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Battlesystem Miniatures Rules (2e)

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This book, a full-scale revision and expansion of the rules in the original Battlesystem Fantasy Combat Supplement, gives you all the information you need to set up and play battles with miniature figures.

These rules can be used without the AD&D game books, but you can also convert characters and creatures from an AD&D game campaign and use them in Battlesystem scenarios.

Lavishly illustrated in full color, this book is an attractive addition to any gaming library.

Product History

Battlesystem Miniatures Rules (1989), by Douglas Niles, is the second edition of the Battlesystem mass-combat system for AD&D. It was published in November 1989.

About the Title. The original Battlesystem (1985) was meant to be played with or without miniatures, and so came in a box full of fold-up figures and lots (and lots) of army counters. That changed with the second edition Battlesystem Miniatures Rules (1989), which put the word "miniatures" front and center.

Origins (I): Four Years Later. The original Battlesystem was an oddly positioned AD&D product. It came in a big box, full of expensive components — in an era before TSR regularly produced overly-stuffed boxed sets. It was clearly meant to be a big, showpiece item for TSR. And, it could have been very successful in selling TSR's D&D miniatures if (1) the boxed set weren't designed to be used without miniatures and (2) TSR hadn't shut down its miniatures production just as Battlesystem appeared.

Four years on, the advent of AD&D 2e (1989) offered the obvious opportunity for TSR to revamp their Battlesystem game. This time, they produced a much smaller product: a 128-page paperback supplement. Fans of fantasy mass-combat were still being served, but the new Battlesystem was obviously no longer intended to be a cornerstone of TSR's production.

Origins: The Miniatures (II). Ironically, TSR was in a somewhat better position to take advantage of a miniatures tie-in when 2e Battlesystem (1989) appeared. That's because they'd moved their AD&D miniatures license over to Ral Partha in 1987, and Ral Partha was ready to go with a Battlesystem line.

Ral Partha's "Battlesystem Miniatures Brigade" included both 15mm figures (more common for miniatures games) and 25mm figures (more common for RPGs). Ral Partha released several dozen blister packs as well as a few larger boxes of miniatures. Most were generic fantasy miniatures, but there were also a number specifically associated with the Forgotten Realms, tying into Battlesystem releases such as FR12: "Horde Campaign" (1991) and FRQ2: "Hordes of Dragonspear" (1992).

(In fact, the photographed miniatures in 2e Battlesystem all depict Ral Partha figures.)

Expanding D&D. The new version of Battlesystem is no longer dependent on the AD&D rules. It also includes far fewer AD&D magic spells than the original did. With that said, it still contains full conversion rules and can still be used as the mass-combat system for AD&D.

Revising Battlesystem. TSR didn't just revamp (and simplify) the Battlesystem product; they also massively revamped (and simplified) the Battlesystem mechanics. As Niles says, the new edition has "some resemblance to the original [rules]".

A few of the biggest simplifications:

  • In 1e Battlesystem units had very extensive stats, usually laid out in a quarter-page of text. In 2e Battlesystem, that was condensed down to a single line of text — reminiscent of the simple stats of old-school D&D.
  • In 1e Battlesystem, combat required players to do addition, subtraction, and even multiplication — all while consulting a complex combat results table. In 2e Battlesystem, each individual figure instead throws its own die, with the results revealing both if they hit and how well. The defenders then get to throw a huge pool of dice in return.
  • In 1e Battlesystem, counters could represent between 2 and 10 individuals. In 2e Battlesystem, they always represent 10.

Overall, 1e Battlesystem was a more simulationist and more complex gaming system that hewed closer to roleplaying's wargaming roots. 2e Battlesystem instead moves toward the sort of streamlined gaming systems that would become more common in the roleplaying fields of the '90s and '00s. It was an understandable change given the overall evolution of roleplaying games … but it was a surprise to see this simplification while the game was simultaneously positioning itself as a standalone miniatures system.

Future History. The original Battlesystem had been extensively and coherently supplemented thanks primarily to designer Douglas Niles and editor Michael Dobson. In contrast, support for 2e Battlesystem was much more piecemeal and by a large variety of designers. Supplements like DMGR2: The Castle Guide (1990) and Castles heavily supported Battlesystem, while the Forgotten Realms' Horde war gave a great excuse to focus on Battlesystem in FR12: "Horde Campaign" (1991). However after that, support of Battlesystem became much more sporadic in books like FRQ2: "Hordes of Dragonspear" (1992) and HR5: The Glory of Rome Campaign Sourcebook (1993).

There was one major exception: The Dark Sun setting was originally called "War World", and was seen as a final chance to really push the Battlesystem game. Usage of Battlesystem was thus extensive in early products like DS1: "Freedom" (1991) and DSQ1: "Road to Urik" (1992). But soon afterward, Dark Sun became its own thing, and war wasn't a particularly important part of that thing.

Battlesystem Miniatures Rules also saw one complementary publication: Battlesystem Skirmishes Miniature Rules (1991). However that was already in the system's waning days. After 1992, the game largely faded away, through it occasionally was referenced in Dragon magazine through 1995.

About the Creators. Douglas Niles was the creator of both major editions of Battlesystem. By 1989 he was still producing RPG products like PHBR2: The Complete Thief's Handbook (1989), but the roleplaying design was waning as he embraced fiction writing, starting with the Moonshae Trilogy (1987-1989).

About the Product Historian

The history of this product was researched and written by Shannon Appelcline, the editor-in-chief of RPGnet and the author of Designers & Dragons - a history of the roleplaying industry told one company at a time. Please feel free to mail corrections, comments, and additions to shannon.appelcline@gmail.com.

We (Wizards) recognize that some of the legacy content available on this website does not reflect the values of the Dungeons & Dragons franchise today. Some older content may reflect ethnic, racial, and gender prejudice that were commonplace in American society at that time. These depictions were wrong then and are wrong today. This content is presented as it was originally created, because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed. Dungeons & Dragons teaches that diversity is a strength, and we strive to make our D&D products as welcoming and inclusive as possible. This part of our work will never end.

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Reviews (5)
Discussions (4)
Customer avatar
Bruce L June 10, 2021 1:02 am UTC
PURCHASER
Wanted a hardcover copy. Took me around three hours to format the PDF into a version which Lulu.com would accept... Created a separate cover, using the PDF's cover page. Could not get it to appear as a proper, full cover, but I got it partially on the cover. Cost was $38, delivered, in February. Had to go with high quality ink, and paper, to get Lulu.com to accept it, otherwise the cost would have been around $20. Still worth it, IMO. My three original softcover copies are wearing out. Any PDF can be prepared for POD on Lulu.com, but you may have to jump through some hoops to get them there. For me, it was worth my time, effort, and money. This is a fantastic fantasy miniatures game, even without it being based on AD&D RPG rules. Cheers!
Customer avatar
Bruce L January 18, 2021 4:40 pm UTC
PURCHASER
FYI: Priest's Spell Compendium, Volume 3 (https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17384/Priests-Spell-Compendium-Vol-3-2e), contains around 4-5 new BS spells in the War Sphere. They can be found on pages 768-775. Several of them are listed as being levels 4-6 (some create permanent fortifications out of flat land!), but most should really be either 7th Level, or Quest spells. I have never seen these spells anywhere else. I suspect they came from Dragon Magazine issues, but their source is not noted. Cheers!
Customer avatar
Colin T May 03, 2018 2:41 am UTC
PURCHASER
As seen in the preview, page 5 appears between pages 2 and 3.
Reply
Customer avatar
Reid W November 11, 2020 7:32 pm UTC
PURCHASER
yeah. they done screwed up. page 3 and 4 are on page 4 and 5... STILL, 2 years after your post.

The PDF goes page 2,5,3,4,6 ..........
Customer avatar
December 30, 2017 9:39 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Would really like to see the AD&D Battlesystem Fantasy Combat Supplement (1E, 1985, #1019) as well. The rule book, scenario book, guide to minatures, roster sheets, aid cards, etc. would make a nice packaged product. Given that POD is so easy now, it would be a nice throwback. Granted, used copies can be found at a discount now, but that will not last forever.
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Product Information
Gold seller
Rules Edition(s)
Pages
128
Edition
1.0
Publisher Stock #
TSR 9266
File Size:
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File Last Updated:
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This title was added to our catalog on May 10, 2016.