Guardroom

News and views

Honour and Loss

Phil Sabin recounts his long and stimulating acquaintaince with Patrick Waterson that spanned 15 years and was the occasion of many fruitful discussions and debates.

Sumerian Military Camel Riders

Simon Watson takes a closer look at the standard assumption that camels were used in armies only from about 1000 BC and produces arguments for their being used by the Sumerians domestically and hence probably in a military context a millennium and a half earlier.

What a Wheelie

Chariots anyone? Here is an overview of a skirmish-level game that covers every aspect of the troop type that dominated warfare in the Fertile Crescent for millennia. And the rulest itself is downloadable for free!

In the Lab with Legions 

How does one model the triplex acies legion on the gaming table? Chris Hahn sifts through Tactica II, Armati, Hail Caesar, Impetus and l'Art de la Guerre to ascertain which ruleset best replicates the iconic formation that created the Roman Empire.

Making 15mm Siena Military Companies

Siennese Contrade make for an interesting army list, comprising militia spearmen, pavesari, crossbowmen, javelinmen, archers and knights—and not forgetting the carroccio. Richard Lockwood describes how he created an army that is as pretty as it is authentic.

Refighting Cannae

As every wargamer knows, Cannae is one of the toughest battles to recreate on the wargaming table in a way that even remotely replicates history. Using l'Art de la Guerre, Dan Hazelwood sets up a game scenario that promises not only historicity but also balanced gameplay.

Aquae Sextiae with DBA

Using Big Battle DBA, Andy Offen manages to recreate an historical outcome between Marius's legions and their historical enemies, the Teutones and Ambrones, though the question of whether Marian Romans were better than Polybian Romans is still to be answered.

Slingshot Book & Game Reviews

• The Western Way of War: Infantry Battle in Classical Greece
• Hoplites: the classical Greek Battle Experience
• Greek Warfare: Myths and Realities
• A Storm of Spears: Understanding the Greek Hoplite at War
• Reinstating the Hoplite: Arms, Armour and Phalanx Fighting in Archaic and Classical Greece
• Men of Bronze: Hoplite Warfare in Ancient Greece
• Hoplites at War: a Comprehensive Analysis of Heavy Infantry Combat in the Greek World, 750-100 BCE
• Armies of the Hellenistic States 323BC – AD30, History, Organisation and Equipment.
• The Ancient War Game
• Carthage’s Other Wars: Carthaginian warfare outside the ‘Punic Wars’ with Rome
• The Life and Legend of the Sultan Saladin