With It Or On It

With It Or On It is the first game in the Shields & Swords Ancients series. Like its medieval era cousin Shields & Swords II, this series takes a broad brush approach to simulating battles, this time of the ancient period, with an emphasis on speed and playability. While the basic philosophy and the core system of using Command Markers to activate Wings remains the same, each game in this Ancients line is designed from the ground-up to incorporate elements specific to its period and style of warfare.

This first game looks at six battles fought during the Greco-Persian and Peloponnesian Wars. Hoplite units that are attacking may use the Combat Class of the best hoplite in the line, giving them an advantage over heavy and light infantry formations. As a result of combat, units become exhausted, but these results may be distributed elsewhere in the line - a break occurs when there are no fresh units that can satisfy the result. Break the enemy line at the right time in the right place, and it will crumble in a disastrous rout. Maintaining pressure on the enemy while managing the morale of your own men is crucial to deciding the battle, and with it, the fate of empires.

17" x 22" mapsheet
176 counters
8-page rulebook
16 page Battle Book
1 eight-sided die

Game design: Tom Russell
Map art: Mark Mahaffey
Counters: Tom Russell
Hex number: 41
Duration: 60 minutes
Players: 2
Solitaire Suitability: High
Weight: Medium
Theme: Ancients