Bøker i Helion Wargames-serien

A detailed non-rules specific guide to wargaming the Great Northern War, written by a wargamer for wargamers.

The ultimate Wargaming guide on the colourful Italian Wars of 1494 - 1559.

This book expands the period covered by the Three Ages of Rome. It includes the wars of Alexander the Great and those of his Successors (the Diadochi). The four new historical scenarios span a century of warfare in the eastern Mediterranean. New army lists for the major forces involved.

Muskets & Springfields is designed for playing big battles in the American Civil War and is not model scale dependent and uses the player's current basing system. The game is set at the operational level. The player is the army commander with sub command groups. This will be typically a Corps. In these rules a Corp is made up of several infantry brigades, mounted cavalry, and artillery batteries. If you wish you can also include Native American Indian warbands.The basic unit in wargaming terms is the infantry brigade, which are grouped into Corps or Divisions. The game system uses grids as the unit of measurement. The game space is broken into several square grids which represent 300 yards in ground scale. Taking a balance of the various drill guides of the period this is approximately equal to 600 men in two ranks. For a typical 6x4 playing space it is recommended a ratio width x depth of 1.5 x 1. A typical 6x4 table provides the following 12 (3600 yds) by 8 (2400 yds) of battlefield.Morale is handled at the corps level and attrition is held at the individual unit base. These rules have three levels of morale. This is not the usual average, veteran, elite often used. Instead, the format is designed to reflect the actual state of mind on the day. These are Unknown, Nervous and Steady. In a game, unless representing specific historical units all bases start as Unknown. The actual morale state is not known till the unit takes damage. The player then rolls against a chart which provides a score for the unit being Nervous or Steady. This is dependent on the year being played and if Confederate or Union. When a unit fails a morale check this is recorded against their parent corps. Once a corps reaches its break point it will then flee the battlefield. Attrition is held at the unit level. This represents loss of cohesion, battlefield casualties or supplies running low. A unit can absorb 6 hits before it is automatically destroyed.To facilitate a clean flow of play these rules also facilitate the use of sharpshooters and skirmishers. Turns use a bag-pull system in which it is possible for the non-active player to able to interdict the play.​

Bismarck's War provides an operational-level strategy game, allowing command of multiple corps, with adaptable rules, completed in 3 hours.Bismarck's War focuses on the operational level and puts the players in command of multiple corps. A typical game can be completed within 3 hours. The rules can be used with any range of models. Uses several mechanics seen in "Muskets & Springfields".

A narrative wargame set in the Age of Crusades that emphasizes fast-paced, abstract battles inspired by medieval romantic literature.Swords of God is a narrative wargame centered on the Age of Crusades (1100-1400). Rather than attempt direct simulation of the physical aspects of warfare, the rules instead take inspiration from chansons de geste and other romantic literature of the time and aim to create a faster-flowing, more abstract struggle still worthy of a song.The game aims to fit battles of around 20-30,000 men a side onto a 6' x 4' table, but any size of table can be used if your unit bases are smaller than the 'Impetus' standard of 120mm by 40mm, or more numerous than the sands of the sea! Centred as it is on the command and control of key personalities in each army, any size of battle is possible with the easy-to-use points system provided. The game also provides a quick chart to help you pick the right size of table for your battle.Inspired by psychohistorical studies of the Crusades like Avner Falk's Franks and Saracens and Vincent Baker's seminal Apocalypse World rules engine, the game's deep but simple mechanics promote meaningful tactical choices while ensuring the action always moves forwards. Among other things, it features: - A unified mechanic based on the roll of 3 six-sided dice.- Gridded movement to get the action started quicker. The sides of each square are equal to half the width of a unit base.- Scenario generation that takes the table's terrain into account.- More than half a dozen sets of special rules based on the army commander's relationship with the divine. In an era of personal oaths and charismatic authority, these special rules extend to their army as well.Army lists for campaigns in Iberia, the Baltics, the Languedoc, Bohemia and the Levant feature curated spreads of generic unit types, while the 'Faith Trees' available to generals of any religion grant special rules based on their emotional connection to the divine and the religious war that has ensnared them. Each one gives an army a different feel, providing a great deal of replayability even within the same campaign.

In recent decades there has been a huge increase in the availability and use of 6 mm figures for wargaming. This book aims to guide the wargamer new to the scale, as well as the experienced 6 mm user through reasons for using the scale, its history, and the creation, painting and basing of figures. Rules for wargaming 6 mm figures are discussed, and some wargames of various sizes are showcased. How 6 mm figure gaming might develop into the future is considered, with potential for large wargames as well as smaller actions and skirmish games assessed.We start with the basic arguments for wargaming with 6 mm figures. This covers ease of painting, the mass effect of many figures looking like a unit, and the reduction of ground scale distortion when using 6 mm. It also considers the ability, when using 6 mm figures, to wargame with multiple armies, being able always to have the correct historical opponents, using small spaces for wargaming while still looking like a battle, as well as massed battles.From roughly 1965, through the late 1960s and to to today many wargamers have seen the advantages of 6 mm wargaming. We track the history of 6 mm wargaming, examining the companies that have produced them and the rules which have been created for them.The creation of master figures for a 6 mm figure product is then discussed, showing the attention to detail and processes required to create a production mold for a range of historically accurate figures.We then examine how to paint 6 mm figures. Which paints, brushes and temporary bases to use are noted, and then the painting process is discussed. We start with undercoating and proceed to a finished unit or base of figures. Additionally painting horses, equipment and adding flags is covered.Basing 6 mm figures to best advantage is an art form, and this chapter discusses how this is best achieved. Additionally, the creation of wargaming terrain in the scale is considered.The range of rules available, either directly applicable to 6 mm figures or modified to accommodate them is discussed, along with specific processes to create 6 mm friendly rules. Conversion of other scale rules to 6 mm figures is discussed. We then outline a series of scenarios from big battle games through to skirmish style wargames.Finally, we consider the future of 6 mm wargaming. New ranges, new materials for making figures and terrain and new ideas are constantly arriving on the scene and we try to assess where the area will go next.

Renatio et Gloriam is a set of tabletop miniatures rules that allow you to fight large- scale battles from the Renaissance and Early Modern period. Covering warfare from the late Fifteenth Century up to the end of the Great Northern War in 1721, these rules allow you to field the armies of Cordoba, Turenne, or Marlborough.At the core of the rules is the CCC Games engine, developed by Simon Hall, first seen in the ancient tabletop miniatures rules Mortem et Gloriam. When published in 2020, the rules were the first main battle set ever to win a Wargames Illustrated hobby award; and took a clean sweep in the historical wargaming hobby awards.The troop types and armies in Renatio et Gloriam are prescribed by the tactics of the historical counterparts, rather than how they were armed. For instance, with Pike and Shot the operating methods are built into the formations we model on the tabletop. We don't worry about individual Pikemen and Musketeers; we leave that to their captains, and leave you, the general, to make all of the strategic decisions.There is friction in the game. Each on-table general will have a hand of cards, which can be played in multiple ways. Better-quality generals get more cards. Management of these cards is paramount to the decisions that you, as the Army commander, must make. When playing these cards will you order a charge on the enemy? Or will you try to encourage the soldiers onward after being driven back by deadly fire? Or will the general join the ranks to bolster troops' morale? These are the decisions you will face.There are many ways to play Renatio et Gloriam, since we realize that sometimes 'one size does not fit all.' So, if you want a competitive matched play game style that is there for you. However, the rules allow streamlining of mechanisms to allow for a more casual play style or allow battles using fewer figures. This gives novice players an easy gateway to learn how to play, and over time add more complexity to their games if they desire to do so.Supporting the core rules are over 400 army lists covering conflicts around the globe. These are broadly categorized by time, geography, and important conflict. The grouping of lists does have flexibility in scale. If you want Marlborough's army at Blenheim - fine, we have that. If you want the English Garrison at Tangiers, that's fine too. We wanted to be as inclusive as possible, and leave it down to the players how they play. We will not judge!The rules are supported in many ways. The main Renatio et Gloriam website has notifications of events, articles, or anything else that is newsworthy. ere is a forum to answer questions or to chat with like-minded players, and there is also a Facebook presence. It's quick to contact the team, and we are all here to help.