4

Wargame Tactics for Beginners

during a retreat back onto your own units,

so be careful how you deploy them around
the battlefield. Be sure to leave the boys at
the front room to safely retreat to the rear.
In The Zone (of Control)
Zones of Control
(a.k.a. ZOCs) are
features of many
games: They are the
six hexes
surrounding a unit. It
simulates the ability
of a unit to influence
adjacent areas with patrols, long range
weaponry, etc. It also portrays the caution
most units adopt when in close proximity
to the enemy. Pay strict attention to the
nature of ZOCs in every wargame; they
have a profound impact on play!
In games that feature rigid ZOCs, pieces
generally cannot move directly from ZOC
to ZOC. This is an important consideration
because a relatively thin line is capable of
slowing down a major enemy thrust just by
virtue of the ZOCs. Some games take this
concept even further by featuring locking
ZOCs where friendly pieces cannot leave
an enemy ZOC except as a result of
combat. This results in bizarre situations
where a unit must attack in order to retreat.
Ive heard about active rearguards but this
is a bit extreme! Yet the concept usually
works well for many wargame systems.
Rigid and locking ZOCs are often found
in games of lower complexity. Other
games feature fluid ZOCs where players
pay Movement Points to enter and/or leave
enemy ZOCs. These games tend to be
more free-wheeling affairs which can slow
things down considerably as players check
and recheck their lines for deficiencies.
It is particularly important to pay attention
to how ZOCs are affected by terrain. Many
games have rules that limit the effect of
ZOCs in and around certain types of
terrain. A favorite is to say that ZOCs do
not extend across major river hexsides, for
example. Another twist might be to say
that armor units ZOCs do not extend into
woods. The player who is unaware of such
rules is liable to have several holes in his
line that an astute opponent will certainly
take advantage of. Many a contest has been
decided because a gap was left
inadvertently in a line.
Is This Enough?
Force allocation and task organization
(deciding what you want your force to look
like compared to what you want them to
do) is a skill that takes a while to master.

Wargame Tactics for Beginners

The more tactical in level the game is, the

greater the difference in roles there is for
different types of forces. I always
remember one British offensive tactics
instructor telling our class to put infantry
in the green and tanks in the white. While
this may be an oversimplification for many
games, it does demonstrate that a few basic
rules can really facilitate your battle. Take
a little time to tailor your forces to what
you want them to do and you will have the
right force where you need it at the right
time a formula for victory.
Dont forget to integrate your supporting
arms into your battle plan, be they archers,
artillery, or air units. There are too many
rules of thumb to relay here because of the
many special rules featured in the wide
variety of wargames available on the
market today. I cant resist the temptation
to impart one, however: When employing
artillery that is capable of indirect fire,
place it so that two-thirds of its range can
be used forward of the line. That puts it
about one-third of its range behind the line.
Decisive attacks require a preponderance
of support. Dont get caught frittering
away your assets in diversionary roles and
end up short for the attack you really want
to succeed.
As you gain more experience, you will add
a long list of your own golden rules to your
gaming style.
Note the Special Rules
Special rules are not only interesting to
read, but have a profound impact on the
course of game. Read them, understand
them, and you will be well on your way to
beating your opponent if hes not aware of
them. Some games have special rules that
apply only during certain scenarios, and
some special rules pertain to specific
combat unit capabilities. In many cases, a
special rule is in effect for a limited
duration, so how you are going to employ
these rules should go into your initial game
plan.
Being Right on Principle
No essay about basic tactics would be
complete without a short recounting of the
principles or war and how they affect
wargaming in general.
Objective: It is true that objectives may
change during the course of a game, but a
player who is ready to invest a
considerable portion of his time and
resources, yet doesnt know what he needs
to do to win, is heading for a fall. Think
your objectives through and make sure you
do everything you can to achieve them.

1990 Decision Games (reprinted with permission) and

Mass: Victory through superior numbers,

even if only local, is the most common
form of success. Endeavor to mass the
right forces against the enemys weakness
and youre a long way toward winning.
Economy of Force: Massing is good, but
too many forces assigned to a specific
sector can be counter-productive. Dont
pack a bunch of troops into the line if you
are only trying to delay the enemy, for
instance. Cover quiet or insignificant
sectors with minimal forces.
Offensive: While many games can be won
through defensive play, the only sure way
to achieve decisive results is to attack.
Indeed, many defensive successes are due
to effective counterattacking. Besides, its
the fun thing to do!
Unity of Command: While never a
problem in one-on-one games, just sit back
and watch a multi-player game where one
side has no one in charge. Friendly forces
will end up at odds with one another and
often the objectives are not taken. Supporting forces are not allocated with any
sort of coherent priority. It goes on and on.
Surprise: Unless youre playing with
some sort of hidden unit rules, surprise in
gaming is often represented when an
opponent attacks in some unexpected
direction with an unexpected force. Most
wargames feature perfect intelligence (a
Chess-like characteristic lamented over the
years). Surprise is frequently simulated by
an elaborate set of special rules at the
beginning of the game. It just doesnt seem
as decisive in games as it does in real life.
So ends the attempt to impart a few basic
thoughts to you. Go out and explore the
wargaming world you will certainly
enjoy it! JD
Editors Note
I would like to add one other aspect to this
discussion: the psychological aspect. Only
half of a game takes place on the board, the
other half takes place in your opponents
mind. Napoleon once observed that Morale
is to the physical as 3 is to 1. You need to get
inside your opponents head and figure out
what is going to demoralize him the most
and then focus your energy and do it.
In other words, when things are going wrong
for you on campaign or the battlefield, as they
always will, do not despair. Thats exactly
what your opponent wants you to do! Instead,
consider what a jolly rotten time hes having
and do your utmost to fight tenaciously to the
end and make sure his day worse than yours.
Welcome to battle, my friend!
Alan Emrich

2008 Victory Point Games

Wargame
Tactics
for Beginners
by John Desch
It is said that advice is no substitute for
experience. I maintain that the welladvised beginner who knows a little about
the fundamentals has an excellent chance
of beating the experienced player who is
smugly couched in his old ways. Hopefully
this article will impart a little in the way of
valuable advice to new gamers planning to
further explore the hobby of wargaming.
Perhaps the most important part of playing
any game is the formulation of a viable
planning strategy. Ive seen many gamers
who like to play as they go win their fair
share of contests, especially when luck is a
major factor in the outcome of the game.
But most of the time, this admittedly
flexible attitude fails when no planning is
done.
Know the Goal; Make a Plan
The first thing to look at is the games
Victory Conditions. I like to read these
before delving into the rest of the game
rules because later, when the balance is
read, I can determine how to best apply
each rule toward winning the game. Ask
yourself a few questions before setting
your pieces up. What is required to win?
Where do I have to go? How do I get
there? What is my opponent likely to do?
Once these questions (and others you
might come up with) are answered, start
your basic planning. This is when you
determine how you are going to achieve
your objectives. Games with free set-up
require some organization of your forces;
games with predetermined set-up will need
a review of the viable courses of action.
Ask questions like:
Where can the chariots, cavalry or tanks
best maneuver?
Should I deploy my infantry units
forward or take cover in terrain?
Should I keep a reserve of fresh troops
and await further developments?
Should I take the northern route where
the terrain is easier to negotiate but more
heavily defended, or the southern
mountainous route that is defended by a
few scattered troops?
Naturally some of these questions may not
be obvious or even answerable; it is the
logical process you go through that will

put you a leg up on the other guy. One

final note: The planning process does not
have to be a lengthy review of all
possibilities. It might be just a few minutes
(for a simple game) to a number of hours
(for a multi-player monster-size game).
And, of course, you must be ready to
modify the plan as your opponent does the
unexpected. A popular saying in the Army
goes: The plan never survives the
crossing of the line of departure (or No
plan survives contact with the enemy). I
contend that the overall plan can survive
the initiation of hostilities with a bit of
modification along the way.
Deployment:
Well Begun is Halfway Done
After your plans have been envisioned,
your next major decision is how to set up
your forces. A whole lot of factors (like
special first turn assault and movement
rules) get rolled up into this assessment
and should be weighed accordingly. Your
setup should allow you to accomplish your
objectives according to your plan without
giving your intentions away too blatantly.
It is generally best to attack with the
maximum force available (unless some sort
of special reserve rule is in effect) if you
are the attacker so that you can inflict the
maximum amount of punishment on the
enemy while you have any special (first
turn / early game) capabilities. If you can
get him on the run at the outset and can
keep him there for the rest of the game,
your chances of winning the game are
excellent.
No game reflects this concept as much as
Scorched Earth where the German Player
is given an extra movement and combat
phase on the first turn to simulate Soviet
unpreparedness. Although Russian border
forces are certain to be decimated, the
amount of progress the German makes and
the casualties he incurs are definitely
influenced by the quality of the Russian
setup. On the other hand, the German
Player, once set up, is somewhat restricted
to his initial plan by topography. Players of
this monster-size wargame often spend
hours fine-tuning their initial dispositions.
Taking the Offensive
The plan is done, your forces are organized
and setup, and the dice are perched neatly
by the Combat Results Table. What next?
Lets talk about the concept of attacking
first because thats what gamers like to do
the most and its really the only way to
achieve decisive results. This is a principle
of war called Offense.

1990 Decision Games (reprinted with permission) and

It is generally accepted that a three-to-one

(3:1) superiority is the minimum needed to
have a reasonable chance for an attack to
succeed.
This, of course, all depends on the game.
In Decision Games Blue & Gray
Quadrigame (which has four smaller-size
games in a single package that share the
same core rules), 3:1 happens to be the
optimum odds for the attack. More than
that results in often unwanted casualties to
the attacker. Their War in Europe game,
on the other hand, favors attacking odds up
to 13:1. A 3:1 attack against a well
entrenched defender in this WW2 East
Front game will probably fail, with the
attacker incurring heavy casualties. It is a
good idea to study the Combat Results
Tables as part of your planning process to
determine the optimum battle odds and
differentials.

Lets look at the Combat Results Chart

from Assault on Sevastopol, for example.
In this case, it behooves the attacking
player to assemble the best odds possible
(4:1) at all times. Despite the fact that there
are just as many exchange results (where
both sides suffer casualties) on the
4:1column as on most of the others, there
are more defender eliminated type
results, thus assuring destruction of the
enemy while the chances of incurring
friendly casualties is kept to a minimum.
Since it is relatively easy for the Axis
Player to amass a good 4:1 odds attack, he
can count on at least one good bashing per
Game Turn to help bleed the enemy units
off the map.
The key is translating offensive efforts into
decisive results is to attack the right targets
in the right sequence.
Rarely does one side have a threefold
superiority all across the front. More often,
opposing forces will be roughly equal in
terms of overall combat power, with
variables such as terrain, weather,

2008 Victory Point Games

Wargame Tactics for Beginners

reinforcement rates, special unit

capabilities and so forth tipping the scales
in favor of one side or the other.
Generally, one side attains the superiority
needed by massing its forces against a
perceived enemy weakness. This is a
principle of war called Mass.
This of course makes identifying weak
spots very important to a successful battle.
Because weaknesses are seldom apparent
at first glance, a player should carefully
watch his opponent move his pieces. Often
you find yourself saying I wouldnt have
done that and after a little analysis you
realize that your opponents pieces are not
deployed optimally. Maybe he forgot that
Zones of Control dont extend across rivers
or into woods, or perhaps a stack cant
retreat because of the presence of other
friendly units behind it. Small errors such
as these, when properly exploited, can
often turn the tide of a game.
Flank You Very Much
Frontal and flanking attacks are basic
offensive techniques. Ideally the enemy
should be attacked from as many directions
as possible. History is filled with examples
of an inferior force emerging victorious
because of a successful flank attack. Sadly,
most competent opponents will not oblige
you by leaving a flank unsecured.
However, advances as a result of combat
can often create situations where a few
enemy pieces can be tactically outflanked
and destroyed if the attack sequence is
carefully executed. Dont spend a great
deal of time and effort moving your pieces
up to the enemy and just rush through your
attacks. Take your time and do it the way
you had planned during your movement
you might just discover the opportunity to
tactically surround some enemy units via
well-timed advance after combats and be
rewarded with a breakthrough or two.
Many believe that frontal attacks should be
avoided until all other alternatives are
exhausted, and theyre partially correct. I
think it depends a lot on how bloody (i.e.,
casualty-producing) the games combat
system is for an attacker. If there are many
attacker-retreat options and very little in
the way of attacker bloodshed, such as in
Victory Point Games The Drive on Metz,
then frontal attacks are relatively safe.
Consider Attacker Attrition
Many game conflict resolution systems
require more in the way of long-term
attacker attrition, however. In these cases,
a player must make sure that frontal attacks
(or any attacks, for that matter) are

Wargame Tactics for Beginners

absolutely necessary to further his cause.

Important territorial objectives or even an
ability to absorb more casualties than the
opponent (and win through mutual
attrition) might be sufficient reasons for
launching frontal attacks. Frontal attacks
are often the quickest way to smash and
bleed the enemy.
In games where units must attack enemy
units to which they are adjacent, such as in
Victory Point Games Napoleonic 20
series games (e.g., Waterloo 20), the
classic wargaming concept of soaking
off comes into play. This is where one or
two weak friendly units attack at extremely
unfavorable odds to fulfill the requirement
to attack adjacent enemy units. This is
normally used in conjunction with other
friendly units that are attacking at much
more favorable odds. In this way, the best
units are preserved and the weak units are
sacrificed to a good purpose.

The French cavalry unit conducts a classic

Soaking Off maneuver, launching a weak
diversionary attack against the British RES
Corps at Hougomont in the VPG game
Waterloo 20. This frees the French II Corps
unit to concentrate with the other two French
units for a better attack on the British II Corps
unit in La Haye Sainte.
Also see if the game youre playing allows
artillery or some other supporting arm to
satisfy the requirement to attack adjacent
enemy units. In many games, however,
attacking is completely voluntary and the
concept of soaking off is not applicable.
The Art of Defense
Defending is something you do when you
are not powerful enough to attack. Many
games can be won with a defensive
strategy, especially when the terrain favors
you. This of course does not mean an
entirely passive defense; rather it assumes
that even the most defensive of strategies

1990 Decision Games (reprinted with permission) and

will feature local counterattacks to keep the

strategic attacker off balance.
The best way to defend in games where
Zones of Control are rigid (i.e., you cant
move through them) is to position your
units with the grain in such a manner as
to have a vacant hex in between each
occupied hex. See example 1.

Example 1: In a game where units must stop

when they move adjacent to enemy units (i.e.,
enter its Zone of Control), setting up a defense
with the grain by placing units in every other
hex offers many advantages.
There arc several advantages to this
arrangement. First, it is impossible for the
enemy to surround your units (unless the
game features some sort of fancy multi-hex
advance after combat rule). Second, the
enemy can only attack each of your units
from two approaching hexes thereby
reducing the odds he will be able to amass
against you. Third, this is the most
economical employment of your scarce
(why else would you be defending?) units.
Last, an enemy unit that advances after a
victorious combat result will be dangerously exposed to your counterattack. There
is one disadvantage of this strategy: It
doesnt often conform to the best terrain on
the map. Sometimes players get so
obsessed with tidying up the line that they
abandon decisive terrain.
The worst way to defend is to have two
intervening vacant hexes between occupied
hexes. See example 2.

Example 2: This deployment can slow down or

even stop the enemy for one turn but what
will you do after that?
This situation is often brought on by a dire
lack of units or the assumption that
favorable terrain will offset the relatively
poor cohesion of a line. Be extremely
careful if you feel you must use this
deployment because your units are easily
surrounded and destroyed with minimal
delay to the enemy. It is a brittle defensive
alignment that is easily broken and very
difficult to restore.
An unhappy medium between these two
extremes is where you deploy your forces

2008 Victory Point Games

such that there is no intervening vacant

hex, as shown in example 3. Not only does
this jamming of the line waste units, it
allows enemy units to advance after
combat and surround adjacent defenders. It
is belter to stack your units and deploy as
in example 1.

Example 3: This spread line defense is very

suboptimal. By advancing after combat against
two units on either side of another, that middle
defending unit can be tactically surrounded, cut
off from retreat, and easily eliminated.
When defending against the hex grain,
units should be deployed in a manner
similar to that used in the best defense (as
shown in example 4). Unfortunately, the
enemy will be able to attack each
defending hex from three adjacent hexes
and his chances for success are therefore
much greater.

Example 4: The every-other-hex defense is still

the best, even when defending against the hex
gain, as seen here.
An alternative to this disposition features
echeloning (or refusing) the flanks of an
important position. Usually the strongest
units will occupy the forward hex (as
shown in example 5) and it will be
anchored in good terrain.

Example 5: Here is a wedge defense; note the

extra strength in the center which is vulnerable
to attacks from three adjacent hexes, where the
flank units can only be hit from two hexes each.
These formations are very general in
nature and do not take into account
variables such as special unit capabilities,
weather, terrain, the strategic situation and
a host of others. You will see the best
players using some variation of these basic
ideas in almost every land warfare game.

Brilliant Maneuvers
Aside from combat, movement (using the
military principle of Maneuver) is the
most important aspect of a game. A weaker
but well deployed force stands a good
chance of defeating a stronger enemy who
is strung out all over the map.
Effective movement gains a number of
advantages for the astute player. Flanking
attacks are set up, pockets of enemy forces
are created, effective withdrawals are
conducted and strategic situations are
overturned... all by understanding how to
properly maneuver your pieces. Indeed, if
a player cant get his forces near the enemy
in good order, the even the most promising
attack can go to waste.
In general, players are allowed to move
units along roads at a faster rate than crosscountry. Control of a road network,
especially a lateral one that permits the
rapid shifting of reserves from sector to
sector (i.e., one that can be exploited when
you are operating on interior lines), is a
worthwhile intermediate objective. Often a
city or village sitting at a crucial junction
will be worth victory points in addition to
its important geographical position on the
map. Unfortunately, these locations are
normally well-guarded and difficult to
seize without substantial effort. Denying
the enemy the use of his road network
through interdiction by paratroopers, air
strikes, partisans, or artillery fire can have
far-reaching effects.
There are times, however, when a road is
not the best route to take. Many an
outflanking maneuver takes place through
the mountains, forest and desert (i.e., a
terrain obstruction referred to as a curtain
of maneuver). The movement cost may
seem prohibitive at first, but it is entirely
possible to unhinge an entire enemy
defensive line with a nature hike through
the rough terrain. Consider all your options
first before ordering your troops to move.
Good Housekeeping
There are several methods to moving your
pieces such that no unit is inadvertently
forgotten. One way is to start at one end of
the map and work your way methodically
to the other end. This is a simplistic way to
approach the problem, and often not the
most effective; but it almost guarantees
that every one of your pieces will get
attention. I like to rotate the counters after
their movement to denote the fact that they
have been moved.
Many experienced players, however, move
their pieces in order from the least

1990 Decision Games (reprinted with permission) and

flexible positions first and then decide

what to do with their most flexible units.
How can you tell the difference? To begin
with, units that are closely engaged with
the enemy are generally in a less flexible
position to maneuver than units held
behind your lines in a reserve.
Also the type of unit may have some
bearing on what it can do, as units that are
more mobile are also more flexible. Armor
units are often given some capability for
moving through enemy Zones of Control
and overrunning them. It may be possible
to pull them out of the line, march them
clear across the map, and have them attack
in another sector all in a short amount of
time (perhaps even one turn). Such is the
flexibility of mobile warfare.
Once the least flexible units have been
moved to good effect, it is possible to
determine where the most flexible ones can
go in their support to further your plan of
action. Just how these flexible units are
used often turns the course of a game. In
any case, tilt the pieces as you go to
remind you that they have been moved.
Youre not a Perfect Plan Machine
One word to the uninitiated: Beware of the
touch-move game and the gamer who
enforces it! Some game rules state that
once a player has moved his piece or stack
of pieces and withdraw his hand, he cannot
move them again until the next turn. While
the principles behind this rule are perhaps
noble, it tends to slow the game down as
players try to think out all their possible
moves before hand. This isnt Chess, folks;
in wargames youre moving more than just
a single piece each turn.
In this regard, Im quite lenient with my
opponents (unless Im playing in a
tournament where there are tangible gains
at stake) and let them fix glaring mistakes.
My attitude is that Ill probably be making
a similar error in the future and would like
to have the favor returned. And after all,
Id rather have a friendly, challenging
game that I lost than an easy, pushover
victory at the cost of a future opponent.
Getting Over Stacking
Stacking restrictions often have an effect
on movement where a designer intends to
portray congested traffic conditions (i.e.,
Battle of the Bulge games). Some games
even exact stiff penalties for overstacking,
such as disruption and the like.
A more common penalty for overstacking
is the death penalty. This often occurs

2008 Victory Point Games