Here is a battered up copy of Chainmail published by Guidon Games before their acquisition by TSR. Gary Gygax co-creator of D&D wrote this with Jeff Perren a local hobby shop owner. As an afterthought, a fantasy supplement was added including monsters, heroes, and wizards. The rules were heavily referenced in the original D&D. It is for this reason that the rules book is highly sought after. There are three editions the first two published by Guidon Games, the last by TSR. This is the second printing of the second edition published in Belfast, Maine.
The second edition has some modifications to the first including the inclusion of giants. I am not sure the rules are still in print or frequently played but they certainly hold a place in wargaming.
So what are the rules like? The figure scale is 1:20, the ground scale is 1″: 10 yards. Two sequences of play are offered. One is an alternate move system with the usual move-fire-melee with first player decided by roll of a die. The other is a simultaneous movement system with a phase for writing specific unit orders.
Terrain is pretty standard though there is no provision for buildings except castles in the siege rules and no impassable or desert or beach terrain.
Figures are not based. The rules were written for Elastolin/Starlux figures which have standard bases. 25mm scale is assumed though there is provsion for 30mm. 15mm is not mentioned and likely still unknown at the time the rules were written.
Formations are very limited to column, line and square with optional rules adding a hedgehog formation. Facing and formation changes occur as portions of a unit’s move. Move and range distances are given in increments of 3″. There are rules for fatigue that involve bookkeeping to note a unit’s activity.
Firing is gauged by type of weapon which determines how often during turn the weapon can fire. Beyond that, one simply adds up the number of figures, determines whether or not the target is armored, rolls a single die and consults a small chart in the book to determine the number of casualties inflicted. Arquibuses are handled individually. Rules for cannon fire require the use of a specially marked dowel.
Melee is handled on a figure by figure basis with individual die rolls. There are also optional rules including prisoners, charges, and hedgehog formations.
Morale checks follow melee and may result in retreat or route.
Historical characteristics are also provided. Knights may charge without orders. Peasants may completely ignore orders. Mercenaries may also ignore orders based on the roll of a die. Generals may also be included, granting a bonus point to die rolls of associated units and mandating a morale check if eliminated.
There are also rules for jousting and castle sieges and the highly thought of fantasy supplement which allows players to introduce fantastic persons and creature into games using the basic rules. These fantastic beings are usually allowed the strength of multiples of a standard unit type. There are also rules for magic.
It is easy to see the appeal of the ruleset when they were the only game in town. Now they provide an historical context by which current games can be measured.
