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Recent Articles
ASL Homecoming: The Beginning
This is the story of my ASL Homecoming. ASL, or Advanced Squad Leader, can be a polarizing subject for folks in the wargaming community. It’s “all-in” on hyper-detailed rules, expensive out-of-print modules, and has been…
Charles S Roberts Awards 2020 - My Ballot Part 2
The deadline for submitting your Charles S Roberts Awards 2020 ballot is fast approaching (June 15, 2020) so don't hesitate. This article completes my voting for the Charles S Robert Awards 2020. In the last…
My Charles S Roberts Awards 2020 Ballot - Part 1
The Charles S Roberts Awards, CSR Awards hereafter, reappeared unexpected in 2020. The gold standard in wargaming opened up for a more democratic approach to selecting the winners this year. Revisions to the voting included…
WargameHQ Relaunches for 2020
“I’m glad to know that’s in the HQ!”Harold Buchanan (Twitter, far too often…) WargameHQ started with this harebrained scheme that if I could get a good looking site together that could focus JUST on wargames,…
Where Are The Umpired Conflict Sims?
It’s old hat now that Dungeons & Dragons, published by Wizards of the Coast, has seen a massive resurgence in popularity. Combat, is facilitated as essentially an umpired conflict sim. It goes beyond that, of…
The 2010's - Andean Abyss (2012)
Andean Abyss is the brainchild of Volko Ruhnke that launched the Counter Insurgency (COIN) series in 2012. I like to look at the games we covered in 2010 (Labyrinth: The War on Terror 2001 –…
The 2010's - A Few Acres of Snow (2011)
A Few Acres of Snow published in 2011 by Treefrog Games is our most influential game from that year. I can’t lie. I did not want to select this game. In fact, I originally wrote…
The 2010's - Labyrinth: The War on Terror 2001 - ? (2010)
In this series, we’ll be taking a look back at the most influential game of each year of the past decade starting with Labyrinth: The War on Terror 2001-? from 2010. The last decade saw…
Tactical Genius: A Look at Fields of Fire
Wargaming has an existential crisis each time a player sits down at the table. Fields of Fire is one of the few titles that doesn’t suffer from this existential affliction. Players must ask themselves, “who…
Scramble for Identity & The Struggle to Control the Past
This past weekend, I wrote a blog post about GMT Games’, now removed, P500 title “Scramble for Africa.” In it, I bemoaned the poor marketing copy and highlighted concerns based on the combination of topic…
Scramble for Africa: A Lesson in How NOT To Launch a Game
THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN SUPERSEDED AT THIS POINT AND I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU CHECK OUT THE LAST ARTICLE I’LL BE WRITING ON THIS TOPIC: https://wargamehq.com/scramble-for-identity-the-struggle-to-control-the-past/ UPDATE:GMT Games issued a statement today (4/7/19) that indicated they…
Lessons in Creating Wargame Valuation
I offered to help a new Boardgamegeek user a month or so ago with selling his collection. The first step was creating a market valuation for his games. Today, we’re going to be looking at…
Should Wargames Ever Be Finished?
Ever since George Lucas tinkered with the iconic original Star Wars trilogy, fans have asked one complex question. Should Lucas, or 20th Century Fox, have altered the movies? This question can be applied more broadly…
Mean it: The Debate Over Unit Ratings
I was listening to the excellent Harold on Games podcast a few weeks ago and heard Harold’s interview with Jack Greene. Jack mentioned that he used to get more wound-up about wargame unit ratings when…
Burning Water - Thoughts on Fire in the Lake
Fire in the Lake Cover Fire in the Lake was released in 2014 and has remained one of the most popular COIN titles. Mark Herman and Volko Ruhnke managed to cram the everything that made…
Platoon Commander Deluxe: Kursk Review
There are a few battles and operations on the eastern front of World War II that are guaranteed to get some kind of reaction. The first, of course, is Stalingrad. The second is the opening…
Introducing Washington's War to children
My son’s teacher emails families to give them a heads up on what students will learn each week. Last week, we learned that my son would be diving into the American Revolutionary War. He is…
The Triumph & Tragedy of Triumph & Tragedy
Triumph & Tragedy is a triumph and a tragedy. Sorry. I had to get that out of my system. Today we’re looking at the GMT Games release Triumph & Tragedy which has been described as,…
Life & Death of Tactical World War II Games (Part 1)
There are an (over?) abundance of World War II tactical games. Make no mistake, the last 20 years have given us new content and series like: Advanced Squad LeaderAdvanced TobrukBand of BrothersCombat CommanderCombat InfantryCompany Scale…
Mechanic Monday - Advance After Combat
There’s nothing sweeter than getting the roll you need to eliminate an enemy unit. That is, of course, unless you can immediately advance after combat into the hex or area that the enemy vacated! Advance…
Recent Sessions
Atlanta is Ours - Grand Assault Walk-through - Part 3
Final part of a three part series that looks at doing a grand assault in the Great Campaigns of the American Civil War (GBACW) series. This is not a tutorial, but rather an opportunity to…
Atlanta is Ours - Grand Assault Walk-Through - Part 2
Part 2, of a three part series that looks at doing a grand assault in the Great Campaigns of the American Civil War (GBACW) series. This is not a tutorial, but rather an opportunity to…
Atlanta is Ours - Grand Assault Walk-through - Part 1
Part 1, of a three part series that looks at doing a grand assault in the Great Campaigns of the American Civil War (GBACW) series. This is not a tutorial, but rather an opportunity to…
Playthrough Scenario 3 – Turn 2 – Platoon Commander Deluxe: Kursk
It's time for turn 2 of this two turn scenario 3 playthrough. This should be enough to give folks a little taste for the game...tactics be damned!
Playthrough Scenario 3 – Turn 1 Part 2 – Platoon Commander Deluxe: Kursk
This is part two of the first turn of Platoon Commander Deluxe Scenario 3.
Playthrough Scenario 3 - Turn 1 Part 1 - Platoon Commander Deluxe: Kursk
This is first part of a multi-part playthrough of Scenario 3 from Platoon Commander Kursk.
Recently Added Games
Band of Brothers: Screaming Eagles
Band of Brothers is a fast playing game of squad level combat in WWII. It covers the exploits of the 101st in their battles from D-Day through the Bulge. The rules are very simple (no…
Baltic Gap: Summer 1944
Baltic Gap: Summer 1944 depicts the Soviet drive into Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania during the summer of 1944. As the game begins, the defense of Vitebsk, a Byelorussian fortified city located just a few hexes…
B-17: Queen of the Skies
B-17: Queen of the Skies is a strategy game which re-creates the early bombing missions and aerial combat of the B-17 (F Model) bombers of the US Eighth Air Force over Europe between November 1942…
Advanced Squad Leader Deluxe ASL Pack #1
Advanced Squad Leader Deluxe ASL Pack #1 from Le Franc Tireur adds 7 new deluxe ASL board alongside 12 new scenarios.
Arquebus: Men of Iron Volume IV
Northern Italy – and especially Milan – at the end of the 15th century was the brutal focal point for power and control between France and the Imperialist empires of Venice and Spain. And the…
The Third World War: Arctic Front
Arctic Front, the third game of the Third World War series, uses the same rules as its predecessors but presents a very different gaming situation. The Soviet Leningrad Front, with its special airborne, amphibious, and…
April's Harvest: The Battle of Shiloh
April’s Harvest: The Battle of Shiloh, April 6 & 7, 1862, is the ninth game of the Civil War Brigade (CWB) Series from The Gamers. April 6, 1862: The Confederacy must strike back at a…
Afrika 2nd Edition
Afrika 2nd Edition is a reprint of the second game in the award wining Standard Combat Series (SCS). Designed to provide players with a low complexity game system that also provides great historical detail and…
A Victory Lost
A harsh, cold wind blows across the steppes of Russia. With a flurry of thundering explosions, the Russian offensive Operation Saturn begins. Can the Russians encircle and trap the extended German armies? A Victory Lost…
A Victory Denied
In July of 1941, the German Army stood at the very door of Moscow. The Soviet forces before them had been routed and the path to yet another great victory for the Wehrmacht was seemingly…
A Bridge Too Far
A Bridge Too Far covers the British 1st Airborne Division’s defense of the bridge in Arnhem during Operation Market Garden. The title is notable for the black SS counters which created some degree of controversy…
1805: Sea of Glory
1805: Sea of Glory places you in command of the Royal Navy or the allied fleets of France and Spain. You direct your far flung forces, raid enemy ports, and bring your wooden warships into…
1777: Year of the Hangman
1777: Year of the Hangman is an operational study of the campaign for Philadelphia. Between September 1st and December 19th two armies contended for the American capital, seat of the rebellion, home to the Congress,…
It Never Snows
It Never Snows is a Standard Combat Series (SCS) game covering the pivotal Market Garden offensive in September, 1944. Using a system based on the well-received SCS Game Bastogne, It Never Snows covers the landings…
Central America
Central America is a comprehensive, dynamic simulation that encapsulates the multiple elements of modern land and air combat. Conventional and guerrilla warfare are combined in a fluid, interactive game system. Players choose for themselves the…
Pax Britannica
A multi player game of empire, diplomacy, and global confrontation. The Great Powers of Great Britain, France, the US, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy, Russia, and Japan vie throughout the world for the wealth and esteem conferred…
France 1944
France 1944 (Victory Games) is a Mark Herman design. It’s a 130 counter, 1 map game of the breakout and pursuit across France. Units are divisions, I believe. Components are up to VG’s usual high…
Hell's Highway
This game is an operational level simulation of the greatest airborne campaign of World War II. In September of 1944, three Allied airborne divisions dropped up to 60 miles behind German lines in Holland to…
