returns from Mexico with a new vision for making palm trees from scratch.
Sword and Spear is a set of wargames rules for large battles set in the Ancients and Medieval periods. They are suitable for any scale figures and any basing standard. The only requirement is that figures are organized into units of equal frontage. A typical game consists of about twelve units on each side, and games take around two to three hours. The rules are designed from a top-down perspective, focusing on outcomes rather than detail.
Reviews
From Yass Tabletop Gamers:
Sword and Spear employs a command-and-control system, and a combat system, that are like nothing I've previously seen in a tabletop wargame. It is these mechanics that make the game unique and so much fun… With only one game under our belts, it's too early to make definitive statements, but this is the first set of rules I have ever played where after just one game I have been unable to find something that annoys me. By keeping touch with the solid and well-tried bones of the Ancients tradition, this game firmly grounds itself in a familiar context. This means you don't have to relearn everything about the game, which allows you to focus your mind on the nuances of the command-and-combat mechanics. It's only after experiencing the command system in play that you begin to realize just how sophisticated it is. While you can play it straightaway, I am sure it will take many games to master it. Almost every command decision was difficult, and I found myself trying to second-guess (my opponent) at every turn… all in all, a very enjoyable set of rules.
Neil Shuck (Meeples & Miniatures):
…a new set of rules have come along which, even after a single play, have immediately become the favorite to be my Ancients wargaming rules of choice for the future: Sword and Spear… We played a simple meeting engagement on an open plain between Early Imperial Rome and Ancient Britons, just to try out the rules mechanics… It really helps that the rules made sense, so when we hit a situation, we discussed what we would expect to happen, and 99% of the time, the rules did what we expected… Whilst movement and combat works well, the crowning glory of this game is the Command and Control system, which takes ideas from games such as Saga and Bolt Action, adds its own twists, and produces a result which gives each player plenty to think about during the course of each turn… I think we've just found our Holy Grail, Ancients rules that are fast, fun, intuitive and interactive to play (definitely not I-go-U-go), whilst offering a number of challenges and decisions in every phase of play. I think we will be playing these rules an awful lot in the future. In short – these are a great little set of rules!
