Late Stone Age/Early Bronze Age/Neolithic

[Richard in Sachsen]

Does anyone have a recommendations for any Indo-European Late Stone Age/Early Bronze Age/Neolithic games? I noticed Hail Caesar has an eye-candy photo in the rules with early Bronze Age warriors but I'm not so sure that is the right game. I recall reading something lately that suggests early bronze age tribes went about in war bands of around fifty or so. If that's the case, then a skirmish game would seem to be the best bet.

I don't know who covers the period.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

[Steve F]

I recall reading something lately that suggests early bronze age tribes went about in war bands of around fifty or so. If that's the case, then a skirmish game would seem to be the best bet.

Could be a lot more.  At Tollense River near the Baltic, they estimate about 750 corpses on the site of a single battle c 1200 BC:
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/03/slaughter-bridge-uncovering-colossal-bronze-age-battle
That is, however, an unprecedented find, as I understand it.

[Richard in Sachsen]

Thanks Steve,

You may be correct in that. I've been contemplating picking up one of those Wargames Foundry hordes of Bronze Age Warriors. Since they upgraded their website, I can't find their army and horde sets anymore, but the horde had 70 warriors. Still a good size for the period, I think.

Still, I'm not sure which game would suit the period and place.

[Emir of Askaristan]

Hi,
There's a thread hereabouts for a set called "Tribal" which, I think, would be prefect for warfare in this period. Originally written to for tribal warfare in New Zealand, but also including the dark ages, it's themed around a hero and his band.

Here it is - http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=88625.0

Great set of rules, very well written and produced. Certainly worth a look I'd say.

[Richard in Sachsen]

Wow, great, thanks Emir

[Mosstrooper]

I've been using 'Lion Rampant' for the Bronze Age  - Link to my blog http://tonystoysoldiers.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/bronze-age-warfare.html

[NurgleHH]

For this period I use "open combat". Great rule set, easy to learn, complex in gameplay. Released by second thunder

[Richard in Sachsen]

Thanks for those two suggestions. I have Lion Rampant downstairs on my bookshelf, perhaps time to read it again with an eye towards this period.

I'll also do a google search for open combat, see how that is set up.

Thanks

Oh, and Moss, those are beautiful figures on your blog... those are the ones I was looking at as well.

[commissarmoody]

lots of good and interesting links in this thread.

[Mosstrooper]

Maybe 'Dragon Rampant ' might be interesting to use in this era /

[Steve F]

lots of good and interesting links in this thread.

Actually, now I think of it, one of them was found via your blog.  Apologies for not crediting it.

[commissarmoody]

No worries. 

[mikeygees]

I'm in the process of completing a project based around the, Euro-bronze age, Tollense River battle near the Baltic. I decided on 15mm, using a mix of FIB Early Germans, mounted and foot, and Celtic chariots. I also decided on DBA 3.0 as my rule set, using the actual army-lists in the book 'only' as a guide. Here are a few stands already completed....





I have painted any/all armor and helmets bronze as well as half the spear tips and axe heads. Shields have 'early-iron' bucklers, and some of the swords will be 'early-iron. Arrow tips will be bronze and flint color.

[Richard in Sachsen]

Wow, those 15's are simply superb!

[Whitwort Stormbringer]

While I don't know of any specific rule sets that seem appropriate to cover this period, if you're interested in a) doing a bit of thematic reskinning of rules/factions and b) high "faction" or warband diversity, then for this scale of engagement really I think you could do worse than SAGA.

If looking for less work and faster play, LOTR SBG is frankly my favorite set of quick-play rules for melee-centric skirmish.  They cover Tolkien's world very well, but are equally effective for practically anything right up to the mass use of firearms.

If potentially interested in much smaller-scale battles, Battle Troll, which is intended to replicate the conflicts of the Norse Sagas, would also probably be a good rule set for this period.  It's really much more suited to a handful of fighters per side at most, though.

Lastly, I always recommend that people check out the Free Wargames Rules Wiki.  I don't necessarily know that you'll find exactly what you're looking for, but there's such a variety of rulesets available on that site that, for any kind of obscure or niche setting, it's my first stop.