After the success of his Osprey Wargames title, Dragon Rampant, Daniel Mersey returns with a revamped hardback second edition.  

Easy to learn, and tactically rewarding, find out why you should try Dragon Rampant: Second Edition with Daniel’s design goals for the new book.

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Because the new rulebook is more evolution and expansion than revolution and replacement, my design goals are very similar to those from the first edition: 

  • Keep it fun. The emphasis is on a playable fantasy-themed game rather than a super-crunchy brain-ache of a game. I want you to look forward to playing rather than spending the previous night rereading the rulebook. 

  • Create a modern-day throwback to 1970s and 1980s fantasy wargaming (in a positive way): Allow players breathing space to create their own worlds rather than forcing them to be tied to a line of models of my choosing. 

 A photo of fully painted miniature wargaming figures: a mixed unit of halfling pikemen on foot and halflings knights mounted on goats

Halfling militia put their best foot forward encouraged by halfling knights. It’s fine to mix mounted and foot models in the same unit so long as your opponent knows what the unit’s type is. Models by Westfalia Miniatures. (Westfalia Miniatures) 

  • Use no unusual dice, cards, or supplements… make it accessible for gamers new to the hobby. I’ve slipped a 12-sided die into this edition but it’s used for an optional unit trait. 

  • Keep the rules simple, streamlined and abstracted where appropriate: don't make players continually thumb through the rulebook. 

  • Quick play and minimal record-keeping to allow multiple games in a session. 

  • Don't reinvent the wheel: use the Lion Rampant core rules as much as possible to represent different types of monsters and attacks. 

A photo of fully painted miniature wargaming figures: three sheep in blue and pink knitwear, under a banner depicting a young girl hugging a sheep with bleeding eyes

Cower before the Sheep of Doom! Lesser Warbeasts wonderfully converted from toys and painted by Annie Norman. (Annie Norman) 

  • Let scenarios drive the game and make the victory conditions interesting and feel like a narrative story.  

  • Offer malleable army selection: no hard and fast army lists tied to manufacturers' ranges. 

  • Don't allow magic or monsters to overpower game play: all troop types are equally valid in the right circumstances. 

  • Embrace classic fantasy stereotypes: baby-eating ogres are fierce and flatulent, elves are excellent archers, and goblins cackle as they ride their wolves over your corpse. 

My goal was to design a simple-to-learn, easy-to-adapt fantasy wargame to use with whatever models and setting you desire. That was true of Dragon Rampant’s first edition and is equally true of the new edition. Working on this new edition has given me great excitement and enjoyment as I’ve been able to explore many ideas I would have loved to include in the original book but for which there was never enough space. 

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Watch this space for more design diaries coming soon.

Available now. Order today.

Looking for sci-fi or medieval large skirmish wargaming action?
Check out Xenos Rampant and Lion Rampant: Second Edition.