Why Do Block War Games Teach History So Well?

Recently I discovered a highly informative article over at the Useful Historian website. In a two part post titled, Learn history through board games, the author Zach Morgan notes:

Games usually include basic parameters which limit space/geography, time, and resources. These limitations are instructional, and cause us to search for creative ways to solve problems. In terms of historical scenarios, they show us what decision-makers were up against.

In this below excerpt (reblogged with permission) Morgan elaborates upon the attributes previously listed. While he is not speaking exclusively of block wargames, we often find these aspects present in games of the genre:

Geography As It Affects Decision-Making

Most games include some kind of map, which limits movement in some areas (mountains, rivers, etc.) and boosts it in others (roads, etc.). Some historical lessons we can learn through the spacial limitations in board games include: The devastating effect of holding the high ground at Gettysburg, the difficulty of consolidating troops in the ancient Mediterranean (if you don’t rule the waves),  the mobility problems presented by the Norman hedges in 1944.

Time Limitations   

All games must come to an end, and they usually have a limited number of rounds or turns allowed. In historical games, rounds represent years, days, or hours, and there is incentive to complete objectives within a certain time. I am often amazed when I play historical games, at how quickly the original participants achieved their objectives, compared to how long it takes me to negotiate the same problems on the board.

Economy and Resources

Most historical board games, especially those that are set on the strategic level, have a heavy economic component. The most basic lesson here is that conflicts, wars, and international politics are often decided financially rather than through tactical victory. Another thing we gain from practicing economics in these games is the ability to plan for the future. Games on the tactical level teach players how to make decisions with limited resources as well.

MDCOA & MPCOA 

You will also develop an ability to react to, and sometimes anticipate your opponent. The military has a concept that I have found useful in this anticipation. Think about what the enemy’s most dangerous course of action (MDCOA) would be, and also his most probable course of action (MPCOA). If you are able to prepare for both of these possibilities, and stay focused on your own objective, you won’t often be caught by surprise. Gaming is a perfect place to practice this, and once you figure it out, it can easily be applied to real-life.

Kinesthetic Learning   

There is one other quality that I would point to beyond that which the Useful Historian noted in his article: kinesthetic learning. We know from educators that people learn through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic (tactile) means. Block wargames beautifully incorporate these methods. Seeing the blocks  present on the map board, seeing the historical setting and terrain, while rolling dice and moving blocks all serve to bring to life history for both child and adult. History is lifted off of the one dimensional pages of a text book and brought to life on a table.

In this age of online gaming and electronic tablets with thousands of downloadable game apps, let’s hope that the current resurgence of board games can further connect the children of the present with the glorious history of our past!

Pictured: Crusader Rex by Columbia Games (2005).

Crossing the Rubicon with Columbia’s Julius Caesar

When Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon River in 49BC following his victory in the Gallic Wars, the act was treasonous and his intentions clear. Standing between Caesar and empire, however, was Pompey the Great. The two men, along with Crassus, had formed the first triumvirate ten years earlier. But now it would be war.  

The Roman Civil War (49-45BC) is brilliantly immortalized by the block wargame Julius Caesar from Columbia Games. Released back in 2010, the game is still considered by many to be Columbia’s best introductory block game. A perennial favorite, it firmly resides in the top 50 for war games at BoardGameGeek.com. 

The game benefits immensely from its utilization of Columbia Games’ standard block mechanics for representing fog of war and step reduction. The quality of components, both blocks and board, are immediately evident upon opening. Contents include: 

• 63 large wooden blocks (31 brown for Caesar, 31 green for Pompey, 1 blue for Cleopatra)
• Mapboard (17 x 33 inches)     
• 8 page rules book   
• 27 Cards      
• 4 dice 

Julius Caesar has both a simplicity and elegance when played. As I have written about before, however, that shouldn’t lead you to think that the game is easy. Strategic decisions abound, as players seek to earn a minimum of 10 Victory Points. With only 13 VPs on the board (Rome & Alexandria are worth 2 each, Syracuse, Antioch, & Athens 1 each, etc.), this is no small feat. Enemy leaders killed in battle are also worth 1 VP each.   

The game recreates the war through five campaign years, each featuring five turns. The action begins immediately with Caesar’s  battle tested legions amassed to the North, in some instances only one city removed from Pompey’s. Movement in the game is city to city with limitations based on road type (4 blocks over major roads, 2 over minor).   

Julius Caesar is indeed a great block game. The theme is dramatic and the stakes couldn’t be any higher. 

Following a recent game against a friend brand new to block wargames, a game in which my forces (Pompey) defeated his legions (Caesar), the conversation immediately turned to his first impressions. He was surprised by how easy the game was, and yet equally surprised by how much strategic depth it had. He started revisiting all of the tactical mistakes he had made, the bad dice rolls which cost him valuable forces, and the failure to press the action when needed. He concluded his assessment by saying how much he looked forward to playing it again and beating me in the rematch! 

And that is the very definition of a great game.  

Photo credit: Brian Williams 

What Makes These Little Wooden Blocks So Special?

In a previous post I explained what defines a block wargame, beginning first and foremost with the blocks themselves. Recently I came across an excellent explanation of the central game mechanic of block wargames written nearly twenty years ago by game designer Steffan O’Sullivan. 

So what makes these little wooden blocks so special? As O’Sullivan explains:

“The wooden blocks are roughly 1" by 1" by 0.5" - like half a domino that can stand on end a little easier...Only one face has unit information on it. Normally, that side is kept towards the owner of the piece. This means that you can see all of your units, and what they are, and how strong they are, but you can only see the backs of your opponent's pieces. You can tell where he has units, but not what they are nor how strong they are.”

This is what’s known as fog of war and it’s key to capturing the realism and confusion historically found in war. It also means that you do not know the strength of your opponent until you actually engage them in battle. O’Sullivan continues:

“There are numbers around the edges of the side facing you. The number on top represents the current strength of the unit. As the unit takes a hit in combat, it is rotated to the next lower number, one step per hit until eliminated. In combat, you roll a number of six-sided dice equal to the current strength...” 

The brilliance of this system, pioneered and perfected by Columbia Games, permits players to record step reduction with minimal effort. In the above picture, featuring a Roman legion from the game Julius Caesar, we see a block which initially plays at a four dice strength, which then decreases (rotating counter clockwise) with each hit taken in battle. 

“These two factors - easy fog of war and step reduction - mean that a wooden block game can achieve very sophisticated simulation with a minimum of strain on the gamer...consequently, even the most complicated wooden block game is still on the low side of moderate complexity by wargame standards.”

Don’t be fooled, however: strategic depth and satisfaction of play are not sacrificed for this simplicity. And that, in the end, is the brilliance of the block system. 

If you haven’t done so yet, check it out for yourself!