The Universal Soldier Miniature Rules

The Universal Soldier Miniature Rules (1977, RAFM) is a stand-alone comprehensive set of rules for wargaming with military miniatures (25mm or 15mm). The emphasis of the rules is to provide a method for fighting battles with both historical and fictional armies. The rules include simple, easy to remember, combat and missile fire systems that use six-sided dice.

Chapters cover how to form units, orders, movement, missile fire, melee combat, morale, control, fatigue, and special weapons and tactics. There is some simultaneous movement allowed, which will sometimes require pro-rating moves to determine where units contact. Units are rated for attack and defense, using a letter system ("A" being the best, "E" being the worst). There are three ranges for missile-armed troops, as well as ammunition rules. About 6-24 six-sided dice are needed, depending on the size of the game. This is a casualty-removal system. There is a point system for designing games with balanced sides.

Most of the examples and scenarios are from the late medieval / early renaissance period, but the rules can be applied to earlier periods.

Although an old set of rules, it was a good miniatures rules set for new players that wanted to try tabletop miniatures wargaming, and less complex than other contemporary miniatures rules of the time that covered the ancient through medieval periods.

RAFM actively promoted these miniatures rules through the 1980's at major conventions, such as ORIGINS, as well as historical miniature shows (such as HISTORICON) by hosting historical-based battles.