another and against the British and French interlopers. The Europeans, meanwhile, also busily fought each other.

Rob Markham's Soldier Raj builds on the highly successful model of Soldier Emperor to portray these conflicts. Over a dozen scenarios cover these wars, from Hyder Ali's defeat of the British in the First Mysore War in 1767 to Britain's final conquest of the Sikhs in 1846. Colorful leaders of the time are all present: Hyder Ali and Tippoo of Mysore. Sir Arthur Wellesley, the "sepoy general" who would become Duke of Wellington. The brilliant Madhav Rao of the Marathas. France's Admiral Suffren. Zaman Shah of Afghanistan, and the Sikh ruler Ranjit Singh. These and more lead your armies.

14 Battles! 5 doublesided maps. 6 counter sheets. Rules for SPQR and Modules.

Battles (and the modules they appeared in originally):

Barbarian is a tactical simulation of combat between the armies of Rome and her early barbarian foes, the Samnites and Gauls, from 315-200 B.C. To play Barbarian, you will need the game SPQR for maps, basic rules, and some counters. Barbarian can also be played with the Simple Great Battles of History Rules.

As Rome strove to conquer the Italian peninsula in the Fourth and Third Centuries BCE, her most formidable opponents were not the advanced Etruscans, nor the crafty Greeks. Instead, it was the barbarian tribes that nearly overcame Rome: the savage warriors of Cisalpine Gaul and the fierce hill tribe fighters of Samnium.

The nimble mountain warriors of Samnium taught the Romans the advantages of a more flexible formation over the ponderous phalanx. After suffering a sharp reverse at Lautulae, 315, the Romans recovered and dealt a counterstroke at Tifernum, 297 in two battles representative of the many fierce fights between these implacable foes. The political genius of the Samnite general Gellius Aegnatius welded former foes Samnium, Etruria, Umbria and the Gauls into a grand coalition that nearly broke the power of Republican Rome at Sentinum, 295. This battle, more than any other, decided the fate of Italy.

Even as the Samnites and their peninsular allies were subdued, the Gauls arose to carry on the struggle. Calling on reinforcements from across the Alps, the Gauls invaded Italy in 225 and only by a stroke of fortune was this army trapped between two Roman consular armies at Telamon. The battle that followed was one of the most unusual in all of military history, with the Gauls fighting in desperation in two opposite directions, as Roman armies closed in from north and south. Finally, just after Rome had withstood Hannibal’s devastating invasion, Hamilcar, a die-hard Carthaginian officer, raised the Gallic tribes for one last great battle at Cremona, 200. In the end, Rome emerged victorious and dominated the Italian peninsula from the straits of Messina to the Alps.

Sweden Fights On is a tactical battle game featuring four battles from the later half of the Thirty Years War. It is the second volume in the Musket & Pike Battle Series covering warfare in the 17th Century. This volume traces the fall, revival, and pinnacle of Swedish miltary fortunes after the death of King Gustav II Adolf at Lützen in 1632.