One-hour Skirmish Wargames – Napoleonics to Sci-Fi

One-Hour Skirmish Wargames are a set of fast-paced, dice-less rules for miniature battles, designed to capture the intensity of small-unit combat in a single hour. The game uses a card-driven mechanic instead of dice to resolve actions, focusing on tactical decisions over complex rules and modifiers. The system is designed to be flexible, with core rules supported by specialized sections and scenarios that allow players to game various historical periods and even sci-fi settings.

Key features
  • Fast and accessible: The rules are designed to be quickly learned, allowing players to get straight to the action. The card-driven system minimizes time spent looking up rules or calculating modifiers.
  • Dice-less gameplay: A standard deck of playing cards (or a custom deck) replaces dice for resolving actions like combat and casualties, making the game faster and more streamlined.
  • Adaptable across periods: While the original book focuses on gunpowder-era skirmishes, the system has been adapted to cover a wide range of eras, from ancient and medieval to modern warfare and science fiction.
  • Tactical focus: With small-unit actions at its core, the game prioritizes tactical decision-making over grand strategy.
  • Flexible and customizable: The rules are presented as a “toolkit” that encourages players to adapt them to suit their specific interests, armies, and preferred periods.
  • Scenario and force building support: The rulebooks typically include sample force lists, scenarios, and points systems to help players get started and build their own forces. 
Genre: Science Fiction, Renaissance (1400-1700), 19th Century, Napoleonic, 18th Century, American Civil War, Colonial, Western, WW I, InterWar, WW II, Modern
Scale: 15 mm, 25 mm, 28 mm, 32 mm
Average Models per Side: Less than 10, 10 to 20
Number of Players: 2, 2+
Miniatures: Agnostic
Rules: Purchased PDF or Rulebook
Availability: In Print
Publisher: Pen and Sword Books
Designers: John Lanbshead
Year Released: 2018
Additional Information:

Other Versions Available include:

  • One-hour Wargames
  • One-hour Ancient & Medieval Skirmish Wargames
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