WSS Special Collection
You've discovered a library special collection, courtesy of wargames, soldiers & Strategy magazine. This collection includes a curated selection of free scenarios & Campaigns. discover even more free scenarios on the Wss website.
Bitter Lakes, 925bc
(WSS #129) Set during Pharaoh Shoshenq I’s 925 BC campaign into Israel, this scenario is framed as a semi-historical “what if” engagement inspired by Egyptian and Biblical accounts. Swift New Kingdom Egyptian chariots clash against lighter Judaean tribal warriors in a desert ambush battle emphasizing mobility, flanking attacks, and aggressive command play. The article includes historical background, deployment maps, suggested army lists for multiple systems including Hail Caesar, Sword & Spear, and Swordpoint, along with a full sample force composition and commentary on adapting the battle for balanced tabletop play.
Mantinea, 418BC
(WSS #122) In one of the defining clashes of the Peloponnesian War, Sparta seeks to restore its shattered prestige after a series of humiliations at Athenian hands. Designed as a flexible ancient-era tabletop scenario rather than a rules-specific module, this article provides historical background, deployment maps, detailed orders of battle for both the Spartan and Argive-allied armies, and guidance for adapting the engagement to systems such as Hail Caesar, Swordpoint, Men of Bronze, and Mortal Gods. The scenario emphasizes the unusual overlapping phalanx formations and desperate maneuvering that defined the historical battle.
MINI-CAMPAIGN
The Four Emperors, 69ad
(WSS #107) “The Year of the Four (or More) Wargamers” is a highly adaptable mini-campaign system designed to let a group of players organically build Roman armies while fighting over the fractured empire of 69 AD — the chaotic Year of the Four Emperors. Rather than prescribing a single ruleset, the campaign acts as a lightweight strategic framework layered over any preferred ancient battle system, combining map-based province conquest, political challenges for the imperial throne, asymmetric regional troop bonuses, and escalating army growth over roughly a dozen campaign turns. The system cleverly encourages hobby progression as much as gameplay, with players beginning from small collections before expanding into larger battles.
Toulouse, 1218
(WSS #112) Recreate the dramatic sortie when the defenders of the city launched a desperate assault against Simon de Montfort’s massive siege engine amid one of the most chaotic sieges of the High Middle Ages. Written as a compact scenario for Lion Rampant-style skirmish play, the article blends heroic narrative with asymmetric objectives as militia and crossbowmen attempt to destroy the siege engine and capture the wounded Guy de Montfort, while crusader forces scramble to rescue him under a deadly rain of random mangonel fire from the city walls.
Anegawa, 1570
(WSS #106) The sprawling Battle of Anegawa, fought 30 July 1570, saw Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu attempting to crush the Azai-Asakura alliance. The article provides a detailed operational overview, extensive orders of battle for all major clan contingents, deployment maps, and scenario rules covering firearms, fanatical Ikko-ikki troops, assassination attempts, and staggered river assaults. Designed for grand multi-table play in systems such as Hail Caesar or other mass-battle samurai rulesets, the scenario captures the grinding river fight and flank attack that historically turned a brutal tactical stalemate into a strategic disaster for the Azai alliance.
Grolle, 1627
(WSS #93) In the midst of the Thirty Years' War, Frederick Henry, the Prince of Orange, invests the Spanish-held fortress town of Grolle. Rather than depicting the entire siege, the scenario centers on a tense nighttime sally against Dutch siege bastions. Written for Pike & Shotte, the article provides extensive historical background, detailed Dutch and Spanish orders of battle featuring multinational contingents, special rules for night fighting and Spanish camisado tactics, and a compact but highly thematic siege table setup designed to recreate the chaos of a sudden assault on fortified earthworks during the Thirty Years’ War era.
Wagram, 1809
(WSS #99) “Saxons on the Danube” recreates the difficult evening assault launched by Marshal Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte’s Saxon IX Corps during the opening stages of the Battle of Wagram on 5 July 1809. Written for General de Brigade but adaptable to other systems, the article includes orders of battle, command ratings, and several “what if” variants that explore how fragile the French position truly was during the early phases of the battle. The scenario emphasizes command friction, constrained deployment space, and grinding infantry assaults.
St Albans, 1864
(WSS #96) The Raid on St. Albans is truly one of the strangest incidents of the American Civil War. A Confederate-sponsored bank raid and arson attack was launched from Canada into the quiet Vermont town of St. Albans. Inspired in part by the 1954 film The Raid, the scenario transforms the historical robbery into a fast-moving tabletop skirmish. Written for The Men Who Would Be Kings but easily adaptable, the article provides a compact urban map, asymmetric objectives, randomized loot mechanics, civilian complications, and special rules for arson attacks and improvised citizen militias.
Operation Biting, 1942
(WSS #127) Refight a daring February 1942 British airborne assault against a German Würzburg radar installation near Bruneval on the French coast. Designed with Bolt Action in mind but easily adaptable to any platoon-based skirmish system, the scenario emphasizes asymmetrical objectives. British paratroopers must secure the radar site, protect RAF technicians dismantling the equipment, and escape before German reinforcements converge. Clever mechanics for delayed alarms, extraction timing, vulnerable technicians, and beach evacuation create a tense cinematic commando operation.