While skimming through wargame forums the other day I found some posts that said wargame tactics should not follow traditional methods, but should simply follow the rulebook and exploit the game system for winning moves.
Now, call me a purist but I disagree strongly.
Rules lawyers… This is how we feel about you
A rule system is a model
A rule system, is simply one person’s (or a small group’s) interpretation of warfare in a given period. No matter how detailed, it will never reflect the true conditions on a battlefield, for they are too complex. Every single soldier reacts differently and accurately modelling that is next to impossible.
Just learning how to exploit loopholes and the author’s vision of the battlefield does not make you a general. It barely makes you a wargamer in fact. Are you only going to play one system all your gaming life? Or are you going to learn the exploits of every game you play?
Be principled in your wargaming tactics
It is far better to learn the PRINCIPLES of tactics and have them in your arsenal. They apply to every game you play and, if the system does not take them into account, it’s a pretty poor representation of the battlefield – at least in my view.
If you don’t know the importance of a flank attack, how to handle reserves, the principles of an attack, or the way to assault a prepared position, then you are going to always struggle – no matter what system you play. And the better the system model warfare, the more you will struggle.
So don’t be too hasty to throw Sun Tzu and von Clausewitz out of the window yet. There are plenty of gems there to learn from and improve your wargaming.
By learning a little bit of military theory, you will find that you are more able to step into any game and give a good showing. You’ll also be a better judge of what rules systems are out there as a “bit of fun” or simply to sell figures, and which offer you a front row seat on the art of generalship.