Chainmail

Published 1971

Chainmail is a medieval miniatures wargame created by Gary Gygax and fellow Lake Geneva Tactical Studies Association (LGTSA) member Jeff Perren, a hobby-shop owner with whom Gygax had become friendly. The game was first published in 1971 by Guidon Games. That first edition also included a fantasy supplement, and is one of the oldest sets of rules for fantasy miniature wargaming. In 1975, TSR acquired the rights to publish Chainmail and the game may have been the basis for the earliest Dungeons & Dragons game and campaigns (Dave Arneson, co-author of the original D&D game, apparently disputes this). In the original boxed set of D&D one is directed to Chainmail for the combat system but it offered an "optional" combat system involving 20 sided dice -- a system that eventually became the D&D standard. Regardless of who you believe, the Chainmail fantasy supplement contained spells and monsters that reappeared in Dungeons & Dragons and most certainly influenced Gary Gygax and his thinking about Fantasy games in that era.

Mechanics

Critical Hits and Failures Dice Rolling Measurement Movement Paper-and-Pencil Role Playing Scenario / Mission / Campaign Game Simulation Variable Player Powers

Categories

Fantasy Medieval Miniatures Wargame

Designers

Gary Gygax Jeff Perren

Publishers

Guidon Games TSR
Chainmail

Game Info

Players
2-10 Players
Time
6 hours
Weight
Light-Medium — 2.27/5
Year
1971
BGG Rating
5.79
BGG Rank
#23435
Min Age
12+

Frequently Asked Questions

Chainmail supports 2 to 10 players.
A typical game of Chainmail takes about 360 minutes.
Chainmail has a complexity rating of 2.27/5.00 on BoardGameGeek, placing it in the 'Medium Light' category. It offers a good balance of depth and accessibility.
The recommended minimum age for Chainmail is 12+.
Chainmail has a rating of 5.79/10 on BoardGameGeek, based on 100 ratings. It is ranked #23435 overall.
Chainmail was designed by Gary Gygax, Jeff Perren. It was published in 1971.