Real Time Wargaming: Rules for Miniature Battles Throughout the Ages

CORE PRINCIPLE

This is a real-time wargame.

No turns.

No phases.

No initiative.

Everyone acts at once, and everything happens simultaneously, in all its chaotic glory.

And the goal?

To defeat the enemy!

INTENT & SCALE

A battle can be a small skirmish encounter between a longboat of Viking warriors and the troops of a local English nobleman, or it can be a massive, pitched battle like Leuthen in 1757 with 100,000+ men.

The core mechanics are about leadership, decision-making and compromise. Units represent organised formations, not precise numbers of troops. You decide if they’re brigades, battalions, or something else.

The rules are also written in short form, rather than to be fully fleshed out, since this was created with experienced wargamers in mind. Are you new to wargaming, then it may be an advantage to have someone help you with the basics - even though you’re of course welcome to just give it a try!

THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT CONCEPTS:

COMMANDERS & SAND TIMERS

In Real Time Wargaming, at its core, there are there are only two different types of combat troops on the tabletop battlefield. There are units and there are Commanders. The first type can fight. The second cannot.

Commanders are the only units that have sand timers.

Whenever a Commander is activated by the player, all units within his Command Range can perform one action each (MOVE or ATTACK).

After all units have performed actions, you - the player - move the active Commander in any direction and flip the Commander’s sand timer.

Extracts from the rules