He described his rules-writing philosophy as simply ""It is my aim to produce the most accurate and playable rules I possibly can"" The WRG Ancients rule series were both the first rule books professionally printed and the first universal rule set. They went through 7 editions and were the standard ancient wargames rules from 1969 until replaced by DBM in 1993. This reprint includes the classic Introduction to ancient warfare The Airfix Guide to Ancient Wargaming by Phil Barker. Advice on tactics, Guide to sources, How ancient wargaming began, Sample army lists The complete WRG 6th edition rules for simulating every aspect of ancient and medieval warfare, from the battlefield to full scale sieges and shipboard fighting. The History of Wargaming Project is edited by John Curry. It aims to present the very best wargaming books and rules to a modern audience.

The aim of the rules was to provide the simplest possible set of wargaming rules that retained the feel and generalship of ancient and medieval warfare. The rules were about command decisions not the detail of combat. The average player would have memorized the rules by half way through their first battle, but tactical skill, especially with the use of light troops, took longer. Battles typically lasted less than an hour, allowing multiple games to be played in a single day. The DBA rules include the basic battle rules, campaign rules, suggested mini-campaigns, over three hundred army lists, rules for larger armies and six player campaigns. The original rules are supported by an introduction by Phil Barker and chapters on: Reflecting on the development of DBA. An introduction to tactics using DBA by Martin Smith. Applying DBA to historical battles, Recreating the Battle of Zama in 202 BC using DBA by Phil Steele. DBSA and DBA 1.0 Also included are all four of the original army lists

DBA Version 3.0 updates the highly successful De Bellis Antiquitatis wargame rules for recreating ancient and medieval battles with miniature figures. The brainchild of well-known wargame designer Phil Barker and his wife Sue Laflin-Barker, the simple DBA rule system combines fast play play with historical realism to produce a visually realistic and exciting contest.

This book introduces the fascinating subject of ancient wargaming using the latest edition of DBA version 3.0. De Bellis Antiquitatis have become known for the combination of simple game mechanics and playability. The rules are easy to learn, but the finer details of tactics are hard to master. The rules are extensively used for competitions around the world. The book starts by discussing how to choose a period of history and build an wargaming army, then it includes the complete DBA 3.0 rules with a detailed step by step play through of a sample game- Germans v Romans on the bank of the river Rhine. There are also numerous sample army lists with discussion of the sources on which they are based. Sue Laflin-Barker was a key contributor to the development and success of WRG. This is her first solo authorship of a wargaming book.

Re-fight some of the bloodiest battles of the ancient and medieval worlds! Seasoned wargamer and author Neil Thomas brings historical perspective to the hobby with a description and interpretation of significant military developments from 3,000BC to AD1500. Wargaming is the simulation of accurate historical battles using miniature figures to fight over three dimensional terrain, their movement and combat being regulated by clearly defined rules. Neil Thomas' new book provides specific coverage of ancient and medieval wargaming, thanks to its division into biblical, classical, Dark Age and medieval sections. Each section has its own set of rules and much expanded army lists. The wargamer gains additional perspective from data panels containing facts about weaponry, personalities and chroniclers, and quotations from original document sources. Useful suggestions for further reading are also included, while battle reports in each section provide tactical insights for both novice and veteran wargamers.