There are many periods of warfare covered by wargamers and re-enactment societies too. Some of the most popular can found below by selecting the links.
This period covers any period from Biblical armies such as; Assyria, Egypt, Rome, Persia etc. through in some cases to late medieval 100 Years War knights and the start of pike and shot with the use of gunpowder.
You might use these rules for the; Punic Wars, Norman Conquest, Vikings, War of the Roses, Greek city wars etc.
This is the period covering battles where the first fire arms are used alongside the pike blocks and cavalry. It also saw the introduction of cannons into the battlefield rather than just as a siege weapon.
This period covers the; Thirty Years War and English Civil War.
By now the flintlock musket has replaced the matchlock and become the main weapon for the infantry. The pike have largely been replaced by a plug bayonet that could fit in the end of the musket for hand to hand combat. The artillery arm has also improved and many infantry battalions had light guns of there own for support.
The Seven Years War, War of Spanish Succession, American War of Independence.
This was one of the busiest times for armed conflict and saw the continuation of colonial expansion started during the Seven Years War. The musket was still the main weapon, but the rifle was soon to take its place and by the end of the century the breach loading rifle was the infantry man’s mainstay. The bayonet had improved too and it was now possible to fire the weapons with the bayonet in place.
Cartridges had been developed that improved the rate of fire of muskets at the start of the wars and by the end of the era machine guns and repeating rifles had been developed. Cannons too were much improved with the introduction of first rifling to the barrel and then breach loading shell. Cavalry were still important especially in colonial warfare, but there day was nearly over. Control of the seas became vital and naval warfare was often crucial e.g. Trafalgar. Oak ships became first clad in iron sheets for protection and later iron ships were built.
Main wars include: Napoleonic war, Crimean War, Indian Mutiny, Zulu wars, Boer War and American Civil War.
The machine gun became more reliable and soon dominated the battlefields. Artillery ranges grew further and further and after the Great War control of the skies became the dominant feature of war. Tanks came along to break the deadlock caused by trenches and machinegun only to be threatened by bombers and anti-tank guns.
Armies became much more mobile and larger, often with large numbers of conscripts.
The mid to end of the period saw the use of long range missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons or heavier payloads of regular explosives.
Russo–Japanese War, First World War, World War 2, Vietnam, Falklands, Six Day War etc.
Where conventional warfare ends the gamer will turn to science fiction for inspiration. There are rules that cover actions in space with fleets of rival spacecraft and skirmish rules that let you fight on board ship or planet . Your mind is the only limit here to the creation of you forces. For example a set of footprints maked on bases could represent an army of Predators in invisible mode.
Battles faught for this period include: Star Wars, Star Trek, Alien etc.
Again there is a lot of scope for battling this period, but many draw inspiration from J R R Tolkien’s Lord Of The Rings and wars with orcs are common. However, there is also a strong element of the horror included here. Battles or skirmishes fought between; vampires, warewolves, zombies, demons and humans etc.
This is often considered the most complex aspect of wargaming and may not even require a player to use figures, but rather their wits and imagination. A ‘gamesmaster’ referee will decide on a scenario and players will be able to select various characters to follow through the saga as it unfolds. I suppose it could be described as the first interactive story telling.
Popular games include: Call of Cthulhu, Star Wars, Lord of Rings, Dungeons & Dragons etc.
With the development of aircraft, tanks and armoures war ships the scope of the battles expands greatly. It is possible to battle most of the wars purely at sea or land if you prefer but, often club members will cover all aspects although rarely at the same time because of the complexity of intergrating air land and sea into one game. They are probably best gamed seperately but, often you will get some overlap. For example the battle of Midway, although a naval defeat for Japan was fought largely by Naval aircraft. Air battles can be most complex as it is extremely difficult to generate a three dimensional feel on a flat table top.