One-Hour Wargames: Practical Tabletop Battles for those with Limited Time and Space Kindle Edition

Let's face it--and Neil Thomas does--few miniature wargamers have the time and table space for the games shown in magazines and put on at conventions, and those who do don't always. Work, family and school get in the way. So what sort of games CAN we play?This is where Thomas stands almost alone. He's scaled down miniature warfare to something which can be done on a card table in an hour or two. The book consists of a short introduction, discussions (with rules) of ten wargaming periods--say three pages of description and two pages of rules each--the mandatory and disposable asides on solo and campaign gaming, the usual "where to find more information" and what really makes the book worth owning--30 scenarios playable in any period discussed, with no more than six units a side randomly selected from a list of ten. A gamer starting with nothing could buy two armies, scratch-build the terrain and be ready to go for a cash investment of under $100.The pieces of the book are free-standing, if you will. The rules could be used with different scenarios, and the scenarios do not require the rules. There are no special basing requirements either way.Limitations. Scenarios are for land warfare only. These are not skirmish scenarios, so the book's not much use for the "Western Gunfight" crowd for instance. There are no "national distinctions" and colonial warfare seems to have slipped through the cracks. The operating (unvoiced) assumptions are that "tanks is tanks"--units of the same type are equivalent--and that six units of one side are a fair match for six units of the other side. This should not keep a wargamer from using these scenarios with rules which make provision for such differences, but he'll have to keep alert to keep it a fair game. In broad terms, few of the scenarios are original, and Thomas gives credit where due. The charm of the book is "bathtubbing" a Charles S. Grant scenario intended for 12 units a side and a 5x9 table down to something requiring 12 units total and a 3x3 table.Buy the book. Don't let it keep you from buying the classic Charles S. Grant scenario books, but I think this is the one you'll more often break out on a Sunday afternoon just before your opponent shows up.

Published in 2014. To me this book read like the first wargaming book I read in 1962; MINATURE WARGAMING by Joseph Worcester. That book was one of the worst I have read. This one is not much better. The picture on the cover of the book looks like the pictures I have attached. A WW2 skirmish game. The rules in the book are not skirmish rules. The rules are the same horrible ones Worcester (hope I have the name right) basically used. For WW2 infantry squads roll a D6 and against other infantry the number rolled is the number of hits inflicted. For fire vs. Tanks subtract 2. Modifiers are cover. The number of hits are halved for cover All units are eliminated after 15 hits. Infantry and tanks spot at the same range and shoot at the same rangeRules are simple but poor.The scenarios are extremely simple.Maps are mostly barren.Troop make up is a random mix of six units for each side. For WW2 it can be infantry, motors, anti- tank guns, and tanks with 1/2 to 2/3 infantry.No flavor involved in any of the forces or terrain or rules.At least there are no Panthers in the Africa Korps.Not recommended.

I've been a wargamer since the '70's, and this is truly an incredible book. Here's why: he sets out a concept of a simple but very satisfying game in terms of table size, small numbers of figures required and quick play. The rules are basic but sufficient, and he varies them ever so slightly from ancients to rifle and cannon to more modern periods. Sure you could tweak them, but why? The point here is simplicity and playability. The best parts of this comprehensive book are two-fold 1)the generation of each army's composition by a simple die roll: one side may end up with a mix of cavalry and infantry, the other mostly infantry with artillery support. That makes each game unique right there. 2) there are 30 scenarios to play, so no guessing how to set up, or make up victory conditions or as we've all done: line up two equal forces and march them to the middle of the board and see who survives. Not enough words to say how BRILLIANT his book is, whether you want an introduction to wargaming or if you're a seasoned expert looking for something easy, quick and enjoyable. Well done!!!

This little book is fun for both beginners and experienced gamers alike. f you have a 10-12 year old who has just taken an interest in historical table top gaming, press this book into their hands and it is sure to open up a world of lifetime learning. I have been gaming, doing historical research and writing rules since I was that age with fascination and I still enjoy reading this book. While I have more complex rule sets I prefer to play, I find myself turning to the 30 general scenario ideas offered in the back of the book each time I want to play a game in any time period. If you are a beginner, this is an excellent place to start for simple rule sets for any time period you want to play. Each chapter offers a brief, simplified survey of what makes warfare during the time period unique. The author also explains why, for historical reasons (what a great way to learn history for kids!), he has made the rules simplifications he has, and the provides a very simple set of fast play rules. In short this is in my opinion the single best book available on miniatures gaming for everyone.

I started wargaming at the age of 15. Until then, I had only been playing around with toy soldiers, and vaguely thinking that there should be some more organised way of doing it. I joined a small club, under the tutelage of an arrogant and unsympathetic 'leader' who fancied himself as Napoleon, and eventually came to understand that wargames can be governed by rules. Later, I ventured into dreadful rules (WRG) that try to cater for every eventuality, but in the meantime I had experienced some military training, at officer level, that revealed to me the utter futility of trying to re-create the battle experience on the wargame table. When all is said and done, it remains a GAME. The author of this book, while remembering that our efforts can only amount to an enjoyable, table-top game, gives simple but highly playable rules for table-top battles from ancient times to WW2. Figure size is irrelevant: from 2mm to 28mm, you just pick your own base size - a unit is a unit - and get on with it. This book will definitely not appeal to WRG enthusiasts who want to debate the relative values of spears against two-handed cutting and concussive weapons, but I really wish I could have had it when my brother and I were playing one-hour, table-top battles in our teens. And I am now in my sixties.

I suspect that Neil's book will be like tasting marmite for a lot of wargamers, some will love it others hate it.In essence the rules are stripped back to the minimum, each period (9 in total) has four unit types, all have 15 points and the scenario played used a maximum of 6 units a side. The game is I move you move and combat is decided by rolling a d6 to determine hits and units are removed when they suffer 15 hits and that is that.So those looking for realism are going to be out off straightaway and will totally dismiss this.However, they are missing arguably the best part of this book the 30 scenarios which together with the randomised unit numbers, do present tactical challenges that notwithstanding the simplicity of the rules give excellent games.I have warning for over 50 years and played those "high realism* rulesets of the late 70/80'a that were more a maths lesson than game. DBA was a revelation bringing in the era of playing against an opponent not both arguing interpretations or needing to buy new versions of rules every other year. HOW takes the idea even furtherThis ticks the boxes for me, small playing area, smaller number of figures, easily learnt rules and most of all tactical gaming which is enjoyable for both me and my opponent

I was aware of this book for a while before I bought it. I had thought it was mainly aimed at larger battles with regiments rather than large or small scale skirmish games. But whilst listening to another wargamer describing how he uses the scenarios for his individual skirmish games this decided me. For me the scenarios are one of the areas I have most difficulty with and I can spend most of my time trying to think one up. So the 30 scenarios in this book are an excellent resource, they can be adapted to any size wargame and period and together with the different make up of the armies involved this gives a huge number of combinations of scenarios. Of course you can add tweaks yourself to change the scenarios as well. So even playing the same scenario several times will mean it is never the same. There are so many permutations this will keep me going until my wargaming days are over. (And I also adopted the other wargamer's practice of shakng a 30D to decide which scenario - certainly saves time 'choosing'!)Whilst I haven't adopted the rules in the book I have enjoyed reading them and the rest of the book. In particular I like the writing style which takes me back to the enthusiasm of Featherstone's books with the emphasis on fun. Afterall we are, in the most part, grown men playing with toy soldiers.So all in all a very worthwhile purchase that has reignited my enjoyment of wargaming with the result that for 1-2 hours I can escape from the world, and that is priceless!

After a brief read through this appears to be rather basic even for a Thomas set. I haven't played the game yet - but it looks as if it will work well - and the use of scenarios rather than pitched battles may counteract the simplicity of the combat mechanisms, which are designed for a fast, easy to play game.Armies consist of between 3 and 6 units (elements, like DBA, but of of a 3 or 6 inch width), and the number of units per army is specified for each scenario. Army composition - what type of troops you can use - can be chosen randomly through dice throws, but if it it historically inaccurate in the mind of the player, house rule adjustments are encouraged.There are only 4 troop types per era. So no Warband in the ancient period! But as there are such troops in the 'Dark Age' chapter I guess one could mix and match from section to section. Similarly Artillery do not feature in the Pike and Shot section. But one could easily just adapt the artillery rules from the Horse and Musket chapter as required. There is little here for the competition gamer. There is a sense of ' if it doesn't suit you make it up' in the writing which is quite refreshing. The combat rules are very simple – the basic dice throw gives casualties per unit, with a few modifiers. Like other Thomas rules, they would be great for participation games at conventions.The interesting bit is the 30 scenarios. The rules seem to be intended intended for playing small engagements, or large scale skirmishes, rather than big pitched battles. Its not trying to do Cannae with 12 elements, like DBA, but has engagements such as 'fighting retreat' 'last stand' and 'surprise attack'. These would be particularly useful for Dark ages games I would have thought, but the rules go up to WWII.The Periods covered (very generically) are Ancient, Dark Age, Medieval, Pike and Shot, Horse and Musket, Rifle and Sabre (mid to late 19th C), ACW, Machine Age – 1900-1939, and WWII.There is a chapter on using the scenarios to make up a campaign, which would be very do-able, and another with methods for solo play. There is a 'beginner's' feel to the book, but as with other Thomas rules the apparent simplicity can give better games than might be first apparent. The rules are probably also highly adaptable, as usual with this author. The 5th star is held back because of an absence of historical army lists, which would be useful to the beginner, and because I haven't yet play tested to see how the rules work.

Firstly I must point out that my 5 star rating is not based simply on this being a good book / read, there is more behind my thoughts than that, but essentially this author has clearly set himself a goal of stripping down a ruleset as far as seems possible, back to bare bones and he has not let anything deviate him from that path. In that regard, that discipline makes this product fairly unique, setting out to do something that other rules do not do and so in regard of not giving in to distraction (must have been tempting, as we all have views about things that should be in rules, rather than things that should be taken out) and remaining pure to his goal, I have to admit to admiring his work.Does it necessarily meet my needs .... no and yes, qualified as follows.Basically the book contains 9 sets of rules, each two to three pages long, which cover various main historical periods and he has 30 scenarios that are of the teaser type.importantly it plays on a 3' x 3' space with between 4 and 6 units per side. This combined with the easy rules makes the game highly accessable for people with limited space, limited time and seeking minimum complexity that does nor require frequent rule referencing.Raw basics are that to attack, a die is rolled and that equals the number of hits is inflicted on an enemy (some very minor modifiers might apply). After absorbing 15 hits a unit is removed from play. Movement is simple, we are not doing wheeling etc, just move from A to B. In each period the armies are drawn from four basic unit type. So in the American civil war for example you can have infantry, zouaves, cavalry and artillery. The Zouaves annoyingly are the term that the author gives elite troops, but if you can get past that and just see the term zouaves as a status (i.e. apply it to your iron Brigade!) then all is well. There are modifiers in the game, so that terrain reduces hits and elites move faster and get a bonus on their hits etc. Canon and cavalry have their own restrictions.Where the limitation on troop types feels strange is in the earlier periods, when in ancients for example, you will not find chariots or elephants.However it has to be said it all broadly works. The rules themselves are a fascinating study of how far you can strip details out before they become too bland or generic or non representative. each reader will have their own point at which they believe this occurs. But the point is you can't really criticise the rules for being paired back this strongly - that after all is the purpose of the book. There are tons of other rules out there that do have this extra level of detail in, the author here is giving us something genuinely different, whether successful or not to is for the the individual to judge.in my American Civil wargames, I have added morale rules, so that whenever a unit takes hits, it rolls dice and compares it to the casualties taken so far, retreating and suffering another two hits if they fail. That seems to work well for me. I have also included some leadership rules. Overall this keeps things really simple but just puts a bit more meat on the bones for me.I think they are better for playing your 'secondary' period as you will likely be more forgiving in play. For example i have a prime interest in World War 2, but in these rules, anti-tank guns which form part of the 4 unit type allowance, are allowed a respectable movement allowance which has the effect of making them behave like assault guns. Also the author recommends using an airfix 1/76 scale tank for each vehicle in the game, but since the vehicles take 15 hits to knock out, this does not feel like 'one on one' actions in which a single shell knocks out a vehicle based on penetration, but rather platoon level action, where accumulated hits might have their place in knocking out a unit, so the unit would in fact be better represented by say 3 vehicles, just so there insn't a visual disconnect. this is a small point but typical of those tweaks that people will apply to make the rules meet their own perception of 'how it should be'Anyway, overall, these rules are doing something different and interesting. I feel that each set of rules would have substantially been improved by increasing them by a page or so to give more flavour per set and yet still kept them at a considerably low complexity level compared to what else is out there and still probably able to meet their '1 hour' design constraint. however, their basic nature makes them quite solid, so players can easily bolt on their own house rules and this seems to be common. The rules will no doubt have people dusting of their unused or uncompleted armies and even getting back the midweek evening game. They would also make an ideal rule source for anyone trying to get a youngster into some historical gaming.The 30 teaser scenarios are also an important ingredient of this book and some will buy the book for these alone. They tend to be sparsely terrained, so the player might want to add more terrain for the visiual effect but actually ignore the added terrain during actual play.I bought a Kindle copy of the rules and thought them useful enough to get a hard copy for ease of use. I have found that this authors book tend to go out of print quite quickly and this book does seem interesting enough in what it does for gamers to get a copy before it becomes unavailable.Even if I have found some of the concepts to have been pared too far back or missing, I am using this book to put on some games (even bigger games than the author suggest), with the book as the core rules and just a few house rules added and enjoying those games for their simplicity and speed of play. I have recently been reading that some gamers have been replacing the D6 with an average dice (2,3,3,4,4,5) to soften the results, which sounds a superb idea.I have also enjoyed the book from the perspective of re-evaluating the question of rule complexity and necessity - that alone has been worth the cover price to me. So 5 stars represents the usefulness to me, the acceptance that I do not always agree with the author and the fact that this is doing something much different than anything else in my collection. I am conscious of the parts I don't like and so would never argue against a review with a lower rating, this book will definitely be different things to different people, but I am pleased that I have bought it.