Swords of God: Wargaming Battles of the Crusades

A narrative wargame set in the Age of Crusades that emphasizes fast-paced, abstract battles inspired by medieval romantic literature.

Swords of God is a narrative wargame set during the Age of Crusades (1100–1400). Rather than attempting to directly simulate the physical aspects of warfare, the rules draw inspiration from chansons de geste and other romantic literature of the time, aiming to create a fast-flowing, abstract struggle - one still worthy of a song.

The game is designed to fit battles of around 20,000–30,000 men per side onto a 6’ × 4’ table. However, any table size can be used if your unit bases are smaller than the ‘Impetus’ standard of 120mm × 40mm or as numerous as the sands of the sea! Focused on the command and control of key personalities in each army, the system accommodates battles of any scale with an easy-to-use points system. A quick reference chart is also provided to help determine the appropriate table size for your game.

Inspired by historical studies of the Crusades like Avner Falk’s Franks and Saracens, and Vincent Baker’s seminal Apocalypse World rules engine, the game’s deep yet simple mechanics encourage meaningful tactical choices while ensuring the action always moves forward. Among its features:

• A unified mechanic based on rolling three six-sided dice.
• Gridded movement to accelerate gameplay, with each square’s side equal to half the width of a unit base.
• Scenario generation that incorporates battlefield terrain.
• More than half a dozen special rules reflecting the army commander’s relationship with the divine. In an era defined by personal oaths and charismatic authority, these rules extend to their entire army.

Army lists for campaigns in Iberia, the Baltics, the Languedoc, Bohemia, and the Levant include curated selections of generic unit types. Meanwhile, the Faith Trees - available to generals of any religion - offer unique special rules based on their emotional connection to the divine and the religious war that ensnares them. Each Faith Tree lends an army a distinct feel, ensuring a high degree of replayability, even within the same campaign.