Monch Publishing Group
Introduction
There has been a lot of talk of a minor resurgence of wargaming in the military and how it’s used to teach junior officers and enlisted men how to think strategically. One such case is the Marines in Okinawa and the use of the game Memoir ’44. Now my article isn’t so much about those efforts, but how you can use military planning tools after a fashion to help in your own hobby gaming. I’ve learned these techniques through a lot of experience. Do they always work? Nope. Plans go awry, dice roll badly, but you’ll win and learn more if you use them than if you don’t.
METT-T
One of the best tools I’ve found that the military uses is the concept of METT-T, it’s an acronym that stands for Mission, Enemy, Terrain, Troops Available, and Time. All these things factor in a wargame. I’ll break them down for you and demonstrate.
- Mission – This translates to “What are the game’s victory condition(s)? What do you need to do to accomplish them, and how do you need to go about it? It’s early in the process to consider your assets available, which comes later, but consider if you had what you wanted ideally, and then make a rough plan from there. Come up with two or three options that are flexible and easily switched to if one plan goes awry. All of the wargames I ever won were because I ruthlessly stuck to the mission.
- Enemy – What does the enemy have, what is his mission, and where is he? These are all things that are good to know, but you may not always have that information. This is especially true in games where the defender sets up hidden on a map, then is place on the game board as he is discovered. This makes your recon assets (be they horse cavalry, or more modern armored cavalry in its various forms, or even drones) a valuable thing. But consider, ask questions of the referee, don’t be a pest, but listen hard to what he tells you and ask yourself? What would I do if I were the enemy?
- Terrain – There are a lot of reasons terrain matters, where’s the good routes of advance, where’s good terrain to defend (and ergo, terrain an attacker must take). This is when you should start making the plan a bit more concrete. Look at the terrain, the bottlenecks, and the good routes of advance, and more importantly, look at it from the eyes of the enemy. Ask yourself, how would you deny yourself the use of said terrain advantages if you were the enemy?
- Troops Available – Now, you can consider what you have available for your own use. Take your ideal plan and pare it down to what you have. Wargaming is the art of doing what you can with what you have. Also, consider your troops and terrain. A good example of this? If there’s a mountain on one of your avenues of approach, you might not want to send your tanks or cavalry that way. But always leave room for the unexpected…. Ask the Germans in 1940 or Hannibal in the Alps how that turned out? But there’s one other factor to always consider.
- Time - Time is important in a wargame. You only have so many game turns to accomplish your objectives, you may have the perfect plan, but if it takes too long to implement or important elements sit out a good chunk of the battle, then the plan is useless. Another consideration for scenario designers? How fast will units move and get into contact, if you design a scenario where half the game is the two sides coming to grips with each other, then you are not going to have the most exciting scenario.
Other Planning Tips for Wargaming
These are some small hints I’ve learned over the years as a wargamer and something that has stood me in good stead when coming up with a plan.
- Never Point at the Table When Planning or Talking to Other Players on Your Side – One thing I learned fast when planning for a game - if you point and gesticulate towards the table? You’re giving the other side tons of free information. Never give anyone a free lunch.
- Maps, Maps, Maps – They don’t have to be pretty or a work of art. But they must be functional. A good scenario designer or game master provides planning maps ahead of time to allow folks to sketch out a good plan, but something as simple as a sketch on the back of a napkin with a sharpie or a picture of the table on your phone, and a hand-drawn plan in a graphics program work just as well. Just make sure they’re reasonably accurate.
- Make Good Use of Your Prep Time – In the pre-game phase, planning and divvying up forces and objectives (especially when you’re playing as part of a team) should be done quickly. The big part should be discussing what your plan for the game should be. Don’t dally, and don’t delay the game.
- Be Flexible and Have a Reserve – Any good commander has a reserve. In the defense, it’s the sword to your defense’s shield, designed to break the enemy weakened by your defense and take back lost ground. In the attack, it’s there to save a crisis or create an opportunity. Never, ever fail to keep a reserve in your back pocket. A good rule of thumb is 20% of your forces makes a solid reserve.
Well, I hope these ideas were useful, and have inspired some food for thought. Now get out there and get gaming!
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At Epoch Xperience, we specialize in creating compelling narratives and provide research to give your game the kind of details that engage your players and create a resonant world they want to spend time in. If you are interested in learning more about our gaming research services, you can browse Epoch Xperience’s service on our parent site, SJR Research.
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(This article is credited to Jason Weiser. Jason is a long-time wargamer with published works in the Journal of the Society of Twentieth Century Wargamers; Miniature Wargames Magazine; and Wargames, Strategy, and Soldier.)