How a Good Block Wargame Simulates Military Logistics

Pictured: Shenandoah: Jackson’s Valley Campaign by Columbia Games 

General Omar N. Bradley, the United States Armed Forces last five star general, once noted: “Amateurs study tactics; professionals study logistics.” General Dwight Eisenhower and the Allies were so acutely aware of this that they made logistical support a top priority in the days immediately following the Normandy landings on D-Day. The famed Red Ball Express, a truck convoy comprised primarily of African American drivers, helped to keep those advancing troops supplied. They did so in part by exclusively dedicating two routes from Cherbourg to Chartres for supply purposes. The northern route was used for deliveries, the southern for returning trucks. Neither road was open to civilian use.

In block wargames, supply points serve as an effective mechanism for simulating the important role that logistics play in war. As I noted in a previous post on strategic principles:

“Most of the block games involve some rudimentary economic considerations as damaged units are repaired and new units formed. Often the availability of resources or supply points rely upon territorial control. What may seem a lower priority during earlier turns will likely increase as the game moves on.”

Before continuing, however, I do have a confession to make. When I first began playing block games, the supply phase was largely an afterthought. It was far less interesting than the command phase and troop movement, and not nearly as compelling as the resulting battles, replete with dice rolls, drama, and suspense. Remember, amateurs are all about tactics.

Over time, however, I soon came to realize and to appreciate the elegance and nuance of supply points. What’s more, block wargames introduce this additional depth to a game without sacrificing pace or playability. This is accomplished through two basic means: 

• During each game-turn players receive a set number of supply points. The amount of points given often reflects the historical and logistical challenges (or advantages) that a particular army faced in that battle.    
• Those supply points are then used to restore steps lost on specific blocks, either due to commands given (in the case of HQ blocks), or damage incurred/steps lost in battle. The question of which blocks should receive these restored steps is part of the strategic depth and beauty of block games. (In some games supply points can also be used to bring new units onto the board).

In Shenandoah: Jackson’s Valley Campaign, Columbia Games explains that the Supply Phase of the game “simulates a complex variety of battle effects, such as restocks of ammunition, and resting and rallying of troops.” This is the concern of the professional soldier. Battles are lost when logistics fail. A supply line cut can lead to attrition of forces and blocks lost. 

Games such as Shenandoah further capture this by designating supply bases for each side, such as Charlottesville and Staunton, Virginia for the CSA player. Rules also require that blocks being resupplied must be able to trace their (continuous) supply lines back to base. In the case of Napoléon: The Waterloo Campaign 1815, another game from Columbia, the French occupation of Allied supply cities results in immediate attrition for the Anglo-Dutch (-1 unit) or Prussian (-2 units) forces. 

From fog of war and step reduction (which I’ve written about before) to supply points and attrition of forces, block games do an amazing job of simulating battlefield challenges without slowing you down or sacrificing playability. While you may not necessarily learn to love logistics, hopefully you will now have a greater appreciation for supply points the next time your favorite block game makes it to the table.