Episode II, titled ‘Let’s Play War: From Rome’s Gladiators to Warhammer,’ examines the cultural impact of wargames in history and sheds light on their contemporary influence in discourses on war and strategy. This episode explores, amongst other intriguing topics, the wargames of the ancient Mediterranean world, the uses of wargames in the modern US military, and the staging of combat in the tabletop wargame Warhammer. Engaging with these issues are Dr Aggie Hirst, Senior Lecturer in International Relations and Methods in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London, Dr Alice König, Senior Lecturer in Classics and co-lead of the ‘Visualising War’ project at the University of St Andrews, and Aristidis Foley, PhD Candidate in the School of International Relations at the University of St Andrews. Our guests also examine the politics of play and immersion, and the role these play in the use of wargames. Highlights include discussions on the stakes of wargames for the players and the importance of the compulsion to victory, and expert insight into the way wargames make us feel about war. As a participant, what key lessons did you learn from this experience and how were you able to incorporate these into successive iterations of the competition? All models are wrong, but some are useful; the practical question is how wrong do they have to be to not be useful.”

Since the early 1800’s, simulation – whether analogue or digital – has supported the cognitive development of personnel at all levels and enabled military forces to adapt in periods of rapid technological change. In two previous Cove articles ( Reinvigorating Wargaming and DG TRADOC’s Professional Gaming List), I have explored the origins and definitions of wargaming; simulation is one of the many tools available to enable the conduct of wargaming. Risk. Simulation allows personnel to undertake training on dangerous tasks without the associated risks; furthermore, it eliminates the environmental risks associated with field training exercises.SB PRO. A COTS platform produced by eSim Games, SB PRO provides Army with a constructive simulation capability. While SB PRO can be used to support training at ATL 1 to 3, it is generally accepted that at this level VBS3 provides a better platform to conduct this training. As a constructive simulation, the software is able to control the reaction of entities within the simulation based on a series of behaviours selected by the user; this allows a single operator to control a platoon or even a combat team. In addition to supporting a two-dimensional representation of the battlefield – which is standard to constructive simulations – SB PRO is also capable of generating three-dimensional views of the battlespace. This enables the operator to see the battlefield from the point of view of any of their call signs. It allows training audiences to develop an improved understanding of terrain and its influence on land force capabilities and operations. Prior to a field activity I will look to employ simulation training with the Company’s Command teams to get a sense of where they are at prior to deploying. Ideally, this will be built over the weeks prior to a field exercise with the training oriented onto likely tasks the company will receive’. Conducted in a safe-to-fail environment, it enhanced tactical acumen of the participants through mentor-led reflection and individual learning. In designing the competition, LS&W sought to demonstrate and promote the use of Army’s simulation capability, enhance awareness of the SB PRO PE home use licence, and contribute to the end-state of the Army Wargaming Directive.

Whereas the author's previous work, Lost Battles, focused on the study of ancient battles using wargames to help test and propose theories regarding the course of those battles, this book is focused on the wargames themselves and how they can be used in a classroom environment. The pre-war mobilization exercises, which would include the 1941 Louisiana Maneuvers, provided a way forward for innovation, supplying the “basement conspirators” and Army leadership concrete evidence that current mechanization and equestrian practices were antiquated and in desperate need of reform. Indeed, horse cavalry, despite the best efforts of equestrian units in the field, had clearly lost their superiority in mobility. In one striking example, a National Guard division had to abandon its rented horses in the field due to the animals’ state of exhaustion. When given the choice between horse-mechanized reconnaissance regiments and purely mechanized reconnaissance, divisions selected the latter.I have written or edited 15 books and monographs and several dozen articles and chapters on a wide range of military topics. My recent publications include: Collaborate with King's Navigation link in category Research & Innovation. Press escape key to return to main menu To Professor Philip Sabin a wargame isn't just a plaything, a contraption for turning weapons-grade boredom into 24-carat fascination. To the man that teaches the World War Two in Europe, Warfare in the Ancient World, Fighting in the Air, and Conflict Simulation modules at King's College, London, high-quality historical strategy games are invaluable research and educational aids, as useful in their own ways as conventional written histories. In his latest book, Simulating War, he explains why his Strategic Studies students are often to be found hunched over hexgrids, and details a design approach that, though geared towards the creation of board wargames, contains much that will interest and inspire computer wargame creators. My God, Senator, that’s the reason I do it. I want the mistakes [made] down in Louisiana, not over in Europe, and the only way to do this thing is to try it out, and if it doesn’t work, find out what we need to make it work. In 1995, Baudrillard wrote The Gulf War Did Not Take Place. Contrary to the book’s controversial title, he did not claim that no military action took place. Rather, what Baudrillard was merely suggesting was that what we perceive as the first Gulf War was a copy of a copy of a war, a simulacrum borne of military simulation exercises and media portrayals. [1] Since then, the blurring of war and wargames, whether, inter alia, in the case of drone warfare, first person shooter-games, cinematic predictions and recreations of battlefields, or variations of costumed play, has only become clearer. Wargames are the means by which the military envisions its actions; they are also how civilians play at soldiery.