Ancient Naval Wargame Rules

Oi Navarcoi!

Through the Alkedo site you can download the free rules and ship counters

Suitable ships:
Obviously a labour of love. 1/2400 scale Triremes (and a few other vessels) are available from the excellent Irregular Miniatures. The Rules are 'Living Rules' so are subject to modification & improvement. Designed for big and eve bigger battles and scenarios can easily be generated.

Irregular Miniatures sell a variety of individual ships (there are 8 different Triremes!) are currently [as at July 2025] 49 pence each +VAT & postage though Fleet packs are undoubtedly cheaper overall.

Other ship models are available from Tumbling Dice in the same scale.

Tiny Tin Troops do 1/1200 scale card top-down ship counters

Everything you need to play

Ancient naval wargame trireme battle

Poseidon's Warriors

Poseidon's Warriors: Classical Naval Warfare 480-31 BC is a set of war gaming rules for large-scale naval actions between fleets of classical galleys from the Greek and Persian clash at the battle of Salamis to the battle of Actium that decided the fate of Rome. With so many of these battles taking place around islands or in narrow channels and shallow waters, sneaky tactics and cunning maneuvers are a hallmark of warfare of this era, and the rules use an integrated turn system to allow a commander to position ships to go in and ram without being rammed in return, or to employ feints and traps to tempt the enemy out of position and leave his ships vulnerable to a follow-up strike.
With data for ships throughout the period, rules for famous admirals, historical scenarios, a campaign system and a brief historical summary for those who wish to refresh their memory of the era, Poseidon's Warriors offers everything players need to bring to the tabletop the battles and campaigns of the first great age of naval warfare.

Galley warfare boardgame War Galley GMT

WAR GALLEY BOARD GAME

(from GMT website):
War Galley is the seventh volume in the multi-award winning Great Battles of History (GBoH) series, but the first to venture entirely into the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. It is also the first historical boardgame published, in two decades, to address galley warfare. As such, GMT's War Galley is almost a complete history for this era of war at sea.

What is best about War Galley is how easy it is to play -- the rules are about half the length of the usual GBoH game -- and that means that most battles can be complete in several hours, at the most. The battles themselves, cover all aspects of galley tactics, from the line against line of big ships at Salamis (Cyprus), to the Chase, Turn and Fight of Chios, to the Line Astern vs. Line Abreast at Side, to probably the most unusual of all ancient battles, the Roman arrowhead against the Carthaginian Lines Astern at Drepanum in 249 B.C.
War Galley wars and battles covered by the scenarios are:

Ionian Revolt- Lade, 494 BC
Peloponnesian War- Arginusae, 406 BC
The Silician Wars- Catana, 397 BC
The First Successor War- Salamis, 306 BC (Cyprus)
The First Punic War
- Ecnomus, 256 BC
- Drepanum, 249 BC
- Aegatian Islands, 242 BC
The Macedonian Wars- Chios, 201 BC
The War with Antiochus
- Side, 190 BC
- Myonessus, 190 BC
The Civil War
- Tauris, 47 BC
- Naulochus, 36 BC
- Actium, 31 BC

Salamis ad Actium

From the back of the rulebook:
With these rules you can take command of the fleets of antiquity with oared galleys roaming the Mediterranean, maintaining control of your Empire and keeping the Pirates in check. In those days warfare was up close and personal. The wars between Greece and Persia, Rome and Carthage, The Roman Civil War, all are covered. You can ram, carry out oar rakes, board the enemy, fire archers and ballistae, hurl rocks from stone throwers.
An extensive list of ships is provided with their advantages and disadvantages. We have incorporated our usual command system which allows for both good and bad commanders, and which has an effect on the flow of the action. The turn is of variable length and certain actions will only be permitted during an Intermediate Phase which happens at random.
A simple campaign system is provided as a basis for those with Imperial ambitions

1. Ad Mare Bellum (2019)

Designer/Publisher: Schilling, self-published
Scope: Tactical ancient naval combat (triremes, quadriremes)
Playability: Streamlined, relatively fast with manageable record-keeping.
Accuracy: Emphasizes ramming and boarding; decent historical modeling of oar movement and maneuvering.
Squadron/Fleet Play: Supports squadrons well; fleet-sized battles can be lengthy but possible.
Speed: Moderate; faster than older titles like Trireme.
Pros: Modern design, easier to learn.
Cons: Limited published scenarios; lacks depth for campaign play.

2. He Hemetera Thalassa: Mare Nostrum (2021)

Scope: Greek naval actions (Salamis, Mycale).
Playability: Detailed tactical engine; hex grid with simultaneous orders.
Accuracy: Highly rated for historical feel—handles periplous/diekplous tactics and command limitations.
Squadron/Fleet: Designed for medium to large actions; some reports of clutter with 20+ ships.
Speed: Slower than Ad Mare Bellum due to more granular maneuvers.
Pros: Rich simulation of classical Greek naval warfare.
Cons: Learning curve; longer playtime for large engagements.

3. War Galley (GMT Games, 2001)(Not to be confused with the 1972 SPI game)

Scope: Mediterranean naval battles from 494 BC to 31 BC.
Playability: Medium complexity; counters represent individual ships.
Accuracy: Well-regarded for oar fatigue, weather, and command/control realism.
Squadron/Fleet: Handles squadrons easily; large fleet actions (hundreds of ships) playable but lengthy.
Speed: Moderate to slow for big scenarios.
Pros: Strong scenario set; solid historical research.
Cons: Counter density slows play; not ideal for casual gamers.

4. War Galley: Naval Warfare in the Ancient World (SPI, 1972)

Scope: Ancient naval tactics with abstracted mechanics.
Playability: Old-school hex-and-counter; simpler than GMT’s version.
Accuracy: More game-like than simulation; limited modeling of oar-driven maneuvering.
Squadron/Fleet: Fleet-scale possible but not as detailed.
Speed: Faster than GMT’s but lacks modern nuance.
Pros: Nostalgic, simple.
Cons: Outdated ruleset; eclipsed by newer titles.

5. Trireme (Avalon Hill, 1979)

Scope: Ancient naval tactical game (galleys, oared ships).
Playability: Complex with detailed charts and written orders.
Accuracy: Strong simulation of oar movement, ramming, and boarding.
Squadron/Fleet: Best for squadron actions; fleet-sized becomes cumbersome.
Speed: Slow; simultaneous plotting increases playtime.
Pros: Deep simulation.
Cons: Tedious plotting system; long scenarios.

6. Oi Navarcoi (2023)

Scope: Tactical naval miniatures rules for ancient battles.
Playability: Miniatures-focused; uses movement templates, quick resolution.
Accuracy: Good representation of naval tactics; boarding and ramming are central.
Squadron/Fleet: Works well for squadron actions; fleet actions require large tables.
Speed: Faster than counter-based games.
Pros: Modern miniatures system; visual appeal.
Cons: Requires miniatures; less structured than boardgames.

7. Bireme and Galley (1972)

Scope: Early set of ancient naval miniatures rules.
Playability: Simple mechanics; designed for miniature ship models.
Accuracy: Abstract; limited detail on oar fatigue or command friction.
Squadron/Fleet: Handles multiple ships easily.
Speed: Quick-moving game.
Pros: Beginner-friendly; nostalgic.
Cons: Simplistic by modern standards.

Other Notables

Ram and Board: Fast-play rules for 1:1200 scale ships, skirmish level.
Sea Kings and Naval Thunder adaptations: Cover late antiquity but less focused on ancient galley tactics.
Campaign Systems: Few exist; most titles focus on tactical battles rather than strategic campaigns.

Conclusions