Wargame rules
Feldlager 2025 Wargame Rules Are HERE
These rules completely replace the Feldlager 2023 rules. They have been simplified, streamlined, and clarified from the 2023 editions. All participants engaging in any of the military activities need to be fully familiar with these rules in order to play.
These rules are copyright (c) 2025 Jake Norwood and Arne Koets.
Permission granted to reproduce for private, non-profit use.
Download the 2025 Rules HERE
This is version 1.2, Updated August 29, 2025. Changes from v. 1.1 are noted in Red.
What these rules
are
(and what they aren’t)
Feldlager 2025 is a Live Action Wargame that draws on aspects of historical reenactment, historical European martial arts (HEMA) studies, military simulation (MILSIM), and live action role play (LARP) to create an environment where we can attempt to recreate and experience elements of 15th century European warfare. Our priority is to provide a safe and fun environment to explore interpretations of historically-based formations, maneuvers, and wartime activities.
These rules seek to accomplish this by promoting longer engagements that avoid the “everyone dies in 30 seconds” problem and which allow commanders on the field the opportunity to make more interesting and deliberate tactical decisions before units are wiped out. Our casualty card system is designed to promote a more historical distribution of casualties on the field as well, all while keeping as many participants active on the field as long as possible. Our approach to weapons, troop types, and armor should also provide the opportunity to explore combined arms engagements, including infantry, cavalry, and missile troops in ways that act at least a little bit like we believe they did in the 15th Century.
These rules aren’t perfect, however, and they can’t be everything all at once. We’ve made compromises for simplicity (and the rules are complicated enough despite that), scale, and the different backgrounds of our participants such as HEMA, Reenactment, and LARP, each of whom are accustomed to different conventions and levels for intensity in group combats. These rules aren’t a perfect simulation of medieval warfare and they don’t provide an ideal environment for individual combatants to competitively show off their skills.
We ask as you read and apply these rules at Feldlager that you work to embrace the spirit of what we’re trying to do here by working as a military unit, treating your “life” as valuable and avoiding silly heroics, and having fun by safely embracing the role of a 15th century European warfighter for a few days.
What if you are
hurt for real?
Safety is the most important priority on the field.
In the event you or someone near you sustains a real injury during an engagement, the injured party or another person nearby should shout “Medic!” Upon hearing “Medic” everyone in the engagement should immediately stop what they are doing and create space for the injured party to be helped and, if necessary, evacuated from the area.
Once the injured party has been safely evacuated from the engagement area, the unit commanders should meet, briefly discuss how to re-initiate the engagement, and then do so.
If you are wounded in play (i.e., due to the results of your casualty card), do NOT shout “Medic.” Say “Wounded!” instead.
Other instructions for your casualty card
Keep your card until the White Cell or your Fähnlein leader collects it and gives you a new one.
Do not lose your card. Put it in your helmet lining, under your hat, in your purse, etc.
Keep your card secret, do not share it with anyone until after you’ve run out of hit points, at which point anyone can ask to see it.
Do not trade your card with any fighters.
Memorize your hit points and what you do when you lose all of your hit points so you don’t have to pull your card out during the battle.
Perform the card-directed action immediately after losing your last hit point and taking your two steps back.
Remember that safety is more important than the actions the card gives you. Only perform the card-directed action when safe for you and the people or horses around you.
Return your card to your Fähnlein leader or white cell member when requested. (Note: The White Cell are the event organizers and “game masters.”)