Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Hello Historical Wargaming fans!

I'm looking for a good and popular (i.e., easy to find players!) ruleset to use for wargaming Alexander (if it can stretch back to Philip too that's OK) and the Diadochi.

Ease of finding players will be a plus.

And a good range of miniatures too, of course.

Thanks!

You mean Hail Ceasar range from warlord ?

I don't think there is any ruleset that is popular enough to be guaranteed players nearby. The usual advice is find a group and take up their preferred rules.

You'll also have the trouble that most rules are scale agnostic and some people use 25mm and others 15mm. 1/72 / 20mm, 10mm and 6mm also have their fans but are less common.

See here for example. One of the facebook groups I'm in will get 20+ rules recommended when someone asks.

I think the most popular in the US are DBA, DBM/DBMM, L'Art de la Guerre, Hail Caesar and Triumph. I could be wrong though and maybe Warhammer Ancient Battles, Swordpoint, Impetvs or To the Strongest are more popular. Also your closest historical group might play some rules no-one else plays. Most ancient rules will cover Alexander as only a few focus on specific conflicts.

For 15mm model I think Xyston and Forged in Battle make good 15mm. Essex makes just about anything if you need something but only average quality.

For 28mm Victrix and Warlord Games have nice plastics and Aventine Miniatures nice metal.

Both scales have plenty of other manufacturers I've not mentioned.

I concur that it would be more advisable to find a group before trying to find rules, historical players can be more than a little entrenched...

 ingtaer wrote:
I concur that it would be more advisable to find a group before trying to find rules, historical players can be more than a little entrenched...

Ha!

Yeah, that's what I've always heard...

...and what I'm apparently about to experience?

Yep. Good luck, you will need it...
Age of the players can be a large factor though, seems like the older crowd (35+) prefer DBM/DBA that style of thing whilst the younger crowd prefer Hail Caesar and that kind of thing.
Or you could go both, I have Alexandrian Macedonians in 15mm for the former games (mostly Essex) and 28mm for the later (mostly Warlord and Victrix).
Just got to be flexible about basing them.

Ah, I should have clarified further!

Definitely looking for 'smaller scale' figures here, so 15mm or less - not really interested in another 28mm+ wargame!

I'll look into DBM/DBA though - thanks!

Question - do you know where to find army lists/books for DBM(M)?

Here's a survey of what was being played (in competitions) in the UK last year, ancients rules-wise:

https://madaxemandotcom.blogspot.com/2018/05/whos-playing-what-2018-update.html

The most popular, and fastest growing was ADLG. The UK doesn't have a "Triumph" scene, but it is popular in the US.

As everyone else has rightly said, finding a local group and seeing what they are playing is the best starting point by far

The one near-constant in ancients rules is that basing has pretty much converged on what's known as the "DBx" standard, which for 15mm troops is a 40mm wide base 'element' with differing depths for different troop types. These are broadly speaking 15mm deep for close formation infantry (your pikemen), 20mm for loose formation and skirmishers (peltasts, bowmen and javelinmen), 30mm for mounted troops (Companions and light horse) and 40mm for elephants. Base up like that and you can pretty much play any system out there

If you start with DBA then it's easy enough to do a Persian army as well if you need a second army to get players interested.

On Military Matters sells the army books in the US. It's the US store TMP users like but I've never used it. Not sure if there is a better option.

 Alpharius wrote:
Ah, I should have clarified further!

Definitely looking for 'smaller scale' figures here, so 15mm or less - not really interested in another 28mm+ wargame!

I'll look into DBM/DBA though - thanks!

Question - do you know where to find army lists/books for DBM(M)?

The makers website;
http://www.wrg.me.uk/WRG.net/index.html

DBA is a short form version of the game DBM(M) so the rules are pretty much the same, more importantly so are the basing conventions!

 Alpharius wrote:
Hello Historical Wargaming fans!

I'm looking for a good and popular (i.e., easy to find players!) ruleset to use for wargaming Alexander (if it can stretch back to Philip too that's OK) and the Diadochi.

Ease of finding players will be a plus.

And a good range of miniatures too, of course.

Thanks!

The "best" place to start is DBA its only 12 stands to a side so it is less intemidating and easy to transport. It used to be easy to find suppliers of boxed armies, often with all the options, so you can make most any sucessor by swapping a unit or two.