[Editor's Note: As usual, Billy's fantasy column has a lot that is useful for historical ancients campaigning.]
Recently I started yet another of my fantasy campaigns and decided, in a moment of madness, to jot things down as I proceed with the object of writing a short article for Lone Warrior.
First thing for me is a map. I prefer to use commercially produced maps from games companies. Mainly because they look good, secondly all the cities, towns, rivers, mountains, and the hundred and one other things you have to put on your map are already there. And thirdly I have the artistic talent of a four year old. (No disrespect to my four year old son who is in fact a better drawer than I !!) Mainly my maps come from Advanced Dungeons and Dragons ™ game modules (AD&D ™). These offer a plethora, (good word) of suitable maps to represent your gaming world, either of an entire continent or a whole world.
Two modules that I would recommend would be RED ARROW BLACK SHIELD, which is in fact a military campaign set in a fantasy world which could be very easily adapted to fit into other periods. The map in this is roughly three foot by two and depicts fifteen different countries on a hexagonal grid in glorious colour. Another good map is found in AD&D ™ Greyhawk WARS. This map is about five foot by four and depicts the whole of the area of Oerth known as Flanees, around forty countries shown by their borders.
When using these maps I also use their movement rates, terrain movement modifiers etc. as these are right for the map. Usually each game move represents one week.
Once you have your map you must decide what type of campaign your going to game. This could be you controlling one country and the others randomly controlled or you controlling several countries, each in turn. I prefer to control just the one country as this means I can really go to town on the details of my "Realm" and spend some time moulding it into the way I envisage it. If you do decide to control several states at once, take my advice and just put enough detail into it to get you started. It is very easy to get bogged down in details and after two or three states are done you find you've gone off the idea and all that work will have been for nothing.
I use a list of six traits: loyalty, ambition, military ability, morals, appearance and popularity. This I feel gives me enough to conjure a character to life. One other trait is used for wizards and that is magic ability. I also like to give each character a family, This is done using dice to work out how many members are in the immediate family, their sex and ages. I can then involve these N.P.C's (non player characters) in campaign adventures from which the campaign can take new and unusual twists that I had not thought of. In one campaign I played, the only son (an N.P.C.) of a local count accompanied a neighbouring cities expedition into the wild lands where he was killed in an ambush. Since then the Count has not forgiven his neighbour and a civil war has raged between the two cities for three seasons.
The aim of this campaign would be conquest. I would control the attacking army and the other "states" would be controlled by dice and chance cards. Each game turn would equal one week and there would be twenty-four turns to a campaign season.
The Army
Firstly, the army was divided up into scouts, main force, and baggage guard. These last would guard the supply train that would accompany the army. I use a simple supply system. At the start of a campaign I throw 2D6 which will equal the number of supply units available at the start. Supplies can also be gained by sacking a settlement once you have occupied it. A town will give you 1D4 +I units, a castle 1D4 +2 units and a city 1D4 +4 units.
Each army under your command needs one unit of supply each week unless encamped in a town, castle, or city. If you detach a force from your army then that also requires one unit of supplies per week. If you have no supplies throw 1D6 and consult the supply chart.
Each turn throw a 1D10. If a "1" is thrown, consult the Event Chart;
EVENT CHART
1. Unrest in the Army. Some of the units have a dispute and the army must remain where it is for the remainder of the turn for you to sort it out. No move this week.
2. Local Storms. The weather prevents the army from moving. You just have to sit in your tents until it passes. No move this week.
3. Caravan. A trading Caravan arrives at your encampment. You trade with them for the next few days. Increase your supplies by 1D6 units of supply. No move this week.
4. Mercenaries. Your scouts come across a band of mercenaries. Throw a D4. 1,2,3 - a group of 10+D10 mercenaries join your army for the rest of the season. 4,5,6 - the mercenaries slaughter your entire scout force and leave their bones for the birds.
5. Sickness. Sickness sweeps the army and many are bedridden. Throw 2D6 to see how many die. If a double is thrown a commander also dies. No move this week.
6. Dead-end. The trail that the army was following has come to a dead end and the way forward is impossible. It takes the army the rest of the week to retrace its steps and for the scouts to find a new route.
NOTE: IF YOU ROLL ON THE ABOVE EVENT CHART THEN YOUR ARMY MAY NOT MOVE AND THE TURN FOR THAT WEEK IS OVER.
Once you reach a settlement that is marked on your map throw a D10 to see what type of settlement it is. (If you are using a commercial map just ignore what type of settlement it shows until you have thrown the dice. i.e: It shows on the map a city called Kelvick. You throw a dice and it comes up a 4 which means Kelvick is a town).
SETTLEMENTS
Next throw 2D6. If you throw a double then the settlement is defended, otherwise it submits to your rule.
SETTLEMENT DEFENDERS.
Throw 1D10 to determine unit type for each unit.
BATTLES. Everyone has their own systems for fighting battles so just use whatever system you're comfortable with. After the battle throw a D6 for casualty recovery for each unit.
The above is designed to give you the basics of a campaign of conquest. There is a lot more that can be added; naval rules spring to mind. Hopefully there will be enough to get you started or at least get you thinking. If you look through back copies of Lone Warrior you will find bits from several different articles that should help you fulfill the Megalomaniac inside you . One final tip - start small and build things up as you need them.
REMEMBER - DON'T TAKE LIFE TOO SERIOUSLY; YOU'LL NEVER GET OUT OF IT ALIVE!
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For this campaign I decided to control just the one central country surrounded by several others. Next I decide on commanders for my cities and castles shown on the map for my particular country. These will be either a count or a duke for the cities and a baron or a wizard for the castles. Characters play a big part in fantasy wargames much more so than in any other wargames. These are the people that the stories and songs are written about.
Finally I divide my army up in my realm. I do this by my choice or by dice. I usually deploy about twice the number of units that I actually have as it is unlikely that the entire army will be deployed in one battle. Each army or force is then commanded by one of the characters that I have already created, again using the dice to decide which commander gets which army.
SUPPLY CHART 1 Troops start to wander off homewards for food. Deduct 1D10 + 10 figures. 2,3 Troops start to wander off homewards for food. Deduct 1D10 figures. 4,5 Troops start to wander off homewards for food. Deduct 1D6 figures. 6 Enough food is found locally to feed the army. 
MOVEMENT. Movement rates are as per your map. If you are using your own map then use your own movement rates. There is enough written on map move rates but a cavalry move of 6 hexes per week, an infantry move of 4 hexes, and a baggage train move of 3 hexes should be about right. Don't forget the modifiers for roads, cross-country movement etc.
1 City 2 Castle 3 Town 4 Town 5 Town 6 City 7 Town 8 Castle 9 Town 10 Castle
If a town, then 1D6 - 2 units are present (minimum of 1 unit)
If a castle, 1D6+1 units present.
If a city, 1D6+3 units present.
1 Mtd. knights 5-10 figs 2 Ft knights 5-10 figs 3 Swordsmen 10-20 figs 4 Bowmen 10-15 figs 5 Crossbowmen 10-15 figs 6 Spearmen 10-20 figs 7 Halbediers 10-15 figs 8 Spearmen 10-20 figs 9 Swordsmen 10-20 figs 10 Cannon 1-2 guns (if no gunpowder weapons then as 9 above).
1 1 in 2 return to unit. 2 1 in 3 return to unit. 3,4 1 in 4 return to unit. 5,6 no casualties return to unit. 
CHANCE CARDS. Every month (4 game turns) a chance card is drawn from the deck. Most people have their own ideas of the chance cards that would fit into their campaign. The following are just a selection of my own and I am sure you can think of many more:
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