The Battle Day is held each year in the spring. Each year a specific battle is chosen by the organiser, and we try to refight it in a more or less historical fashion using as many different rulesets as we can. It is a great opportunity to see how different rulesets and design philosophies can emphasize different elements of the experience.
Gallery
Next Battle Day
- Battle Day 2026 – Cunaxa 401 BC
The 2026 Society of Ancients Battle Day will take place at Hermitage Village Hall in Berkshire (postcode RG18 9WL), on Sunday 29th March 2026. We will be re-fighting the epic Battle of Cunaxa in 401 BC where Cyrus The Younger, aided by a band of 10,000 mercenary Greek Hoplites, sought to overthrow his brother Artaxerxes II for the throne of Persia.
The day will run from 9am (with the hall available to set up from 8am) to 5pm and will consist of an opening presentation by renowned historian and veteran wargamer Duncan Head, followed by a full day of wargames to refight the battle itself. A wide variety of rules sets, figure scales and even, perhaps, widely divergent interpretations of the historical sources will be on display. Games are laid on by attendees, and participants can either volunteer to run a game, or turn up and find a free space to play. The event is open to both members and non-members, and will cost £12 per person.
For more information please email the Battle Day Coordinator: battleday@soa.org.uk or soabattleday@gmail.com
If you wish to run a game please provide the following details:
- Name of Organiser
- Wargames Rules to be used
- Figure scale
- Size of table requested. Please note space is finite, so please do not ‘overbid’!
- Names and numbers of others in your group who are planning to attend (this helps with event planning).
- Number of ‘spare’ places you anticipate having at your table for unattached players to join you.
Battle Day 2025 (Maldon 991 AD) in full swing!
Past Battle Days
- Battle Day 2026 – Cunaxa 401 BCThe 2026 Society of Ancients Battle Day will take place at Hermitage Village Hall in Berkshire (postcode RG18 9WL), on Sunday 29th March 2026. We will be re-fighting the epic Battle of Cunaxa in 401 BC where Cyrus The Younger, aided by a band of 10,000 mercenary Greek Hoplites, sought to overthrow his brother Artaxerxes II for the throne… Read more: Battle Day 2026 – Cunaxa 401 BC
- Battle Day 2025 – Maldon 991 ADThis year’s Battle Day was held at Hermitage Village Hall in Berkshire on Sunday 30th March and showcased The Battle of Maldon, the 991AD encounter in Essex between the English army of Byrhtnoth and the Viking raiders of (probably) Olaf Tryggvason. Immortalised in the eponymous Anglo-Saxon poem, the battle provided plenty of challenges to stage,… Read more: Battle Day 2025 – Maldon 991 AD
- Battle Day 2024 – Ilipa 206 BCNext year’s annual Society of Ancients Battle Day will take place at Hermitage Village Hall in Berkshire (postcode RG18 9WL) , on Sunday 24th March 2024. We will be re-fighting Scipio’s famous victory against Hasdrubal and Mago at Ilipa in 206BC. The day will run from 9am (with the hall available to set up from 8am) to 5pm and will consist of… Read more: Battle Day 2024 – Ilipa 206 BC
- Battle Day 2023 – 2nd Mantinea 362 BCMeanwhile Epaminondas led forward his army prow on, like a trireme, believing that if he could strike and cut through anywhere, he would destroy the entire army of his adversaries. For he was preparing to make the contest with the strongest part of his force, and the weakest part he had stationed far back, knowing… Read more: Battle Day 2023 – 2nd Mantinea 362 BC
- Battle Day 2022 – Adrianople 378 ADThe eighteenth annual Society of Ancients Battle DaySunday 20th March 2021Shaw House, Church Road, Newbury RG14 2DR
- Battle Day 2021 – Bosworth 1485 ADWhile the battle thus raged between the front lines in both sectors, Richard learnt, first from spies, that Henry was some way off with a few armed men as his retinue, and then, as the latter drew nearer, recognised him more certainly from his standards. Inflamed with anger, he spurred his horse, and road against… Read more: Battle Day 2021 – Bosworth 1485 AD
- Battle Day 2019 – Telamon 225 BCThe Celts at first were ignorant of the arrival of Atilius and imagined from what they saw, that Aemilius’ cavalry had got round their flank in the night and were engaged in occupying the position. They therefore at once sent on their own cavalry and some of their light-armed troops to dispute the possession of… Read more: Battle Day 2019 – Telamon 225 BC
- Battle Day 2018 – Paraetacene 317 BCBattle Day 2018 will be Paraetacene 317 BC, the large Successor battle between the armies of Eumenes of Cardia and Antigonus One-Eye. So…pike, heavy cavalry, light cavalry, elephants in a big battle on an open plain – what’s not to like here! Members are invited to come and run games, or to just turn up and… Read more: Battle Day 2018 – Paraetacene 317 BC
- Battle Day 2017 – Arsuf 1191 ADBattle Day 2017 duly took place on Saturday 1 April at the usual venue of Sycamore Hall, Bletchley. Around 40 wargamers refought the Battle of Arsuf, 1191 AD across eight different wargames using eight different sets of rules. The day started with a very well-received expert introduction to the battle and the challenges of wargaming… Read more: Battle Day 2017 – Arsuf 1191 AD
- Battle Day 2016 – Pharsalus 48 BCPharsalus 48 BC For almost all the horsemen had crowded to this point, in order to overpower Caesar and cut to pieces the tenth legion; for this was generally said to fight better than any other, and in its ranks Caesar usually stood when he fought a battle. But Caesar, observing that the left wing of the enemy… Read more: Battle Day 2016 – Pharsalus 48 BC
- Battle Day 2015 – Hydaspes 326 BC…he was informed that Porus, with the whole of his army, was on the other side of that river… The twelfth annual Society of Ancients Battle DaySaturday 28 March 2015 Sycamore Hall, Drayton Road, Bletchley, Near Milton Keynes, MK2 3RR The Hydaspes 326 BC Upon this, the drivers of the elephants urged forward the beasts against… Read more: Battle Day 2015 – Hydaspes 326 BC
- Battle Day 2014 – Montaperti 1260 ADIntroduction The aim of this Battle Pack is to introduce the battle, give a broad description of the events leading up to and during the battle itself, give some orders of battle, and provide some observations on the challenges and issues that a Game Organiser may need to consider when planning the refight. English translation… Read more: Battle Day 2014 – Montaperti 1260 AD
- Battle Day 2013 – Chalons 451 ADRichard Lockwood This Battle pack should be read in conjunction with all the material on the SoA Forum that has been posted. Terrain “The battle field was a plain rising by a sharp slope to a ridge.” (Jordanes) This is really all we know about the ground over which the battle was fought. Chances are… Read more: Battle Day 2013 – Chalons 451 AD
- Battle Day 2012 – Plataea 479 BCOn they went with loud shouts… Richard Lockwood & Daivid Barnsdale When he had so spoken, he crossed the Asopus, and led the Persians forward at a run directly upon the track of the Greeks, whom he believed to be in actual flight. He could not see the Athenians; for, as they had taken the… Read more: Battle Day 2012 – Plataea 479 BC
- Battle Day 2011 – Kadesh 1274 BCThere was no Battle Pack for the refight of Kadesh – instead all of the discussions about it can be found on the Society Forum.
- Battle Day 2010 – Zama 202 BCThe seventh annual Society of Ancients Battle Day, Saturday 17 April 2010. Sycamore Hall, Drayton Road, Bletchley, Near Milton Keynes, MK2 3RR. He ordered each officer to address his own men, bidding them rest their hopes of victory on him and the army he had brought with him; while he bade their officers remind the… Read more: Battle Day 2010 – Zama 202 BC