Dark Blades

Dark Blades is a medieval fantasy board wargame designed by Chris Baylis and Andy McKay and published by Standard Games and Publications in 1986, built on the Cry Havoc rules system the company used across several of its fantasy war titles. It is set on the island of Labyrinthia and follows a hero named Dark Blades and his adventuring band through combat scenarios against rival forces, using two hex maps and more than 200 counters alongside 24 spell cards that bring magic into the tactical combat. The rulebook, running to 40 pages, includes four scenarios and was explicitly written as an introductory, beginner-level entry point into wargaming, pairing quick reference sheets with a guide aimed at players new to the hobby. By simplifying the fuller Cry Havoc system into a more approachable package, it let newcomers experience fantasy hex-and-counter combat, magic effects and scenario-based play without the steeper learning curve of the more complex wargames Standard Games and Publications also produced.