Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Age of Myths, Gods and Empires => Topic started by: Paintdog on 28 September 2025, 12:13:06 AM
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For a while now, I've had two armies in search of a rule set - my Late Antiquity Romans & Barbarians.
As I'm the only one in our group covering this period, it's up to me to find something that will work, in order to interest my pals. And to fit a niche in our gaming schedule - in this case, midweek night games of 2-3 hours.
Searching for a commercial rule set is fraught. You get recommendations from forums, read online reviews & watch after battle reports before shelling out money to receive what still not might work for you. Just look at my book cases for unused rule sets.
I finally decided to go with home grown. I had some notes and the start of a rule set I'd started some years ago. I thought they had promise so spent the last few weeks working on them - with AI's help in suggesting some good & not so good mechanisms, formatting etc. I've run some solo games & I hope they're good to go - I've organised a game for Thursday night. It'll be a 'civil war' scenario, also co-authored by me & AL (my new best friend).
I believe they have some tactical challenge, mirror the period & will be fought to a conclusion in the available time. I don't think 'Shieldwall' (my name - Al came up with some poor suggestions) will threaten 'hail Caesar' or ADLG etc but hopefully the rules will be fit for purpose.
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Hopefully it plays well and your group like the rules!
Shieldwall is already in use for a fairly popular Dark Ages rule set - but then most wargames rule names seem to have more than one set of rules using them.
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Thanks.
I've never played a commercial set called 'Shieldwall' but now that you mention it, it rings a bell. That might be why the name occurred to me. Hmmm - plagiarism.
As I have no intention of selling my rules (& no-one would be daft enough to buy them), I should be safe!
donald
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I have to admit, if someone were to mention a set of rules called 'Shieldwall' then the very first period I'd think of is the dark ages, not ancients. 'Testudo' would be more like an ancients set of rules, I'd have thought.
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Do let us know how it works out!
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I have to admit, if someone were to mention a set of rules called 'Shieldwall' then the very first period I'd think of is the dark ages, not ancients. 'Testudo' would be more like an ancients set of rules, I'd have thought.
Rick - I think testudo is a tactic not (much) used by Late Antiquity?
I see your point but I feel the end of Antiquity - Dark Ages (Early Medieval anyone?) hasn't a sharp, chronological edge & 'shieldwall' was a tactic used by both L. Romans & their barbarian allies/enemies. Also one of my chums wants to build an Arthurian force & this will be easy to fit into my rules.
As I wrote, AI didn't come up with anything I liked so if you have any more suggestions for a title & I use it, that will give you 2% of the cash I make selling this rule set (ie nothing).
cheers, donald
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Ah right - I now see your point. I wasn't aware of the time frame you were aiming to cover and, yes, testudo would be well out!
In that case, might I suggest 'Fulcum' or 'The Fulcum' instead?
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What about “caput porcinum”, or in English Boars head, as a title for your rules? The formation used/tried by barbarians to break through Roman lines…
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You could name the rules after leaders of the era. Stilicho, Clovis, Attila.
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Wow. Thanks for the great naming ideas. All better than my effort. I'll think it over.
donald
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Throwing in another suggestion: Imperium barbarii - "the barbaric imperium" or "the dominion of the barbarians" in reference to einher the Roman troops of germanic, hunnic or whatever origin, or to the increasing strength of various tribes.
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I am interested in hearing more about the Point-of-View you had on how combat in this period worked, and how you then used mechanics to mirror that Point-of-View.
I have a similar rule set using the Wars of the Republic rules from Osprey as a base. However, I am still building Historical scenarios for it.
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What about “caput porcinum”, or in English Boars head, as a title for your rules? The formation used/tried by barbarians to break through Roman lines…
I don't know about the earlier campaigns against the Romans but the later Germanic/Norse used the Schweinskopf/Svinsfylking (swines head) array against a weaker, less disciplined formation as it would punch deeply into a looser group and inflict heavier casualties on an opponent. Against a strong, disciplined opponent, they'd use a 3 rank shieldwall and rely on strength and endurance to win.
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I don't know about the earlier campaigns against the Romans but the later Germanic/Norse used the Schweinskopf/Svinsfylking (swines head) array against a weaker, less disciplined formation as it would punch deeply into a looser group and inflict heavier casualties on an opponent. Against a strong, disciplined opponent, they'd use a 3 rank shieldwall and rely on strength and endurance to win.
In the battle of Argentoratum in 357 AD the Germanic tribes under Gnodomar used it… as a sort of last attempt to break through the Roman line… but I also don’t know when it was first used, by whom, how exactly, why, and whether or not that was indeed the first… or just the first that got written down and the text surviving through the centuries…
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No I don't either. There was a general sloshing around of ideas from Germany up into Scandinavia throughout the late antiquity and early medieval periods - the way the remains of the early German boats resemble the later, more developed, Norse boats, for example, show that (and possibly the method). However it happened, the Shieldwall and Swines Head formations disseminated amongst the Germans, Saxons, Danes and Norse as the 2 main battle tactics.
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I am interested in hearing more about the Point-of-View you had on how combat in this period worked, and how you then used mechanics to mirror that Point-of-View.
I have a similar rule set using the Wars of the Republic rules from Osprey as a base. However, I am still building Historical scenarios for it.
I must emphasise that these are meant as an extremely fast play rule set, so historical detail has been pruned to a degree.
OK - troop types. Where the L. Romans & their Hun or Goth frenemies have differing troop types, movement & combat attributes will differ. eg cataphracts move slowly but resist missile attack.
This also impinges on some unique mechanisms e.g Hunnic horse archers, if charged, can feign flight, fire & then turn to face.
There are some unique weapons eg plumbata & francisca which can be hurled at enemy charging if the unit, so equipped, choses to stand & receive the charge. Some Barbarian infantry are classified as "warband" - faster to charge, greater impact but poor morale if their charge fails.
I should say that by and large, there isn't that much difference between the L. Romans & the Barbarians.....& I think *that* is also a period-specific trait. So both sides infantry can form a shieldwall fo example.
I hope this helps.
donald