The slightly overdue revision of Civitates Bellantes is now complete and the rules are available as a free download in the rules section of my site.

Civitates Bellantes sets out to simulate warfare in Europe, the near East and the Mediterranean from about 500 BC to 200 AD. The scope of the fully revised rules includes the wars of Greece and Persia, the Macedonian conquests and the successor Hellenistic states, and also those of Rome from the republic to early empire.

I took this photo of Simon Miller's late republican legionaries during a game at his place last year using an earlier version of Civitates. It is one of my favourite pics due to the soft focus and apparent morning mist on the battlefield. I would like to claim I managed this all through my skill as a photographer but actually it was pure fluke.

Civitates Bellantes is the result of a collaboration between myself and Caoimhín Boru and is based on the mechanisms that I developed for Comitatus. This gives players the opportunity to use familiar systems across a much wider time span, while still retaining the special characteristics of each period.

We have spent a great deal of time and effort on getting the right balance between legions and phalanx as well as ensuring that the actual tactics of the ancients will really work on the games table. Therfore unlike virtually any other ancients rules you can actually field a legion as a single unit in its 3 line formation and use the lines to support and releive each other.

Why not give it a go?

The Crecy project continues...

Northampton and Arundel's wing is now complete. King Edward III is on the hill to the rear

The first French men-at-arms...

... and Genoese crossbows

Not having anything like enough troops for Crecy yet, Dave Allen and I set up a small game based loosely on the encounter at Ariñez in 1367 when Sir William Felton’s company of men at arms and archers took a stand on a hillside when attacked by Don Tello’s Castilians supported by French men-at-arms under Arnaud d”Audrehem.

Historically the Castilian jinetes (light skirmishing cavalry) pinned down the English but despite several charges the Castilians were unable to make any real headway until the French men at arms dismounted and successfully charged up the hill to finish off the English.

We increased the numbers of troops, adding some Genoese crossbows to the Franco-Castilian force for no better reason than I had just finished painting them. To balance this we gave the English a larger force than the 400 they had historically. As I did not have any jinetes or other skirmishers we substituted my Moorish cavalry and Balearic slingers. Actually they did not seem too out of place although I am looking forward to the day when Dave’s Spanish troops are painted up in numbers. His first unit of jinetes are below

Surrounded by jinetes and slingers, the English take a stand on a hill, their flanks and rear protected by woods and rocky outcrops. The figures in the picture below are a mix of Essex, Front Rank and Percy 28mm figures. The Essex figures were painted back in 1983 and had never seen action before today. They actually represent the contingents of Arundel and Northampton.

Crossbows, slingers and jinetes to the front the Castilians advance on the English position. As happened historically the longbows outshot the Castilian missile troops and although the jinetes on the right did manage to get close enough to throw a few javelins at the English line, they were soon sent packing.

Then the Spanish men at arms decided to attack, remaining mounted. They braved the arrow storm and made it into contact with the English line but they were in such a state of disarray that after exchanging only a few blows they retreated in disorder.

It was now up to the French. As a veteran of Crecy, d’Audrehem knew better than to attempt a mounted charge, He dismounted his men and led them on foot against the English right. They met with initial success, driving back the archers who retired behind their supporting men at arms. Worn down by archery fire and the long slog up the hill the French began to give way as the English men at arms came into combat. At this point it was clear that the English would not be dislodged from their position and the Franco-Castilian force decided to withdraw.

Back in 1983 I embarked on a project to paint up both armies at the Battle of Crecy. I got as far as painting up the English left wing and then for various reasons the project faltered and I never returned to it… until now.

Over the Christmas period I painted up some Genoese Crossbowmen and my first units of French Knights. The project is back on!