Firstly, welcome to my Ancient & Medieval Wargaming blog. I trust you enjoy your visit and find something of interest. On this blog I plan to outline a few of my own Ancient & Medieval wargaming interests.

Ancient and Medieval wargaming has developed to be one of the more popular historical wargaming periods. It is a period known for great empires and generals. The names of Hannibal, Alexander the Great and Giaus Julius Caesar capture the imagination of both young and old, while others, perhaps less known, are just as colourful. These generals campaigned over a vast time frame in which kingdoms and empires grew and vanished. Battles were fought and lost while armies and tactics evolved. It was the time when many great republics or empires would be founded, yet kings and tyrants could come and go, often overnight.

My own interests focus primarily on the period from the time of Classical Greece through the Macedonian and Successor periods to the Punic Wars and finally the early Roman Empire. However, this site will also cover my travels to other sub-periods of Ancient and Medieval history. So don’t be surprised to read of excursions to the Dark Ages or Medieval periods.

My wargaming of this period was limited until the release of “De Bellis Antiquitatis” (DBA) in 1990 and my adoption of 15mm miniatures. Though like many I had played a few games using earlier rule sets including those by WRG and Charles Grant. However, 15mm miniatures and DBA were a turning point. At last Ancient and Medieval wargaming was on my agenda, and on a regular basis.

For a time, like many Ancient wargamers, I adopted “De Bellis Multitudinis” (DBM). Though I hasten to point out in an attempt to get more games with a wider player base rather than any dislike of the DBA rules. However, my preference has always been towards fighting battles between historical, or near historical, opponents. This was not always possible and rather than play games between non-historical opponents, often in competitive environments, my Ancient wargaming lapsed. That was at least until around 2006 when I “rediscovered” DBA and since then have been enjoying the wargaming aspects of the period once again.

DBA offers much to the wargamer. It is has a low cost entry point both in terms of figure cost but also in painting time, yet can be scaled up for larger games. It is ideal for those whose time is restrained. Despite that, the rules provide considerable depth. I typically play DBA during an evening gaming session, sometimes during the working week. Here even a couple of hours allows for two challenging games as well as time for discussions with my opponents. For those that prefer competitions a five or six rounds event can easily be played in a single day. Due to the cost of armies these competitions can be easily themed to ensure historical or near historical opponents are used.

As you explore this site I trust you find something of interest. I encourage you to consider leaving a comment or asking a question. Finally, I hope you find some inspiration on this site and visit again soon.