- BGG rank
- BGG #11,249
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Warmaster Ancients
- 2 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 2.6/5
- 2005
- BGG rank
- BGG #16,243
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Sword & Spear: Wargames Rules for Ancient and Medieval Battles
2014
Rules assistance for Sword & Spear: Wargames Rules for Ancient and Medieval Battles
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 120 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.7/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Sword & Spear: Wargames Rules for Ancient and Medieval Battles
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Sword & Spear: Wargames Rules for Ancient and Medieval Battles is a board game released in 2014 for 2–6 players, 120 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Mark Lewis (II) and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Scenario / Mission / Campaign Game.
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #10,178
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Field of Glory: Ancient and Medieval Wargaming Rules
- 2–4 players
- 180 min
- Complexity 3.6/5
- 2008
- BGG rank
- BGG #7,216
- BGG rating
- 8.3
SAGA Rulebook (2nd Edition)
- 2–6 players
- 40–320 min
- Complexity 2.6/5
- 2018
- BGG rank
- BGG #15,222
- BGG rating
- 7.0
De Bellis Magistrorum Militum: Wargame Rules for Ancient and Medieval Battle from 3000 BC to 1525 AD
- 2 players
- 240 min
- Complexity 4.0/5
- 2007
- BGG rank
- BGG #8,584
- BGG rating
- 8.8
Mythic Battles: Isfet
- 2–4 players
- 60–90 min
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 2025
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,935
- BGG rating
- 8.4
Mythic Battles: Ragnarök
- 2–4 players
- 60–90 min
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,078
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Flames of War: The World War II Miniatures Game
- 2 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 2002
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,837
- BGG rating
- 8.1
Stargrave: Science Fiction Wargames in the Ravaged Galaxy
- 2–4 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 2.9/5
- 2021
- BGG rank
- BGG #9,327
- BGG rating
- 8.1
Mutant Year Zero: Zone Wars
- 1–4 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #10,987
- BGG rating
- 8.3
The Silver Bayonet: A Wargame of Napoleonic Gothic Horror
- 1–2 players
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 2021
- BGG rank
- BGG #13,391
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Beyond the Gates of Antares
- 2–6 players
- 90–180 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2014
- BGG rank
- BGG #14,032
- BGG rating
- 8.2
One-hour Wargames
- 1–2 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 2014
About the game
Sword & Spear is a set of wargames rules for Ancients and Medieval battles. They are suitable for any scale figures and any basing standard, the only requirement being that figures are organized into units of equal frontage. A typical game has around 8—15 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. Sword & Spear features a clever and innovative system for activating units that creates interesting and challenging decisions, keeps both players involved at all times, and has a lot of depth and subtlety. Each turn is split into phases, where players each receive a number of action dice, which are rolled and then used to activate their units. The number shown on each dice determines which units can activate (with better quality units being easier to activate), what the unit can do when activated, and also determine the activation sequence. Certain dice also give bonuses to combat, movement distance, or shooting range. So there is a lot to think about, and allocating the action dice well is the key to success (although rolling lots of sixes helps as well!). The rules are relatively straightforward, and there are no "to hit" tables, charts, or lists of dieroll modifiers. They can be played using only the one-sided Quick Reference Sheet, with very little reference to the rulebook after the first couple of games. Army lists are available as free downloads online, covering a wide range of Ancient and Medieval armies. These include points for each unit, so that players can play relatively balanced games by building armies to a set points total. There are currently over 40 army lists, including many of the most popular armies, and more are being added each week, with the aim to have over 100 lists available. The rules also include guidelines to help in recreating historic battles, and there are three generic scenarios included as alternatives to the pitched battle. The strengths of the game are that it gives an exciting, interesting and challenging experience, plays relatively quickly for the size of battle that is being depicted, and the rules are straightforward to learn, whilst having the depth to retain interest after repeated play.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Great Escape Games
- Polkovnik Productions
Questions and answers
Sword & Spear: Wargames Rules for Ancient and Medieval Battles supports 2–6 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Sword & Spear: Wargames Rules for Ancient and Medieval Battles is 120 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Sword & Spear: Wargames Rules for Ancient and Medieval Battles for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Sword & Spear: Wargames Rules for Ancient and Medieval Battles has a complexity rating of 2.7 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Sword & Spear: Wargames Rules for Ancient and Medieval Battles belongs to these categories: Wargame, Miniatures, and Medieval. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Scenario / Mission / Campaign Game. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Sword & Spear: Wargames Rules for Ancient and Medieval Battles are: Mark Lewis (II). These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Sword & Spear: Wargames Rules for Ancient and Medieval Battles as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.