Note: This article divided into smaller sections for speed and ease of download.--RL These rules are designed to allow wargamers to develop their own ideas of what would or could have happened in historical battles. They can comfortably cover combats of a few minutes to two to three days rather than long campaigns. The main feature of the game is that it does not use prescribed calculations for assessing outcomes. This has been made possible by using the innovative and clever Matrix Game mechanisms devised by Chris Engle http://www.io.com/~hamster. His method does not rely on the usual algorithms of most games. Other than obey very basic rules to regulate movement, all the player has to do is to make Arguments about what happens next. In this game system, Players propose their “Arguments” based on military logic and common sense. They are rated in terms of strength by the Umpire and dice are thrown to see whether they are deemed to have occurred. In this way, the participants base their game on their knowledge of historical possibilities. However, even the strongest Argument can fail by chance and events are never completely in the control of any Player or the Umpire. The resulting games are unexpectedly varied and complex in outcome since Players must use their imagination as to what developments might have swung things one way or another. Historical questions can be dealt with as they arise, so there is little for the “rule lawyers” to play with. Games can be very complex or very simple based on the knowledge and inclination of Players. More Table Top Matrix Games: Historical Miniatures Introduction Preparation: The Battle Arena and Critical Distance Scales Ground Formations and Units Players The Battle Rules Arguments and Results Players and Umpires Notes Back to Table of Contents -- Matrix Gamer #30 To Matrix Gamer List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2002 by Chris Engle. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com