The rules listed below are all the commercially available sets we have been able to trace. We have divided the rules into UK, French (yes, French) and North American publications, grouped them by publishers/designers and listed alphabetically. We have not included naval, mechanised warfare or fantasy sets. Where possible we’ve tried to give some basic information about the format of the rules. If you’ve used or still use any of the sets please feel free to drop us a line with your thoughts.

Aberdeen Wargames Society

1. Napoleonic Rules (advertised in Wargamers Newsletter 1975)

ADC Publications

1. Advanced Ancient Wargame Rules (published in Birmingham 1974)

Written by DJ Constable, AR Aldridge and DJ Head. 28 pages. Figure scale 1:20. Ground scale 1 inch = 10 yards. Quite WRG-ish in appearance.

Bayonet Publications

Published in Margate by Hamish Fraser editor of Bayonet, the Journal of the Horse & Musket Society. No copyright date is given but they seem to date from c.1970-72

1. World War One
2. The English Civil War (by Mike Wall). 22 pages, 12 of which are rules, the rest being details on organization. No figure scale given but suggested unit size of 42 men per infantry regiment indicates 1:20 or thereabouts.
3. Napoleonic (Tunbridge Wells Wargames Society (TWWS). Complete with templates for canister cones.
4. The Crimean War
5. ACW (TWWS). 23 pages plus several more featuring casualty graphs, canister burst charts and a template for an artillery burst "spider" (splendid!). No figure scale given. 1mm = 1 yard.

Birmingham Wargames Society

1. 1500-1660 (issued c.1974)
2. Early Medieval (issued c.1974)

BMSS

Written bt Ed Smith and used at the National Wargame Convention of 1967 the rules were advertised for general sale in Slingshot

1. Medieval and Ancient Wargame Rules

Cass/Connett

The rules of veteran wargamer Archie Cass appear to have been the orginal Society of Ancients set and first appeared in printed form c.1965. They were distributed through the SoA and later superseded by Tony Bath's rules, which in turn gave way to WRG.

1. Cass/Connett Ancient Rules

The Confederate High Command

Presumably the British Branch (members included Marcus Hinton)

1. American Civil War (c.1974). By B Chalkley, RG White and DA Chandler. Published by Skytrex. 33 pages including casualty tables. Figure scale 1:33. Ground scale 1mm = 1 yard. Includes details of how to make shell burst circles in three sizes, a canister cone and a shrapnel spider.

Decalset

1. Wars of the Roses (c.1973). By Ed Smith. 20 pages including play sheets. Figure scale 1:25. Ground scale 1mm = 1yard

Drillbook Publications

1. 1) The Age of Marlborough — European Warfare 1700-1720. Distributed by Micro-Mold c.1975.

Trevor Halsall

1. Rules For Napoleonic Wargames. First issued in 1968 and sold at the 1969 UK National Wargames Convention in Worthing. Distributed through Apex Crafts Leicester.
2. Revised edition of the above Rules For Wargamers. Napoleonic Warfare (with AM Roth). Published by Leicester Micro-models in 1972.
3. Colonial Wars (1974)
4. Gladiatorial Combat (Leicester Micro-models 1975)
5. American Civil war (LMM 1975)

Bill Lamming

Figure designer and manufacturer wrote rules with TH Houltby

1. Medieval Campaign and Battle Rules. One-to-One rules (c.1975). 15 pages.

London Wargames Section

Published by the London Wargames Section. Miniature Warfare contributors such as John Tunstill, Bish Iwazsko, Carl Reavley etc had a heavy input into these rules, which were used at a number of national conventions during the late-1960s.

1. Ancient & Medieval (1968) — rules dropped by 1974 presumably because of popularity of WRG.
2. Napoleonic c. 1813 (issued 1970). Probably an amended version of the original British Model Soldier Society Napoleonic rules issued in 1966 for the UK National Convention.
3. American Civil War 1863 (by John Tunstill c.1970). 20 pages. Figure scale 1:33. Ground scale 1mm = 1yard. Partly based on Captain Livermore’s American Kriegspiel rules.
4. Ancient Rules Roman supplement.
5. Samurai (by Sid and Ken Smith). Issued c.1974. Early one figure equals one man skirmish set. 18 pages.

Dave Millward

Millward was the founder of the Pike & Shot Society. These rules were published by Routier.

1. Rules For Period 1500-1660 (With Nigel Jackson and Paul Kay). Issued 1972
2. God’s Acre. Feudal 1000-1300 (issued 1975). 34 pages. Figure scale 1:20. Ground scale 1inch = 10yards.
3. Condottieri. Medieval 1300-1500 (issued 1975)
4. Musketeer. Pike and Shot (issued 1975)

Reed Rules

Rules designed by Stephen and Julian Reed of Sussex.

1. Napoleonic 1796-1815. Issued 1970
2. Medieval Skirmish Rules (c.1975)
3. War of the Spanish Succession in 15mm (c.1975)

Shire Publications. Rules For Wargames

By Arthur Taylor. The same size and format as the "Discovering…" series. Covers ECW, Marlburian, Napoleonic, ACW, Mechanised, naval and air warfare. Published 1971. A very simple set of rules that do not include morale. Fight it out to the last man just like in the old days.

Skirmish Wargames

Written and published by Bristol gamers Mike Blake, Ian Colwill and Steve Curtis. Still in use and damn fine too, in our opinion.

1. Western Gunfight Rules (First edition 1970. Second Edition 1971)
2. The Colonial Skirmish Wargame Rules 1850-1900 (With Ted Herbert) (1972)

South London Warlords

1. 19^th Century Warfare (c.1973)

Steve Tulk

1. Napoleonic Wargame Rules (c.1973)

Wargamer’s Newsletter

Rules published by Don Featherstone. They adhere closely to Featherstone’s tenants of simplicity. Re-issued as a collection by Athena Books in the 1980s.

1. Ancient Wargames 1000BC to AD 900. Tony Bath.
2. Medieval Period. Tony Bath
3. 1750 Period in Europe and North America. Tony Bath
4. Napoleonic Wargames. Don Featherstone
5. American Civil War. Don Featherstone
6. Late 19^th Century Warfare including colonial battle with natives. Don Featherstone
7. 1917 Period In German South West Africa. Don Featherstone.

Wargames Research Group

Began life as the Ancient Wargames Research Group and then branched out. Phil Barker, Ed Smith and Bob O’Brien launched the first set of Ancient rules at the Worthing National Convention in 1969 and they quickly became the standard set for the period.

1. WRG Rules For The Ancient Period 1,000BC to 1,000AD. 1st to 4th edition (1969, 70, 71, 73). The first two editions are in Imperial measurements but the set went metric from 3rd edition meaning the first base size alteration in wargame history. There was a medieval supplement that was issued around 1970. The first set of army lists was published in 1977.
2. WRG Rules For The Period 1750-1850 (first published 1971)

Societe de Collectioneurs de Figurines Historiques

1. Le Kriegspiel. These rules were written by Pierre Foure and published in Paris in 1964. Pat Condray of Maryland published an English translation later in that same year. The English language edition ran to 36 pages. No details of period or style, but we’d love to hear about them in any language.

Bowden & Ray

Well-known Texan gamers Scotty Bowden and Ken Ray produced a series of rules c.1974

1. JEB. ACW rules. The second edition appeared in 1975. First edition described as "the most popular ACW set ever released" in 1974 adverts.
2. Minutemen: Don’t Tread On Me. American War of Independence rules
3. Coeur De Lion. The Crusades 1000-1300
4. Empire. Grand tactical Napoleonic rules. Issued 1975. 57 big pages including army lists. Ground scale 1 inch = 40 yards. Figure scale 1:60. Illustrated with nice pictures of Hinton Hunt figures.

John C Candler

1. Miniature Wargames Du Temps De Napoleon. Issued 1964. No figure scale is given but 20 figures form and infantry battalion so about 1:33. No ground scale either but infantry in line advance 3 inches per turn. A famous early set of rules that were self-published by the author in Ohio and presented in their own rather nice dark green ring binder so that additional sheets and amendments could be added. Nicely illustrated with photos of 30mm Scruby figures. 66 pages of rules including some for naval actions plus another 50 on history and generalship. There’s even an address book at the back listing all the wargamers the author knew of. The author proposed that other rule sets would follow but sadly none ever did.

Pat Condray

The editor of Armchair General

1. The Wargame. Horse and musket rules. Issued 1970.

Der Kriegspieler

Figure manufacturer best known for its (ahem!) "modified" Hinton Hunt Napoleoniques range issued two rule sets compiled by Duke Siefert and others in the early-1970s

1. Frappe! "A Miniature Wargame Of Tactical Manoeuvre In The Napoleonic Era". Written by Ray Johnson. The Wargamers’ Library Volume One. Ground scale Figure scale 1:10 no ground scale given. Illustrated with pictures of Kriegspieler figures. Designed to be played on a hexed terrain board. 31 pages of rules plus appendices on armies, accessories etc. According to a review in The Courier in Frappe the 12pdr has a range of 9 feet and hussars charge 48 inches. A big table clearly required!
2. Napoleonique "A Miniature Wargame Of Strategical-Tactical Manoeuvre In The Napoleonic Era". (This set was re-issued as "Napoleonique Encore" in the 1990s)

Fantasy Games Unlimited

1. Gladiators. Skirmish rules by Hugh McGowan c.1975

Richard Hill

1. Bullets & Bayonets. Napoleonic set produced c.1972. Used at West Point, apparently.

Robert W. Jones.

1. La Jeu De La Guerre. Issued c.1972.

Milgamex

1. Ancient Warfare (1975)

Designed and written by Arthur Hendrick, play tested by the New England Wargamers Association. Battles from earliest times to 1400. Also includes Middle Earth (but we’ll draw a veil over that). Figure scale 1:50. 39 pages including 5 of army lists.

Panzerfaust Publications

1. Grand Army. By Don Lowry and Pete Rice. Rules for big ACW and Napoleonic battles using 9mm or 15mm figures. 1975.

Fred J Platel

1. Kriegspiel: A wargame! A mimic battle with miniature soldiers. Issued in 1952. Sadly we have no other details.

Jack Scruby

Pioneer gamer, figure designer and manufacturer and publisher of various wargame magazines including The War Game Digest

1. Rules For A Strategic-Tactical Wargame. First issued 1961. 12 page rule booklet promising "a new depth" to miniature battles. Doesn’t seem to have been period specific.
2. Fire & Charge. Horse and musket rules. First issued in 1964.

Systems Analysis

1. Joue, Feu, Chargez. Napoleonic Rules by DA Starr c. 1975.

Tactical Studies Rules

Published in Canada. TSR were behind Dungeons & Dragons but began in the real world.

1. Chainmail (Gary Gygax and Jeff Peren). Medieval skirmish rules issued in 1971. Introduced a fantasy element to later editions and the rest is history. Unfortunately.
2. Cavaliers & Roundheads (Gary Gygax and Jeff Peren). ECW rules (published c.1973). 36 pages including uniform details and drawings. Figure scale 1:20.
3. Tricolor (Rick Crane). Napoleonic Rules. C. 1974. 50 pages (about half is taken up with organization details for various armies and units). Figure ratio 1:20. Ground scale 1 foot = 150 yards. Unit sizes the same as In The Grand Manner.
4. Boot Hill. Man-to-Man action in the Old West (c.1974)
5. Classic Warfare. Rules for Ancient Warfare from the Pharoahs to Charlemagne (c.1975). By Gary Gygax. Nicely laid out and illustrated set featuring 23 pages of rules and an equal number on army lists and national characteristics.

Fred Vietmeyer

Prominent US gamer and member of the Mid-Western Napoleonic Confederation.

1. Column, Line and Square. Napoleonic rules. First published 1966.
2. The Column, Line and Square Battle Manual. Written with Judson Baum and issued in 1974

In a 1971 survey The Courier found Column, Line and Square to be the most popular rule set in the US.

The War Room

Rules For the Conduct of the Napoleonic Wargame. Issued c.1973 by company in Kansas City "employing a system for comparing morale plus casualty production probability". Large format. 24 pages.

Z&M Rules

Published in Milwaukee c.1975 and sold through the Terminal Hobby Shop.

1. The Wargamer’s Handbook (contained 20/25mm rules for Ancient, Medieval, AWI, Napoleonic, ACW and "introductory" WW2). By R. Zimmerman (No, not Bob Dylan, surely?).
2. Wargamer’s Guide to The English Civil War. William Protz, jnr. 50 pages of rules and background information.

Lou Zocchi.

US gamer and hobby store owner. Also issued a number of fantasy and sci-fi sets including Alien Space.

1. Hard Tack. ACW rules published by Lowry Hobbies in 1971. Said to be the first US ACW set, which is hard to believe.