What is wargaming
By Mike | July 25, 2007
A wargame is a game that simulates or represents a military operation. Wargaming is the hobby dedicated to the play of such games, which are also called conflict simulations. The somewhat similar, professional study of war is generally known as a military exercise or “war game,” with the words war and game kept separate. Although there are occasional disagreements as to what qualifies as a wargame, the general consensus is that they are not only games about conflict or warfare, but that they must realistically simulate war to some degree. Depending on the style and scale of the game, such factors as flanking, supply, line of sight, terrain, and morale must be considered. For these reasons, games like chess and Risk are not generally considered wargames. Most wargames are historical or contemporary in nature, but science fiction and fantasy themes are also represented.
The wargaming hobby has its origins at the beginning of the 20th century, with the invention of miniatures games in which two or more players simulated a battle as a pastime. During the 1950s the first large scale, mass produced board games depicting military conflicts were published. These games were at the height of their popularity during the 1970s, and had become quite complex and technical by that time. Wargaming has changed dramatically over the years, from its roots in miniatures and board wargaming, to contemporary computer and computer assisted wargames. Light wargames with accessible rules and high quality plastic components, such as Memoir ‘44, have also become popular in recent years.
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My Introduction to Board Wargaming
By Mike | July 23, 2007
You could say that I was first introduced to wargaming in high school when I joined the chess club and learnt to play chess although I did not think of this as wargaming at that time. I was pretty good at it and obviously had the beginnings of a tactical mind.
It was not until 1979 at the age of 30 that my real first introduction was made and by pure chance. I had been very ill and was signed off work for 3 months and whilst on a visit to hospital I noticed a shop called the Games Gallery in Edinburgh so stopped off to have a browse. My initial interest was for the chess sets on sale however after noticing the back and side wall displays I moseyed across and entered a realm from which I will now never escape.
What I saw in front of me were beautifully boxed games by companies such as Avalon Hill and SPI and reading the game descriptions I was intrigued. My main interest fell on an old Avalon Hill classic called Caesar’s Legions and although very expensive, around £12.00, remember this was 1979, I made the decision to buy the game.
From that day on I was hooked, my first wargame kept me amused for hours and I actually had free time to play as I was on 3 months sick leave. Even to this day I never get tired of that first experience when you break open that cellophane wrapping and absorb the contents of the box.
Sadly Caesar’s Legions has now left my collection sold many years ago to a second hand dealer and I have over the years aquired and resold many other games each with a higher degree of complexity and reality. Over the past ten years my interest waned slightly and I sold off quite a few games on E-Bay I think that they had become over complex and my advancing years made it too much of a bother to try and play. My wife was overjoyed to get back some cupboard space.
I have recently at the age of 59 returned to wargaming and have gone back to the less complex games that I could never part with (more in my next blog) however I have also been buying new stuff from my favourite supplier GMT Games (see link) and these are again more complex and detailed but are a pure joy.
I may be in my 60th year but I have no intentions of putting my toys back in the pram just yet.
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Monster Mash: The Creature That Ate Sheboygan
By Mark | July 22, 2007
Having grown up surrounded by games such as ‘The Art of Seige’ and Jacquinto’s ‘Thin Red Line’, there was very little need as a child to actually own a game of my own. However the first game ever bought exclusively for me was SPI’s quirky classic board wargame ‘The Creature That Ate Sheboygan’.
I had forgotten all about the game really, until searching for images to build this site. There it was in all of it’s obscure glory. There are many great images of the game on BoardGameGeek, some obviously of an earlier print of the game than the one I owned.
It was a fascinating game, not least because it was played street by street on city map with mishapen rectangles rather than hexes for movement. Simplistic but not without it’s enjoyable aspects, you had creatures which could stomp buildings to rubble or set them on fire, along with corresponding fire brigade and police units to protect the buildings and the population.
Fantastic fun. I’ve come over all nostalgic now.
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