We experimented with a lot of different rule-systems, as most of you have also done. And, as most of you have also done, we found, that most of this rules were not that what we were looking for. They were to difficult to learn, to slow in playing, there was no result during a reasonable playing-time and so on. But in the end we found some sets of rules in the different historical periods, that are easy (at least relatively) to learn, fast moving and simulating the feeling of the period. We believe these are the rules that nearly everyone else is using.

  Ancient, Dark Ages, Feudal and Medieval

 We had tried WRG´s 7th Edition, Tactica and The Emperor´s Press Ancient Empires, that really contains all the aspects of ancient wargaming in the smallest detail and is once understood and learned by heart (which we never reached to do), a very good set of rules. Finally we decided to focus on the following:

• WRG´s DBA
  Fast, easy to learn, with small armies (not expensive and painted in a short time, which make nice looking games) and finished in about one hour of playing.
• WRG´s DBM
  Also fast moving, with much larger armies and more complicated rules. But also more tailored to the different tactical behaviour of the different armies involved in the period and reproducing a better visual effect on the tabletop because of the denser troop formations. The DBA-elements already available can be used also with DBM.
• Hybrid-rules derived from DBM and DBA
  We tried to combine aspects from both of this rules and obtained a rule system that simulated the fast games of DBA with the visual appearance of DBM games. A sample of this rules (better the amendments we made to DBA on loan from DBM, other sources and our own imagination) is given in the Sambre-scenario. We already tried the rules with Ancients, Feudal and Medieval and they worked well. We are sure that they will also work with other periods like Dark Ages. Give them a try if you like.

  Napoleonic

Our first experience with napoleonic wargaming was made nearly 25 years ago, when we started playing with the Bruce Quarrie rules Napoleonic Wargaming in the Airfix magazine guide series. We started reading Shako and In the Grand Manner, but did not yet try them out. Napoleonic Principles of War will follow soon. When we play today we use:

• Republic
  Modern rules on corps level. The smallest unit is the regiment or brigade (British). These rules produce a fast moving game with a lot of action happening in one move (breakthrough movement etc.). The rules use some very interesting approches to solve problems like moral and command systems. But the best of all is that they are available free from the internet. Look at http://www.wtj.com.
• Fast play rules for Napoleonic and Crimean Wargames of Newbury Rules
  Old style rules in all the classical respects, but relatively fast moving, visually pleasing and relatively easy to learn. Ideal for wargamers who do not play much in this period but need a lot of calculation.

  American Civil War

Our first contact with the American Civil War was made 20 years ago by reading Terence Wise's American Civil War Wargaming in the Airfix magazine guide. Later on we experimented with some more or less (more often less) good rules by other authors. Johnny Reb are very good rules with the regiment as the smallest unit on the field. But nevertheless we were happy to see Fire and Fury to appear on the scene, which became very soon our main gaming system.

• Fire and Fury
  The smallest unit on the field represents a brigade. So Fire and Fury is ideal to recreate larger battles. The games are fast moving without loosing their visual attractiveness. The rules are easy and logical enough to understand them fast and are even easy to learn by heart. You can use a lot of terrain and model the landscape as it was in reality without slowing down the game because there are not much movement and fighting restrictions from terrain features. Troop elements from Johnny Reb and Fire and Fury are nearly fully exchangeable.

  Colonial

Our still very small colonial armies will be organised according to:

• Principles of War
  These rules are easy to learn and result in fast moving games with a high degree of realism. Figure scale is variable and it is easily possible to gave battalions or companies as the smallest units. For the Zulu campaign we prefer the company size.

  WWII

It was also Bruce Quarrie who inspired us 20 years ago with his rules World War 2 wargaming in the Airfix magazine guide series. These rules were in use for a long time and were often modified by us to meet the ever growing demands for more complex solutions for even more complex problems. We were helped in this by the Tank Battles in Miniature Series 1 and 2 by Donald Featherstone and Bruce Quarrie. Now we prefer to use the more modern Rapid Fire rules.

• Rapid Fire
  As we like to play fast moving games without any bookkeeping and paperwork, these rules are tailored to fit out  demands. They produce fast moving games, use easy but well balanced game mechanisms and are easy to learn. Due to their flexible down scaling system for men and equipment (the scale really goes from 1:1 skirmishes to 10 men representing a company or if necessary a whole battalion) they are easily adopted to any scenario scale.
• Abteilung from Peter Pic
  We just started to use these rules. They produce fast moving games, incorporate a lot of fun and contain lots of new game mechanisms. Worth a try.