SMALL WARS
Historical & Fantasy Skirmish Wargame
A flexible, miniature-agnostic ruleset for fast, decisive tabletop battles, playable with any models and minimal setup.
Experience the thrill of strategic warfare in our tabletop skirmish wargame. Perfect for Miniature collectors and 3D print enthusiasts.
Get Small wars.
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PDF available instantly
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Designed for 10–40 miniatures
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Historical & fantasy compatible
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No proprietary models required
Get Started
Small Wars Historical & Fantasy: is an open-system tabletop skirmish ruleset that allows players to build and command armies using miniatures from any range or manufacturer, including fully custom 3D-printed models. Whether fielding historical forces, fantasy warriors, kitbashed creations, or home-printed designs, the rules are built to support creativity, flexibility, and personal expression. Using polyhedral dice, Small Wars delivers fast-paced, balanced battles typically involving 5–20 units per side, all within a streamlined and intuitive framework.
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What You’ll Need to Play
To play Small Wars, you'll need a few basic tools:
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A set of polyhedral dice for each player: D4, D6, D8, D10, D12, and D20 or you can use any free Dice app.
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A flat playing surface, ideally 3×3 or 3×4 feet, a standard kitchen or dining table works perfectly.
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A selection of miniatures to represent your units. These can be historical, fantasy,or any models that you have available or that suit your setting.
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A measuring tape marked in inches for movement, ranges, and area of influence.
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The Core Rules
Playing your first game
Once you have the rulebook, getting started is quick and straightforward. Use the included Army Builder to create your force, either by selecting ready-to-play Quick Start units and armies or by designing your own custom units to suit the miniatures you already own. With your contingent built, you can get models on the table and start playing right away.
Visit our Army builder page for more info.
SW Historic & Fantasy - Battle Guides
Build your own Units Contingents & Armies!
Download you print ready contingent sheets
Small Wars offers advanced Modular Rules allowing you to customise upon the core experience as you see fit.
Explore tools, resources, and guidance to help you build, customize, and adapt Small Wars to your playstyle. Suggest your own improvements & gain insights into the game’s core design philosophy.
Links to helpful resources of miniature brands and resources