OHW - Other Era's ?

I have taken a short break from the ACW campaign, though it hasn't stopped me thinking, planning and sorting out figures. The One Hour Wargames does contain very similar style rules for other era's too. The two that particularly caught my eye, were the Medieval and Pike and Shot periods.

I have a large number of 28 mm Wars of the Roses, plus some Arab Warriors in the same scale. Also a decent amount of English Civil War figures, again in 28 mm. These rules were written with 28 mm in mind, to allow for decent sized battles on a small table, so the old grey matter started ticking over.

If anyone reading this, saw and listened to my intro to last nights Tabletop Commanders Paint & Chat, (6th December 2016), you will have heard me touch on this subject. I also mentioned the fact that my table is only 30 inches by 43 inches, meaning I would have to adapt some of the provided scenarios in the book to fit my table.

Someone, who's name I only know as Maps and Things, made a blindingly obvious comment. Simply use a 30 inch square and reduce movement and firing ranges to suit! It was so obvious, I never thought of it, but it is the perfect answer. For example infantry will move 5 inches as opposed to 6 etc. This will indeed allow me to fight on the table available to me, with barely any alteration to the provided scenario maps.

I had been sorting out some Medieval figures yesterday. Tomorrow I shall do the same again for English Civil War troops that I have. The beauty of the rules is that an army list is generated by throwing a single D6, and you will never need more than ten bases of figures for any given army.


I can demonstrate that better by looking at the following photographs.

The Arab Army, just like all the other armies in the Medieval Period, could have a maximum of four units of mounted knights. Two units of foot knights, two units of archers and two units of levies. This is the full force below, though of course you will only ever have a maximum of six on the table at any one time. The heavy cavalry on the back line, I shall give the same stats as the mounted knights. The elite foot, centre left, will be foot knights, archers and levies are just the same as their counterparts in the Western style armies.

Two units of levies

Two units of archers.

Two units of elite infantry (foot knights)

Four units of heavy cavalry at the rear, (mounted men at arms, or knights to you and I)

I also have enough liveried troops to make up four more armies for the table. The two stands of light cavalry at the rear right, will be classed as mounted knights, they wear the green and white, of the rest of the force, so will do very nicely.

I have only shown two stands of foot knights, though in theory, a total of four may be required, dependent on the die roll. I have also selected another two bases of them, only they will have a banner to differentiate then from the enemy. So all four Western armies will use the same figures.

A black and amber army, again only the multi-use foot knights are not wearing the army colours. Spear men of course, will be the levies.

Claret and blue.

Finally, blue and white.

So a total of five armies, ready for action on the table top. A straight up Yorkists versus Lancastrians, Western versus Eastern, or simply an Imagi-nations campaign.

Now to sort out my Royalists and Parliamentarians...