A tactical event (Also known as a "Private Battle" in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

and elsewhere) is a type of

historical reenactment Historical reenactment (or re-enactment) is an educational entertainment, educational or entertainment activity in which mainly amateur hobbyists and history enthusiasts dress in historic uniforms or costumes and follow a plan to recreate aspect ...

, not usually open to the public, which is fought like a real battle with each side devising strategies and tactics to defeat their opponent(s). Tactical events have no script, a basic set of agreed-upon rules (physical boundaries, time limit, victory conditions, etc.), and onsite judges or referees, and so could be considered a form of

live action role-playing game A live action role-playing game (LARP) is a form of role-playing game where the participants physically portray their characters.(Tychsen et al. 2006:255) "LARPs can be viewed as forming a distinct category of RPG because of two unique feature ...

wargame A wargame is a strategy game in which two or more players command opposing armed forces in a realistic simulation of an armed conflict. Wargaming may be played for recreation, to train military officers in the art of strategic thinking, or to s ...

. Tactical battles might also be considered a form of

experimental archaeology Experimental archaeology (also called experiment archaeology) is a field of study which attempts to generate and test archaeological hypotheses, usually by replicating or approximating the feasibility of ancient cultures performing various tasks ...

.Hadden. p 23 "By living like the soldiers did, even for just a short time, the reenactors gain better understanding of how to wear the uniform and use the equipment."

Notes

References

* Hadden, Robert Lee
''Reliving the Civil War: A reenactor's handbook''
Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 1999. {{Reenactment Military reenactment Historical reenactment by type Live-action role-playing games Historically themed events