The Age of Heroes

The Age of Heroes is a computer moderated wargaming system for the Biblical Era covering the armies and enemies of the Middle East and other developed societies from the dawn of time until about 500 BC. As such it caters for a wide variety of historically known armies, including but not limited to Egyptian, Hittite, Assyrian, Canaanite, Syrian, Mitannian, Libyan Tribal, Babylonian, Trojan, Mycenaean Greek, Spartan, Cretan, Etruscan, Ancient Indian, Shang, Chou and Warring States Chinese - as well as their enemies such as the Sea Peoples, Beduin, Dorians and Hsiung-nu (Skythians). You could also use armies from adjacent historical periods, as the characteristics used to describe units and generals are quite comprehensive. This is particularly so because national stereotypes are not used and so you are not obliged to use the makers vesion of national types such as Hittites or of particular generals such as Ramesses II. The basic building blocks such as morale, training level, tactical styles, orders and officer personalities etc are provided with suggested guidelines for their use, but you are free to express your own view of history.

Although fully compatible with any of the major games rules sets, Heroes has tried to go further by giving extra features such as allowing for the effect of generals, orders and the chain of command. No rebasing is required and it is equally suitable for 5, 15 or 25 mm figures. In fact you don't need to have figures, coloured blocks of cardboard are adequate to represent individual units and their officers.

One major difference between The Age of Heroes and other current miniatures rule sets is the use of the idea of Tactical Styles. In Age of Heroes we provide Drilled, Tribal and Charioteer tactical styles as well as the normal Regular and Irregular styles. This emphasis has the important effect of reducing what some would see as the over-emphasis on weapon types. In addition you can specify whether the troops in a unit have Late Stone Age, Bronze Age or Early Iron Age weapons technology. Troops with later technology cost more points but are to some degree better in combat.

– publisher's listing