Although there is relatively little published about military engagements around Tangier before the period known as the Siege of Tangier, there were enough skirmishes and battles to provide information for enjoyable war-game sessions.
I have played skirmishes based on Ghailan's ambush of Fiennes in May 1663, and I am aware of two games based on the final battle of the Siege which took place on 23rd October 1680.
Skirmishes - General Rules
Having tried several different rule books I settled on Donnybrook Essentials for Skirmish scenarios.
My aim has been to devise scenarios that can be played on a small table and be completed, from arrival to leaving, in 3 hours, allowing 30 minutes set-up, 2 hours play, 15 minutes discussion, and 15 minutes clearing away.
I have successfully used Donnybrook Rules from League of Augsburg for skirmishes with up to 500 garrison troops and several thousand Moors.
Donnybrook is a card based turn system using dice with different numbers of faces to determine outcomes thus obviating the need for frequent calculations. Raw recruits throw a 6-sided die, highly skilled troops use a 10-sided die, both need to roll the same score to achieve a hit.
This all makes for simple rules and quick-fire action. The turn of a card determines the order of play which provides unpredictability, and weapons rules conveniently include lance, carbine and grenadoes along with the usual suspects.
Donnybrook allows for the introduction of: characters such as religious leaders, spies and heroes; particular scenarios such as cattle rustling, ambush and defended retreat; and Donnybrook encourages gamers to add their own special rules for specific scenarios.
For some scenarios I have included ideas from Victory Without Quarter also devised by Clarence Harrison.
I have played on a 4'x4' as suggested by Donnybrook; a 5' x 3' was equally successful and added variety.
With 1 miniature for 25 men the Tangier scenarios use 20 or fewer garrison models, which are formed into units of 4, representing 100 men.
The Moors generally outnumber the garrison by at least 4:1 and so call for 80 – 100 miniatures.
Where Donnybrook offers a choice I generally use simpler options.
I use few special characters.
I rarely use Turn Over or Reload cards or special events.
For Ability Dice Garrison troops are usually all Veteran (d10), Moorish skirmishers and lancers all Raw (d6).
The Tangier environs are almost all open grassland.
Moors fight in open order in units of 10 (250 men) and so always fire in any direction. Moors only test morale when a unit is reduced to 25% of its initial size.
Battles
I only have details of the rules used in the Wargames Illustrated account of his battle. For his 'Old Tangiers' Siege of Tangier battle Pete Brown used Pike and Shotte Rules, On p. 32 of Wargames Illustrated #350 he lists the fighting strengths he used for the Sultan's forces and those of the British (incorrectly said to be under Sir Percy Kirke). On p.33 he lists Four Special Rules he added covering trench fighting - of which there was plenty in this battle - and undermining the forts, British mobile artillery, garrisons of the forts - as he freely admits these three are additions of his own to this battle rather than historically accurate. Nonetheless the rules for undermining and for the garrisons would be useful in some earlier battles.