An Age of Sword & Arrow

By developing ASA, we hope to create a tool that students can use to immerse themselves in history. The best way to do this is to make history fun! It is my firm belief that the most effective education is also entertaining. By playing ASA, students may think that they are just playing a game. And the truth is that they are playing a game. However, despite modern conceptions, games are not necessarily just a waste of time or a way to reduce stress. In fact, often in the natural world the act of playing has a valuable educational component. Think for a moment of two lion cubs wrestling on the plains of Africa. Despite how much silliness and fun they look to be having, those lions are actually learning how to hunt and fight, essential skills for wild carnivores. Well, if lions can learn by having fun, so can we!

ASA is an educational game because it has been modeled to accurately represent history. By engaging with the game students must face the tactical realities of the medieval battlefield. Confronted with the real challenges of ancient warfare, they will have to devise effective strategies to win their battles. To do so, they will have to learn the strengths and weaknesses of their armies, the effects of terrain, and the appropriate tactics to counter their opponents. ASA will allow the players to make these discoveries first-hand through experience. The player who masters the game is the one who has developed a deep understanding of ancient warfare and who can utilize that knowledge to bring success on the tabletop.

– An Age of Sword & Arrow introduction

Designer: Tyler Bembenek
Status: In Print
Contents: Available online (84-page PDF)
Scale: We recommend that players use miniatures between 6 mm and 15 mm tall. Miniatures under 6 mm tall will be difficult to tell apart. Miniatures over 15 mm tall may not fit within the base dimensions, especially in the case of large models such as elephants and chariots.
– An Age of Sword & Arrow page 16
Basing: Each stand is a 40 mm wide by 20–40 mm deep rectangle, representing the physical area that a group of soldiers occupies.
– An Age of Sword & Arrow page 16