Ancients (board game)

Ancients is a board wargame designed by Bill Banks and first published by Good Industries in 1986, later reprinted by 3W from 1992 onward. It is a two-player game built around a low-complexity tactical combat system that recreates historical battles from the pre-gunpowder era, spanning settings from Ancient Greece through the Renaissance. The game ships with four map sheets and more than sixty scenarios, each designed to play out over seven turns, letting two players work through a full historical engagement in a single short session. Turns alternate between the two sides through a simple sequence covering leader losses, unit movement, missile fire and melee combat, with optional rules for exotic troop types such as chariots and war elephants. Reviewers praised the design for making wargaming approachable without sacrificing historical texture; designer Richard Berg described it as a fast, accessible introduction to the genre, and reviewer Mike Siggins rated it a full five stars, calling its rules concise, accurate and smoothly functioning in play.