Little Wars'' (1913). This is widely remembered as the first rulebook for
miniature wargaming
Miniature wargaming is a form of wargaming in which military units are represented by miniature physical models on a model battlefield. The use of physical models to represent military units is in contrast to other tabletop wargames that use ...
(for terrestrial armies, at least). ''Little Wars'' had very simple rules to make it fun and accessible to anyone. ''Little Wars'' did not use dice or computation to resolve fights. For artillery attacks, players used spring-loaded toy cannons which fired little wooden cylinders to physically knock over enemy models. As for infantry and cavalry, they could only engage in hand-to-hand combat (even if the figurines exhibited firearms). When two infantry units fought in close quarters, the units would suffer non-random losses determined by their relative sizes. ''Little Wars'' was designed for a large field of play, such as a lawn or the floor of a large room. An infantryman could move up to one foot per turn, and a cavalryman could move up to two feet per turn. To measure these distances, players used a two-foot long piece of string. Wells was also the first wargamer to use scale models of buildings, trees, and other terrain features to create a three-dimensional battlefield.
Wells' rulebook failed to invigorate the miniature wargaming community. A possible reason was the two World Wars, which de-glamorized war and caused shortages of tin and lead that made model soldiers expensive. Another reason may have been the lack of magazines or clubs dedicated to miniature wargames. Miniature wargaming was seen as a niche within the larger hobby of making and collecting model soldiers.
In 1955, a California man named
Jack Scruby
John Edwin Scruby (1916 – September 1988) was a manufacturer of military miniatures whose efforts led to a rebirth of the miniature wargaming hobby in the late 1950s.
Scruby and wargaming
To meet the needs of wargamers for inexpensive but histo ...
began making inexpensive miniature models for
miniature wargame
Miniature wargaming is a form of wargaming in which military units are represented by miniature physical models on a model battlefield. The use of physical models to represent military units is in contrast to other tabletop wargames that use ...
s out of
type metal
In printing, type metal refers to the metal alloys used in traditional typefounding and hot metal typesetting. Historically, type metal was an alloy of lead, tin and antimony in different proportions depending on the application, be it indivi ...
. Scruby's major contribution to the
miniature wargaming
Miniature wargaming is a form of wargaming in which military units are represented by miniature physical models on a model battlefield. The use of physical models to represent military units is in contrast to other tabletop wargames that use ...
hobby was to network players across America and the UK. At the time, the miniature wargaming community was minuscule, and players struggled to find each other. In 1956, Scruby organized the first miniature wargaming convention in America, which was attended by just fourteen people. From 1957 to 1962, he self-published the world's first wargaming magazine, titled ''The War Game Digest'', through which wargamers could publish their rules and share game reports. It had less than two hundred subscribers, but it did establish a community that kept growing.
Around the same time in the United Kingdom,
Donald Featherstone began writing an influential series of books on wargaming, which represented the first mainstream published contribution to wargaming since ''Little Wars''. Titles included : ''War Games'' (1962), ''Advanced Wargames'', ''Solo Wargaming'', ''Wargame Campaigns'', ''Battles with Model Tanks'', ''Skirmish Wargaming''. Such was the popularity of such titles that other authors were able to have published wargaming titles. This output of published wargaming titles from British authors coupled with the emergence at the same time of several manufacturers providing suitable wargame miniatures (e.g. Miniature Figurines, Hinchliffe, Peter Laing, Garrisson, Skytrex, Davco, Heroic & Ros) was responsible for the huge upsurge of popularity of the hobby in the late 1960s and into the 1970s.
In 1956,
Tony Bath published what was the first ruleset for a miniature wargame set in the medieval period. These rules were a major inspiration for Gary Gygax's
''Chainmail'' (1971), which in turn became the basis for the roleplaying game ''
Dungeons and Dragons
''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. (T ...
''.
From 1983 to 2015,
Games Workshop
Games Workshop Group (often abbreviated as GW) is a British manufacturer of miniature wargames, based in Nottingham, England. Its best-known products are ''Warhammer Age of Sigmar'' and ''Warhammer 40,000''.
Founded in 1975 by John Peake, ...
produced what was the first miniature wargame designed to be used with proprietary models: ''
Warhammer Fantasy''. Earlier miniature wargames were designed to be played using generic models that could be bought from any manufacturer, but ''Warhammer Fantasy's'' setting featured original characters with distinctive visual designs, and their models were produced exclusively by
Games Workshop
Games Workshop Group (often abbreviated as GW) is a British manufacturer of miniature wargames, based in Nottingham, England. Its best-known products are ''Warhammer Age of Sigmar'' and ''Warhammer 40,000''.
Founded in 1975 by John Peake, ...
.
Board wargaming (1954–present)
The first successful commercial board wargame was
''Tactics'' (1954) by an American named Charles S. Roberts. What distinguished this wargame from previous ones is that it was mass-produced and all the necessary materials for play were bundled together in a box. Previous wargames were often just a rulebook and required players to obtain the other materials themselves. The game was played on a pre-fabricated board with a fixed layout, which is why it was called a board game.
Roberts later founded the
Avalon Hill Game Company, the first firm that specialized in commercial wargames. In 1958, Avalon Hill released
''Gettysburg'', which was a retooling of the rules of ''Tactics'', and was based on the historical
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the ...
. ''Gettysburg'' became the most widely-played wargame yet.
Board wargames were more popular than miniature wargames. One reason was that assembling a playset for miniature wargaming was expensive, time-consuming, and require artisanal skill. Another reason was that board wargames could be played by correspondence. Board wargames were usually grid-based, or else designed in some way that moves could be explained in writing in simple terms. This was not possible with the free-form nature of miniature wargames.
Notable people
; Wargaming as a hobby
*
Georg von Reisswitz
Georg Heinrich Rudolf Johann von Reisswitz (1794–1827) was a Prussian army officer. Reisswitz is regarded by many as the father of wargaming, as he developed the first wargaming system to be widely used as a serious tool for training and researc ...
, who with his father invented ''Kriegsspiel''.
*
H.G. Wells – Pioneer in miniature wargaming, author of ''
Little Wars''. His usual companion in wargames was
Jerome K. Jerome (of ''
Three Men in a Boat
''Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog)'',The Penguin edition punctuates the title differently: ''Three Men in a Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog!'' published in 1889, is a humorous account by English writer Jerome K. Jerome of a tw ...
'' fame).
*
Jack Scruby
John Edwin Scruby (1916 – September 1988) was a manufacturer of military miniatures whose efforts led to a rebirth of the miniature wargaming hobby in the late 1950s.
Scruby and wargaming
To meet the needs of wargamers for inexpensive but histo ...
– After H.G. Wells, he did the most to make miniature wargaming a respectable hobby. He also popularized miniatures wargaming with a cheaper production process for miniature figures, publishing the first miniature wargaming magazine, the ''War Game Digest'', and community building.
*
Don Featherstone – Known in the UK as the "co-father" of modern miniature wargaming.
*
Charles S. Roberts – Known as the "Father of modern board wargaming", designed the first modern wargame, as well as the company most identified with modern wargames (
Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill Games Inc. is a game company that publishes wargames and strategic board games. It has also published miniature wargaming rules, role-playing games and sports simulations. It is a subsidiary of Hasbro, and operates under the company ...
).
*
Phil Barker
Phil Barker (born 5 November 1932) is one of the major figures in the development of the modern hobby of tabletop wargaming, particularly that of ancient warfare, and is a co-founder of the Wargames Research Group.
In the 1960s he was a methods ...
– Co-founder of (
Wargames Research Group
The Wargames Research Group (WRG) is a British publisher of rules and reference material for miniature wargaming. Founded in 1969 they were the premier publisher of tabletop rules during the seventies and eighties, publishing rules for periods ra ...
), co writer of WRG Ancients in 1969 and of DBA the innovative 1990 ruleset.
; Designers/developers
*
Richard Berg – Designer of ''
Terrible Swift Sword'', and worked at
SPI
SPI may refer to:
Organizations
* Indian Protection Service (''Serviço de Proteção ao Índio''), Brazil
* Shotmed Paper Industries, an Egyptian paper manufacturers
* Simulations Publications, Inc., a former US board game publisher
* Sony P ...
.
*
Larry Bond
Lawrence L. Bond (born June 11, 1951) is an American author and wargame designer. He is the designer of the '' Harpoon'' and ''Command at Sea'' gaming systems, and several supplements for the games. Examples of his numerous novels include ''Dang ...
– Designer of ''
Harpoon
A harpoon is a long spear-like instrument and tool used in fishing, whaling, sealing, and other marine hunting to catch and injure large fish or marine mammals such as seals and whales. It accomplishes this task by impaling the target animal ...
'', and best selling author
*
Frank Chadwick
Frank Chadwick is an American multiple-award-winning game designer and ''New York Times'' best selling author. He has designed hundreds of games, his most notable being the role-playing games '' En Garde!'', '' Space: 1889'' and '' Twilight 200 ...
– A co-founder of Game Designers Workshop (along with
Loren Wiseman,
Marc Miller, and
Rich Banner), one of the first major competitors to Avalon Hill, and himself a prolific wargame designer and innovator.
*
Jim Dunnigan
James F. Dunnigan (born 8 August 1943) is an author, military-political analyst, Defense and State Department consultant, and wargame designer currently living in New York City.
Career
Dunnigan was born in Rockland County, New York. After high s ...
– considered "The Dean of Modern Wargaming", founder of
SPI
SPI may refer to:
Organizations
* Indian Protection Service (''Serviço de Proteção ao Índio''), Brazil
* Shotmed Paper Industries, an Egyptian paper manufacturers
* Simulations Publications, Inc., a former US board game publisher
* Sony P ...
and the most prolific print wargame designer in history. His designs included many firsts in wargaming, including the first
tactical wargames
Tactical wargames are a type of wargaming, wargame that models military conflict at a tactical level, i.e. units range from individual vehicles and squads to platoons or company (military unit), companies. These units are rated based on types a ...
.
*
Charles Grant – Author of ''The Wargame''.
*
E. Gary Gygax – Designer of several miniatures and board wargames who went on to co-create (with
Dave Arneson
David Lance Arneson (; October 1, 1947Minnesota Department of Health. ''Minnesota Birth Index, 1935–2002'' atabase on-line Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004. – April 7, 2009) was an American game designer best known ...
) and publish ''
Dungeons & Dragons
''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. (TSR). ...
''.
*
Larry Harris – Designer of ''
Axis and Allies'', ''Conquest of the Empire'', and other games in the Axis and Allies Series.
*
Bruce Quarrie – wrote rule sets for Napoleonic and World War II wargames and also on military history.
*
John Hill – Designer of ''
Squad Leader
''Squad Leader'' is a tactical wargames, tactical level board war game originally published by Avalon Hill in 1977. It was designed by John Hill (game designer), John Hill and simulates on infantry combat in Europe during World War II. One of th ...
'', ''
Johnny Reb
Johnny Reb is the national personification of the common soldier of the Confederacy. During the American Civil War and afterwards, Johnny Reb and his Union counterpart Billy Yank were used in speech and literature to symbolize the common sol ...
'', and other well-received designs.
*
Redmond Simonsen – Co-founder of
SPI
SPI may refer to:
Organizations
* Indian Protection Service (''Serviço de Proteção ao Índio''), Brazil
* Shotmed Paper Industries, an Egyptian paper manufacturers
* Simulations Publications, Inc., a former US board game publisher
* Sony P ...
and introduced many advanced graphics design elements to wargame designs.
; Notable players
*
Peter Cushing – Actor
Notable examples
Board
While a
comprehensive list will show the variety of titles, the following games are notable for the reasons indicated:
*''
Diplomacy
Diplomacy comprises spoken or written communication by representatives of states (such as leaders and diplomats) intended to influence events in the international system.Ronald Peter Barston, ''Modern diplomacy'', Pearson Education, 2006, p. 1 ...
'' – (1954) a classic multi-player game from the "golden age" of wargames in which strategy is exercised off the game board as well as on it.
* ''
Tactics II
Tactic(s) or Tactical may refer to:
* Tactic (method), a conceptual action implemented as one or more specific tasks
** Military tactics, the disposition and maneuver of units on a particular sea or battlefield
** Chess tactics
** Political tacti ...
'' (Avalon Hill, 1958) – the wargame that launched Avalon Hill.
* ''
''Risk'''' (Parker Brothers, 1959) – Widely accepted as the first mainstream wargame.
* ''
Gettysburg'' (Avalon Hill, 1958) – the first modern era wargame intended to model an actual historical event.
* ''Tactical Game 3'' (''
Strategy & Tactics'' Magazine game, 1969); re-released as ''
PanzerBlitz
''PanzerBlitz'' is a tactical-scale board wargame published by Avalon Hill in 1970 that simulates armored combat set in the Eastern Front of the Second World War. The game is notable for being the first true board-based tactical-level, commerc ...
'' by Avalon Hill in 1970. The very first
tactical wargame. The game pioneered the use of "
geomorphic mapboards" and PanzerBlitz was a game ''system'' rather than just a game in that forces could be used to depict any number of actual tactical situations rather than one specific scenario. Pioneered several ground-breaking features, such as use of various types of weapons fire to reflect battlefield conditions. Also created new level of realism in reflecting tactical armored vehicles.
* ''Quebec 1759'' (
Columbia Games
Columbia Games is one of the oldest manufacturers of board wargames, and has also produced the '' Hârn'' role-playing game as well as various card games and collectible card games. Their wargames are notable for using small wooden or plastic b ...
, 1972) – The first wargame to use wooden blocks with labels to provide a fog of war and four possible steps of strength.
* ''
Sniper!'' (SPI, 1973) – along with ''
Patrol
A patrol is commonly a group of personnel, such as law enforcement officers, military personnel, or security personnel, that are assigned to monitor or secure a specific geographic area.
Etymology
From French ''patrouiller'', from Old Fr ...
'', the first
Man to Man wargames where game pieces depicted a single soldier. An adaptation of ''Sniper!'' also became one of the first multi-player computer wargames.
* ''
Wooden Ships and Iron Men'' (
Battleline Publications, 1974
Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill Games Inc. is a game company that publishes wargames and strategic board games. It has also published miniature wargaming rules, role-playing games and sports simulations. It is a subsidiary of Hasbro, and operates under the company ...
, 1976) – the definitive game of Age of Sail warfare for many years.
* ''
Rise and Decline of the Third Reich
''Rise and Decline of the Third Reich'' or more commonly ''Third Reich'' is a grand strategy wargame covering the European theater of World War II, designed by John Prados and released in 1974 by Avalon Hill. Players take on the roles of ma ...
'' (Avalon Hill, 1974) – The first serious attempt to model World War II in Europe in its entirety, including (in a limited way) the economic and industrial production of the nations involved. It has seen numerous versions and editions, and is currently available as ''John Prados' Third Reich'' from
Avalanche Press, and as a far more complex descendant game, ''A World At War'', published by
GMT Games
GMT Games is a California-based wargaming publisher founded in 1990. The company has become well known for graphically attractive games that range from " monster games", of many maps and counters, to quite simple games suitable for introducing ne ...
.
* ''
La Bataille de la Moskowa'' (Martial Enterprises, 1974) Later republished by
Games Designers Workshop and
Clash of Arms. With 4 maps and 1000+ counters, it is credited with being the first "monster" wargame (by famed designer
Richard Berg.)
* ''
SPQR
SPQR, an abbreviation for (; en, "The Roman Senate and People"; or more freely "The Senate and People of Rome"), is an emblematic abbreviated phrase referring to the government of the ancient Roman Republic. It appears on Roman currency, ...
'' (GMT Games, 1992)
* ''
Squad Leader
''Squad Leader'' is a tactical wargames, tactical level board war game originally published by Avalon Hill in 1977. It was designed by John Hill (game designer), John Hill and simulates on infantry combat in Europe during World War II. One of th ...
'' (Avalon Hill, 1977) and ''
Advanced Squad Leader'' (1985) have become the most prolific series of wargames, including 3 add-on modules for the former, and 12 for the latter, with additional Historical modules and Deluxe modules also having been released. ''ASL'' also sets the record for sheer volume of playing components, with thousands of official counters and 60+ "
geomorphic mapboards" not counting Deluxe and Historical maps.
* ''
Star Fleet Battles
''Star Fleet Battles'' (SFB) is a Military tactics, tactical board wargame set in an offshoot of the ''Star Trek'' setting called the Star Fleet Universe. Originally created in 1979 by Stephen V. Cole, it has had four major editions. The current ...
'' – (
Task Force Games
Task Force Games was a game company started in 1979 by Allen Eldridge and Stephen V. Cole. TFG published many games, most notably including both '' Star Fleet Battles'' (currently published by the original designers, Amarillo Design Bureau) ...
, 1978) one of the older still actively played and published wargames today; based on ''
Star Trek
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vario ...
'', it is arguably the most successful tactical space combat system that does not rely on miniatures (published by
Amarillo Design Bureau).
* ''
Storm Over Arnhem'' (Avalon Hill, 1981) – pioneered the use of "point to point" or "
area movement" in tactical wargames.
* ''
Axis and Allies'' – (
Nova Games, 1981) the most successful of Milton Bradley's (1984) 'GameMaster' line in an attempt to bring wargaming into the mainstream by appealing to non-wargamers through simplicity and attractive components.
* ''
Ambush!'' – (Victory Games, 1983) the first
solitaire board wargame depicting
man to man combat, in which each game piece represented a single person.
* ''
Blue Max'' – (GDW, 1983) is a multi-player game of World War I aerial combat over the Western Front during 1917 and 1918 with an extremely easy to play mechanism but allow the development of complex strategies.
* ''
We the People'' – (Avalon Hill, 1994) this game started the Card-Driven wargame movement, which is very influential in current wargame design.
Miniature
* ''Rules for the Jane Naval War Game'' (S. Low, Marston, 1898) – The first published miniature wargame. A 26-page rule set limited to naval miniature battles. It came in a crate measuring 4 ft. X 4 ft. X 2 ft. Written by
Fred Jane. As only a handful of these games survive, they are highly collectible.
* ''
Little Wars'' (H.G. Wells, 1913) – The first popular published wargame rules. Includes the common miniature wargaming mechanics of dice rolling, range, line of sight, and moving in alternate turns. This game earned Wells the title "The Father of Miniature Wargaming".
[A reprint is available from history of Wargaming Project a]
wargaming.co
/ref>
* ''Miniature Wargames du temps de Napoleon'' (John C. Candler, 1964) – First period-specific historical miniature wargame. Also the first in a long line of Napoleonic miniature wargames.
* ''Chainmail
Chain mail (properly called mail or maille but usually called chain mail or chainmail) is a type of armour consisting of small metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a mesh. It was in common military use between the 3rd century BC and ...
'' ( Guidon Games, 1971) – An extension and distillation of rules previously published in various periodicals. While mostly about historical medieval combat, it had an addendum that covered fantasy elements. Major elements of this game were adopted by the role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons
''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. (TSR). ...
''. Unlike ''Dungeons & Dragons'', ''Chainmail'' used two six-sided dice to resolve combat. Previous fantasy miniature wargames had been written, but this was the first one published. Drawing on the popularity of ''The Lord of the Rings
''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's bo ...
'', this game featured the novelties of combat magic and fantastic creatures as combatants.
* ''Warhammer Fantasy Battle
''Warhammer'' (formerly ''Warhammer Fantasy Battle'' or just ''Warhammer Fantasy'') is a tabletop miniature wargame with a medieval fantasy theme. The game was created by Bryan Ansell, Richard Halliwell, and Rick Priestley; it was publis ...
'' (Games Workshop
Games Workshop Group (often abbreviated as GW) is a British manufacturer of miniature wargames, based in Nottingham, England. Its best-known products are ''Warhammer Age of Sigmar'' and ''Warhammer 40,000''.
Founded in 1975 by John Peake, ...
, 1983) – An internationally successful fantasy miniature wargame. The First Edition rules introduced innovative open unit design rules, however later editions eliminated the option to build custom units and make use of standard army lists mandatory. Warhammer was one of the first newly developed miniature wargames to enjoy popularity after role-playing games came to market in 1974. In fact, it is because of Roleplaying games becoming so popular, and people having too many models that were rarely used, that this was first published.
* ''Warhammer 40,000
''Warhammer 40,000'' is a miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop. It is the most popular miniature wargame in the world, and is particularly popular in the United Kingdom. The first edition of the rulebook was published in September 1987, ...
'' (Games Workshop, 1987) – A futuristic wargame featuring rival armies with different fighting styles. This wargame has very conceptual artwork suggesting a post-apocalyptic neo-gothic universe with heavy dystopic themes. Unarguably the most profitable miniature wargame ever , it has popularized competitive tournament gameplay in large, international events sanctioned by Games Workshop.
* ''De Bellis Antiquitatis
''De Bellis Antiquitatis'' or ''DBA'' (English: Of the Wars of Antiquity) is a fast play set of rules for the hobby of historical miniature wargaming, particularly ancient and medieval wargaming in the period 3000 BC to 1520 AD. Now in 3rd edition. ...
'' (Wargames Research Group
The Wargames Research Group (WRG) is a British publisher of rules and reference material for miniature wargaming. Founded in 1969 they were the premier publisher of tabletop rules during the seventies and eighties, publishing rules for periods ra ...
, 1990) – Radically minimalist rules differentiate this game from other notable miniature wargames. A number of systems have been strongly influenced by DBA.
* '' Mage Knight'' ( WizKids Inc., 2001) – Innovative game popularizing the combat dial, pre-painted plastic miniatures, and the collectible miniatures games. ''Mage Knight'' has inspired numerous collectible, skirmish miniature wargames.
* ''Warmachine
''Warmachine'' is a tabletop steampunk wargame produced by Privateer Press.
The game is played with white metal and plastic miniatures manufactured by Privateer Press representing military characters from the Iron Kingdoms setting. Battles ...
'' (Privateer Press
Privateer Press is a role-playing game, miniature wargame, acrylic paint, board game and card game production and publishing studio. Privateer Press is based in Bellevue, Washington, United States, where they have their headquarters and American ...
, 2003) – A steampunk
Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and Applied arts, aesthetics inspired by 19th-century Industrial Revolution, industrial steam engine, steam-powered machinery. Steampunk works are often se ...
-inspired miniatures game featuring steam-powered robots fighting under the direction of powerful wizards. Also has a sister game, Hordes, which features large monstrous creatures in the place of robots.
* ''Heroscape
''Heroscape'' (stylized as "heroScape" or "HeroScape") is an expandable turn-based miniature wargaming system originally manufactured by Hasbro subsidiaries from 2004 until its discontinuation in November 2010. Geared towards younger players, th ...
'' (Milton Bradley Company
Milton Bradley Company or simply Milton Bradley (MB) was an American board game manufacturer established by Milton Bradley in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1860. In 1920, it absorbed the game production of McLoughlin Brothers, formerly the l ...
, 2004) – An inexpensive, simple wargame that has been successfully mass marketed to both younger wargamers and adults. As miniature wargaming is often an expensive hobby, ''Heroscape'' and the collectible miniatures games have opened the miniature wargaming hobby to a new demographic.
* ''Infinity
Infinity is that which is boundless, endless, or larger than any natural number. It is often denoted by the infinity symbol .
Since the time of the ancient Greeks, the philosophical nature of infinity was the subject of many discussions a ...
'' (Corvus Belli, 2005) is a tabletop wargame in which sci-fi themed with 28mm scale metal miniatures are used to simulate futuristic skirmishes.
* '' BrikWars'' is a wargame that uses Lego
Lego ( , ; stylized as LEGO) is a line of plastic construction toys that are manufactured by The Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of variously colored interlocki ...
bricks as miniatures and scenery and gained popularity mostly due to the looseness of the rules.
* ''Flames of War
''Flames of War'' (abbreviated as ''FoW'') is a World War II tabletop miniatures wargame produced by the New Zealand company Battlefront Miniatures Ltd. The 1st Edition set of rules was published in 2002.
''Flames of War'' allows players to wa ...
'' ( Battlefront Miniatures, 2002) – Popular World War II wargame at 15mm (1:100) scale, currently focusing on the European and Mediterean theatres. Splits into three time periods (Early War 1939-41, Mid War 1942-43 and Late War 1944-45) to bring some balance and historical matchups.
* ''Malifaux
Malifaux is a skirmish-level miniatures wargame manufactured by Wyrd Miniatures involving gang warfare in the ruins of a city. The setting of the game is centered around the city Malifaux, which can be discovered through a breach opening into a ...
''
See also List of miniature wargames.
Computer
* ''Panzer General
''Panzer General'' is a 1994 computer wargame developed and published by Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI). It simulates conflict during World War II. The designers of ''Panzer General'' were heavily influenced by the Japanese wargame series '' ...
'' – ( Strategic Simulations, Inc., 1994) – probably the most widely popular computer game that is recognizably a traditional wargame. It spawned several sequels, some of which explored different subject matter.
* ''Steel Panthers
''Steel Panthers'' is a series of computer wargames, developed and published by several different companies, with various games simulating war battles from 1930 to 2025. The first '' Steel Panthers'' game was released in 1995, and the most rec ...
'' – (Strategic Simulations, Inc., 1995) – an early tactical wargame on the same scale as ''Squad Leader
''Squad Leader'' is a tactical wargames, tactical level board war game originally published by Avalon Hill in 1977. It was designed by John Hill (game designer), John Hill and simulates on infantry combat in Europe during World War II. One of th ...
'', which led to two sequels, and a complete revision of the title for free release.
* ''Close Combat
Close combat means a violent physical confrontation between two or more opponents at short range.''MCRP 3-02B: Close Combat'', Washington, D.C.: Department Of The Navy, Headquarters United States Marine Corps, 12 February 1999Matthews, Phil, CQB ...
'' – (Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washi ...
, 1996) – not the first wargame to break out from hexes, and still presented in a 2-dimensional format, Close Combat nonetheless uniquely addressed factors such as individual morale and reluctance to carry out orders. The original title led to 5 very successful sequels for the general public, as well as being developed into a training tool for military use only. Close Combat stemmed from an early attempt to translate the ''Squad Leader
''Squad Leader'' is a tactical wargames, tactical level board war game originally published by Avalon Hill in 1977. It was designed by John Hill (game designer), John Hill and simulates on infantry combat in Europe during World War II. One of th ...
'' boardgame to the computer.
* ''Combat Mission
''Combat Mission'' is the name of a successful series of computer wargames simulating tactical battles. The series has progressed through two distinct game engines. The original game engine, referred to as 'CMx1' by the developer, Battlefront. ...
'' – ( Big Time Software, 2000) – not the first 3D tactical wargame (titles such as ''Muzzle Velocity
Muzzle velocity is the speed of a projectile (bullet, pellet, slug, ball/shots or shell) with respect to the muzzle at the moment it leaves the end of a gun's barrel (i.e. the muzzle). Firearm muzzle velocities range from approximately to ...
'' preceded it), but a groundbreaking game series featuring simultaneous order resolution, complete orders of battle for numerous nationalities, with three titles based on the original game engine. As of 2006, a campaign layer is in testing as well as a revised game engine to be released before 2007. CM's genesis was also as a failed attempt by Avalon Hill to translate ''Squad Leader
''Squad Leader'' is a tactical wargames, tactical level board war game originally published by Avalon Hill in 1977. It was designed by John Hill (game designer), John Hill and simulates on infantry combat in Europe during World War II. One of th ...
'' to the computer.
* '' TacOps'' – ( Major I.L. Holdridge, 2003 for v4) – commercial version of “TacOpsCav 4”, an officially issued standard training device of the US Army. It is a simulation of contemporary and near-future tactical, ground, combat between the modern armed forces of the world.
* '' Wargame: Red Dragon'' – ( Eugen Systems, 2014) – a 3D regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation.
In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripte ...
or brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...
scale simulation set as a "Cold War Gone Hot" themed game in both multiplayer and singleplayer environments. Players construct customized armies through use of a deck system comprising land vehicles, infantry, and helicopters from several NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
and Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact (WP) or Treaty of Warsaw, formally the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, was a collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Poland, between the Soviet Union and seven other Eastern Bloc socialist republi ...
nations and manage logistics such as fuel and ammunition while on the battlefield. There is no cohesive campaign, the game instead taking place in several hypothetical conflicts.
* ''Total War
Total war is a type of warfare that includes any and all civilian-associated resources and infrastructure as legitimate military targets, mobilizes all of the resources of society to fight the war, and gives priority to warfare over non-combat ...
'' – a wargame set in different time periods, with a turn based map, and a real time battle component, featured on the television series '' Time Commanders''
* Hearts of Iron (series) – (Paradox Interactive
Paradox Interactive AB is a video game publisher based in Stockholm, Sweden. The company started out as the video game division of Target Games and then Paradox Entertainment (now Cabinet Entertainment) before being spun out into an independ ...
) − a grand strategy wargame series that is focused on World War 2. Player may act as any reasonably sized nation at the time, influencing international politics, economic and military development, and can control battlefields on both strategic and operational levels using combined arms. Frequently used to entertain and simulate alternative history scenarios as well as recreate historical events.
*Hegemony
Hegemony (, , ) is the political, economic, and military predominance of one state over other states. In Ancient Greece (8th BC – AD 6th ), hegemony denoted the politico-military dominance of the ''hegemon'' city-state over other city-states. ...
- (Longbow Games
Longbow Games is a Canadian video game developer based in Toronto. It was founded in 1998 by Seumas McNally.
History
Longbow Games was established in 1998 as Longbow Digital Arts by Seumas McNally. In 2000, the company's tank combat game '' ...
) - a historical real-time strategy series with real-time tactical combat and supply simulation. Campaigning takes place on a single continuous map where players can zoom between the 3D tactical map and the 2D strategy map at any time.
Unique game systems
* '' Ace of Aces'' – (Nova Games, 1980) – this flip-book system has long been considered one of the best simulations of aerial dogfighting.
* ''BattleTech
''BattleTech'' is a wargaming and military science fiction franchise launched by FASA Corporation in 1984, acquired by WizKids in 2001, which was in turn acquired by Topps in 2003; and published since 2007 by Catalyst Game Labs. The tradema ...
'' – (FASA
Fasa ( fa, فسا, Fasā, also Romanized as Fassa) is a city and capital of Fasa County, Fars Province, Iran. At the 2016 census, its population was 110,825, in 33,379 families. Fasa is the fourth most populous city of the province. The city dat ...
, 1984) – initially conceived as a board game, it has created a brand that now includes various different boardgames (tactical as well as strategic), miniature game rules, a role-playing game, computer games, flip-book games (by Nova Games) as well as novels and a TV series.
* '' Car Wars'' – (Steve Jackson Games
Steve Jackson Games (SJGames) is a game company, founded in 1980 by Steve Jackson, that creates and publishes role-playing, board, and card games, and (until 2019) the gaming magazine ''Pyramid''.
History
Founded in 1980, six years after the cr ...
, 1982) – initially printed as a board game, it quickly evolved to incorporate elements of miniatures games.
* '' Up Front'' – (Avalon Hill, 1983) – A popular card wargame.
See also
* Air wargaming
Air wargaming, like naval wargaming, is a niche specialism within the wider miniatures wargaming hobby. Due to the relatively short time over which aerial combat has developed air wargaming periods tend to break down into three broad periods:
* ...
* Naval wargaming
Naval wargaming is a branch of the wider hobby of miniature wargaming. Generally less popular than wargames set on land, naval wargaming nevertheless enjoys a degree of support around the world. Both historical and fantasy rulesets are available. ...
* Miniature wargaming
Miniature wargaming is a form of wargaming in which military units are represented by miniature physical models on a model battlefield. The use of physical models to represent military units is in contrast to other tabletop wargames that use ...
* Tactical wargame
* Business war games
* International Wargames Federation
* List of wargame publishers
Footnotes
Bibliography
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translation by Bill Leeson, 1989
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The tactical gears
www.pts-steelshop.com
Further reading
Books
* Stuart Asquith ''Wargaming World War Two '', Special Interest Model Books; New edition (31 December 1998)
* Stuart Asquith ''Military Modelling Guide to War Gaming '', Special Interest Model Books 1987
* Stuart Asquith ''Military Modelling Guide to Siege War Gaming '', Special Interest Model Books 1990
* Stuart Asquith ''Military Modelling Guide to Solo War Gaming '', Special Interest Model Books 1989
* Phil Barker ''Know The Game: War Gaming'', EP Publishing 1978.
* Phil Barker ''Airfix magazine Guides : Ancient Wargaming'', P.Stephens Ltd 1975.
* Jim Dunnigan
James F. Dunnigan (born 8 August 1943) is an author, military-political analyst, Defense and State Department consultant, and wargame designer currently living in New York City.
Career
Dunnigan was born in Rockland County, New York. After high s ...
, ''The Complete Wargames Handbook: How to Play, Design, and Find Them'', Quill 1992. This is available online a
hyw.com
(verified December 2011).
* Jon Freeman, ''The Complete Book of Wargames
''The Complete Book of Wargames'' by Jon Freeman and the editors of Consumer Guide was published in 1980 by Simon & Schuster under the Fireside imprint.
Contents
This book comes in both a 285-page hardcover edition and a paperback version. In ...
'', Simon and Schuster 1980.
* Nicholas Palmer, ''The Comprehensive Guide to Board Wargaming'', Arthur Baker Limited London 1977.
* Nicholas Palmer, '' The Best of Board Wargaming'', Hippocrene Books, Inc. New York, NY 1980.
* Donald Featherstone ''Featherstone's Complete Wargaming'', David & Charles UK 1989.
* Donald Featherstone ''War Games'', Lulu 2008,
* Donald Featherstone ''Advanced War Games'', Sportshelf & Soccer Assoc 1969.
* Donald Featherstone ''Tank Battles in Miniature: Wargamers' Guide to the Western Desert Campaign, 1940-42'', P.Stephens Ltd 1973
* Donald Featherstone ''War Game Campaigns'', S. Paul 1970
* Donald Featherstone ''War Games Through the Ages Vol. 2 1420–1783 '', S. Paul 1974
* Donald Featherstone ''War Games Through the Ages Vol. 3 1792–1859'', S. Paul 1975
* Dorca Bis Alejo, "El Hobby de los soldados en miniatura, el wargame, el rol, el modelismo y el coleccionismo." primera edición: 23 de agosto de 2008, , 212 p.
* Dorca Alejo, "My Toy Soldiers & Me" Second edition.
* Charles Grant ''Battle! Practical Wargaming'', Model and Allied Publishing (MAP) 1970.
* Paddy Griffith ''Napoleonic Wargaming For Fun'', Ward Lock Ltd, London, 1980, reprinted 2008 by the History of Wargaming Projectbr>link
* Paddy Griffith ''Sprawling Wargames multiplayer Wargaming'', Ward Lock Ltd, London, 1980, reprinted 2009 by the History of Wargaming Projectbr>link
* Peter Perla ''The Art of Wargaming'', Naval Institute Press 1990.
* Mark Herman
Mark Herman (born 1954) is an English film director and screenwriter, best known for writing and directing the 2008 film '' The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas''.
Life and career
Herman was born in Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. H ...
, Mark Frost
Mark Frost (born November 25, 1953) is an American novelist, screenwriter, film-and-television producer and director. He is the co-creator of the mystery television series ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991; 2017) and was a writer and executive story ...
, Robert Kurz ''Wargaming for Leaders'', McGraw-Hill 2009.
* Bruce Quarrie ''Airfix magazine Guides : Napoleonic Wargaming'', P.Stephens Ltd 1974.
* Bruce Quarrie ''Airfix magazine Guides : World War 2 Wargaming'', P.Stephens Ltd 1976
* Philip Sabin: Simulating War. Studying Conflict Simulation through Games, London 2012.
* C.F. Wesencraft ''Practical wargaming'', Hippocrene Books, 1974 reprinted by the History of Wargaming Projec
link
* C.F. Wesencraft ''With Pike and Musket'', reprinted by the History of Wargaming Projec
link
* Andrew Wilson ''War Gaming'', Penguin 1970.
* Terence Wise ''Airfix magazine Guides : American Civil War Wargaming'', P.Stephens Ltd 1977.
* Terence Wise ''Introduction to Battle Gaming'', Model and Allied Publishing (MAP) 1972.
* Terence Wise ''Terry Wise's Introduction to Battlegaming including his unpublished wargaming rules'' Printed by the History of Wargaming Projec
link
Articles
* Erik Lin-Greenberg, Reid B.C. Pauly, and Jacquelyn G. Schneider. 2021. “ Wargaming for International Relations Research.” ''European Journal of International Relations''.
Sport: Little Wars
Time Magazine, December 14, 1942.
War games
by Dr. Brett Holman, PhD in History, 5 August 2007.
Dice against the Nazis: Propaganda aimed to reduce fear
By Clive Gilbert and Kevin Allen, BBC News Magazine, 24 August 2007.
*
Return of the hex-crazed wargamers
Is the Net breathing new life into an endangered hobby--or just postponing the inevitable?," by Andrew Leonard, Salon Magazine, May 29, 1998.
*
*
{{Authority control
Military historiography