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Osprey Wargames
Series · 17
books · 2012-2020

Books in series

Dux Bellorum book cover
#1

Dux Bellorum

2012

The Dark Age of Britain, from the middle of the 4th century to the end of the 8th, was a time of violence and warfare, when charismatic warlords such as the fabled King Arthur could gather together armies and carve out their own kingdoms. With this new set of wargames rules, players can take on the role of these warlords and command their own armies on the tabletop. Written by the author of the popular Glutter of Ravens rules set, Dux Bellorum is an element-based system, where each base of figures represents 50 fighting men. Each player has a specific number of points with which to construct his force and can choose to a Late Roman, Romano-British, Welsh, Saxon, Pictish, Irish, or Sea Raider army. The game is then played out following a set of simple, fast-paced rules. A completely self-contained gaming system, Dux Bellorum is perfect for gamers who are looking for a way into fighting Dark Age battles without investing a lot of time or money in larger rulesets.
A World Aflame book cover
#2

A World Aflame

2012

Often called the "Pulp Era", the years between the two World Wars have seen a tremendous surge in interest among wargamers. A World Aflame captures the adventurous nature of the time period to present a fun, fast-paced set of tabletop miniatures rules that can handle the many diverse conflicts of the period, from the Chinese Civil Wars and the "Great Game" in Central Asia, to the Irish War of Independence and the bitter ideological warfare of the Russian and Spanish Civil Wars. The rules also contain options for the "Very British Civil War". This gaming trend has sprung up in recent years, following a "what-if" scenario that has Edward VIII refusing to abdicate the throne, thrusting the country into civil war in 1938. It is a quirky, fun setting, and one that is surprisingly popular. Written by a life-long wargamer, A World Aflame focuses on the daring-do and heroism of battles fought in the last great era of adventure.
In Her Majesty's Name book cover
#3

In Her Majesty's Name

Steampunk Skirmish Wargaming Rules

2013

It is 1895 and the world is in turmoil. In the decades to come, historians will reflect upon the cause of this state of affairs and many will point squarely at Charles Babbage. The perfection of first his Difference Engine, and then his Analytical Engine, gave the new scientific establishment in the Great Powers the tool they had so long needed in order to make a dramatic leap forward. The ability to make huge and repeatable sets of complex calculations revolutionized the world. Within twenty years came the 'invention' of Cavorite, the perfection of miniaturized steam engines, electric light and motors, Radium Bricks, Arc weapons, Hydrogen and Helium Dirigibles, Road Trains, Calculating Artillery Engines, Sea and Land Dreadnoughts - the list is almost endless. Nothing is impossible when the wealth of a Great Power is coupled to the unlimited imagination of educated men of science and their engineers. The one thing that all these marvellous advances have not brought is peace. Every Great Power has been jostling its neighbours for resources and more importantly, the latest technology. None can afford to stand still and allow its neighbours to advance their science and engineering unmolested. If they do, they risk being overwhelmed as the French were in 1861 by the Prussians' mobile Calculating Artillery Engines, or as the Union was the year after that, with their ports put to the flame and successfully blockaded by the Confederacy's Armoured Sea Dreadnoughts. Some nations have also been tapping into older, more sinister powers, in order to produce an unholy combination of the mystical and the mechanical, such as the Prussian Todt-truppen. Although there have been relatively few open conflicts between the Great Powers, a state of undeclared and secret war exists between them all. This is where the Adventuring Companies come in. These are the deniable clandestine agents of the Great Powers (and of other globe-spanning organizations). They act in the shadows pitting their skills, their wits and the latest technologies against each other, to obtain the latest scientific formula, artefact or other vital component. Small groups of highly skilled and specialized operatives are brought together for each mission under the command of a trusted 'Captain'. In Great Britain they work out of the Explorers' Club in London. In Prussia their patron is the highly secretive Thule Society. In the USA they are mostly sponsored by the Secret Service. There are similar organizations in each of the Great Powers. They each have the choice of their nation's latest arms, armour and other equipment with which to perform their missions.
Ronin book cover
#4

Ronin

Skirmish Wargames in the Age of the Samurai

2013

Ronin is a set of skirmish wargame rules set in late 16th century feudal Japan. Players build small warbands of models and battle each other as well as non-player factions in duels and skirmishes. Ronin is historically accurate, but also pays tribute to the films of Akira Kurosawa such as Seven Samurai and Yojimbo. Despite the enduring popularity of this period, there are very few widely available historical samurai skirmish wargames rules sets. Figures for the period are increasingly available, particularly from Perry Miniatures (very high quality 28mm metal), Wargames Factory (plastic 28mm box sets) and Zvezda (1/72 plastic). Ronin seeks to fill this void with an enjoyable system that is easy and cheap to take up. Gameplay is based upon a d6 system that forces players to make tactical decisions about attack and defence, simulating the cut and thrust of hand-to-hand combat. There are numerous player factions, from Samurai and Ashigaru, the professional soldiers of the period, to Buddhist warrior monks, martial arts schools, and bandits. There are also swords for hire such as Ronin and ninja that players can hire to augment their warband. Players design their warband using a points system, and assign each model weapons, armour and martial skills. Weapons include the yari (pike/spear), naginata (pole arm), yumi (bow), arquebus and of course the katana and its variants. Specialist skills allow a model to undertake various special actions (for example, arrow-cutter provides additional defence against bow fire) or increases the proficiency of the model with a specific weapon. As well as straight warband-on-warband battles, there are specific scenarios, some of them linked to provide a loose narrative. Gameplay is based upon a d6 system that forces players to make tactical decisions about attack and defence, simulating the cut and thrust of hand-to-hand combat. One scenario features the warband defending a notable person from attack by ninjas, another the defence of a village against bandits. There are also campaign rules that allow for the development of a warband in terms of gaining new skills and equipment and planning on-going battles against other players. Finally, very simple guidelines for running a tournament are included.
Of Gods and Mortals book cover
#5

Of Gods and Mortals

Mythological Wargame Rules

2013

Factions represented in the rulebook include: Greco-Roman, Egyptian, Japanese, Aztecs, Pre-Islamic Arabs (Arabian Nights), Norse, Celts and Chinese. For every army list, a list suitable models from various manufacturers and scales will be included. New armies may be added as free PDF add-ons, keeping the game fresh for years. Two armies clash: Thor, surrounded by crackling lighting, leads the assault of a horde of Viking berserkers. Preparing to receive this charge stands a wall of grim-faced, determined Spartan hoplites, commanded by Ares. Of Gods and Mortals is a scalable skirmish rules set where the average scenario plays in about one hour using up to 20 models per player on a 4'x4' table. Each player controls one god, 1-3 Legends (priests, demigods, heroes, monsters or other mythical creatures), and 10 to 20 men (infantry, cavalry, and the occasional artillery piece). This creates a three-tiered structure in the warband. The three troop types are interdependent in more than one way. Gods lead men by their powers, while at the same time men give power to the gods by their faith in them. A God cannot exist without its Faithful. The Faithful cannot win without the help of their God. There is no automatic winning strategy: the player must balance his limited resources and outguess his opponent. A bit of luck helps, too! Gods may seem all-powerful but they lose power as their troops are killed. At the same time, if the God is defeated, the mortals' morale is weakened. Gods do not die but they disappear if defeated. Legends are a sort of middle ground and provide special abilities to the warband. Mortals are more effective when used against other mortals - kill your opponent's mortal forces and you will deprive his god of much needed energy. The faith level of the warband is tracked with dice at the side of the table. When the faith level is at the maximum, the army is bolstered, priests may invoke miracles and curses, mortal troops activate at +1, and so on. When the faith level is severely reduced, the power level of the god is reduced too, and priests may not perform miracles or use spells. When the faith level drops to zero, the god disappears and all the troops still in play must make a rout test. Combat between gods is conducted like normal, but in certain cases (if both roll a six), an explosion of power hits all mortal models in range. Combat between gods use a colored dice mechanic so they can battle each other for an extened time. Combat between mortals and legends use normal Song mechanics - opposed die rolls plus modifiers, with different game results based on how much the contest is won by. The game also introduces a mechanic in which a hero or other personality may swear an oath or boast that he will accomplish something within a set number of turns. If he manages to fulfill his oath, his army gets a morale bonus.
A Fistful of Kung Fu book cover
#6

A Fistful of Kung Fu

2014

Recreate scenes from Hong Kong action cinema like Enter the Dragon, Kill Bill, Big Trouble in Little China, Crouching Tiger - Hidden Dragon, and Hard Boiled. A Fistful of Kung Fu is set in a modern world walking a precarious line between the technological advances of next-generation technology and the tradition and mysticism of ancient cultures. Kung Fu schools face off in no-holds barred martial arts tournaments. Evil corporations hire hitmen and infiltrators to steal each other's secrets. Overworked SWAT teams respond to street-level gunfights between feuding Triad and Yakuza clans. Ancient artefacts are sought by hopping vampires and cyborgs alike, each seeking to harness the power of the Four Dragon Kings and control the world. Bullets, punches, kicks and throwing stars fly in slow motion as martial arts heroes and gun-wielding cops defeat enemy after enemy in the pursuit of evil masterminds. Possible factions range from Chinese Triads and the Japanese Yakuza to Ninja clans, martial arts schools, the men and women of the Hong Kong Police Department, demons, secret societies and almost anything else you can imagine! All struggle for supremacy - destroying the city in the process. A Fistful of Kung Fu uses a colored dice system to keep track of wounds and fatigue of the main characters. Mooks and supporting cast are swatted like flies, but can still be dangerous when given the advantage of numbers or automatic weaponry. Based on the popular Ganesha Games rules system, A Fistful of Kung Fu introduces martial arts combat with manoeuvres that have different outcomes depending on the degree of success, and which allow for counter-attacks when they fail, giving a flowing, appropriate combat system. The game also includes rules for challenges and "gun-fu" stunts. Each gang in the game comprises 1-3 principal characters and 5-15 mooks that move as small groups of up to 5 models each.
Lion Rampant book cover
#8

Lion Rampant

2014

"Lion Rampant" is a set of rules designed for fighting historical or Hollywood battles in the medieval period from the Norman Conquest to the Hundred Years' War. This period is well suited to large skirmish gaming as played with "Lion Rampant" as it was a time of anarchy, feuds, robbery, and raiding. Become Robin Hood, Richard the Lionheart, Gamelyn, William Wallace, Llewellyn the Last, or other legends and leaders from the colorful, dangerous medieval period. Lion Rampant is ideal for players who wish to collect medieval miniatures without wanting to muster huge forces or spend time learning complex rules. Gameplay is very simple, and requires the player to use units in the correct tactical way: knights are great at charging down enemies but less useful for guarding convoys, while spearmen are jacks of all trades and masters of none, and bowmen are to be feared at distance but easily cut down if you can get close enough. An army usually consists of 6-8 units comprised of 6-12 individually based figures (making it ideal for 15mm or 28mm games), and is led by a Leader, who may have some unique character traits that affect game play and provide some opportunity for role playing. The action, however, focuses very much on the small units involved in the battle rather than individual characters: each unit moves and fights independently, assuming that they follow your orders rather than just doing their own thing. Command and control is just as important on the battlefield as the power of a mounted knight. Some army lists are provided, and guidance given for players seeking to create their own forces, but this game is not army list-heavy. The rules include a good number of scenarios, which are important to this style of gaming.
En Garde! book cover
#12

En Garde!

Swashbuckling Skirmish Wargames Rules

2016

En Garde! is a small-scale skirmish game based on the successful Ronin rules, in which small groups of warriors fight each other for honour or riches. Rather than just rolling a few dice, the rules allow players to make tactical decisions about how the models that they control will fight - offensively, defensively, or by applying special skills and abilities. En Garde! covers the conflicts of the 16th, 17th and early 18th centuries, when black-powder weapons started to become common in battle but martial prowess still determined the outcome. Play as Border Reivers, Conquistadors, Landsknechts, Aztecs, French Musketeers, Caribbean Pirates and many more, in scenarios that evoke classic engagements of the genre. Sub-plots (secondary objectives for each side) have also been introduced, making gameplay even more varied and exciting. Simple campaign rules allow multiple scenarios to be played in sequence and permit warbands to develop over time. An appendix is also included to provide brief rules for supernatural creatures of the period - monsters, demons, revenants and witches - and new abilities and equipment to fight them, making En Garde! the perfect ruleset for gamers who want something a bit different from the norm.
Dragon Rampant book cover
#13

Dragon Rampant

Fantasy Wargaming Rules

2015

Whether you're a nameless Dark Lord looking to conquer the known world, a Champion of Light holding out against the forces of evil or a Northern barbarian facing claimants to a stolen throne, Dragon Rampant allows you to bring those battles to the tabletop. Developed from the popular Lion Rampant system, Dragon Rampant is a standalone wargame that recreates the great battles of Fantasy fiction. Scenarios, army lists, and full rules for magic and monsters give players the opportunity to command unruly orc warbands, raise armies of the undead, campaign across an antediluvian world as the warchief of a barbarian tribe, or exploit the power of mighty creatures and extraordinary sorcery. An army usually consists of 6-8 units comprised of 6-12 individually based figures. These small units move and fight independently, assuming that they follow your orders rather than just doing their own thing. Command and control is just as important on the battlefield as the power of a troll chieftain or the magic of an archmage.
Poseidon's Warriors book cover
#14

Poseidon's Warriors

Classical Naval Warfare 480-31 BC

2016

Poseidon's Warriors is a set of wargaming rules for large-scale naval actions between fleets of Classical galleys, from the Greek and Persian clash at the Battle of Salamis, to the Battle of Actium that decided the fate of Rome. With so many of these battles taking place around islands or in narrow channels and shallow waters, sneaky tactics and cunning maneuvers are a hallmark of the era's warfare. The rules use an integrated turn system to allow a commander to position ships to go in and ram without being rammed in return, or to employ feints and traps to tempt the enemy out of position and leave his ships vulnerable to a follow-up strike. With data for ships throughout the period, rules for famous admirals, historical scenarios, a campaign system, and a brief historical summary for those who wish to refresh their memory of the era, Poseidon's Warriors offers everything players need to equip themselves for the battles and campaigns of the first great age of naval warfare.
Broken Legions book cover
#15

Broken Legions

Fantasy Skirmish Wargames in the Roman Empire

2016

The Roman Empire rules the civilized world with an iron fist, seemingly all-powerful and limitless. And yet the power of Rome is secured not by its mighty legions but by small bands of warriors and agents fighting a secret war. Tasked by the Emperor to explore ancient temples, forgotten labyrinths, and beast-haunted caverns, they seek out artifacts hidden by the gods themselves, hunt creatures of myth, and face enemies that would use dark magic against the empire. Broken Legions is a set of fantasy skirmish rules for a war unknown to history, fought in the shadows of the Roman Empire. Various factions recruit small warbands to fight in tight, scenario-driven battles that could secure the mystical power to defend—or crush—Rome. A points system allows factions to easily build a warband, and mercenaries and free agents may also be hired to bolster a force. Heroes and leaders may possess a range of skills, traits, and magical abilities, but a henchman's blade can be just as sharp, and a campaign can see even the lowliest henchman become a hero of renown.
The Men Who Would Be Kings book cover
#16

The Men Who Would Be Kings

Colonial Wargaming Rules

2016

The Men Who Would Be Kings is a set of rules designed for fighting historical or Hollywood colonial battles in the mid- to late-Nineteenth Century, from the Indian Mutiny to the Boxer Rebellion. Large scale colonial clashes tended to be one-sided affairs, but there are countless reports of brief, frantic skirmishes in every colonial war—where either side could be victorious—and these are the battles that The Men Who Would Be Kings seeks to recreate. Although focusing on the British colonial wars against the Zulus, Maoris, and others, these rules will also permit players to explore the empires of France, Germany, and other nations, as well as allowing for battles between rival native factions. Gameplay is very simple, and is driven by the quality of the officers leading your units, in the true spirit of Victorian derring-do and adventure, where larger than life characters such as the (real) Fred Burnaby and the (fictional) Harry Flashman led their troops to glory and medals, or to a horrible end at the point of a spear tip.
Rogue Stars book cover
#17

Rogue Stars

Skirmish Wargaming in a Science Fiction Underworld

2016

Rogue Stars is a character-based, science fiction skirmish wargame, where players command crews of bounty hunters, space pirates, merchants, prospectors, smugglers, mercenary outfits, planetary police, and other such shady factions from the fringes of galactic civilization. Crews can vary in size, typically from four to six, and the character and crew creation systems allow for practically any concept to be built. Detailed environmental rules that include options for flora, fauna, gravity, dangerous terrain and atmosphere, and scenario design rules that ensure that missions are varied and demand adaptation and cunning on the parts of the combatants, make practically any encounter possible. Run contraband tech to rebel fighters on an ocean world while being hunted by an alien kill-team or hunt down a research vessel and fight zero-gravity boarding actions in the cold depths of space—whatever you can imagine, you can do.
The Pikeman's Lament book cover
#19

The Pikeman's Lament

Pike and Shot Wargaming Rules

2017

Recreate the action and drama of 17th Century warfare on your tabletop with The Pikeman's Lament . Start by creating your Officer – is he a natural leader raised from the ranks, the youngest son of a noble family, or an old veteran who has seen too many battles? As you campaign, your Officer will win honor and gain promotion, acquiring traits that may help lead his men to victory. Before each skirmish, your Officer must raise his Company from a wide range of unit options – should he lean towards hard-hitting heavy cavalry or favor solid, defensively minded infantry? Companies are typically formed from 6–8 units, each made up of either 6 or 12 figures, and quick, decisive, and dramatic games are the order of the day. With core mechanics based on Daniel Mersey's popular Lion Rampant rules, The Pikeman's Lament captures the military flavor of the 17th Century, and allows you to recreate skirmishes and raids from conflicts such as the Thirty Years' War, the English Civil Wars, and the Great Northern War.
Gaslands book cover
#20

Gaslands

Post-Apocalyptic Vehicular Combat

2017

Shoot, ram, skid, and loot your way through the ruins of civilization with Gaslands, a tabletop wargame of car-on-car destruction in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Players control small fleets of armed vehicles in battles for resources, dominance, and survival. With rules for multiple vehicle types (from motorbikes to big rigs), varied special weapons and accessories (including oil slicks, caltrops, and nitro boosters), and a host of options for scenarios, environmental conditions, crew, and campaigns, players can tailor games to match their own visions for an anarchic future.
Kobolds & Cobblestones book cover
#21

Kobolds & Cobblestones

Fantasy Gang Rumbles

2018

Ordinsport was a backwater on the vast Ordin River before the Council of Wizards chose it as the site of their grand experiment. After a near-catastrophic war that saw orcs, elves, dwarves, and many other traditional enemies fighting alongside each other as uneasy allies, the Council intended Ordinsport to symbolize the new peace as a shining example of old enemies living and thriving together in a new era of hope and prosperity. While the treaty has held, Odinsport itself has fallen some way short of these lofty aims. With so many races living side-by-side, and the potential for smuggling presented by the great river itself, Ordinsport has become home to an immense black market, with an underworld dominated by a vast array of criminal syndicates, all vying for territory and influence. Crime bosses have their pick of mercenaries, and hire ruthless gangs of goblin grunts, human thugs, dwarf barbarians, and lumbering trolls. Orcs and dwarves still may not get along, but it's amazing what a cunning crime boss can achieve by greasing a few palms with a few gold coins. Kobolds & Cobblestones is a skirmish wargame for rumbles between gangs in Ordinsport's seedy underbelly. Players hire gangs of criminals, thugs, and enforcers from a number of classic Fantasy races, and attempt to take control of the underworld and establish themselves as the city's kingpins. Playing card-based mechanics and a cunning bribery element keep players on their toes, as a one-sided battle can turn around in a flash.
Zona Alfa book cover
#25

Zona Alfa

Salvage and Survival in the Exclusion Zone

2020

Zona Alfa is a set of simple, fast-play skirmish rules for scavenging, exploring, and surviving in a near-future, post-apocalyptic Eastern European setting. Players take on the role of bandits, mercenaries, and military units fighting over the blasted Exclusion Zone and its abandoned artefacts. Customise your fighters with a variety of weapons and specialisms to create your ideal warband. With extended rules for campaigns, character progression, terrain, and environmental hazards, Zona Alfa contains all the tools required to engage in blistering firefights within the Exclusion Zone.

Authors

Mark A. Latham
Mark A. Latham
Author · 12 books

Mark A. Latham is a writer, editor, history nerd, proud dogfather, frustrated grunge singer and amateur baker from Staffordshire, UK. An immigrant to rural Nottinghamshire, he lives in a very old house (sadly not haunted), and is still regarded in the village as a foreigner. Formerly the editor of Games Workshop’s White Dwarf magazine, Mark designs tabletop games, and is an author of strange, fantastical and macabre tales.

Patrick Todoroff
Patrick Todoroff
Author · 8 books

My interest in books started when I was nine, the year my baby brother shoved a pretzel down into the back of the television set and my parents didn't bother to get it fixed. My first novel, "Running Black" was a 'put up or shut up' project during the 2008 recession. The sequel "Shift Tense" rolled out two years later. Since then, I've just kept writing. Other titles include the cyberpunk/technoir novella, 'Soul Cache', a Celtic-flavored ghost story, 'The Barrow Lover', three tales from the Exclusion Zone - 'A Prayer to Saint Strelok', 'Strange Treasure', and 'Gopnik Blues' - and a scattering of stand-alone near-future shorts. As a table top war game designer, I've written 'Zona Alfa' for Osprey Publishing, the upcoming 'When Nightmares Come', as well as several best selling indie games: 'Exploit Zero', its monster-hunting fantasy cousin, 'Nightwatch', and the alien-invasion 'Insurgent Earth.' Current projects include the post-apocalyptic fantasy 'Shattered Worlds' and a bit of dungeon crawl fiction, 'Five Torches'. I can be found online at Stalker7.com. A thousand thanks.

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