Hordes of the Things

About this board game

Hordes of the Things is a fantasy miniatures game for 2–6 players, with games taking about 45 minutes. First published in 1991, it is based on the same system as De Bellis Antiquitatis and De Bellis Multitudinis.

Players organize their miniatures onto stands called elements, with an army usually containing around 10–14 elements. The game includes a broad range of fantasy troop types, from mighty Heroes, Magicians, and Dragons to Blades, Riders, Spears, and the humble Hordes that give the game its name.

• Alternate movement using dice-generated action points, or PIPs
• Move individual elements or groups of elements
• Deploy certain element types and use Magicians to be-spell enemy troops
• Resolve combat with opposed dice rolls plus each element’s combat factor

Combat is quick to resolve. Each player rolls a die and adds the relevant combat factor; the highest total wins. Some element types automatically destroy others, while most elements are destroyed when their final score is half or less than their opponent’s.

One of the game’s defining features is its lack of fixed armies. Subject to a few restrictions—such as which elements may be Generals and the proportion of powerful troop types—you can construct an army in almost any way you wish.

This flexibility lets players represent forces from fantasy fiction, myth, legend, film, television, or their own imagination. The single rulebook also contains many example army lists drawn from a variety of sources. With its compact armies and adaptable rules, Hordes of the Things offers a focused framework for creating distinctive fantasy battles.