
Advanced Search

Author:
Artist:
Price:	$to $

Full‑size Preview

Dominion of the Spear

From

Ork Publishing

ADD TO WISHLIST >

PDF

$5.34

Dominion of the Spear is a very simple set of wargames rules allowing one to fight two armies (pre gunpowder) against each other in just a few minutes. Although figures can be used, battles can easily be fought on paper (no measuring) using pen or pencil and two different coloured six sided dice. 196 army lists are included divided into the periods: the Ancient Near East Age, Age of the Greek and Persian Wars, Age of the Romans, the Dark Ages, Age of the Crusaders, Age of Mongol Invasions and the Late Middle Ages. Armies consist of 3-6 units or commands and the points system is included. There is a complete play through of the Battle of Hydaspes 326 BC between Alexander the Great and King Porus of India. Designer Notes are included along with a quick reference sheet on the back cover.

This is easily read on a tablet or mobile phone and can be printed as an A5 booklet (click booklet and fit to page in printing options).

If you want an army list for an army not included request below and I will provide it.

Customers Who Bought this Title also Purchased

Reviews (0)

Discussions (4)

Please log in to add or reply to comments.

January 07, 2025 8:04 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Very simple wargame set for pre gunpowder battles, that includes nearly 200 lists and is really good at what it sets out to do,

It is basically choose a 12 point army, deploy one unit in each of the three sectors (left , centre or right) and put the rest in reserve. Engage the enemy and as units are lost they are replaced from the reserve until one side wins. Usually the whole battle takes ten minutes or less.

Okay, let's face it once you deploy on the featureless plain apart from deciding which unit moves up from reserve the game plays itself, no head scratching decisions here, so why bother.

Well, this bare bones game does a good job if you want to get a result but no time for a full time game, say for a campaign. The units can have added traits, eg armoured or elite that means the lists are not just vanilla types. To my mind best of all, the very simplicity makes this a good toolkit to try out ideas.

The board can be expanded to more sectors with a...See more

Stephen P January 05, 2025 7:22 am UTC

PUBLISHER

This is a battle report of the Battle of Megiddo 1479 BC refought using the Dominion of the Spear rules.

Pharaoh Thutmose III with his New Kingdom Egyptian army attacked the rebellious Canaanites under King Durusha whose army was stationed on the hills before the city of Megiddo in now northern Israel.

Although each side had around 1,000 light chariots (with a driver and archer aboard) and 10,000 foot this battle refight focuses on the chariots as they led the way and if the chariots lost the infantry were very much inclined to go home!

Egyptian elite Chariots attacked all along the line with arrows flying while the Canaanite chariots responded in kind. The Egyptian right swept over a small stream and threw back the Canaanite chariots. Swarms of Canaanite archers moved to fill the gap. In the centre opposing chariots fired and intermingled with no result. On the Egyptian left however their chariots could make little headway and were thrown back with Egyptian Spearmen then...See more

Oliver W January 04, 2025 6:11 pm UTC

PURCHASER

From the "Designer Notes": "I wanted to write a very simple set of ancient wargames rules....". I think the author has definitively succeeded in that respect. Maybe even too much? After deployment there is (more or less) no movement of troops (only from reserve to the battle line on a 2x3 grid), terrain rules were dropped, as were hit points, moral rules and combat value. Leaders are no direct part of the rules. No offence meant, but I do not see much of a game here - basically there are (almost) no descisions to be made after the (simpple) deployment. You place your units, and then roll to see what happens. To be fair, the author does mention that the rules are best used solo, and can maybe used best to work out battles in a campain-oriented game. And used in this way they can easily generate a more satisfactory narrative of what happend in a combat encounter instead of a "one army was destroyed" result. In addition, the army lists might be quite usable for other 3x3 grid based wargame...See more

Stephen P January 05, 2025 7:19 am UTC

PUBLISHER

Thanks for buying this and your comments, Oliver. As the first line of my product description says: "Dominion of the Spear is a very simple set of wargames rules allowing one to fight two armies (pre gunpowder) against each other in just a few minutes." So yes very simple, designed for solo, giving a result in a few minutes. Regarding movement, units without an opposing enemy unit can attack an adjacent unit, so movement but somewhat disguised. Regarding decisions, yes deploy the armies and see what happens. I have put a couple of battle reports up on TMP Swiss v Burgundian Ordonnance and Lydians v Early Archaemenid Persians. I will post another here - a refight of the battle of Megiddo 1479 BC.

Oliver W January 11, 2025 10:02 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Hi Stephen, thanks for your reply. To be honest, despite of or maybe even because of its simplicity I find myself thinking of expanding the rules (like has been suggested in a later post), which is a good sign I guess. I plan on trying a larger board (5x4), with simple movement rules and even less units (5 a side). Whatever, your rules and lists do have something....

Stephen P January 11, 2025 10:36 pm UTC

PUBLISHER

Thanks for you comment Oliver and for buying the rules and thinking about them. As I mention in the Designer Notes I started with a larger board but found flank attacks got very very messy. Unit A was outflanking Unit B who was outflanking Unit C and then Unit D joined in!! One big mess in the middle! Something that I suggest you will have to consider carefully as it baffled me! What you see is my solution. I will truly be delighted if you find another and better way. What I ended up scratches the itch of wanting to play an ancient wargame and also allows me to think about and play around with army lists. All the very best, Steve

Daniele V January 03, 2025 2:11 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Is it possible to know something about the game mechanics? A short description, maybe?

Stephen P January 03, 2025 3:02 pm UTC

PUBLISHER

The armies are deployed as left flank, centre, and right flank with extra units in the reserve. Then combat in each of these three sectors are resolved sector by sector. A six sided dice is used for each unit to hit and rout it's opponent with missile armed units firing first. Defeated units are replaced from the reserve. The fun and interest comes from the interaction of the different types of units with missile mounted units having an advantage over melee infantry, melee infantry having an advantage over missile infantry, missile infantry over melee mounted, and melee mounted over missile mounted. Then there are outflanking bonuses. A battle can be fought in around 10 minutes or less and with some imagination generates an amusing story. Brief rules are given for scaling up with a bigger battlefield and bigger armies. Really designed to be played solo.

Stephen P January 03, 2025 3:08 pm UTC

PUBLISHER

I found it amusing to take an Art de la Guerre tournament results, note down the top 8 armies and then use the army lists (196) and fight a knockout tournament between them. 7 games and about an hour later you have a winner! An ADLG battle report is also very easy to translate and refight with these rules as its commands are almost equivalent to units in this game.

Daniele V January 03, 2025 3:23 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Thank you... interesting, I am going to get the rules and see.

Stephen P January 03, 2025 5:56 pm UTC

PUBLISHER

Hope you enjoy it! Pick two armies, roll for attacker, deploy the defenders and the attackers trying for good matchups for the attacker, with infantry in the centre and cavalry on the flanks, then fight the battle working left to right. Imaginative reasons can be found as to why a unit is destroyed or another unit prevails against the odds!

Daniele V January 09, 2025 8:31 pm UTC

PURCHASER

I played a couple of games (Greek vs Persians and Sumerian vs Akkadian)... it's a quick, little and fun game, for solo or campaigns. Could also be used with miniatures, to enhance the visual. Well done, Sir!

Publisher

Ork Publishing

Follow Your Favorites!

Recent History

Dominion of the Spear

Format

Original electronic