A backward step?, 30 Nov 2008
I got these rules to see if what some wargamers were saying about them was true, which was that they were better than the other well known ruleset DBMM.
The rules read fairly well although it seemed odd to me to have the combat factors etc at the back. I was expecting to see that sort of info in the part of the book where combat etc is described. Lots of glossy pics & some helpful diagrams.
Having played a few games I was disappointed. The rules work but feel to me like a step back into the past with classification of troops & weapons very much like in the 6th & 7th Ed'n WRG rules. It was those rules whose tedium & the 'rivet-counting' stopped me playing ancients wargaming for many years. Bases of figures move around in permanent units (called battlegroups) reminding me of Warhammer Ancients (which I don't like - reminding me too much of 6th & 7th WRG). Not sure why the FoG authors would want to compete against something that is already established like Warhammer Ancients.
The games I played felt like a game rather than a recreation of a battle. Big clumps of figures moving around & lots of dice to roll - rather inelegant - like Warhammer Ancients.
Ok, the language that its written is clear & there seems less room for misinterpretation than in say DBM or even in it's successor, DBMM. And I'm sure this fact will make it popular with competition organisers. However the rules didn't work for me. They felt like Flames of War does to me - a game of toy soldiers.
So if you like Flames of War you may like these rules. Personally I prefer Blitzkrieg Commander & DBMM - the latter even with it's unclear English & less glossy approach.
I also dislike having to buy 12 army lists for FoG - yeah, 12! Better to stick with DBMM & just 4 army list books. More armies covered & less cost - no brainer really.
I'll stick with DBMM (despite it's faults) for recreating battles - & yeah, I like the strategems etc in DBMM - feels like being a proper general.

A bit dull, 19 Jul 2008
Yes FoG is well laid out and has nice pictures but the question I ask is how interesting to play.

Sorry to say it find it dull, as units (battlegroups) contact and then you are left rolling dice to see what happens. That takes as long as it takes. Players have no involvement except to roll the dice.

Same with shooting, lots of dice are rolled. Not much happens.

More detailed than a lot of other 15mm ancient rule sets but I don't see that the extra detail adds much to game play.

If you are looking for fun, pick another set.

You'd be silly not to buy them, 18 Jul 2008
Field of Glory Rulebook: Ancient and Medieval Wargaming Rules (Field of Glory): Ancient and Medieval Wargaming Rules (Field of Glory)

Let's face it, the American's have been turning out rules sets like this for years. High production values, easy to follow rules with examples, and a dedicated website with equally good follow on publications.

That said, these are very good, the rules set that ancients wargamers have deserved for some time in fact. The price aside, I can find very little to fault in them - the movement rules are a little complex but there are diagrams and I am sure a few games will make things much clearer. The price is high compared to competitors but you get 'a lot of bang for your buck' and the hardback will take a lot of wear and tear, unlike cheaper rules sets which get grubby very quickly.

I particularly like the refrshing lack of 'jargon' which ruins some of the more 'popular' sets on the market at the moment. No 'blades or 'psiloi' here, which should make them more accessible to 'beginners.

The army lists are good as well and there is a dedicated website.

Great Rules, 17 Jun 2008
The book is put together very nicely. It's divided into several chapters, each dealing with a certain aspect of the game. Also, each chapter has it's own quick reference, so it's easy to find the relevant information. Besides the drawings from several renowned artists, you'll find a lot of examples dealing with every aspect of the game. This makes it an ideal start for anybody wishing to begin the exciting hobby of wargaming. For those who have played DBM in the past, it will be an easy transition from those rules to these. This also brings me to the reason why I haven't given it 5 stars. Without going into too much detail a few remarks: many, many rolls of dice; an awkward set of command rules (but easy); certain combats (eg. elephants vs. cavalry)
Final conclusion: the best ancient rules to hit the shelves in the last few years and a potential to draw many players to it.

Just what I wanted, 16 Apr 2008
Nice rules, well put together and full of illustrations to inspire your miniature paintwork. The step by step guide through the playing steps works well.
It's a system that has no super armies and although you and your freinds may build armies from one particular geography and period nevertheless anachronistic war games are possible with this rule set.

Contains starter army lists for Romans vs Carthaginians, and 100 years war English and French. So you will need to purchase the armylist books.

Well worth the money if you're anticipating fighting those lamentable games between Byzantine's and Ancient Egyptians etc.

Try Neil Thomas's book if you want everything under one cover.

A backward step?, 30 Nov 2008
I got these rules to see if what some wargamers were saying about them was true, which was that they were better than the other well known ruleset DBMM.
The rules read fairly well although it seemed odd to me to have the combat factors etc at the back. I was expecting to see that sort of info in the part of the book where combat etc is described. Lots of glossy pics & some helpful diagrams.
Having played a few games I was disappointed. The rules work but feel to me like a step back into the past with classification of troops & weapons very much like in the 6th & 7th Ed'n WRG rules. It was those rules whose tedium & the 'rivet-counting' stopped me playing ancients wargaming for many years. Bases of figures move around in permanent units (called battlegroups) reminding me of Warhammer Ancients (which I don't like - reminding me too much of 6th & 7th WRG). Not sure why the FoG authors would want to compete against something that is already established like Warhammer Ancients.
The games I played felt like a game rather than a recreation of a battle. Big clumps of figures moving around & lots of dice to roll - rather inelegant - like Warhammer Ancients.
Ok, the language that its written is clear & there seems less room for misinterpretation than in say DBM or even in it's successor, DBMM. And I'm sure this fact will make it popular with competition organisers. However the rules didn't work for me. They felt like Flames of War does to me - a game of toy soldiers.
So if you like Flames of War you may like these rules. Personally I prefer Blitzkrieg Commander & DBMM - the latter even with it's unclear English & less glossy approach.
I also dislike having to buy 12 army lists for FoG - yeah, 12! Better to stick with DBMM & just 4 army list books. More armies covered & less cost - no brainer really.
I'll stick with DBMM (despite it's faults) for recreating battles - & yeah, I like the strategems etc in DBMM - feels like being a proper general.

A bit dull, 19 Jul 2008
Yes FoG is well laid out and has nice pictures but the question I ask is how interesting to play.

Sorry to say it find it dull, as units (battlegroups) contact and then you are left rolling dice to see what happens. That takes as long as it takes. Players have no involvement except to roll the dice.

Same with shooting, lots of dice are rolled. Not much happens.

More detailed than a lot of other 15mm ancient rule sets but I don't see that the extra detail adds much to game play.

If you are looking for fun, pick another set.

You'd be silly not to buy them, 18 Jul 2008
Field of Glory Rulebook: Ancient and Medieval Wargaming Rules (Field of Glory): Ancient and Medieval Wargaming Rules (Field of Glory)

Let's face it, the American's have been turning out rules sets like this for years. High production values, easy to follow rules with examples, and a dedicated website with equally good follow on publications.

That said, these are very good, the rules set that ancients wargamers have deserved for some time in fact. The price aside, I can find very little to fault in them - the movement rules are a little complex but there are diagrams and I am sure a few games will make things much clearer. The price is high compared to competitors but you get 'a lot of bang for your buck' and the hardback will take a lot of wear and tear, unlike cheaper rules sets which get grubby very quickly.

I particularly like the refrshing lack of 'jargon' which ruins some of the more 'popular' sets on the market at the moment. No 'blades or 'psiloi' here, which should make them more accessible to 'beginners.

The army lists are good as well and there is a dedicated website.

Great Rules, 17 Jun 2008
The book is put together very nicely. It's divided into several chapters, each dealing with a certain aspect of the game. Also, each chapter has it's own quick reference, so it's easy to find the relevant information. Besides the drawings from several renowned artists, you'll find a lot of examples dealing with every aspect of the game. This makes it an ideal start for anybody wishing to begin the exciting hobby of wargaming. For those who have played DBM in the past, it will be an easy transition from those rules to these. This also brings me to the reason why I haven't given it 5 stars. Without going into too much detail a few remarks: many, many rolls of dice; an awkward set of command rules (but easy); certain combats (eg. elephants vs. cavalry)
Final conclusion: the best ancient rules to hit the shelves in the last few years and a potential to draw many players to it.

Just what I wanted, 16 Apr 2008
Nice rules, well put together and full of illustrations to inspire your miniature paintwork. The step by step guide through the playing steps works well.
It's a system that has no super armies and although you and your freinds may build armies from one particular geography and period nevertheless anachronistic war games are possible with this rule set.

Contains starter army lists for Romans vs Carthaginians, and 100 years war English and French. So you will need to purchase the armylist books.

Well worth the money if you're anticipating fighting those lamentable games between Byzantine's and Ancient Egyptians etc.

Try Neil Thomas's book if you want everything under one cover.

Colourful army lists, 18 Jul 2008
Field of Glory 3: Immortal Fire: Greek, Persian and Macedonian Army List (Field of Glory): Field of Glory Greek, Persian and Macedonian Army List (Field of Glory)

I agree that these are expensive on a 'pound per list' basis. But I like love the artwork and the presentation of the lists themselves is faultless. The real advantage is that they allow gamers with armies based to other rules sets (you know the ones I mean..) to set up straight away without tedious re-basing of figures. Granted the lists are fairly basic in their coverage but I am sure that more obscure lists will follow on the web. Or just adapt the lists you already have.



Just about right, 17 Jun 2008
Well, there isn't much to say about a book full of army lists. The book has, on the right side of the page, an easy quick reference so you can find the right army list. For the rest it's based on the army books of DBM. So many bases of that type of troops are mandatory and cost so many points and others are free to choose from. It covers the mayor and a lot of the minor nations which rules/existed at that time. So if you plan on playing FoG and you're interested in this specific period of time, buy it.

Very well thought out army lists, 27 Mar 2008
Funnily enough I think the army lists are cauting more contention over whether they are value for money than the rules, (which most people agree are an excellent set of rules)

Well here is my opinion:-

Do you like the rules (I do) - then you have to buy at least the army lists for the period you are interested in or you can't play the game! Having said that I intend to buy the lists for periods I do not currently have armies for as I find them excellent and interesting books to read.

I have seen a lot of people say "they are more expensive than DBM lists". Yes they are but their production values etc are much higher. I think it would be fairer to compare them with WAB army list books which have similar high production values, make interesting reads and cost as I remember about twice as much!!

Particularly if you buy them at Amazon where they are offered at a considerable discount I think they are good value for money

So I would say.
If you don't intend to play the game - don't buy the army lists
If you aren't sure do as I did and buy the rules plus one army list book
If you like the rules but don't have too much money to spare just buy the army books you have to buy for your army
If you have a little more money to waste on frivolous purchases then these are an excellent candidate, and let's be honest how many things do we buy that we don't "need"? Quite a lot :)

Andy


Not many lists for your money, 29 Feb 2008
The lists are nicely presented and well structured. However about 18 army lists with a number of additional ally lists is quite a small number for the money. To get the same amount of coverage as the DBM/DBMM lists (70 + per book) will therefore take something like 16 books. The snag with this is that I for one will not buy them all and this means you lose out on the "That army looks fun" you get through browsing through a large number of less prettily presented lists.

It is also dissapointing that the lists that are going to be published are basically focused on post 500 BC Europe and the Near East. This is a shame for those of interested in earlier periods and a wider Geographical area.

The army backgrounds are a good idea for the beginner, possibly a bit passe for the veteran.



Sweet but a bit short, 28 Feb 2008
Production and presentation exemplary, as expected.

Each army is prefaced with a short introduction and also some very nice Osprey imagery and even the odd painted figure snapshot. Nothing amazingly useful for the hardened game/historian, but it doesn't claim to be a history book. As an introduction to any period, however, it's really nice material to whet the appetite.

As the previous reviewer noted, it could well have been filled out with more lists. All the classics are covered, but the "unsuals" have been left out, probably because they are not part of the quite narrow theme of the book. Some of the quirkier options form old army lists are omitted. Possible because those oddities caused too many problems or were rarer than rare in actuality. No doubt some of these will be claimed by later books.


The author has seemed to made good efforts in making FoG armies not vary too much from your old DBM army. My Gaul army, for example, was almost the same,base for base, in DBM or FoG. Useful. Most armies have different allied sub-lists to add also, just as was done in DBM.


ARMIES COVERED IN THIS BOOK

MID-REPUBLICAN ROMAN, LATE REPUBLICAN ROMAN, GALLIC, PYRRHIC, LATER CARTHAGINIAN,ILLYRIAN, ANCIENT SPANISH, LATER MACEDONIAN, ATTALID PERGAMENE,NUMIDIAN OR EARLY MOORISH, LATER SELEUCID, LATER PTOLEMAIC,PONTIC, SPARTACUS SLAVE REVOLT, EARLY ARMENIAN,PARTHIAN,LATER JEWISH , BOSPORAN.

A backward step?, 30 Nov 2008
I got these rules to see if what some wargamers were saying about them was true, which was that they were better than the other well known ruleset DBMM.
The rules read fairly well although it seemed odd to me to have the combat factors etc at the back. I was expecting to see that sort of info in the part of the book where combat etc is described. Lots of glossy pics & some helpful diagrams.
Having played a few games I was disappointed. The rules work but feel to me like a step back into the past with classification of troops & weapons very much like in the 6th & 7th Ed'n WRG rules. It was those rules whose tedium & the 'rivet-counting' stopped me playing ancients wargaming for many years. Bases of figures move around in permanent units (called battlegroups) reminding me of Warhammer Ancients (which I don't like - reminding me too much of 6th & 7th WRG). Not sure why the FoG authors would want to compete against something that is already established like Warhammer Ancients.
The games I played felt like a game rather than a recreation of a battle. Big clumps of figures moving around & lots of dice to roll - rather inelegant - like Warhammer Ancients.
Ok, the language that its written is clear & there seems less room for misinterpretation than in say DBM or even in it's successor, DBMM. And I'm sure this fact will make it popular with competition organisers. However the rules didn't work for me. They felt like Flames of War does to me - a game of toy soldiers.
So if you like Flames of War you may like these rules. Personally I prefer Blitzkrieg Commander & DBMM - the latter even with it's unclear English & less glossy approach.
I also dislike having to buy 12 army lists for FoG - yeah, 12! Better to stick with DBMM & just 4 army list books. More armies covered & less cost - no brainer really.
I'll stick with DBMM (despite it's faults) for recreating battles - & yeah, I like the strategems etc in DBMM - feels like being a proper general.

A bit dull, 19 Jul 2008
Yes FoG is well laid out and has nice pictures but the question I ask is how interesting to play.

Sorry to say it find it dull, as units (battlegroups) contact and then you are left rolling dice to see what happens. That takes as long as it takes. Players have no involvement except to roll the dice.

Same with shooting, lots of dice are rolled. Not much happens.

More detailed than a lot of other 15mm ancient rule sets but I don't see that the extra detail adds much to game play.

If you are looking for fun, pick another set.

You'd be silly not to buy them, 18 Jul 2008
Field of Glory Rulebook: Ancient and Medieval Wargaming Rules (Field of Glory): Ancient and Medieval Wargaming Rules (Field of Glory)

Let's face it, the American's have been turning out rules sets like this for years. High production values, easy to follow rules with examples, and a dedicated website with equally good follow on publications.

That said, these are very good, the rules set that ancients wargamers have deserved for some time in fact. The price aside, I can find very little to fault in them - the movement rules are a little complex but there are diagrams and I am sure a few games will make things much clearer. The price is high compared to competitors but you get 'a lot of bang for your buck' and the hardback will take a lot of wear and tear, unlike cheaper rules sets which get grubby very quickly.

I particularly like the refrshing lack of 'jargon' which ruins some of the more 'popular' sets on the market at the moment. No 'blades or 'psiloi' here, which should make them more accessible to 'beginners.

The army lists are good as well and there is a dedicated website.

Great Rules, 17 Jun 2008
The book is put together very nicely. It's divided into several chapters, each dealing with a certain aspect of the game. Also, each chapter has it's own quick reference, so it's easy to find the relevant information. Besides the drawings from several renowned artists, you'll find a lot of examples dealing with every aspect of the game. This makes it an ideal start for anybody wishing to begin the exciting hobby of wargaming. For those who have played DBM in the past, it will be an easy transition from those rules to these. This also brings me to the reason why I haven't given it 5 stars. Without going into too much detail a few remarks: many, many rolls of dice; an awkward set of command rules (but easy); certain combats (eg. elephants vs. cavalry)
Final conclusion: the best ancient rules to hit the shelves in the last few years and a potential to draw many players to it.

Just what I wanted, 16 Apr 2008
Nice rules, well put together and full of illustrations to inspire your miniature paintwork. The step by step guide through the playing steps works well.
It's a system that has no super armies and although you and your freinds may build armies from one particular geography and period nevertheless anachronistic war games are possible with this rule set.

Contains starter army lists for Romans vs Carthaginians, and 100 years war English and French. So you will need to purchase the armylist books.

Well worth the money if you're anticipating fighting those lamentable games between Byzantine's and Ancient Egyptians etc.

Try Neil Thomas's book if you want everything under one cover.

Colourful army lists, 18 Jul 2008
Field of Glory 3: Immortal Fire: Greek, Persian and Macedonian Army List (Field of Glory): Field of Glory Greek, Persian and Macedonian Army List (Field of Glory)

I agree that these are expensive on a 'pound per list' basis. But I like love the artwork and the presentation of the lists themselves is faultless. The real advantage is that they allow gamers with armies based to other rules sets (you know the ones I mean..) to set up straight away without tedious re-basing of figures. Granted the lists are fairly basic in their coverage but I am sure that more obscure lists will follow on the web. Or just adapt the lists you already have.



Just about right, 17 Jun 2008
Well, there isn't much to say about a book full of army lists. The book has, on the right side of the page, an easy quick reference so you can find the right army list. For the rest it's based on the army books of DBM. So many bases of that type of troops are mandatory and cost so many points and others are free to choose from. It covers the mayor and a lot of the minor nations which rules/existed at that time. So if you plan on playing FoG and you're interested in this specific period of time, buy it.

Very well thought out army lists, 27 Mar 2008
Funnily enough I think the army lists are cauting more contention over whether they are value for money than the rules, (which most people agree are an excellent set of rules)

Well here is my opinion:-

Do you like the rules (I do) - then you have to buy at least the army lists for the period you are interested in or you can't play the game! Having said that I intend to buy the lists for periods I do not currently have armies for as I find them excellent and interesting books to read.

I have seen a lot of people say "they are more expensive than DBM lists". Yes they are but their production values etc are much higher. I think it would be fairer to compare them with WAB army list books which have similar high production values, make interesting reads and cost as I remember about twice as much!!

Particularly if you buy them at Amazon where they are offered at a considerable discount I think they are good value for money

So I would say.
If you don't intend to play the game - don't buy the army lists
If you aren't sure do as I did and buy the rules plus one army list book
If you like the rules but don't have too much money to spare just buy the army books you have to buy for your army
If you have a little more money to waste on frivolous purchases then these are an excellent candidate, and let's be honest how many things do we buy that we don't "need"? Quite a lot :)

Andy


Not many lists for your money, 29 Feb 2008
The lists are nicely presented and well structured. However about 18 army lists with a number of additional ally lists is quite a small number for the money. To get the same amount of coverage as the DBM/DBMM lists (70 + per book) will therefore take something like 16 books. The snag with this is that I for one will not buy them all and this means you lose out on the "That army looks fun" you get through browsing through a large number of less prettily presented lists.

It is also dissapointing that the lists that are going to be published are basically focused on post 500 BC Europe and the Near East. This is a shame for those of interested in earlier periods and a wider Geographical area.

The army backgrounds are a good idea for the beginner, possibly a bit passe for the veteran.



Sweet but a bit short, 28 Feb 2008
Production and presentation exemplary, as expected.

Each army is prefaced with a short introduction and also some very nice Osprey imagery and even the odd painted figure snapshot. Nothing amazingly useful for the hardened game/historian, but it doesn't claim to be a history book. As an introduction to any period, however, it's really nice material to whet the appetite.

As the previous reviewer noted, it could well have been filled out with more lists. All the classics are covered, but the "unsuals" have been left out, probably because they are not part of the quite narrow theme of the book. Some of the quirkier options form old army lists are omitted. Possible because those oddities caused too many problems or were rarer than rare in actuality. No doubt some of these will be claimed by later books.


The author has seemed to made good efforts in making FoG armies not vary too much from your old DBM army. My Gaul army, for example, was almost the same,base for base, in DBM or FoG. Useful. Most armies have different allied sub-lists to add also, just as was done in DBM.


ARMIES COVERED IN THIS BOOK

MID-REPUBLICAN ROMAN, LATE REPUBLICAN ROMAN, GALLIC, PYRRHIC, LATER CARTHAGINIAN,ILLYRIAN, ANCIENT SPANISH, LATER MACEDONIAN, ATTALID PERGAMENE,NUMIDIAN OR EARLY MOORISH, LATER SELEUCID, LATER PTOLEMAIC,PONTIC, SPARTACUS SLAVE REVOLT, EARLY ARMENIAN,PARTHIAN,LATER JEWISH , BOSPORAN.


Wot, no hussites?, 16 Jul 2008
The book contains a number of interesting lists including some that were new to me (e.g. various Iberian and Scandinavian territories). I also liked the concept of having both 'starter armies' and detailed lists. I was disappointed that this wasn't done in every case, especially not for the WotR. I was also rather dismayed to find that there was no reference at all to the Hussites. Some mistake, surely?

It's not bad, 16 Apr 2008
I bought this initially out of curiosity, just to see how detailed it was, and I was impressed. Doesn't quite fit with my own research though, but they have to generalise to create armies of roughly equal weight and strength etc so that you can have a fair fight.

I personally leave all my knights and men at arms mounted untill it's tactically necessary to dismount them, usually because I'm outnumbered. But despite my own quirks these army lists are comprehensive enough. They usually include foreign allies for each army, and without you therefore needing to buy the extra army list books.

The Austrian's and Hungarian's are not listed in this one, it's strictly Western Europe.

If you'd like to read a broad view of ancient and medieval warefare before deciding which, if any period army list facilitates your preferred style of play, then Neil Thomas's book is a great introduction with the army lists included in the rule book. He doesn't advocate anachronistic games though, whereas these army lists are designed to work outside their period of history with other books in the series.

A backward step?, 30 Nov 2008
I got these rules to see if what some wargamers were saying about them was true, which was that they were better than the other well known ruleset DBMM.
The rules read fairly well although it seemed odd to me to have the combat factors etc at the back. I was expecting to see that sort of info in the part of the book where combat etc is described. Lots of glossy pics & some helpful diagrams.
Having played a few games I was disappointed. The rules work but feel to me like a step back into the past with classification of troops & weapons very much like in the 6th & 7th Ed'n WRG rules. It was those rules whose tedium & the 'rivet-counting' stopped me playing ancients wargaming for many years. Bases of figures move around in permanent units (called battlegroups) reminding me of Warhammer Ancients (which I don't like - reminding me too much of 6th & 7th WRG). Not sure why the FoG authors would want to compete against something that is already established like Warhammer Ancients.
The games I played felt like a game rather than a recreation of a battle. Big clumps of figures moving around & lots of dice to roll - rather inelegant - like Warhammer Ancients.
Ok, the language that its written is clear & there seems less room for misinterpretation than in say DBM or even in it's successor, DBMM. And I'm sure this fact will make it popular with competition organisers. However the rules didn't work for me. They felt like Flames of War does to me - a game of toy soldiers.
So if you like Flames of War you may like these rules. Personally I prefer Blitzkrieg Commander & DBMM - the latter even with it's unclear English & less glossy approach.
I also dislike having to buy 12 army lists for FoG - yeah, 12! Better to stick with DBMM & just 4 army list books. More armies covered & less cost - no brainer really.
I'll stick with DBMM (despite it's faults) for recreating battles - & yeah, I like the strategems etc in DBMM - feels like being a proper general.

A bit dull, 19 Jul 2008
Yes FoG is well laid out and has nice pictures but the question I ask is how interesting to play.

Sorry to say it find it dull, as units (battlegroups) contact and then you are left rolling dice to see what happens. That takes as long as it takes. Players have no involvement except to roll the dice.

Same with shooting, lots of dice are rolled. Not much happens.

More detailed than a lot of other 15mm ancient rule sets but I don't see that the extra detail adds much to game play.

If you are looking for fun, pick another set.

You'd be silly not to buy them, 18 Jul 2008
Field of Glory Rulebook: Ancient and Medieval Wargaming Rules (Field of Glory): Ancient and Medieval Wargaming Rules (Field of Glory)

Let's face it, the American's have been turning out rules sets like this for years. High production values, easy to follow rules with examples, and a dedicated website with equally good follow on publications.

That said, these are very good, the rules set that ancients wargamers have deserved for some time in fact. The price aside, I can find very little to fault in them - the movement rules are a little complex but there are diagrams and I am sure a few games will make things much clearer. The price is high compared to competitors but you get 'a lot of bang for your buck' and the hardback will take a lot of wear and tear, unlike cheaper rules sets which get grubby very quickly.

I particularly like the refrshing lack of 'jargon' which ruins some of the more 'popular' sets on the market at the moment. No 'blades or 'psiloi' here, which should make them more accessible to 'beginners.

The army lists are good as well and there is a dedicated website.

Great Rules, 17 Jun 2008
The book is put together very nicely. It's divided into several chapters, each dealing with a certain aspect of the game. Also, each chapter has it's own quick reference, so it's easy to find the relevant information. Besides the drawings from several renowned artists, you'll find a lot of examples dealing with every aspect of the game. This makes it an ideal start for anybody wishing to begin the exciting hobby of wargaming. For those who have played DBM in the past, it will be an easy transition from those rules to these. This also brings me to the reason why I haven't given it 5 stars. Without going into too much detail a few remarks: many, many rolls of dice; an awkward set of command rules (but easy); certain combats (eg. elephants vs. cavalry)
Final conclusion: the best ancient rules to hit the shelves in the last few years and a potential to draw many players to it.

Just what I wanted, 16 Apr 2008
Nice rules, well put together and full of illustrations to inspire your miniature paintwork. The step by step guide through the playing steps works well.
It's a system that has no super armies and although you and your freinds may build armies from one particular geography and period nevertheless anachronistic war games are possible with this rule set.

Contains starter army lists for Romans vs Carthaginians, and 100 years war English and French. So you will need to purchase the armylist books.

Well worth the money if you're anticipating fighting those lamentable games between Byzantine's and Ancient Egyptians etc.

Try Neil Thomas's book if you want everything under one cover.

Colourful army lists, 18 Jul 2008
Field of Glory 3: Immortal Fire: Greek, Persian and Macedonian Army List (Field of Glory): Field of Glory Greek, Persian and Macedonian Army List (Field of Glory)

I agree that these are expensive on a 'pound per list' basis. But I like love the artwork and the presentation of the lists themselves is faultless. The real advantage is that they allow gamers with armies based to other rules sets (you know the ones I mean..) to set up straight away without tedious re-basing of figures. Granted the lists are fairly basic in their coverage but I am sure that more obscure lists will follow on the web. Or just adapt the lists you already have.



Just about right, 17 Jun 2008
Well, there isn't much to say about a book full of army lists. The book has, on the right side of the page, an easy quick reference so you can find the right army list. For the rest it's based on the army books of DBM. So many bases of that type of troops are mandatory and cost so many points and others are free to choose from. It covers the mayor and a lot of the minor nations which rules/existed at that time. So if you plan on playing FoG and you're interested in this specific period of time, buy it.

Very well thought out army lists, 27 Mar 2008
Funnily enough I think the army lists are cauting more contention over whether they are value for money than the rules, (which most people agree are an excellent set of rules)

Well here is my opinion:-

Do you like the rules (I do) - then you have to buy at least the army lists for the period you are interested in or you can't play the game! Having said that I intend to buy the lists for periods I do not currently have armies for as I find them excellent and interesting books to read.

I have seen a lot of people say "they are more expensive than DBM lists". Yes they are but their production values etc are much higher. I think it would be fairer to compare them with WAB army list books which have similar high production values, make interesting reads and cost as I remember about twice as much!!

Particularly if you buy them at Amazon where they are offered at a considerable discount I think they are good value for money

So I would say.
If you don't intend to play the game - don't buy the army lists
If you aren't sure do as I did and buy the rules plus one army list book
If you like the rules but don't have too much money to spare just buy the army books you have to buy for your army
If you have a little more money to waste on frivolous purchases then these are an excellent candidate, and let's be honest how many things do we buy that we don't "need"? Quite a lot :)

Andy


Not many lists for your money, 29 Feb 2008
The lists are nicely presented and well structured. However about 18 army lists with a number of additional ally lists is quite a small number for the money. To get the same amount of coverage as the DBM/DBMM lists (70 + per book) will therefore take something like 16 books. The snag with this is that I for one will not buy them all and this means you lose out on the "That army looks fun" you get through browsing through a large number of less prettily presented lists.

It is also dissapointing that the lists that are going to be published are basically focused on post 500 BC Europe and the Near East. This is a shame for those of interested in earlier periods and a wider Geographical area.

The army backgrounds are a good idea for the beginner, possibly a bit passe for the veteran.



Sweet but a bit short, 28 Feb 2008
Production and presentation exemplary, as expected.

Each army is prefaced with a short introduction and also some very nice Osprey imagery and even the odd painted figure snapshot. Nothing amazingly useful for the hardened game/historian, but it doesn't claim to be a history book. As an introduction to any period, however, it's really nice material to whet the appetite.

As the previous reviewer noted, it could well have been filled out with more lists. All the classics are covered, but the "unsuals" have been left out, probably because they are not part of the quite narrow theme of the book. Some of the quirkier options form old army lists are omitted. Possible because those oddities caused too many problems or were rarer than rare in actuality. No doubt some of these will be claimed by later books.


The author has seemed to made good efforts in making FoG armies not vary too much from your old DBM army. My Gaul army, for example, was almost the same,base for base, in DBM or FoG. Useful. Most armies have different allied sub-lists to add also, just as was done in DBM.


ARMIES COVERED IN THIS BOOK

MID-REPUBLICAN ROMAN, LATE REPUBLICAN ROMAN, GALLIC, PYRRHIC, LATER CARTHAGINIAN,ILLYRIAN, ANCIENT SPANISH, LATER MACEDONIAN, ATTALID PERGAMENE,NUMIDIAN OR EARLY MOORISH, LATER SELEUCID, LATER PTOLEMAIC,PONTIC, SPARTACUS SLAVE REVOLT, EARLY ARMENIAN,PARTHIAN,LATER JEWISH , BOSPORAN.


Wot, no hussites?, 16 Jul 2008
The book contains a number of interesting lists including some that were new to me (e.g. various Iberian and Scandinavian territories). I also liked the concept of having both 'starter armies' and detailed lists. I was disappointed that this wasn't done in every case, especially not for the WotR. I was also rather dismayed to find that there was no reference at all to the Hussites. Some mistake, surely?

It's not bad, 16 Apr 2008
I bought this initially out of curiosity, just to see how detailed it was, and I was impressed. Doesn't quite fit with my own research though, but they have to generalise to create armies of roughly equal weight and strength etc so that you can have a fair fight.

I personally leave all my knights and men at arms mounted untill it's tactically necessary to dismount them, usually because I'm outnumbered. But despite my own quirks these army lists are comprehensive enough. They usually include foreign allies for each army, and without you therefore needing to buy the extra army list books.

The Austrian's and Hungarian's are not listed in this one, it's strictly Western Europe.

If you'd like to read a broad view of ancient and medieval warefare before deciding which, if any period army list facilitates your preferred style of play, then Neil Thomas's book is a great introduction with the army lists included in the rule book. He doesn't advocate anachronistic games though, whereas these army lists are designed to work outside their period of history with other books in the series.

It all came back!, 07 Sep 2008
Having been a modeller/wargammer from the age of 8 through to 18, the book brought back the joy and naivety of those long lost days, when painting my soldiers seemed more important than exploring the world outside. Probably a read only for those of a similar background, though even some of those men may not want to be reminded of their uncool youth.

Thank God for Harry Pearson., 20 May 2008
Before we start this review,I will confess I am a wargamer,no I am not a warmonger,neither do I sit in some dark bedroom watching re-runs of Sky tv's latest offering of the blitzkrieg.
I first came across Harry Pearson's work when I was given a copy of the Far Corner,which was a far superior book than that b*****s about being an Arsenal fan.
That book summed up what football used to be about,crap beer and violent football tackles,and a damn good laugh at ourselves.
But I digress,Harrys latest offering is probably only meaningful to a small percentage of the British population,ie. males,but the book is a gem,encapsulating a lot of what makes the British so interesting.
In the' precious' protected world that we now have to inhabit,it is refreshing to read,and laugh at ourselves,as a not so small group of grown men wax lyrical over badly cast lead figures,and poorly painted scenery,meant to resemble some far flung battlefield.
Whenever the news becomes depressing,I reach for this book and re-live some memory that this book always seems to trigger.
well done,Hary Pearson.

Not what you'd think from the cover, 12 May 2008
It seems the reviewers are split into two camps on this book. I was looking forward to something Boys' Own-ish, a bit silly, a bit nostalgic, a bit fun: rather what the cover suggests.
What I got was something that started out that way, but which quickly mutated into chapter after chapter of lists about model/toy soldiers, their fans, and little bits of their history.
I gave up in disgust about half way through - a thing I hardly ever do. If you are a keen wargamer, this might be just the thing for you. If you aren't, I wouldn't touch it with a twenty-foot battle lance.

Inductive Entertainment, 06 May 2008
We Yanks and you Brits approach popular entertainment from opposite sides.

In the US, we boil all of our culture down to the lowest common denominator. Our cuisine is nothing but different levels of salt and sugar. Our movies are sex and violence held together by the thinnest thread of plot. And don't get me started on our popular music. The result is that we create totally forgettable products which nevertheless appeal to people around the world.

In the UK, your expertise is your ability to puzzle out universal truths out of the individual and even eccentric. The result is that your culture creates more "popular culture" classics - think Sherlock Holmes or the Rolling Stones - than the US ever will.

Achtung Schweinehund is a perfect example. Mr. Pearson delivers a nostalgic and very funny discourse on an extremely narrow segment of society: wargamers, people who have never served in the military (and indeed, in many cases, are horrified by the thought) but who live and breath the military strategist's atmosphere. In enlightening chapters, he covers every segment of that hobby, including models, reenactments, board games, novels, toy soldiers and a host of others.

You needn't be much of an afficianado to enjoy this book. Mr. Pearson's ability to capture the humor, fanaticism, good nature, profiteering, in other words the pure humanity of the people who indulge in the hobby, teachs the reader larger truths about human nature. The American military hobbyist (except, perhaps for the most fanatical) will find large areas of the book to cover terra incognita, revealing the somewhat nationalistic aspect of the products and culture of this hobby.

There are no doubt a number of errors in a book which is based more on memory than on research, but I found only one. Frank Sinatra did not play a German general in the movie Von Ryan's Express. He played an American colonel who was a prisoner of war and who masqueraded as a German train guard in order to seize the train and escape to Switzerland.

I half suspect that Mr. Pearson knew that and slipped that error and some others into the text as a sort of test to determine just how much of a military hobbyist one is: the more errors you spot, the more fanatical you are. If so, I guess I flunked the test, but that didn't prevent me, and wouldn't prevent anyone, from enjoying this book.

How we worked out our identities., 06 Jan 2008
This is somewhat of an apologia for the whole area of male interest in war, toy soldiers, wargames, you name it. The author seems to be addressing this in his own life, objectively, self-deprecatingly, somewhat sardonically, and hilariously. He genially adumbrates the characteristics of the adult miniature militarist, but how can he stop himself, and why should he? As Pearsons friend remarks, what harm are they doing anybody else? What indeed. A serious point is the centrality of games playing in personal and social development, right up to the use of wargames and scenarios at the highest political and military levels throughout modern history. Bismarck, for instance, played chess with all the monarchs of Europe, to gain psychological insights as a tool for future diplomatic dealings, a striking illustration of his cunning. It is part of what we became as adults, that phase when our childhoods coincided with the reinvention of World War Two. It is amazing, in retrospect, to realise the unconscious roles into which we slipped in our games. A boy would always be assigned the same role, with very little question, either as British (seldom American) soldiers, or German and Japanese (and never Italian). When a certain kid was playing with us the action always took place in the Pacific theatre, because, with his buck teeth and round NHS specs, he was the inscrutable Japanese officer ("Ah, so, honourable flend of Nippon" etc), a niche he perfected and made his own, becoming part of his persona. In such ways did we negotiate our group relationships. If, however, unlike me, you have grown out of that sort of thing, I think you will find Part 1 of the book by far the most entertaining, with the joy of half-remembered familiarity. The rest is more the province of we traduced in the eyes of society!

A backward step?, 30 Nov 2008
I got these rules to see if what some wargamers were saying about them was true, which was that they were better than the other well known ruleset DBMM.
The rules read fairly well although it seemed odd to me to have the combat factors etc at the back. I was expecting to see that sort of info in the part of the book where combat etc is described. Lots of glossy pics & some helpful diagrams.
Having played a few games I was disappointed. The rules work but feel to me like a step back into the past with classification of troops & weapons very much like in the 6th & 7th Ed'n WRG rules. It was those rules whose tedium & the 'rivet-counting' stopped me playing ancients wargaming for many years. Bases of figures move around in permanent units (called battlegroups) reminding me of Warhammer Ancients (which I don't like - reminding me too much of 6th & 7th WRG). Not sure why the FoG authors would want to compete against something that is already established like Warhammer Ancients.
The games I played felt like a game rather than a recreation of a battle. Big clumps of figures moving around & lots of dice to roll - rather inelegant - like Warhammer Ancients.
Ok, the language that its written is clear & there seems less room for misinterpretation than in say DBM or even in it's successor, DBMM. And I'm sure this fact will make it popular with competition organisers. However the rules didn't work for me. They felt like Flames of War does to me - a game of toy soldiers.
So if you like Flames of War you may like these rules. Personally I prefer Blitzkrieg Commander & DBMM - the latter even with it's unclear English & less glossy approach.
I also dislike having to buy 12 army lists for FoG - yeah, 12! Better to stick with DBMM & just 4 army list books. More armies covered & less cost - no brainer really.
I'll stick with DBMM (despite it's faults) for recreating battles - & yeah, I like the strategems etc in DBMM - feels like being a proper general.

A bit dull, 19 Jul 2008
Yes FoG is well laid out and has nice pictures but the question I ask is how interesting to play.

Sorry to say it find it dull, as units (battlegroups) contact and then you are left rolling dice to see what happens. That takes as long as it takes. Players have no involvement except to roll the dice.

Same with shooting, lots of dice are rolled. Not much happens.

More detailed than a lot of other 15mm ancient rule sets but I don't see that the extra detail adds much to game play.

If you are looking for fun, pick another set.

You'd be silly not to buy them, 18 Jul 2008
Field of Glory Rulebook: Ancient and Medieval Wargaming Rules (Field of Glory): Ancient and Medieval Wargaming Rules (Field of Glory)

Let's face it, the American's have been turning out rules sets like this for years. High production values, easy to follow rules with examples, and a dedicated website with equally good follow on publications.

That said, these are very good, the rules set that ancients wargamers have deserved for some time in fact. The price aside, I can find very little to fault in them - the movement rules are a little complex but there are diagrams and I am sure a few games will make things much clearer. The price is high compared to competitors but you get 'a lot of bang for your buck' and the hardback will take a lot of wear and tear, unlike cheaper rules sets which get grubby very quickly.

I particularly like the refrshing lack of 'jargon' which ruins some of the more 'popular' sets on the market at the moment. No 'blades or 'psiloi' here, which should make them more accessible to 'beginners.

The army lists are good as well and there is a dedicated website.

Great Rules, 17 Jun 2008
The book is put together very nicely. It's divided into several chapters, each dealing with a certain aspect of the game. Also, each chapter has it's own quick reference, so it's easy to find the relevant information. Besides the drawings from several renowned artists, you'll find a lot of examples dealing with every aspect of the game. This makes it an ideal start for anybody wishing to begin the exciting hobby of wargaming. For those who have played DBM in the past, it will be an easy transition from those rules to these. This also brings me to the reason why I haven't given it 5 stars. Without going into too much detail a few remarks: many, many rolls of dice; an awkward set of command rules (but easy); certain combats (eg. elephants vs. cavalry)
Final conclusion: the best ancient rules to hit the shelves in the last few years and a potential to draw many players to it.

Just what I wanted, 16 Apr 2008
Nice rules, well put together and full of illustrations to inspire your miniature paintwork. The step by step guide through the playing steps works well.
It's a system that has no super armies and although you and your freinds may build armies from one particular geography and period nevertheless anachronistic war games are possible with this rule set.

Contains starter army lists for Romans vs Carthaginians, and 100 years war English and French. So you will need to purchase the armylist books.

Well worth the money if you're anticipating fighting those lamentable games between Byzantine's and Ancient Egyptians etc.

Try Neil Thomas's book if you want everything under one cover.

Colourful army lists, 18 Jul 2008
Field of Glory 3: Immortal Fire: Greek, Persian and Macedonian Army List (Field of Glory): Field of Glory Greek, Persian and Macedonian Army List (Field of Glory)

I agree that these are expensive on a 'pound per list' basis. But I like love the artwork and the presentation of the lists themselves is faultless. The real advantage is that they allow gamers with armies based to other rules sets (you know the ones I mean..) to set up straight away without tedious re-basing of figures. Granted the lists are fairly basic in their coverage but I am sure that more obscure lists will follow on the web. Or just adapt the lists you already have.



Just about right, 17 Jun 2008
Well, there isn't much to say about a book full of army lists. The book has, on the right side of the page, an easy quick reference so you can find the right army list. For the rest it's based on the army books of DBM. So many bases of that type of troops are mandatory and cost so many points and others are free to choose from. It covers the mayor and a lot of the minor nations which rules/existed at that time. So if you plan on playing FoG and you're interested in this specific period of time, buy it.

Very well thought out army lists, 27 Mar 2008
Funnily enough I think the army lists are cauting more contention over whether they are value for money than the rules, (which most people agree are an excellent set of rules)

Well here is my opinion:-

Do you like the rules (I do) - then you have to buy at least the army lists for the period you are interested in or you can't play the game! Having said that I intend to buy the lists for periods I do not currently have armies for as I find them excellent and interesting books to read.

I have seen a lot of people say "they are more expensive than DBM lists". Yes they are but their production values etc are much higher. I think it would be fairer to compare them with WAB army list books which have similar high production values, make interesting reads and cost as I remember about twice as much!!

Particularly if you buy them at Amazon where they are offered at a considerable discount I think they are good value for money

So I would say.
If you don't intend to play the game - don't buy the army lists
If you aren't sure do as I did and buy the rules plus one army list book
If you like the rules but don't have too much money to spare just buy the army books you have to buy for your army
If you have a little more money to waste on frivolous purchases then these are an excellent candidate, and let's be honest how many things do we buy that we don't "need"? Quite a lot :)

Andy


Not many lists for your money, 29 Feb 2008
The lists are nicely presented and well structured. However about 18 army lists with a number of additional ally lists is quite a small number for the money. To get the same amount of coverage as the DBM/DBMM lists (70 + per book) will therefore take something like 16 books. The snag with this is that I for one will not buy them all and this means you lose out on the "That army looks fun" you get through browsing through a large number of less prettily presented lists.

It is also dissapointing that the lists that are going to be published are basically focused on post 500 BC Europe and the Near East. This is a shame for those of interested in earlier periods and a wider Geographical area.

The army backgrounds are a good idea for the beginner, possibly a bit passe for the veteran.



Sweet but a bit short, 28 Feb 2008
Production and presentation exemplary, as expected.

Each army is prefaced with a short introduction and also some very nice Osprey imagery and even the odd painted figure snapshot. Nothing amazingly useful for the hardened game/historian, but it doesn't claim to be a history book. As an introduction to any period, however, it's really nice material to whet the appetite.

As the previous reviewer noted, it could well have been filled out with more lists. All the classics are covered, but the "unsuals" have been left out, probably because they are not part of the quite narrow theme of the book. Some of the quirkier options form old army lists are omitted. Possible because those oddities caused too many problems or were rarer than rare in actuality. No doubt some of these will be claimed by later books.


The author has seemed to made good efforts in making FoG armies not vary too much from your old DBM army. My Gaul army, for example, was almost the same,base for base, in DBM or FoG. Useful. Most armies have different allied sub-lists to add also, just as was done in DBM.


ARMIES COVERED IN THIS BOOK

MID-REPUBLICAN ROMAN, LATE REPUBLICAN ROMAN, GALLIC, PYRRHIC, LATER CARTHAGINIAN,ILLYRIAN, ANCIENT SPANISH, LATER MACEDONIAN, ATTALID PERGAMENE,NUMIDIAN OR EARLY MOORISH, LATER SELEUCID, LATER PTOLEMAIC,PONTIC, SPARTACUS SLAVE REVOLT, EARLY ARMENIAN,PARTHIAN,LATER JEWISH , BOSPORAN.


Wot, no hussites?, 16 Jul 2008
The book contains a number of interesting lists including some that were new to me (e.g. various Iberian and Scandinavian territories). I also liked the concept of having both 'starter armies' and detailed lists. I was disappointed that this wasn't done in every case, especially not for the WotR. I was also rather dismayed to find that there was no reference at all to the Hussites. Some mistake, surely?

It's not bad, 16 Apr 2008
I bought this initially out of curiosity, just to see how detailed it was, and I was impressed. Doesn't quite fit with my own research though, but they have to generalise to create armies of roughly equal weight and strength etc so that you can have a fair fight.

I personally leave all my knights and men at arms mounted untill it's tactically necessary to dismount them, usually because I'm outnumbered. But despite my own quirks these army lists are comprehensive enough. They usually include foreign allies for each army, and without you therefore needing to buy the extra army list books.

The Austrian's and Hungarian's are not listed in this one, it's strictly Western Europe.

If you'd like to read a broad view of ancient and medieval warefare before deciding which, if any period army list facilitates your preferred style of play, then Neil Thomas's book is a great introduction with the army lists included in the rule book. He doesn't advocate anachronistic games though, whereas these army lists are designed to work outside their period of history with other books in the series.

It all came back!, 07 Sep 2008
Having been a modeller/wargammer from the age of 8 through to 18, the book brought back the joy and naivety of those long lost days, when painting my soldiers seemed more important than exploring the world outside. Probably a read only for those of a similar background, though even some of those men may not want to be reminded of their uncool youth.

Thank God for Harry Pearson., 20 May 2008
Before we start this review,I will confess I am a wargamer,no I am not a warmonger,neither do I sit in some dark bedroom watching re-runs of Sky tv's latest offering of the blitzkrieg.
I first came across Harry Pearson's work when I was given a copy of the Far Corner,which was a far superior book than that b*****s about being an Arsenal fan.
That book summed up what football used to be about,crap beer and violent football tackles,and a damn good laugh at ourselves.
But I digress,Harrys latest offering is probably only meaningful to a small percentage of the British population,ie. males,but the book is a gem,encapsulating a lot of what makes the British so interesting.
In the' precious' protected world that we now have to inhabit,it is refreshing to read,and laugh at ourselves,as a not so small group of grown men wax lyrical over badly cast lead figures,and poorly painted scenery,meant to resemble some far flung battlefield.
Whenever the news becomes depressing,I reach for this book and re-live some memory that this book always seems to trigger.
well done,Hary Pearson.

Not what you'd think from the cover, 12 May 2008
It seems the reviewers are split into two camps on this book. I was looking forward to something Boys' Own-ish, a bit silly, a bit nostalgic, a bit fun: rather what the cover suggests.
What I got was something that started out that way, but which quickly mutated into chapter after chapter of lists about model/toy soldiers, their fans, and little bits of their history.
I gave up in disgust about half way through - a thing I hardly ever do. If you are a keen wargamer, this might be just the thing for you. If you aren't, I wouldn't touch it with a twenty-foot battle lance.

Inductive Entertainment, 06 May 2008
We Yanks and you Brits approach popular entertainment from opposite sides.

In the US, we boil all of our culture down to the lowest common denominator. Our cuisine is nothing but different levels of salt and sugar. Our movies are sex and violence held together by the thinnest thread of plot. And don't get me started on our popular music. The result is that we create totally forgettable products which nevertheless appeal to people around the world.

In the UK, your expertise is your ability to puzzle out universal truths out of the individual and even eccentric. The result is that your culture creates more "popular culture" classics - think Sherlock Holmes or the Rolling Stones - than the US ever will.

Achtung Schweinehund is a perfect example. Mr. Pearson delivers a nostalgic and very funny discourse on an extremely narrow segment of society: wargamers, people who have never served in the military (and indeed, in many cases, are horrified by the thought) but who live and breath the military strategist's atmosphere. In enlightening chapters, he covers every segment of that hobby, including models, reenactments, board games, novels, toy soldiers and a host of others.

You needn't be much of an afficianado to enjoy this book. Mr. Pearson's ability to capture the humor, fanaticism, good nature, profiteering, in other words the pure humanity of the people who indulge in the hobby, teachs the reader larger truths about human nature. The American military hobbyist (except, perhaps for the most fanatical) will find large areas of the book to cover terra incognita, revealing the somewhat nationalistic aspect of the products and culture of this hobby.

There are no doubt a number of errors in a book which is based more on memory than on research, but I found only one. Frank Sinatra did not play a German general in the movie Von Ryan's Express. He played an American colonel who was a prisoner of war and who masqueraded as a German train guard in order to seize the train and escape to Switzerland.

I half suspect that Mr. Pearson knew that and slipped that error and some others into the text as a sort of test to determine just how much of a military hobbyist one is: the more errors you spot, the more fanatical you are. If so, I guess I flunked the test, but that didn't prevent me, and wouldn't prevent anyone, from enjoying this book.

How we worked out our identities., 06 Jan 2008
This is somewhat of an apologia for the whole area of male interest in war, toy soldiers, wargames, you name it. The author seems to be addressing this in his own life, objectively, self-deprecatingly, somewhat sardonically, and hilariously. He genially adumbrates the characteristics of the adult miniature militarist, but how can he stop himself, and why should he? As Pearsons friend remarks, what harm are they doing anybody else? What indeed. A serious point is the centrality of games playing in personal and social development, right up to the use of wargames and scenarios at the highest political and military levels throughout modern history. Bismarck, for instance, played chess with all the monarchs of Europe, to gain psychological insights as a tool for future diplomatic dealings, a striking illustration of his cunning. It is part of what we became as adults, that phase when our childhoods coincided with the reinvention of World War Two. It is amazing, in retrospect, to realise the unconscious roles into which we slipped in our games. A boy would always be assigned the same role, with very little question, either as British (seldom American) soldiers, or German and Japanese (and never Italian). When a certain kid was playing with us the action always took place in the Pacific theatre, because, with his buck teeth and round NHS specs, he was the inscrutable Japanese officer ("Ah, so, honourable flend of Nippon" etc), a niche he perfected and made his own, becoming part of his persona. In such ways did we negotiate our group relationships. If, however, unlike me, you have grown out of that sort of thing, I think you will find Part 1 of the book by far the most entertaining, with the joy of half-remembered familiarity. The rest is more the province of we traduced in the eyes of society!

Disappointing, 18 Nov 2008
The book looks good - reminding me very much of the Warhammer style of production. However the disappointment is the comparatively small number of actual army lists in the book, especially when compared to the De Bellis Multitudinus army list books. Also there are no dates on the front of the book so you really have to know your ancient history chronology to know where it fits in the series. I also didn't find the lists that easy to use - maybe just me though. Nice pictures but if you're into wargaming this period you'll probably have the Osprey books that some of the pictures are taken from & thus feel, like I did, slightly cheated. Given that you will need to buy about 12 of these books as well as the rules, then, IMHO, not worth the money. Again, IMHO, you'd be better off putting up with the flaws in the DBM or even DBMM rules & lists & spend the money you save on some more figures..

Keeping up appearances, 24 Apr 2008
I wasn't sure initially how far I would use this, since I have only dabbled in the armies of Hellas and their contemporaries. I was pleasantly surprised at the coverage and , particularly, the inclusion of Early Carthage (although you might argue that it would have been better to arrange to have the two Carthage armies in one volume, but that's not happening).

Good layout, god background, excellent starter armies. Classical Greek only requires 40 bases of hoplite :)

Worth the wait.

A backward step?, 30 Nov 2008
I got these rules to see if what some wargamers were saying about them was true, which was that they were better than the other well known ruleset DBMM.
The rules read fairly well although it seemed odd to me to have the combat factors etc at the back. I was expecting to see that sort of info in the part of the book where combat etc is described. Lots of glossy pics & some helpful diagrams.
Having played a few games I was disappointed. The rules work but feel to me like a step back into the past with classification of troops & weapons very much like in the 6th & 7th Ed'n WRG rules. It was those rules whose tedium & the 'rivet-counting' stopped me playing ancients wargaming for many years. Bases of figures move around in permanent units (called battlegroups) reminding me of Warhammer Ancients (which I don't like - reminding me too much of 6th & 7th WRG). Not sure why the FoG authors would want to compete against something that is already established like Warhammer Ancients.
The games I played felt like a game rather than a recreation of a battle. Big clumps of figures moving around & lots of dice to roll - rather inelegant - like Warhammer Ancients.
Ok, the language that its written is clear & there seems less room for misinterpretation than in say DBM or even in it's successor, DBMM. And I'm sure this fact will make it popular with competition organisers. However the rules didn't work for me. They felt like Flames of War does to me - a game of toy soldiers.
So if you like Flames of War you may like these rules. Personally I prefer Blitzkrieg Commander & DBMM - the latter even with it's unclear English & less glossy approach.
I also dislike having to buy 12 army lists for FoG - yeah, 12! Better to stick with DBMM & just 4 army list books. More armies covered & less cost - no brainer really.
I'll stick with DBMM (despite it's faults) for recreating battles - & yeah, I like the strategems etc in DBMM - feels like being a proper general.

A bit dull, 19 Jul 2008
Yes FoG is well laid out and has nice pictures but the question I ask is how interesting to play.

Sorry to say it find it dull, as units (battlegroups) contact and then you are left rolling dice to see what happens. That takes as long as it takes. Players have no involvement except to roll the dice.

Same with shooting, lots of dice are rolled. Not much happens.

More detailed than a lot of other 15mm ancient rule sets but I don't see that the extra detail adds much to game play.

If you are looking for fun, pick another set.

You'd be silly not to buy them, 18 Jul 2008
Field of Glory Rulebook: Ancient and Medieval Wargaming Rules (Field of Glory): Ancient and Medieval Wargaming Rules (Field of Glory)

Let's face it, the American's have been turning out rules sets like this for years. High production values, easy to follow rules with examples, and a dedicated website with equally good follow on publications.

That said, these are very good, the rules set that ancients wargamers have deserved for some time in fact. The price aside, I can find very little to fault in them - the movement rules are a little complex but there are diagrams and I am sure a few games will make things much clearer. The price is high compared to competitors but you get 'a lot of bang for your buck' and the hardback will take a lot of wear and tear, unlike cheaper rules sets which get grubby very quickly.

I particularly like the refrshing lack of 'jargon' which ruins some of the more 'popular' sets on the market at the moment. No 'blades or 'psiloi' here, which should make them more accessible to 'beginners.

The army lists are good as well and there is a dedicated website.

Great Rules, 17 Jun 2008
The book is put together very nicely. It's divided into several chapters, each dealing with a certain aspect of the game. Also, each chapter has it's own quick reference, so it's easy to find the relevant information. Besides the drawings from several renowned artists, you'll find a lot of examples dealing with every aspect of the game. This makes it an ideal start for anybody wishing to begin the exciting hobby of wargaming. For those who have played DBM in the past, it will be an easy transition from those rules to these. This also brings me to the reason why I haven't given it 5 stars. Without going into too much detail a few remarks: many, many rolls of dice; an awkward set of command rules (but easy); certain combats (eg. elephants vs. cavalry)
Final conclusion: the best ancient rules to hit the shelves in the last few years and a potential to draw many players to it.

Just what I wanted, 16 Apr 2008
Nice rules, well put together and full of illustrations to inspire your miniature paintwork. The step by step guide through the playing steps works well.
It's a system that has no super armies and although you and your freinds may build armies from one particular geography and period nevertheless anachronistic war games are possible with this rule set.

Contains starter army lists for Romans vs Carthaginians, and 100 years war English and French. So you will need to purchase the armylist books.

Well worth the money if you're anticipating fighting those lamentable games between Byzantine's and Ancient Egyptians etc.

Try Neil Thomas's book if you want everything under one cover.

Colourful army lists, 18 Jul 2008
Field of Glory 3: Immortal Fire: Greek, Persian and Macedonian Army List (Field of Glory): Field of Glory Greek, Persian and Macedonian Army List (Field of Glory)

I agree that these are expensive on a 'pound per list' basis. But I like love the artwork and the presentation of the lists themselves is faultless. The real advantage is that they allow gamers with armies based to other rules sets (you know the ones I mean..) to set up straight away without tedious re-basing of figures. Granted the lists are fairly basic in their coverage but I am sure that more obscure lists will follow on the web. Or just adapt the lists you already have.



Just about right, 17 Jun 2008
Well, there isn't much to say about a book full of army lists. The book has, on the right side of the page, an easy quick reference so you can find the right army list. For the rest it's based on the army books of DBM. So many bases of that type of troops are mandatory and cost so many points and others are free to choose from. It covers the mayor and a lot of the minor nations which rules/existed at that time. So if you plan on playing FoG and you're interested in this specific period of time, buy it.

Very well thought out army lists, 27 Mar 2008
Funnily enough I think the army lists are cauting more contention over whether they are value for money than the rules, (which most people agree are an excellent set of rules)

Well here is my opinion:-

Do you like the rules (I do) - then you have to buy at least the army lists for the period you are interested in or you can't play the game! Having said that I intend to buy the lists for periods I do not currently have armies for as I find them excellent and interesting books to read.

I have seen a lot of people say "they are more expensive than DBM lists". Yes they are but their production values etc are much higher. I think it would be fairer to compare them with WAB army list books which have similar high production values, make interesting reads and cost as I remember about twice as much!!

Particularly if you buy them at Amazon where they are offered at a considerable discount I think they are good value for money

So I would say.
If you don't intend to play the game - don't buy the army lists
If you aren't sure do as I did and buy the rules plus one army list book
If you like the rules but don't have too much money to spare just buy the army books you have to buy for your army
If you have a little more money to waste on frivolous purchases then these are an excellent candidate, and let's be honest how many things do we buy that we don't "need"? Quite a lot :)

Andy


Not many lists for your money, 29 Feb 2008
The lists are nicely presented and well structured. However about 18 army lists with a number of additional ally lists is quite a small number for the money. To get the same amount of coverage as the DBM/DBMM lists (70 + per book) will therefore take something like 16 books. The snag with this is that I for one will not buy them all and this means you lose out on the "That army looks fun" you get through browsing through a large number of less prettily presented lists.

It is also dissapointing that the lists that are going to be published are basically focused on post 500 BC Europe and the Near East. This is a shame for those of interested in earlier periods and a wider Geographical area.

The army backgrounds are a good idea for the beginner, possibly a bit passe for the veteran.



Sweet but a bit short, 28 Feb 2008
Production and presentation exemplary, as expected.

Each army is prefaced with a short introduction and also some very nice Osprey imagery and even the odd painted figure snapshot. Nothing amazingly useful for the hardened game/historian, but it doesn't claim to be a history book. As an introduction to any period, however, it's really nice material to whet the appetite.

As the previous reviewer noted, it could well have been filled out with more lists. All the classics are covered, but the "unsuals" have been left out, probably because they are not part of the quite narrow theme of the book. Some of the quirkier options form old army lists are omitted. Possible because those oddities caused too many problems or were rarer than rare in actuality. No doubt some of these will be claimed by later books.


The author has seemed to made good efforts in making FoG armies not vary too much from your old DBM army. My Gaul army, for example, was almost the same,base for base, in DBM or FoG. Useful. Most armies have different allied sub-lists to add also, just as was done in DBM.


ARMIES COVERED IN THIS BOOK

MID-REPUBLICAN ROMAN, LATE REPUBLICAN ROMAN, GALLIC, PYRRHIC, LATER CARTHAGINIAN,ILLYRIAN, ANCIENT SPANISH, LATER MACEDONIAN, ATTALID PERGAMENE,NUMIDIAN OR EARLY MOORISH, LATER SELEUCID, LATER PTOLEMAIC,PONTIC, SPARTACUS SLAVE REVOLT, EARLY ARMENIAN,PARTHIAN,LATER JEWISH , BOSPORAN.


Wot, no hussites?, 16 Jul 2008
The book contains a number of interesting lists including some that were new to me (e.g. various Iberian and Scandinavian territories). I also liked the concept of having both 'starter armies' and detailed lists. I was disappointed that this wasn't done in every case, especially not for the WotR. I was also rather dismayed to find that there was no reference at all to the Hussites. Some mistake, surely?

It's not bad, 16 Apr 2008
I bought this initially out of curiosity, just to see how detailed it was, and I was impressed. Doesn't quite fit with my own research though, but they have to generalise to create armies of roughly equal weight and strength etc so that you can have a fair fight.

I personally leave all my knights and men at arms mounted untill it's tactically necessary to dismount them, usually because I'm outnumbered. But despite my own quirks these army lists are comprehensive enough. They usually include foreign allies for each army, and without you therefore needing to buy the extra army list books.

The Austrian's and Hungarian's are not listed in this one, it's strictly Western Europe.

If you'd like to read a broad view of ancient and medieval warefare before deciding which, if any period army list facilitates your preferred style of play, then Neil Thomas's book is a great introduction with the army lists included in the rule book. He doesn't advocate anachronistic games though, whereas these army lists are designed to work outside their period of history with other books in the series.

It all came back!, 07 Sep 2008
Having been a modeller/wargammer from the age of 8 through to 18, the book brought back the joy and naivety of those long lost days, when painting my soldiers seemed more important than exploring the world outside. Probably a read only for those of a similar background, though even some of those men may not want to be reminded of their uncool youth.

Thank God for Harry Pearson., 20 May 2008
Before we start this review,I will confess I am a wargamer,no I am not a warmonger,neither do I sit in some dark bedroom watching re-runs of Sky tv's latest offering of the blitzkrieg.
I first came across Harry Pearson's work when I was given a copy of the Far Corner,which was a far superior book than that b*****s about being an Arsenal fan.
That book summed up what football used to be about,crap beer and violent football tackles,and a damn good laugh at ourselves.
But I digress,Harrys latest offering is probably only meaningful to a small percentage of the British population,ie. males,but the book is a gem,encapsulating a lot of what makes the British so interesting.
In the' precious' protected world that we now have to inhabit,it is refreshing to read,and laugh at ourselves,as a not so small group of grown men wax lyrical over badly cast lead figures,and poorly painted scenery,meant to resemble some far flung battlefield.
Whenever the news becomes depressing,I reach for this book and re-live some memory that this book always seems to trigger.
well done,Hary Pearson.

Not what you'd think from the cover, 12 May 2008
It seems the reviewers are split into two camps on this book. I was looking forward to something Boys' Own-ish, a bit silly, a bit nostalgic, a bit fun: rather what the cover suggests.
What I got was something that started out that way, but which quickly mutated into chapter after chapter of lists about model/toy soldiers, their fans, and little bits of their history.
I gave up in disgust about half way through - a thing I hardly ever do. If you are a keen wargamer, this might be just the thing for you. If you aren't, I wouldn't touch it with a twenty-foot battle lance.

Inductive Entertainment, 06 May 2008
We Yanks and you Brits approach popular entertainment from opposite sides.

In the US, we boil all of our culture down to the lowest common denominator. Our cuisine is nothing but different levels of salt and sugar. Our movies are sex and violence held together by the thinnest thread of plot. And don't get me started on our popular music. The result is that we create totally forgettable products which nevertheless appeal to people around the world.

In the UK, your expertise is your ability to puzzle out universal truths out of the individual and even eccentric. The result is that your culture creates more "popular culture" classics - think Sherlock Holmes or the Rolling Stones - than the US ever will.

Achtung Schweinehund is a perfect example. Mr. Pearson delivers a nostalgic and very funny discourse on an extremely narrow segment of society: wargamers, people who have never served in the military (and indeed, in many cases, are horrified by the thought) but who live and breath the military strategist's atmosphere. In enlightening chapters, he covers every segment of that hobby, including models, reenactments, board games, novels, toy soldiers and a host of others.

You needn't be much of an afficianado to enjoy this book. Mr. Pearson's ability to capture the humor, fanaticism, good nature, profiteering, in other words the pure humanity of the people who indulge in the hobby, teachs the reader larger truths about human nature. The American military hobbyist (except, perhaps for the most fanatical) will find large areas of the book to cover terra incognita, revealing the somewhat nationalistic aspect of the products and culture of this hobby.

There are no doubt a number of errors in a book which is based more on memory than on research, but I found only one. Frank Sinatra did not play a German general in the movie Von Ryan's Express. He played an American colonel who was a prisoner of war and who masqueraded as a German train guard in order to seize the train and escape to Switzerland.

I half suspect that Mr. Pearson knew that and slipped that error and some others into the text as a sort of test to determine just how much of a military hobbyist one is: the more errors you spot, the more fanatical you are. If so, I guess I flunked the test, but that didn't prevent me, and wouldn't prevent anyone, from enjoying this book.

How we worked out our identities., 06 Jan 2008
This is somewhat of an apologia for the whole area of male interest in war, toy soldiers, wargames, you name it. The author seems to be addressing this in his own life, objectively, self-deprecatingly, somewhat sardonically, and hilariously. He genially adumbrates the characteristics of the adult miniature militarist, but how can he stop himself, and why should he? As Pearsons friend remarks, what harm are they doing anybody else? What indeed. A serious point is the centrality of games playing in personal and social development, right up to the use of wargames and scenarios at the highest political and military levels throughout modern history. Bismarck, for instance, played chess with all the monarchs of Europe, to gain psychological insights as a tool for future diplomatic dealings, a striking illustration of his cunning. It is part of what we became as adults, that phase when our childhoods coincided with the reinvention of World War Two. It is amazing, in retrospect, to realise the unconscious roles into which we slipped in our games. A boy would always be assigned the same role, with very little question, either as British (seldom American) soldiers, or German and Japanese (and never Italian). When a certain kid was playing with us the action always took place in the Pacific theatre, because, with his buck teeth and round NHS specs, he was the inscrutable Japanese officer ("Ah, so, honourable flend of Nippon" etc), a niche he perfected and made his own, becoming part of his persona. In such ways did we negotiate our group relationships. If, however, unlike me, you have grown out of that sort of thing, I think you will find Part 1 of the book by far the most entertaining, with the joy of half-remembered familiarity. The rest is more the province of we traduced in the eyes of society!

Disappointing, 18 Nov 2008
The book looks good - reminding me very much of the Warhammer style of production. However the disappointment is the comparatively small number of actual army lists in the book, especially when compared to the De Bellis Multitudinus army list books. Also there are no dates on the front of the book so you really have to know your ancient history chronology to know where it fits in the series. I also didn't find the lists that easy to use - maybe just me though. Nice pictures but if you're into wargaming this period you'll probably have the Osprey books that some of the pictures are taken from & thus feel, like I did, slightly cheated. Given that you will need to buy about 12 of these books as well as the rules, then, IMHO, not worth the money. Again, IMHO, you'd be better off putting up with the flaws in the DBM or even DBMM rules & lists & spend the money you save on some more figures..

Keeping up appearances, 24 Apr 2008
I wasn't sure initially how far I would use this, since I have only dabbled in the armies of Hellas and their contemporaries. I was pleasantly surprised at the coverage and , particularly, the inclusion of Early Carthage (although you might argue that it would have been better to arrange to have the two Carthage armies in one volume, but that's not happening).

Good layout, god background, excellent starter armies. Classical Greek only requires 40 bases of hoplite :)

Worth the wait.

An American Reviewer, 08 Jul 2008
A Game Collection--in One Book!, April 28, 2008
By Navalgamer - See all my reviews

As a longtime miniatures and board wargamer I applaud John Bobek's "Games of War"; he has created a work that belongs on the bookshelf (and more importantly, the gaming table!) of anyone interested in the re-creation of historic battles in miniature. Easy-to-understand but quite comprehensive in it's coverage of the subject, he provides the reader with rules-sets and background information on how to simulate every form of combat from Alexander's campaigns to Vietnam and even the present-day struggles in the Middle East. Additional rules allow the beginning gamer to immerse him/herself in gladitorial combat in the Arena, and even Wild West action.
Most impressive to this reviewer is the Author's combination of all of this in one complete, exciting, even humorous collection of gaming rules, hints, suggestions for classroom use, and tabletop combat lore.
In my career at sea (US Navy) I have often faced the question of what types of games to carry aboard with me--limited by storage space and playing time to a few boxed rule-sets and a handful of miniatures. No more! Bobek's book goes a long way toward replacing the numerous rulebooks I used to carry around, and reduces my accessory requirements to a few "minis" and a handful of dice!
I strongly recommend this book to the beginning and experienced gamer as well!