Overview

Armies of Arcana is a fantasy tabletop miniatures wargame created by Thane Morgan, published by Thane’s Games (later Lone Gunman Games). Now in its 5th edition, the game features tactical battles between armies of various fantasy races and creatures using 15mm or 28mm scale miniatures. Players build armies from extensive army lists and fight pitched battles on a tabletop battlefield.

Components

• Miniatures (15mm or 28mm scale, representing fantasy troops)
• Rulebook (132 pages in 5th edition, including templates and reference charts)
• Army lists (15+ armies included, with additional free lists available online)
• Dice
• Measuring tape/ruler
• Terrain pieces (optional, for battlefield setup)

Setup

1. Agree on a point total for army building.
2. Each player builds an army from their chosen race’s army list, spending points on units.
3. Set up terrain on the battlefield.
4. Deploy armies in designated deployment zones.

Turn Structure

Each game turn follows a structured sequence:

1. Initiative Phase: Determine turn order.
2. Movement Phase: Move units according to their movement rates.
3. Shooting Phase: Ranged units fire at targets within range.
4. Combat Phase: Resolve melee combat between engaged units.
5. Morale Phase: Check morale for units that suffered casualties.

Actions

• Move: Advance units across the battlefield.
• Shoot: Fire ranged weapons (bows, magic, siege weapons) at enemies in range.
• Melee combat: Engage adjacent enemy units in close combat.
• Cast spells: Wizards and magical units cast spells affecting the battlefield.
• Rally: Attempt to recover morale for shaken units.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Victory is typically determined by:

• Destroying a specified percentage of the enemy army
• Capturing objectives on the battlefield
• Routing the enemy force (causing widespread morale failure)
• Scenario-specific objectives

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Extensive army lists: Over 30 fantasy armies are available, each with unique units and abilities.
• Miniature agnostic: The game is designed to work with any manufacturer’s miniatures.
• Scale flexible: Can be played with 15mm or 28mm miniatures.
• Magic system: Includes rules for spellcasting with various schools of magic.
• Morale: Units that suffer heavy casualties must test morale or flee.

Player Reference

Scale: 15mm or 28mm miniatures

Army building: Point-based system from army lists

Turn sequence: Initiative -> Movement -> Shooting -> Combat -> Morale

5th Edition: 132-page rulebook with comprehensive rules and army lists