Historical re-enactments

[fellwalker]

I am looking for an easy to learn, quick to play system for use with historical re-enactment battles. I am a high school teacher of kids with social/behavioral issues and I would love to get my small classes involved in major historical battles by allowing them to learn about the events in a sorta first hand manner. Fun and learning and all that. Can anyone suggest a system and/or a method to adapt one to may needs? Models aren't absolutely neccessary 'cause I can craft cardboard markers I guess. I just need the rules to use...

 

[Evil_Trevor]

I am looking for an easy to learn, quick to play system for use with historical re-enactment battles.

There are more options than you can shake a stick at, There is a system called DBA, (De Bellis Antiquitatis or some such) which requires only a single d6 and each side has about 12 'pieces'. Each unit has two pieces of information a 'move distance' and a 'combat value' each side takes turns and moves thier pieces (units) then you resolve combat simply by having each side roll a d6 and adding their units value to the roll, there are a few modifiers (-1 for a flank, +1 if you are uphill, +1 for the 'generals' unit) if one side wins by getting more than double the score of the other then the losing unit is removed from the 'landscape'

A game takes about an hour to play, give or take.

I am a high school teacher of kids with social/behavioral issues

I'm not sure you meant to say you had social/behavioral issues, but most of us here probably do, just ask our wives, so you should fit in.

and I would love to get my small classes involved in major historical battles by allowing them to learn about the events in a sorta first hand manner. Fun and learning and all that. Can anyone suggest a system and/or a method to adapt one to may needs? Models aren't absolutely neccessary 'cause I can craft cardboard markers I guess. I just need the rules to use...

I would suggest you look to see if there is a wargammes or role play club near you, you'll find most welcoming and very helpful

DBA is easy to learn, there are only about a dozen basic 'types' of unit but this represents a lot of variation in historical armies DBA is set in ancient through to early middle ages armies and lists of historical armies are available resonably cheaply. There are identicaly structured system DBM for large scale battles, DBR which covers the late middle ages and renaissance periods and if your feeling weird DBF/Here be dragons for fantasy elements

All the rules and information you need to run a game fit on one side of A4

 

[Evil_Trevor]

Note to the above, More recent conflicts (modern period) are harder and systems more complex due to the increasing complexity of military technology and the 'proffesionalisation' of millitary forces. I have seen a modern setting game take twelve weekends to complete with much rule mongering, probabl;y not appriopriate for your situation

 

[Larac]

What type of battles?

Lee

 

[emperorpenguin]

Juniorgeneral.org is perfect for what you're looking for!

http://www.juniorgeneral.org/index.html

it is a guy who does rules and paper soldiers for schoolchildren to learn about history

 

[tneva82]

For napoleonic era I have fell in love with Shako. Seems easy enough to grasp and I just love the idea of using maps to pass commands Plus the armies that are similar yet different is just great.

 

[Mr Evil]

Juniorgeneral.org is perfect for what you're looking for!

http://www.juniorgeneral.org/index.html

it is a guy who does rules and paper soldiers for schoolchildren to learn about history

what an awsome site bud very cool.

 

[emperorpenguin]

Juniorgeneral.org is perfect for what you're looking for!

http://www.juniorgeneral.org/index.html

it is a guy who does rules and paper soldiers for schoolchildren to learn about history

what an awsome site bud very cool.

Yeah I played some great games off that site! Won at Midway with just one heavily damaged Japanese carrier left!