490 BC: Marathon

490 BC: Marathon is an introductory module for the Violent Schoolmaster Tactical Series, a tactical wargame system covering battles from prehistory through the late 16th century. This affordable entry point lets players try the system through one of antiquity’s most famous clashes: the Battle of Marathon.

The game focuses on the dramatic contrast between Greek hoplite warfare and Persian mobility. The Athenians rely on the heavy phalanx: dense, disciplined, dangerous in close combat, but limited in flexibility. The Persians bring a very different style of war, built around speed, missile fire, delay, and cavalry support.

VSTS uses chit-pull activation for army wings, with a separate combat phase and continuing melee after activations are complete. Ranged combat uses a traditional CRT-style system, while melee is resolved with pools of ten-sided dice, modified by morale, facing, terrain, leadership, and other battlefield conditions. Units accumulate Disruption Points and become increasingly vulnerable to routing as pressure builds.

The Marathon module also includes special rules for debated aspects of hoplite warfare, including phalanx drift, variable advance rates, locking shields, and looser phalanx formations. It is especially suitable for players interested in ancient tactical battles and systems inspired by games such as PRESTAGS, Great Battles of History, and Battle Hymn.