The following sets of rules are now available on Wargames Vault
This rule set emphasizes the distinct asymmetric nature of the two armies, focusing on Roman discipline versus Gaulish individual prowess and numerical advantage.
It is designed to be a quick skirmish game with simple mechanics but also one in which tactical acumen is required. The figure scale is agnostic although I find the larger 54mm and 75mm scale figures work well and provide a larger visual spectacle.
As indicated above the game features an asymmetric conflict between the disciplined Roman forces and the fierce Gauls. Romans move on in column formation on a short table edge, and any casualties they take are permanent. The Gauls, however, stream onto the board from any long table edge and their casualties are not permanent; they can re-enter the game on the next turn, representing their vast numbers. Movement speeds reflect this difference: Gallic figures, including cavalry and chariots, move a full stick, while Roman infantry moves only a half stick.
The core of the game-play is the unpredictable Chaos of War activation system. The game utilises a deck containing one specific card for every unit on the board, plus a single Joker. Players shuffle this deck and draw cards sequentially. When a Unit Card is drawn, that unit immediately takes its single action (Move, Shoot, or Charge). The entire Activation Phase, and thus the opportunity for any remaining units to move, immediately ends if the Joker is drawn, forcing players to react constantly to the possibility of a sudden turn halt. There is no simultaneous movement phase, making the card draw the sole determinant of action.
Once the Activation Phase ends, either by the deck running out or the Joker being drawn, the turn has ended. There is no melee phase, combat occurs if at the end of a models activation they are in base to base combat with an opponent.. Combat uses a special skull/shield dice. The base number of dice rolled contrasts sharply: Gauls roll 3 dice, while Romans roll only 1 die. However, Romans gain crucial bonuses for formation, notably +1 die if their Signifier (standard bearer is present, and +1 die for every friend in base-to-base contact, rewarding tight, disciplined lines. Kills also favour the disciplined; a Gaul is removed by two uncancelled skulls, but a Roman requires three. Javelins are resolved only in melee, and the only long-range attack is the bow, which fires two dice at a range of two movement sticks.
This system creates a game where the Romans must leverage every bonus to survive the inevitable charge and hold the line, while the Gauls rely on their speed, high individual attack power, and the terrifying knowledge that their fallen warriors will soon return to the fray.
Welcome to Blade and Banner, the complete set of rules for intense, card-driven medieval skirmishes, for up to four players. This game plunges you into the gritty reality of small-scale combat, where individual skill, specialised equipment, and tactical positioning are the keys to victory.
Experience the visceral reality of medieval skirmish combat! Blade and Banner is a fast-paced, card-driven miniatures wargame that puts you in command of a small, elite retinue of knights, men-at-arms, and missile troops. Are you ready to seize the field?
The core of the game lies in its Card Resolution System. Every attack and defence is a high-stakes moment, using a unique card mechanic where specialised gear grants crucial card-draw bonuses (like the Lance’s +3 Draw on a Couched Charge) or imposes crippling save penalties (such as the Armour Cracker or Devastating Blow). This system provides genuine Tactical Depth as you equip your models with specialised load outs—from Accurate Longbows for ranged support to Great Weapons for heavy melee—each defining their role on the battlefield.
This package provides a Complete Skirmish Experience. It includes full Weapon and Resolution Tables, a ready-to-play Sample Retinue, and three distinct scenarios like The Bloody Ford and The Supply Train Ambush and the Joust to test your strategic skills immediately. Master the charge, outflank your foe, and secure your banner!
Welcome, welcome, citizens of the cosmos! Tonight, we find ourselves at the precipice! The abyss! Or, as I like to call it, ‘Tuesday’! But this is no ordinary Tuesday, my friends, because outside those very soundproofed walls—which, let’s be honest, were an absolute steal on an intergalactic clearance sale—a threat looms! The question is: which brand of spectacular, imminent destruction has punched its ticket for tonight’s show?” Will tonight’s doom be delivered by the legendary, the terrifying, the unbelievably messy… Ravaging Hordes!? Ah, the Hordes. They represent the purest form of chaos: mindless hunger. They don’t have a plan, they don’t have a spreadsheet, they just have an overwhelming, primal need to consume everything. Think of it like that time you owed your cousin, Zorp, forty credits, and then you just kept forgetting until the interest compounded into a self-aware, planet-devouring singularity. That’s the Hordes! They’re less ‘evil masterminds’ and more ‘a bad debt with teeth,’ and they move with the singular, unyielding purpose of a teenager trying to get to the last slice of pizza. They are here for one reason: to eat everything, including the microphone cable! The horde may include zombies, robots, bugs and insects or ectoplasmic constructs etc.
Or, will we face the sleek, the sinister, the truly over-prepared… Extinction Syndicate!? Now these guys? These are not your average slobbering monsters. Oh no. The Extinction Syndicate is organised, sentient, and frankly, kind of rude. They colour-code their atrocities! They have quarterly performance reviews for their lieutenants! They are the universe’s equivalent of that one neighbour who calls the Council because your hedge is 0.3 millimetres too high! And get this: rumour has it they’re not just packing heat; they’re probably packing lasers. Not just regular lasers, either—I’m talking about the ones that come with a little instruction manual and a three-year warranty! They’re not just trying to conquer the galaxy; they’re trying to do it with a five-step process and a professionally-designed PowerPoint presentation. Watch out, folks, because they are here to take over, and they expect you to sign a Non Disclosure Agreement first! So, buckle up, grab your existential dread, and let’s find out which brand of glorious cataclysm is about to ruin the buffet! The music… starts… NOW! The extinction Syndicate may include robots that just want to “exterminate”, grey aliens, and other organised nasties.
All three of these rules and “Tuk Tuk Zombie Rumble” will be available in print as an anthology from Amazon in the next few weeks.
