The Wargames Research Group (WRG) is a British publisher of rules and reference material for miniature wargaming. Founded in 1969 they were the premier publisher of tabletop rules during the seventies and eighties, publishing rules for periods ranging from ancient times to modern armoured warfare, and reference books which are still considered standard works for amateur researchers and wargamers. They are best known for their seminal ancient and medieval period rules, and also for De Bellis Antiquitatis and Hordes of the Things fantasy rules.
History
WRG was founded by Phil Barker, Bob O'Brien, and Ed Smith in 1969, when they published War Game Rules: 1000 B.C. to 500 A.D..
The rules quickly gained widespread acceptance through the miniature wargaming world, especially in the UK, and quickly became the acknowledged standard for ancient warfare. WRG followed with rules for other periods which gained similar widespread acceptance.
Innovative features of the rules included: morale rules, based on a reaction test which evaluated the tactical situation of a unit as well as the casualties it had suffered. The results of the reaction test could result in players' losing control of their troops. Not only would troops on occasion flee but they could also go into uncontrolled advance. Up till 1969 the normal way of recording casualties was to remove figures. The WRG rules made use of the nominal 1:20 figure scale, in which one wargames figure represented 20 men. Casualties were considered as lost men and noted down with figures being removed only when a whole 20 had been lost. This was regarded as a major innovation.
While very much a minority interest, both the 6th Edition and the 7th Edition continue to be played even at a competition level. Both, however, are no longer supported by WRG.
WRG rules have been sufficiently widely adopted that other popular rule sets sometimes choose to adopt the same basing requirements for figures to avoid requiring rebasing of the large number of WRG-based armies. Aspects of the WRG basing system such as the intermediate group of infantry between heavy and skirmisher infantry have, however, come under criticism.
At the beginning of the 1990s WRG introduced De Bellis Antiquitatis (DBA) which was a radical simplification of ancient and medieval wargaming. The concepts of DBA were adapted to allow significantly larger games, which led to De Bellis Multitudinis (DBM) for Ancient and medieval and De Bellis Renationis (DBR) for Renaissance. The DBx series of rules are still in widespread use, the latest incarnation being De Bellis Magistrorum Militum (DBMM).
DBA was also adapted to a fantasy setting in Hordes of the Things.
Significance
WRG rules were a significant milestone in the development of modern miniature wargaming, and attempted to use historical research to provide historical realism in wargames. Thus, the WRG referred to the original historical texts as the basis for their reference works, rules sets and army lists, and their historical publications are often found in wargaming and other bibliographies.
The reference works published by WRG are aimed at the wargamer rather than the academic history student, but are nonetheless accurate enough to be occasionally cited in more scholarly texts.
Products
Rules
Ancients & Medievals
In seven editions, normally referred to by wargamers just by the edition number. War Games Rules 1000 B.C to 500 A.D, 1st Edition, Ancient War Games Research Group, Feb 1969. War Games Rules 1000 B.C to 500 A.D., 2nd Edition, Ancient War Games Research Group, July 1969 War Games Rules 1000 B.C. to 1000 A.D., 3rd Edition, War Games Research Group, September 1971 War Games Rules 1000 B.C. to 1000 A.D., 4th Edition, War Games Research Group, August 1973 Wargames Rules 3000 B.C - 1250 A.D, 5th Edition, Wargames Research Group, 1976 The 5th Edition revised the order system, laying down more rigorously what orders could be given. Wargames Rules 3000 BC to 1485 AD, 6th Edition, Wargames Research Group, 1980 Wargames Rules 3000 BC to 1485 AD, Revised 7th Edition, Wargames Research Group, 1986 Wargames Rules 3000 BC to 1485 AD, Amended 7th Edition, Wargames Research Group, 1987* Warrior is a development of this edition.
Renaissance
Rulettes for 16th Century Naval Warfare, Wargames Research Group, 1978
Wargames Rules 1420-1700 George Gush 2nd Edition, Wargames Research Group, 1979
Horse and Musket
Wargames Rules 1750 - 1850, Wargames Research Group, January 1971. Wargames Rules 1685-1845, Wargames Research Group, 1979 Corps d'Armee: Napoleonic Rules for Large Scale Wargames, Geoffrey Wootten, Wargames Research Group, 1989