Armies of Arcana

Welcome to Armies of Arcana! AoA is a miniature wargame, allowing players to fight battles with any fantasy troops they can muster. If you are a veteran to fantasy miniature games, AoA will let you use any figures from any army you already own. It will also let you play with any figures you've been wanting to use but weren't allowed to in other games.

If you are new to the hobby, Armies of Arcana is a simple and fast game to learn, but one that has deep tactical options and nearly infinite replay value.

Armies of Arcana is typically played with 28mm figures or 15mm figures. The rules are the same at either scale, so it is just a personal choice - many players have armies at both scales. 28mm is a better scale for showing off painting skills, while 15mm figures are much less expensive and easier to transport.

A 28mm High Elf Army (Brett Manus)

A 15mm High Elf Army (Rob Etheridge)

If you've never played a miniature wargame, they are highly flexible gaming systems that are played on homemade battlefields placed on tabletops of any size. Instead of using counters or markers to represent troops, you collect and build the armies you want to play, from a wide variety of metal or plastic figures. An AoA battle could be compared to a game of Warcraft or Empire Earth, except there usually is not the "build up from scratch" element - you are a general who is bringing an army of your making to the field.

Unlike computer gamers, your army is more than just pixels and data. They are tangible game pieces that appeal to any wargamer's megalomania. Also unlike computer or board games, players may paint their armies as they like, and build the terrain as they like. Miniature gaming isn't just a right brain tactical exercise - it is also a great outlet for left brain creativity and artistry.

A giant Armies of Arcana battle (30,000 points per side!)

Advice on painting and terrain building can be found on this website, and across many websites on the internet. Miniature wargaming is a growing hobby , accommodating players of any level of interest and dedication.

For those who have played other fantasy miniature wargames, these are some of the differences that have made Armies of Arcana so highly praised by its players:

Armies of Arcana was designed to be played with your normal d6's, no other dice needed. You'll probably want a lot of them, and I personally suggest the Dice Bricks of 36 small dice. A few other dice to mark wounds and magic power are also useful. Turns are done in phases, and designed to make things appear simultaneous. The turn sequence is:

Fleeing Movement - Units that were broken the turn before now run away, and their enemies may be able to pursue and catch them.
Normal Movement - Each player moves his entire force.
Magic - Players alternate using spell casters.
Missile Fire - Players simultaneously resolve shooting attacks.
Melee - Players simulataneously resolve melee combat.
Morale - Units that were previously broken may have the chance to rally, and units that have suffered significant loss or are in dire tactical positions check their morale to see if they break.

Both players will complete a phase before moving on. Missile fire and melee is resolved simultaneously, so usually everything gets a chance to fight and defend itself. One player will move before the other, but there are no bonuses to be gained by being the one to initiate combat, unless you hit a an enemy unit's flank or rear. Combat is resolved in two simple dice rolls, with no chart cross-referencing. Everything is capable of affecting everything else, so there are no invulnerable characters or monsters that can rampage at will.

Magic is predictable in power and consistent in its effects. Spell casters focus magical power each turn, and may cast one spell per turn. They may also use their power to counter the enemies spells. Power may be stored from turn to turn to cast more powerful spells. No spell is so strong that it ends the game, and few spells will affect more than one unit at a time. There are eight spell groups currently available.

Morale is handled just as sensibly. No unit will take a morale check without taking sufficient casualties unless it is grossly outmaneuvered. One unit breaking will not result in your whole army fleeing, and fleeing units cannot be cut down like baby harp seals by a smaller unit.

Maneuver is the most significant factor in the game. In Armies of Arcana, a unit or two of the weakest troops can break the strongest, if they are maneuvered well.

The point system used for troop creation is well defined and available in the book, so if a figure is not included in the book, you can still make stats and play it.

The game runs everything from small skirmishes to massive battles smoothly and quickly.

I strongly encourage prospective players to look through the battle reports, players armies and customer comments to learn more about the game.

The rulebook is 86 pages laid out to follow the game sequence. It comes with 18 army lists, 9 spells lists, and all rules needed to play. All additional supplements are made available here on this website, either in the New Army List or AoA Support sections.

 

 

© 2007
Thane's Games